


Prophecy of the Sisters - Part II - Fields of Daisies

by OnlyHisPrincess



Series: Prophecy of the Sisters [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Bondage, Case Fic, Dirty Talk, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Implied Sexual Content, Light Dom/sub, Rough Sex, Smut, Spanking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-27
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2018-05-16 15:11:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 112
Words: 691,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5830300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnlyHisPrincess/pseuds/OnlyHisPrincess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three sisters, a prophecy and the Winchester brothers.<br/>A continuation of <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/4813430/chapters/11020523"> Prophecy of the Sisters Part I - What the Rose Is</a>.  In order for this to make sense you want to read that first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'm Running Down the Road

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go....the second part has begun!

Panda Bears.

The first sight that greeted Daisy upon opening her eyes was pandas on her feet.  Black and white with happy smiling faces, staring up at her.  This was admittedly a strange sight but after the events of the past night not much could really surprise her.  A witch removing a spell someone placed on her mom, her pulling everyone into a vision and then demons breaking into that vision?  Run of the mill in her life these days.  So smiling pandas on her feet didn’t seem all that startling, which in itself was probably reason enough to think she had gone insane.  It took a few seconds for her eyes to focus enough to figure out that what she was looking at were actually slippers.  OK that at least made more sense than actual pandas.  Her friend Becky had a pair just like this in eighth grade and Daisy had wanted some too but had never gotten them.  Until now.  She wiggled her feet slowly, watching the happy panda faces waving back and forth.  So I can breathe a sigh of relief, Daisy thought sarcastically.  I’m only as crazy as I was yesterday.  Her eyes moved up her body, taking in the pink and white Gilmore Girls pajama set she was wearing.  (These in fact she did own.  They were a gift from Rose for her birthday one year and she would often wear them while watching the show with her sisters.  Hers of course had a snotty comment by Michele because she loved his snark.  “ _People are incredibly stupid today. I can't talk to any more of them._ ” Oh Michele, you don't even know.).  Slowly her eyes took in more of her surroundings.  A fireplace with a roaring fire, low lighting giving the room a cozy feel, rustic wood and leather furniture; This was the ski lodge she had gone to in Montana her junior year with some friends for a long weekend.  It turned out Daisy hated skiing (The cold, the wet, the falling on her butt-So not her thing) but she loved the ski lodge; Being all snug and cozy inside, drinking hot chocolate and flirting with cute boys she'd never see again-That was her thing.  That had been a fun weekend in her book.  Daisy frowned.  She definitely hadn't been wearing pajamas then though.

She felt movement behind her and suddenly realized that she was actually propped up against someone.  Glancing over her shoulder she saw Cas' serious face staring back at her.  He looked worried and concerned which put Daisy on edge.  In the short time she had known Cas she had learned that he didn’t worry over inconsequential things: he only wore that expression for a good reason.

"We're at the ski lodge in Montana" she said and Cas nodded, watching her face closely.

"This seemed to be a good place" Cas said.  "You were happy here."

"Mmm hmm.  I was" Daisy confirmed.  "Why the pajamas though?"

Cas frowned and Daisy could feel him worrying, concerned he had got something wrong.  Could that be why he wore that expression, something as small as wanting to get the details right for her?  "These felt warm in your memory, comfortable.  Since it's just us here I thought they would be good."

Daisy smiled.  "Good choice" she murmured and felt his relief flood through him.  "I was hurt, wasn't I?" she asked softly.

Cas nodded, shifting slightly so that her back was against his chest and he could wrap his arms around her comfortingly.  "You were injured severely but you're in the hospital now.  Your mother is here and Lily and Sam left just a few hours ago."

"Was anyone..Is everyone else OK?" Daisy asked tentatively, scared of the answer.

"Everyone else is fine" Cas said soothingly.  Before Daisy came into his life he would have answered any question with the total and absolute truth without a second thought for the repercussions.  Now he understood why when he had questioned Dean once about not always telling the whole truth Dean had said it wasn't always what people needed, that it could do more harm than good.  At the time that had made no sense to him, had just seemed like an excuse to take the easier path.  But now he understood.  He felt a strong, almost overwhelming desire to protect Daisy, be it physically or emotionally.  She was so fragile right now, hurt so very badly.  She didn't need to hear about Rose's injuries at this moment.

"Tonight was it, wasn't it?  What we knew was coming?"  She felt Cas nod.  "Did I do OK?"  Her voice was nervous, obviously desperately hoping she had done well and needing Cas' approval.

Cas hugged her tightly in his arms.  "You performed admirably, beyond any hopes or expectations.  I've seen seasoned generals who showed more fear than you and who acted with much less bravery."  Daisy smiled and Cas rested his head against her soft curls.  "You did exactly what you needed to do, Daisy.  Now you must rest. Your mind and body have been through so much and they need time to recover.  Sleep now, little one."  Cas leaned back, pulling her so she was laying against his chest.

"But I'm not tired, Cas" Daisy protested, even as she snuggled back into his arms, nestling her head under his chin.

Castiel smiled at her feeble protests.  "Try anyway, Daisy.  For me."

Daisy yawned and snuggled against Cas, finding him safe and warm.  "OK" she murmured, "But just for you."

The words were barely out of her mouth before sleep overtook her.

* * *

 **If you don’t know who this is why the hell are you calling me?** (Rose was too shook up to smile at Lily’s voicemail greeting, as blunt and as un-sugar coated as ever.)  _I'm sorry.  I know you're going to be mad but I couldn't stay, Lily.  Not after what happened.  You got hurt, Daisy got hurt because of **me**.  You heard what the demon said: the longer I'm around the greater the chance someone else will wind up dead.  I'm not, I can't live with that.  I love you, Lil, I love..all of you... You and Dean, they'll figure out who I care about the most and they'll go after you two...I can't live with that.  I promise I’ll take care of your car and I’ll get it back to you somehow.  Stay with Sam and um, watch out for Dean if you can, please...love you. _***click***

* * *

**Stop at ATM and get cash - √**

**Get gas (Who leaves their car nearly empty??  Answer – My big sister) - √**

**Call Lily - √**

**Turn my cell phone off (Should toss it but I just can’t) - √**

**Buy disposable cell phone - √**

****Get the hell out of Kansas - Working on it** **

* * *

Rose’s head hurt.  It felt like a migraine coming on and God she couldn't have one now.  Digging in her purse she dug out a bottle of Advil and gulped down two with the soda she'd grabbed at the gas station.  Please work, she prayed desperately.  Rose stared out at the near empty highway in front of her.  She'd worked through her mental check list and was on track so far.  All the tasks she'd wanted to do while still in Lebanon or close to it had been handled.  Now it was just a matter of driving.  Rose figured she could get a good distance between her and the bunker before anyone realized she was gone.  She'd gotten enough cash out of her bank account that she should be good for several days.  Her phone was off so they couldn't trace that.  The only problem now was the car.  She needed to either ditch the car or switch license plates.  Well there was no way she was leaving the car.  Lily adored this car, not as much as Dean loved the Impala (Rose wasn't sure that it was possible for anyone to love their car as much as he did.) but enough that Rose couldn't abandon it.  She'd get somewhere it was safe and leave the car and somehow notify Lily where it was but for now she was keeping it.  So that meant switching plates.  Once she got some distance between her and Lebanon she'd try a truck stop with lots of cars and lots of people not paying attention.  OK so that was a plan.  Plans were good.  Plans were things to focus on.

Rose kept her mind busy, going over details, thinking about what she needed to do.  It kept her mind off leaving, off the fact that fairly soon the people she cared about most would be waking up to find her gone.  She tried not to think about how everyone was going to react, all the upset she was causing, of how Dean was going to react.  She shook her head, needing to clear it of that thought.  She couldn’t go there right now.  Once she had found someplace to rest for a few days she could fall apart, deal with all she had just lost. 

Her mind was a jumble and she was trying not to be concerned over the fact that her purse was lifting off the seat, then settling back down, then lifting again.  She wasn't able to stop it, to control it yes, keep it from flying all about the car, but not stop it.  She had tried deep breathing, had tried to calm herself down but she must be too upset for that to work.  So the purse kept going up and down as she kept driving.  Her head felt weird, not just achy but _full._ That was the only way Rose could think to describe it, even though she realized that didn’t really make any sense.  There was too much going on in her mind, too many thoughts and too many weird sensations to explain.   She needed to just concentrate on the road, yes that was the plan. 

The GPS on the phone she bought said four hours till she was out of Kansas but she figured she could make it in three.  Where she went from there she would figure out later.

* * *

Dean woke up, his hand immediately reaching out for Rose and finding an empty bed.  His eyes flew open to find Sookie watching him from Rose’s pillow, but Rose was nowhere to be seen.  He sat up quickly, his eyes scanning the room and seeing no sign of her.  He jumped out of bed, grabbing his phone and leaving a startled Sookie behind as he threw the bedroom door open (ignoring when it hit the wall with a bang) he stalked down the hall, heading towards the kitchen and main area of the bunker.  He tried to tamp down the panic he felt rising up in him as he moved from room to room and saw no sight of Rose.  He dialed her phone quickly, on the slightest chance she had wandered down to the lower levels and felt his anxiety rise as her phone went directly to voice mail.  Rose never turned her phone off, not even at night, preferring to silence it so she had quick access to it if she needed it.  Not finding Rose he headed for the hallway again, stopping at Sam and Lily’s door and banging on the door loudly.  He had a bad feeling, a sense that something was very, very wrong here.   

Further down the hall Charlie’s door opened and her head appeared, looking around dazedly.  “Dean?” She asked, spotting him standing in the hallway.  “What’s going on?”

“Have you seen Rose?” He asked and Charlie’s eyes widened at the urgent tone in his voice. 

She shook her head.   “Not since last night.”

Impatiently he knocked on Sam and Lily’s door again and finally a sleep rumpled, barely awake Sam opened the door.

“Dean what-“

“Have you guys seen, Rose?” Dean demanded, cutting his brother off, not wanting to waste time on explanations.  Dean could hear that his voice was louder than it needed to be, that there was a note of panic and desperation in his voice but he was unable to control it.  “Have you talked to her?”  Dean saw Lily sit up in the bed behind Sam, and hearing his words she immediately reached for her phone.

“What? No” Sam said, his confusion clear in his voice.  Charlie appeared behind Dean suddenly and Sam looked at her in bewilderment.  “We’ve been asleep.  We didn’t get back from the hospital till nearly-“

His room, he hadn’t checked his room! Dean realized suddenly.  He rushed that way now, not waiting for Sam to finish.  Maybe Rose had woken up and came down here to get her clothes, after all he had brought her bag in here yesterday so that would make sense.  She would tease him about getting so wound up over nothing, telling him he was so overprotective and Dean would growl at her not to worry him like that and pull her into his arms and kiss her till she was breathless.   He might even tell her how much trouble she was in for making him worry, just to watch those gorgeous eyes of hers darken and to see her smile at him in that flirty, seductive way of hers.  Yes, she’d be in his room and everything would be just fine.  Dean had almost convinced himself of this in the short time it took him to get to his door.

He pushed his door open, holding his breath as his eyes swept the room, feeling the silence and seeing no sign of Rose.  He released the breath he has been holding and his shoulders slumped when it became evident she wasn’t there.  Her bags were gone, he realized with a jolt and a sickening possibility began to occur to him.  She wouldn’t…

Spotting the pink sheet of paper on his bedside table he walked toward it hesitantly, suddenly not sure he wanted to know what it said.  His name was written on the front in Rose’s swirly, feminine handwriting and with a slightly shaking hand Dean reached out and picked it up and opened it.  As he read it he sank to the bed, his legs no longer holding him up.

“Damn it, Rose, tell me you didn’t do what I fucking think you did” he muttered as his eyes flew over her words.  _Put you in harm’s way, I won’t bring that down on all of you, Please don’t look for me, I’ll always be yours_ …

“Dean, what’s going on?” Sam asked from the doorway.  Dean looked up and Sam took a deep breath, seeing fear, anger and pain in his brothers’ eyes.  With a growl Dean picked up the closest thing to him which just so happened to be Rose’s hairbrush that had been tossed on the bed yesterday (Guess she didn’t do such a great job packing, Dean thought.) and flung it across the room, where it hit the bathroom door and landed with a crash.  Then Dean sank back down on the bed and dropped his head into his hands.

“She’s gone” he groaned.

Before Sam could respond Lily appeared behind him, Charlie trailing after her.  Lily’s face was pale, her hair a disheveled mess and her eyes wide with unshed tears.  Dean looked up at the sound of her voice.  “She left me a voicemail, said she was sorry and she took my car" she said softly.  Sam reached out and pulled her to him, wrapping an arm around her and she sagged against his side.

“How long ago?” Dean asked gruffly.  “How long ago did she leave the message?”

Lily looked at her phone.  “About an hour ago?”

“Then I can catch up to her!” Dean started, getting to his feet.  He looked ready to jump into the Impala and drive just like he was before Lily’s words stopped him.

“No you can’t.”

Dean gave Lily a cocky smirk.  “Oh trust me, sweetheart, I can.  An hour isn’t that much of a time gap and I can make that up.  Unlike your sister I don’t actually pay attention to the speed limit-” Dean stopped when Lily let out a laugh and kept right on laughing.  “Why are you laughing?” He asked.  “Why is she laughing?” he demanded of Sam when Lily didn’t answer.

Sam just shook his head.  He had no idea what Lily found so funny but whatever it was she wasn’t done laughing yet.  While Sam, Dean and Charlie stared at her like she was crazy, hysterical perhaps, Lily laughed till her stomach hurt, till she staggered forward and dropped down to sit on the edge of Dean’s bed.  Finally she managed to gasp out a few words.  “What makes you think Rose wouldn’t break the speed limit?”

Dean frowned at her question.  It was obvious, wasn’t it?  “Well, I mean she’s not a rule breaker is she?”

Lily smirked at Dean, her laughter finally dying down.  “Did you never stop to wonder why Rose didn’t drive her own car here?  Why she’s never offered to drive anywhere?”

Dean rubbed the back of his neck, running Lily’s words over in his mind.  “Um, no, I never did.”  He looked at Sam helplessly.  “Did you?”

Sam shook his head.  “No, but Dude, she’s your girlfriend.”

“Oh thanks, Sammy, way to have my back-” Dean started.  Charlie rolled her eyes, amazed at the fact that they were starting to bicker like children.   The boys usually were much better in a crisis than this.

“Why doesn’t she have her car here, Lily?” Charlie asked calmly.

“Because Rose has a suspended driver’s license” Lily said and that caused both Sam and Dean to stop their argument mid sentence.  They were both quiet for a second before Dean cleared his throat and asked softly:

“And exactly why does Rose have a suspended driver’s license?”

“Well the state of Nebraska tends to not look too favorably upon someone driving their car at excessive rates of speed.  Ninety miles an hour in a sixty mile zone tends to get you a pretty hefty ticket.”  Dean and Sam both winced at that.  “Especially when you get caught three different times in a year.”  Lily laughed at the look on the boys faces.  “Rose’s car is currently locked in our garage and her license is suspended for at least another year.”  Lily smoothed her t-shirt down, enjoying the shocked looks both boys were wearing.  They really had no idea. “My sister loves to drive.  Unfortunately she loves to drive fast.  You never thought it was odd she never told you to slow down, not even once with the way you drive?” Lily asked, looking at Dean.  When he just shrugged she rolled her eyes.  “We all have our vices, boys, even saints like Rosie.  She’s actually a great driver, can handle a car better than anyone I know.”  Lily smirked at Dean’s questioning look.  “Ya Dean, even you and when I someday rob a bank she’ll totally be my getaway driver.” That got a little chuckle from Sam.  Leave it to Lily to have a plan for a bank job.  “But for now, she’s got a head start in a car than can haul ass.  Now she’ll be careful, since she doesn’t have a valid license but there is still no way you’re going to catch her.  Take my word for it.”  The smile was gone from Lily’s voice now, all her humor having fled as the realization of what this meant sunk in.  “My sister’s gone.”

Everyone was silent for a second as Lily’s words sunk in and then Sam stepped forward and pulled Lily to her feet.  “Let’s all get dressed.  We’ve tracked people down before.  If anyone can come up with a plan it’s us.”  Charlie nodded and headed back to her room and with a sympathetic glance thrown Dean’s way Sam led Lily out.

Dean was quite once everyone had left his room, walking towards the bathroom door and picking up Rose’s brush from where he had hurled it.  He looked it over and was amazed to see it didn’t even have a mark on it after he’d thrown it with such force.  The damn thing really was sturdy.  Lily’s words about Rose and her love for speed were playing over in his mind.  How had he not known any of this?  He sighed.  Of course it couldn’t be as easy as just chasing her down.  God, he had never been this angry at her in all the years he had known her.  Of course he’d never had a reason to be terrified for her before either.  How could she do this?  Did she not realize how much danger she was putting herself in?  With a muttered curse Dean tossed the brush on the bed and left the room.  He didn’t care what he had to do he was going to find Rose and bring her home with him where she belonged.

* * *

Sam ushered Lily into their room, his mind working on what they needed to do first.   He watched as Lily walked to their closest and stared inside, seemingly lost in thought.  He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.  “We’ll get her back, Lil.”

Lily nodded and let her head fall back against him.  She was swinging back and forth between fear and anger at an alarming rate.  She wanted to hug her sister desperately and wanted to strangle her at the same time.  She should have seen this coming.  She knew how Rose felt about responsibility, should have known that Rose would see running as a viable option.

Sam straightened suddenly.  “Cas!  Cas can locate her easily.  Damn, why didn’t I think of this?”  He silently berated himself for not thinking of this sooner.  He pulled back from Lily and texted Cas quickly and within seconds Cas was standing in their bedroom.  His clothes were rumpled and Lily had to admit he looked every bit the part of a worried husband who had spent the night by his wife’s bedside.  He also didn’t look overly happy to be called here.

“Sam” he said, in that deep toneless voice that Lily was beginning to understand was his normal tone. “You said there was an emergency?”

Sam nodded.  “Cas, ya thanks for coming so quickly.  Rose has taken off sometime in the night or early morning, I guess.”

Cas sighed, looking up at the ceiling and Lily narrowed her eyes, not liking his reaction.  “Your brother chose a very difficult female to be involved with and he doesn’t seem to be able to control her very well.  He should do something about that.”  Sam and Lily both gaped at him, shocked and surprised by his words.  “You wish me to locate her, I take it?” Cas asked wearily and Sam nodded, too stunned by Cas’ other comments to say anything.  Cas closed his eyes for a second and then opened them again.  “I can’t.  Now, if there’s nothing else-“

“Wait! What do you mean you can’t?” Sam asked before Cas could disappear.

Cas sighed again.  It was evident this was not where he wanted to be.  “I can’t sense her.  I can’t find her the same way I can’t find you and Dean because of the Enochian symbols burned into your ribs.” Lily’s eyes flew to Sam’s face at these words, obviously not knowing about this.  “Rose is different from anyone else I’ve known so it is possible this is just something in her makeup.”

“Could it be a spell?  Could she have done something?” Sam asked.

Cas nodded.  “There are spells that would have this affect so yes, that is possible.”

“Can you sense her sisters?” Sam asked curiously.  Cas closed his eyes and then nodded.  “Yes, quite easily” he said, opening his eyes.  “I believe it’s most likely something to do with Rose’s powers.  It’s quite possible it’s the same way for demons with her too.  I would be surprised if they could track her either.”  Cas sighed again and laid a hand on Sam’s shoulder.  “I am sorry if I have been short with you, Sam.   I don’t mean to be but my thoughts and concern is with Daisy now and it’s hard to pull myself away.” 

Sam nodded.  “It’s OK Cas, I understand.  Go back to Daisy.  We’ll handle this from here.”  With a slight nod Cas disappeared and Sam and Lily were left looking at each other.

“Rose doesn’t mess with spells” Lily said.  “Not since junior high.”  At Sam’s curious look Lily shook her head.  “That’s a story for another time.  Your angel friend is weird” she said shortly, turning back to the closet and pulling out clothes.

“He is” Sam agreed “But he’ll take care of Daisy.”  Lily nodded and they both changed quickly and then headed out towards the library where they found Charlie already at her laptop, clicking away.

“Dean’s in the kitchen, making coffee and calling Bobby” Charlie said to Sam.  Sam nodded and headed that way.  “I’ll need your license plate, Lily if you know it…..”

Sam found Dean in the kitchen his cell phone in hand, staring at the coffee pot.

“Hey” he said softly and Dean looked up.   Sam winced, hating to see the concerned, worried look on Dean’s face.  He seemed to be fluctuating between fear and anger at the moment, which Sam understood. 

“I called Bobby, filled him in.  He’s gonna notify a few hunters he knows in the nearby states, have them keep an eye out for her.  Figures a pretty redhead in a fast red car should be pretty noticeable, especially if she drive like Lily says she does.  And a few of the guys he knows know Rose too, or her family at least.”

“Good idea” Sam said, coming over and leaning against the island across from his brother.  While they waited on the coffee pot Sam filled him in on his conversation with Cas and Dean let out a dark chuckle when Sam relayed the part about Dean controlling Rose. 

“Oh I can’t wait till he tries to control Daisy.  I want to be there for that.  _I_ chose a difficult woman.”   Dean snorted.  “He has no idea.  He’s obviously never seen Daisy throw a tantrum.  Think he knows his little…girlfriend, wait, are we calling her his girlfriend now?  I’m not really sure what they are to each other but it’s something.  What?  What’s that look for?” 

Sam ran a hand through his hair.  “Um, we didn’t get a chance to tell you since you were in bed last night but um, wife would be more fitting.”  He filled Dean in on their visit last night and the fact that both Cas and Daisy were wearing the elder Sullivan’s rings.

“That’s just, well I mean OK, from a strategic stand point it makes sense” Dean admitted and Sam rolled his eyes at his brother, ever the tactician.  “But otherwise it’s just all kinds of fucked up.”

“Ya, it didn’t go over well with Lily at all.  Getting back to Cas, he said he can’t locate Rose, that he can’t sense her for some reason.  He thinks it’s to do with her powers.” Dean swore softly.  Cas being able to locate her would have been just too easy.  “Up side is he doesn’t think demons can find her either.”

“God Sam, this is just a whole fucked up mess.”  Dean started to pace and Sam leaned back, letting his brother burn off some energy.  “She was supposed to be safe here.  I knew we shouldn’t have taken her to the hotel, knew it was dangerous but no, we had to.  And of course she took everything those demons said as the truth, never mind that they’re demons!” Dean flung his arms wide to demonstrate the absurdity of this.  “So now it’s all her responsibility if we get hurt.  Does she even know what we do?  God, why does she have to so damn stubborn?” 

Sam let his brother rant and pace a bit, listening to him with half an ear, while in his mind he was working on what they could actually do to fix this.  He was curious as to how good Rose was going to be at staying off the grid and off of their radar.  Sam knew she was smart and took in more than people realized.  He had a feeling she may well be quite a bit better at this than anyone expected her to be.  Now as for how Dean was handling this…Sam eyed his brother who was still pacing and was now waving his arms.  Well the fact that he had thought to call Cas before Dean did said a lot.  Nine times out of ten Dean was the man with the plan but not today.  Last night had really affected Dean and to wake up and find Rose gone had thrown Dean more than Sam could ever remember.  He was really shaken up.   Sam figured between the rest of them they could get things going, give Dean time to get his head together.  Dean had stepped up for all them enough in the past. 

When the coffee pot finished Sam poured himself and Dean a cup just as Dean seemed to have finally wound down from his rant.  He handed Dean his cup, poured one for Lily and led the way to the library to see just what Charlie had come up with to help them get Rose back where she belonged.


	2. Rose Garden Filled with Thorns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Cas tells all, someone has some anger issues and someone else finds out that the truth has a way of catching up with you.

While everyone back at the bunker was racking their brains trying to figure out where she was going Rose was having a much smoother time of things.  She had been amazed at how easily she was able to switch license plates at a busy truck stop.  She had gotten there near lunch time when the place was busy with lots of people coming and going and she’d watched a family pull up in a car and waited till they were inside. Once they headed in for lunch she’d moved quickly and switched the plates and then got out of there immediately.  So that was a big check mark off her list.  She patted herself on the back for pulling that off.  That definitely wasn’t something anyone would expect Sweet Little Rosie to do.  Then again she was surprised anyone thought she was competent enough to do anything on her own.  They were all so busy protecting her.  Rose frowned.  Her thoughts had gotten continually darker and angrier as the day went on.  Which was odd because if she was mad at anyone it was the demons that had attacked them.  But all these negative, angry thoughts about her family and the boys kept popping into her head.  It was almost like there was someone in her head whispering thoughts into her mind.  Rose shivered at that image.  Her mind was a complicated enough place without adding anything else.

Her head was still aching too, despite the extra asprin she had taken.  She was thinking she may have to stop sooner rather than later.  She hadn’t slept as much as she thought she would after last night’s events and she was feeling shaky on top of the headache.  She wasn’t as far away from the bunker as she would have liked to be but that was something she couldn’t help.  It was time to start looking for a place to stop.  Her options were limited though as the larger hotels would want to run her credit card and the smaller ones were likely to be places the boys would look for her in.  She wouldn’t put it past Bobby to have other hunters on the lookout for her either.  But Rose had one thing going for her and she planned to use it.  She had a plan when it came to finding a resting spot.

Shaking her head Rose concentrated on the road, concentrated on keeping her speed at the speed limit.  It felt so good to be driving again but she had to be careful.  She had to be so careful for so many reasons.

She'd done a quick search on her phone while she'd been waiting for an opportunity to change the tags and it became clear she'd be stopping sooner than she’d hoped.  So now she had a plan and it was time to put it in place.

* * *

Castiel eased out from behind Daisy and laid her out fully on the couch.  He covered her with a blanket, making sure she was sleeping soundly.  Even here in her dream he needed her to sleep, to give her mind a chance to recover from the trauma it had endured.  Later on when she had healed some they could travel and explore and do more of what needed done but for now rest was the top priority.  Her mind needed to be as still as possible so Cas could help her heal.  He stroked the mass of blond curls gently, willing her to rest and recover.  With one last look surveying the room Cas left Daisy to sleep.

Sitting next to Daisy's bedside in the private room they had procured for her at the nearest hospital, Cas couldn’t help but compare the surroundings of the hospital to where her mind was currently resting.  He felt a small surge of pride that what he had created for Daisy was so much warmer and soothing than this sterile room.  The hospital seemed fine, the workers competent and caring.  Still the fact that this was even required galled Cas more than he cared to admit.  He had known from the start that Daisy would have to be hospitalized, just as she had, but it was one thing to know that in theory and quite another to be faced with the reality that with all the power he had that he couldn't just touch her and heal her.  He took one of Daisy's hands in his wondering again that such a strong, dynamic creature could be contained in such a small, fragile body. 

The ring on his finger caught his eye and Cas took a moment to study it.  Appearance wise it was nothing special, aside from the symbols carved on the inside, but Cas knew this small metal band represented a lot to Daisy and her family.  She had talked about her father to him, of his kindness and love for his family, of how brave he was and all he did to take care of those he loved.  It was obvious Daisy admired him greatly.  It was also obvious the great love he had shared with Erin and Daisy had laughed when she had told him how embarrassing her parents were together, kissing and touching, as affectionate with each other as teenagers.  This didn’t surprise Castiel.  It was easy to tell from being around Daisy that she had been showered with love her entire life.  In the small amount of time he had spent around her sisters he could see it in them too.  These were women who had been raised and lived their life surrounded by love and it had greatly shaped who they all were.

Twisting the band on his hand Cas could feel a strength in the metal that surprised him.  That was interesting and something that definitely called for looking into.  But with a sigh Cas knew now was not the time.

Hearing a noise at the door and seeing the nurse on duty coming to check on Daisy again he knew that not far behind would be a group of people wanting explanations about last night and what he and Daisy had been keeping from them.  The time to tell everything was here.  The nurse gave Cas a kind smile as she checked on Daisy and then left the room.  Cas squeezed Daisy’s hand one last time and wished she were awake to explain it all with him.

* * *

Sam felt like it had taken a miracle to get them all here in one piece.  They’d spent the morning trying to figure out where Rose could have gone and to try and come up with some kind of plan.  Charlie had Lily’s license plate and had alerts coming in if it was spotted on any traffic cameras.  So far the only sighting had been in Lebanon just after eight thirty this morning.  She also had alerts coming on her credit cards and again, the only use had been this morning in Lebanon.  They knew she’d withdrawn money from the ATM before she left town and knew that in Lily’s car she had a gun (Which Dean had confirmed she could use when Lily told him the make and model.), some holy water and some knives so she was at least armed.  (Though as far as Sam knew Rose had never used a knife, not even in training so really just the gun and holy water were of use.). They were pretty sure she would know to switch license plates as she and Dean had talked about the boys doing that in the past (“ _I mentioned something to her a few days ago about us having to change plates a few times a few years ago to stay off the police radar and mentioned traffic cameras.  She'll remember that._ ") Then they’d started discussing where she could have gone and if there were any friends she would have ran to if things had gotten bad.  The problem was the only people they could think of were in that room.

_"What about Chastity?" Dean had asked.  He got blank stares back._

_"Who?" Lily asked._

_"Ya know, Chastity. They met at a summer class at the junior college..." At Lily's blank look Dean filled in the missing piece he was sure would clear this up.  "The one who's a dominatrix."_

_Sam choked on the sip of coffee he was taking and both Lily and Charlie just stared at Dean like he'd just sprouted another head._

_“My sister doesn’t have a friend who’s a dominatrix!” Lily said, assuredly, after finally finding her voice.  “I would know about her if she did.”_

_“Well I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but she definitely does” Dean said just as confidently._

_“And just why do you know about her and I don’t?” Lily demanded._

_Dean shrugged.  “I don’t know.  I saw a picture on her phone that Chastity had sent her and asked her about it.  I got the impression they talked a lot.”_

_“Did she say where she lived?” Sam broke in, giving Lily a concerned look.  She had a scowl on her face but he knew her well enough to know she was shaken to find there was someone in her sisters’ life she didn’t know._

_Dean shook his head.  “She said she had an aunt in Hastings and I know she runs a business.”_

_Charlie’s ears perked up at this.  “I’m taking it you don’t know what name she uses?” Again Dean shook his head.  “Hmmm, well let me see if I can get lucky and find something” and she went back to clicking._

Dean had wanted to get in the car and just go on the off chance he could catch up to Rose and find her.  Sam had persuaded him they needed to hear what Cas had to say and that it made more sense to wait till they knew something about where Rose might have headed.  Eyeing his brother now where he was leaning against the hospital wall Sam though he looked like a tightly contained ball of anger and anxiety.  He hoped this went well.

Sam wondered what the hospital staff must think of the weird crew that had assembled in Daisy's hospital room.  He was pretty certain they weren't supposed to have this many people in here at once but it was nowhere near shift change and a nurse had been around to check just before they got here, according to Cas so they should be good.  Bobby had asked about Rose when they got there and Sam had told him they knew nothing else yet, but had Charlie looking.  Bobby nodded and said he’d let them know if anyone got in touch with him.  Sam was glad he had asked Bobby to tell Erin about Rose having taken off.  He couldn’t imagine having to go through that drama now.  Erin looked fairly calm, considering, Sam thought.  Erin and Bobby were seated on the small couch with Dean leaning against the wall not far from them.  Lily was seated in the chair by Daisy’s bedside, across from Cas and Sam was behind her, hoping he could be there to offer any support that was needed.

Cas didn’t look to be saying anything soon so Sam cleared his throat and spoke up.  “Uh, Cas?”  Cas looked up at him.  “We’re all here if you want to start.”  Cas nodded and then he started to speak.

“Daisy had a dream not long after we met.  In it there was utter darkness and a voice, telling her simply to talk to the angel, to listen to the prophecy that only he can find.  As I was the only angel Daisy knew she called to me and told me about her dream.  I went looking for the prophecy and found it a-”

“Where did you find it?” Lily interrupted.

Cas gave her a steady look.  “In heaven.  There are prophecies there that one can only find when the time is right and usually only if they pertain to you or others you know.”

Lily nodded.  “Heaven, of course, where else?”  Sam squeezed her shoulder.  He knew this was going to be a lot for Lily to take in.

“Once I had the prophecy but before I showed it to Daisy she had another dream.  Again it was total darkness and the voice spoke.  This time it was telling Daisy she must not change anything, must not share with her sisters what was to come.  It said "You can save them but it will take blood and sacrifice.”  Sam felt Lily draw in a quick breath at this.  Glancing at Dean out of the corner of his eye Sam saw he had straightened up now and was looking as upset as Lily.  There had been plenty of blood and sacrifice to go around.

“I showed the prophecy to Daisy and we discussed it at great length.  We looked at it from every angle and we both were of the same mind, that there was no changing the outcome and the best course of action was to do as her dream instructed.”

“Wait, what?”Lily said at the same time as Dean came stalking over.

“So you find a prophecy and Daisy has a dream telling you to do nothing and you listen to it?  We're following orders from dreams now?  I dreamed I won an all you can eat pie contest.  Think I should find one to enter?"  Cas seemed to be seriously considering this question and Sam was happy that Dean kept on going before Cas could answer.  "And Daisy is who you decided to discuss this with?  I’m sorry but she’s not exactly a fucking war strategist, Cas.”  Sam could feel the anger coming off of Dean.  He was sure Dean thought if things had been done differently they could have had a different outcome last night and Rose would still be here. 

Cas was giving both Dean and Lily a level look.  “Daisy said you two would be angry.”  They both visibly drew back at that and Sam resisted rolling his eyes.  They were so damn alike sometimes. “She said you were both protective and would react this way.”

Erin and Bobby had been silent this entire time and Bobby finally spoke up.  “Cas, is there a reason you didn’t talk to anyone else, get someone else’s opinion?”

“The prophecy was very clear that certain things had to happen and Daisy felt sure that if anyone else knew they would argue.  The prophecy was primarily about her so it only seemed right to give weight to her opinion, to not take it lightly.”  Cas looked down at his hands then back up at the assembled group.  “She didn’t think anyone else would take her opinion seriously.” 

“Well that’s a load of shit” Lily said vehemently, her cheeks flushed.  “She’s my sister.  Of course I would take her opinion seriously.”  Cas didn’t argue, just looked at Lily calmly.  Sam rubbed Lily’s back lightly, hoping to calm her.  Finally Sam cleared his throat and asked if they could hear the prophecy.

In a clear deep voice Cas recited:

**The three will be attacked and there will be death and destruction left in the wake.  Blood will be spilled by more than one hand.**

**If the dreamer puts herself in harm’s way her sisters’ lives can be saved.  The messenger can save her, though it will take time and effort to heal.**

**What will follow in the months to come will shape the sisters going forward.**

**All three will be changed by this day, never to be quite the same again.**

Once he was done speaking everyone seemed to take in what he had said for a few seconds and then before anyone could stop her Lily was on her feet and was lunging at Cas.

“How dare you let my baby sister put herself in harm’s way you fucki-” Her fist met his face and she learned as Dean had that punching an angel wasn’t as easy as it looked.  Sam rushed to her side where she was cradling her injured hand.  She eyed Cas with anger and hurt clear in her eyes and he calmly stood and touched two fingers to her forehead, healing her broken hand.

“I understand your anger, Lily but we had no control over the prophecy.  Your sister is an adult and she has the right to her choices.”

“She’s nineteen!  She’s still a baby!” Lily argued, her anger making her voice shake.  Sam led her back to her chair and she sat down on shaky legs.

Sam was going over last night in his head, Daisy standing next to Heather, nearest the door, taking the brunt of the demon attack, the worst wounds of anyone except the witch.  If you believed the prophecy that was how it was supposed to happen.

“So you knew?” Dean demanded of Cas.  “You knew the demons would attack and that Rose would…” Dean found himself unable to put into words what had happened last night.

Cas shook his head.  “We did not.  We knew nothing other than what the prophecy said and that I would be able to heal Daisy.”

Dean’s eyed narrowed.  “OK explain that.  Explain this.”  He waved a hand, taking in the hospital room.  “If you can heal her why is she in a fucking hospital room?”

“The girls are not entirely human any longer.”  Cas cocked his head to the side, thinking.  “In fact I’m not sure they were ever _entirely_ human to begin with.  They are mostly human but as their powers continue to grow they are becoming a combination of human and supernatural.  That makes them much harder to heal.”  Cas looked up at lots of shocked, gaping faces.

Cas sighed, knowing they wouldn’t like this explanation.  “If Lily had been gravely injured I _may_ have been able to save her as she is the most human.  Your powers are physical, with a few dashes of other thrown in” he explained looking at Lily.  “The most you’ll suffer from what happened last night is perhaps a few headaches.“  He focused on Dean now.  “If Rose had been hurt as badly as Daisy…” he shook his head.  “I could probably save her physical body with much effort but it’s the mental, the supernatural power aspect that is hard to fix.  Because the demons broke into Daisy’s vision and did damage there they injured the part of her that is linked to her powers and Rose’s too.  Lily doesn’t have mental powers aside from a small part that’s linked to her sisters.  This is why I told you that Rose’s powers might not be controlled when she woke up.” Cas looked down and stroked Daisy’s hand.  “I can heal Daisy’s powers because there is a link between us.  The physical side I’m healing slowly at the same time but that can be fixed much quicker than her powers.  We're taking that part slowly while the mental, the supernatural part catches up.  It will take time and a lot of work but I can do it.”  He looked at Dean and shook his head.  “I couldn’t heal Rose in the same way.  Her powers are different and we have no connection.”

“If the damage was to the supernatural part, wouldn’t she just go back to being herself without her powers?” Dean asked desperately.

Cas shook his head again.  “Her powers are all intertwined with who she is, with her entire makeup.  Most likely she would be brain dead, in human terms.”  Dean shuddered at this.  “Daisy wasn’t willing to take a chance with Lily or Rose’s lives.  She made her decision based on her love for her sisters.  It was a wise and selfless act.  You should be very proud.”  This last part was directed to Erin and Sam looked over to find her smiling proudly.  He wondered if Cas had told her some of this last night.  She seemed very calm about it all.

“So while you’re healing Daisy, might be a good idea to have someone here with you as back up, wouldn’t you say?” Bobby asked.  “Demons came for the girls once, they’re likely to again.  The hospital doesn’t have protection like the bunker so having someone else here seems like a good idea.”  Cas and everyone else nodded at this plan.  “If there’s nothing else I’ll go get some of my stuff from the truck and stay for now.”  Cas nodded and Bobby turned to Erin.  “You take the truck and go back to the hotel and rest some.  I can’t imagine you got much sleep last night.”  Erin nodded and after kissing Daisy and hugging Cas and the boys she stopped at her oldest daughters side.  She stroked Lily’s hair back and leaned down and hugged her, whispering soothing words for her ears only and then she and Bobby walked out together.

Lily stared at Daisy for several minutes then finally she looked at Cas.  “You swear you can fix her?”  Cas nodded, his blue eyes calm and confident and Lily tried to be reassured by that.  “I’m trusting you because I have no other choice” Lily said, her voice rough with emotion. “But that’s my baby sister and if this goes wrong angel or not I’ll find a way to kick your ass.”   Sam rolled his eyes.  Leave it to Lily to threaten the being who was healing her sister.  “If I had it my way I would have taken my chances and locked Daisy away where she had no chance of being hurt.”

"So now I'm sure you can see why Sam kept this from you" Cas said.  "I didn't wish to cause problems for you two by asking him to keep it a secret but it was imperative he didn't tell you."

At Cas’ words Dean flinched but not nearly as bad as Sam did.  Lily’s eyed widened and Dean watched as the color drained from Sam’s face.  Aw shit, this was not what they needed, not now.

“Sam knew?” Lily said, her voice soft, deceptively gentle sounding.  To Sam it sounded like barbed wire wrapped in silk - soft and deadly.  Dean was franticly motioning to Cas to lie, to shut up, to jump out the window, to do anything but keep talking.  But of course, Cas didn’t notice and he answered Lily truthfully.

“Yes, he knew we were keeping something from you all, although he didn't know what.  It was not ideal for anyone else to know but Dean and Sam figured out that something was going on and confronted us on separate occasions.”  Cas cocked his head and looked at Dean.  “Daisy seemed to think that Rose suspected something.”

Lily’s head whipped around and caught Dean’s panicked look.  “Oh I see, so it was just me then who didn't know” she said.

“No, no Rose didn’t know” Dean said quickly.  Lily gave him a look that a professional interrogator would have been envious of and Dean folded.  “She guessed that Sam and I were keeping something a secret.  That’s it.  She had no idea it had anything to do with Daisy or Cas.”  Lily stared at Dean a few seconds longer, making him shift from foot to foot uncomfortably.  Damn, she was intimidating when she was like this.  Finally giving a small nod of her head Lily seemed to believe him.  She got up and walked over to Daisy, leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, then she turned and walked out of the room without another glance at anyone in the room.

Sam ran after her while Dean turned with an angry glare at Cas.  “Cas, man, Lily didn’t know that we knew anything.  You just caused a whole lot of trouble and we have more than enough to deal with as it is.”

Out in the hallway Sam found himself trying to keep up with someone else's long strides for the first time since he had hit his growth spurt when he was sixteen.  “Lily, Lil, will you stop and listen?  Please?”

Lily turned to him, her face a cold, impassive mask.  “No" she said simply and kept walking, her pace never slowing.

Sam stopped, his shoulders slumping as it hit him how badly this had gone.  A hand clapped him on the shoulder and he looked up into his brothers’ sympathetic eyes.  "Give her time, Sammy."  Sam's eyes were troubled but he nodded and followed Dean down to the car.

The ride back to the bunker was silent, with Lily riding in the front seat next to Dean, not wanting to even sit next to Sam.  Sam meanwhile sat in the backseat looking miserable.  He was sure there was a time he'd felt like he'd screwed up worse than this but he was hard pressed to think of it at the moment.  And Lily was making him nervous with this quiet anger.  Lily was never quiet when she was mad.  She yelled, she cursed and she threw things.  She didn’t just calmly walk out without saying anything.  Sam would rather she had punched him than walked out quietly like she had.  That was somehow much, much worse.

When they pulled up to the bunker Lily was out of the car almost before it had stopped moving.  She flew into the building and by the time Dean and Sam got inside she was nowhere in sight.

"Where did she go?" Sam demanded and Charlie, looking a bit stunned at what was happening barely got out "Shooting range" before Sam was turning on his heel and hurrying in that direction.

"Sam, you might want to give her time to cool off" Dean called to his brothers quickly retreating back but Sam didn't even slow down.  Dean rubbed the back of his neck, thinking this day fucking sucked.  He looked up at Charlie who was looking at him with big, stunned eyes.

"She uh, said she needed to shoot something" Charlie stammered.

"Ya, let's just hope it's not Sam" Dean muttered going to the mini fridge and grabbing a beer.

Sam stopped outside the shooting range, taking a breath and trying to figure out how to handle this.  He realized with a jolt that he didn't have a clue.  If Lily had reacted like she normally did when she was upset he would have felt like he knew how to go ahead.  But now..he just didn't know.

Sam opened the door and took a seat on one of the benches that ran along the back wall.  Lily was shooting a pistol and doing a damn good job of it too from the look of the target.  Sam just put his head in his hands for a minute trying to think of how to approach this, how to make her understand.  It wasn't till she went to reload that he realized Lily was crying.  Unable to help himself Sam got to his feet and walked up behind Lily.  He wasn't quiet, she knew he was there but she didn't change her stance a bit.  She just kept shooting.  And crying.  He waited till she was reloading again and slowly slid his hands around her waist.  She stiffened but didn't pull away.

"Lil, talk to me, please?" Sam begged, molding his body against hers.  Lily slowly laid the pistol down on the counter and shook her head, her shoulders shaking now with the force of her tears.

"Please Baby, yell at me, tell me to go to hell, just say something."  This was a new form of torture for Sam: holding the woman he loved in his arms while she cried because of him and her refusing to say a word. "I'm sorry, I really am.  I was just doing what I thought was best-"

This was the exact wrong thing to say and Sam knew it from the way Lily's spine stiffened.  He finally got part of his wish though as she reacted to this in a much more expected manner; she turned around and punched him, hard enough to knock him back.  Sam yet out a loud yelp and immediately pressed a hand to his eye.

"Who the hell do you think you are to decide what's best for me?"  Lily's tears had stopped now and were replaced with full on unmitigated rage.  "You're my boyfriend, not my father.  I am not some child you need to protect.  You don't get to just make choices for me."

Before Sam had a chance to respond Lily was stalking towards the door and he stupidly put a hand out to stop her.  Normally he would have thought twice, knowing better than to grab Lily when she was mad.  But Sam wasn't thinking clearly, he was panicking and Lily, with all that had happened in the past twenty four hours wasn't just mad; she was livid.  To say _she_ wasn’t thinking clearly either was putting it mildly.  When she felt Sam’s hand on her arm she didn’t think, she just reacted.  She struck out, punching Sam again, this time in the mouth, her anger nowhere near spent.  "Leave me the fuck alone, Sam" she spit out and left the room.

A short while later Dean found Sam in the kitchen, two ice packs held to his face.  Dean let out a snort.  "Wasn't it supposed to be red heads that have bad tempers?  It seems to me the brunettes got the redhead beat in that family."

Sam gave his brother a half hearted glare.  Dean handed his brother a beer and gave him a sympathetic pat on the back.

"Since Rose took off with Lily's car and she needed to get some air to clear her head Charlie let her borrow her car."  At Sam's panicked look Dean raised a hand.  "I know where she's going and she promised she'd be back in two hours max.  She needs some time on her own, Sammy and that's not easy to come by here.  Charlie handled her, got her calmed down enough, so you owe her."

Sam nodded his head miserably.  Dean shook his head at his little brother.  Some things never changed.  Even as a little kid Sam couldn't stand to be in trouble and hated anyone being angry with him.  This level of upset was bad for even Sam though.  He looked like a forlorn puppy and something clicked for Dean suddenly.  Looking at his brother closely and adopting a casual tone Dean asked:

"You're in love with her, aren't you?"

Sam looked up quickly, surprised at the question but then a slow, (Albeit painful thanks to the split lip Lily has graced him with) smile spread across his face.  "Ya, I have been for awhile.  How could you tell?"

Dean snorted.  "Oh maybe by the fact that she punched you - **twice** \- and you seem more worried about _her_ being mad at you."

Sam laughed.  "Ya, that does sound slightly insane, you're right."

Dean took a sip of his beer and stared at his brother.  "You realize pretty much both of our girlfriends ran away today right?  Not exactly a banner day for the Winchesters."

"Ya well at least yours didn't run away _because_ of you."

"No but yours is coming back in an hour and a half" Dean shot back.  “Who knows when or if Rose is?”  He gave Sam an appraising look.  "You guys will work it out.  Just let her yell for a bit."  He paused then said "But no more hitting.  I have my limits.  She hits you again I'm playing the big brother card and getting in the middle of you two.  And unlike you I'm not in love with her and I won't just let her hit me."

Sam laughed and rolled his eyes.  "What no snark about me being in love?  No lectures on hunters and relationships not mixing?"

Dean stopped with his beer bottle at his lips and raised an eyebrow at him.  "Sam, my whole fucking world is upside down right now because of one redhead.  Who the hell am I to lecture you?" 

Sam nodded his head and took a long sip of beer, sitting back to ruminate on just what the hell they had both gotten themselves into.


	3. I Don't Know What You Were Dreaming Of

While all sorts of fighting and drama was going on with everyone else Cas was easing back onto the couch behind Daisy at the ski lodge he’d created for her.  He made himself comfortable, stretching out and arranging Daisy carefully so she was laid out with him.  She sighed and stirred gently.  “Is everything OK?” she murmured sleepily.  Cas smiled and kissed her curls as she settled her head on his chest.  “Everything is fine” he assured her, wrapping his arms and body and every bit of his grace that he could around her.  “K” she murmured, falling back into a deep sleep.  Cas closed his eyes and focused on Daisy, on every injury, every bit of damage done, thinking silently “Let the healing begin.”

* * *

Lily wasn't sure how long she had been sitting outside the bunker in the front seat of Charlie's car.  Awhile now.  She had texted Charlie to let her know she was back, just still needed a little time before she was ready to come in.  She knew everyone was on edge with Rose running off and Daisy being hurt and she didn't want to worry anyone.  She just needed some time to breathe.

Leaning her head back against the seat she shut her eyes, taking a deep breath.  Today had been total overload.  Everything seemed to be spinning completely out of control and the people she trusted most had kept things from her, had lied to her.  Rose had some secret friend and Sam had kept information about Daisy and Cas from her, not to mention that Rose knew something about that too.  Lily didn't even know how she was supposed to deal with this.  She was angry, she was hurt.  She envied her sister and wanted to run away too but that had never been her way. No, Lily stayed and dealt with the fallout.  It was part of who she was.  But this time...she sighed.  This time she just felt exhausted by it all.

She finally made herself get out of the car and go inside.  She saw Charlie in the library right away and went to return her keys to her.

"Thanks, Charlie, for the loan and the recommendation.  It was the perfect spot." She leaned over and hugged Charlie impulsively, getting a happy smile and a strong hug in return.

"Anytime" Charlie said, smiling at her sympathetically as Lily took a seat next to her.  "Feel any better?"

Lily sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them.  "I feel calmer.  I was a little out of control before" she admitted.

"Na, you don't say?" a deep voice from the doorway caused both girls to jump. Dean came and sat across from them, a glass of whiskey in his hand.

"You gonna try to tell me I didn't have a good reason to be?" Lily challenged, but there was little heat left in her voice.  Dean had noticed right away how she was sitting; just like Rosie did when she was feeling vulnerable.  (And God, if that wasn’t enough to make him ache.)  Lily looked tired and worn out, like she had taken all the hits she could. This all couldn't have come out on a worse day.

Dean shook his head.  "Nope, not even gonna try."  He took a sip of whiskey and Charlie frowned, wondering how many that was he'd had today.  She didn’t usually see him drinking this early in the day aside from the occasional beer.  He looked at Lily over the rim of his glass.  "But good reason or not you need to quit punching my brother."

Lily scowled at Dean.  “He deserved it.  OK he deserved the first one” she conceded at his raised eyebrow.  “I probably shouldn’t have punched him again.  But I don’t think we really want to compare my list of shouldn’t have's with your brothers right now."  Dean just took another sip of whiskey, not acknowledging Sam had screwed up but not denying it either.  “So how did Rose find out you two jerks were keeping something from us?”  At Dean’s face Lily waved her hand.  “Jerk is too kind at the moment, Dean.  Don’t argue.”

Dean narrowed his eyes at her, trying to decide just how much of this attitude he was going to take.  He knew she was hurting but there was a limit.  "The night you and Sam had the blow up over Daisy being upset with him?  Ya, uh, she didn’t buy our cover story for a second.  She cornered me and said flat out she knew we were lying.”

“Damn” Lily said softly.  “She always did have better instincts than me.  How’d you get her to keep quiet?”

“I asked her to trust me” Dean said simply, still amazed that that was all it had taken.

Lily blinked at him and even Charlie looked surprised.  After a few seconds Dean shifted uncomfortably under their stares.  “What?”

“That’s it?” Lily demanded and Dean nodded.  “What the fuck did you do to make my sister trust you so damn much?”

Dean laughed bitterly, draining his glass and getting up to pour himself more.  “Oh ya, she trusts me so much she ran off.  Ya, that’s an amazing amount of trust.”

Lily waved her hand dismissively.  “Oh come on, this is Rose we're talking about.  Between the two of us we should have figured she would feel responsible and take it upon herself to save us all.  That’s so her.  Saint Rose, you know.”  Lily looked at him hopefully as he filled his glass but he just gave her a discouraging look.  She really didn’t need alcohol today.  “And running away?  Again, I’m not surprised.  Whenever Rose messed up as a kid running away was always her go to plan, though she rarely went through with it.”

Dean nodded as he sat back down.  Lily had a point.  They’d talked about her plans to run away with him as a kid just days ago.  Still making plans as a kid was one thing.  Actually running away as an adult was another.  He looked at Lily questioningly "You said rarely.  Did she ever actually run away?”

Lily frowned, squirming a bit uncomfortably under Dean’s gaze.  “Ya once, when she was a teenager.  But that’s not really my story to tell.”  She shook her head at Dean.  “Sorry, I may be pissed at her but she’s still my sister.  Some confidences I can’t break."  Spreading her hands wide she looked at Charlie.  "So, ya that’s my sister, the perfect combination of saint and brat.”

While Charlie was laughing over Lily’s description of Rose, Dean’s curiosity was piqued about this runaway attempt that Lily wouldn’t tell him about.  He was going to get the details of that story sooner or later.  Dean stared at his glass of whiskey wondering how he had wound up with an adult who viewed running away as a viable option.  He decided then and there that once they got her back he and Rose were going to have a very serious discussion about running away.  He looked up to find Lily watching him.

“Rose doesn't always make the right choice."  Lily shrugged.  "Which one of us does?"  Dean acknowledged that with a small nod.  "She trusts you though, Dean.  She kept something from me because you asked her to.”  Lily took a deep breath.  “She’s never done that before.”

Dean smiled at her sympathetically.  He knew how much that had to hurt her but before he could even try to find the right words to comfort her Lily was asking him:

“Why aren’t you sharing the whiskey?  If anyone deserves a drink today it’s me.”

Dean shook his head, smirking at her.  “Uh uh, sweetheart, you need to keep a level head.”

“Oh ya and why’s that?” Lily demanded.

Dean smiled at her.  “Because you are gonna go see Sammy and work this shit out tonight.  We have enough going on right now without you two fighting.”

Lily looked at him like he was nuts.  “And what makes you think I’m ready to work things out with him?  He fucking lied to me Dean, and my baby sister is in the hospital now.  If I had known maybe I could have stopped that.  His lie never even gave me that chance."

“Did you hear what Cas said today?  Daisy wasn’t willing to take a chance with your life or with Rose’s.”  He put up his hand when Lily started to speak.  “Let me finish.” And oh that got him a glare, some of Lily’s fire returning which Dean took as a good sign.  She’d looked defeated when he’d first walked into the library but she was looking a bit more like herself now.  “Cas has pulled more miracles than I can count, hell he brought that witch back from the dead last night like it was nothing.  If he says he can heal Daisy I trust him and so should you.  And further more you should be proud of your sister, proud that she made the choice she did.  You may still think of her as a baby, and hey I get that.  I still think of Sammy as the little kid who I had to lift up to reach stuff, despite the fact he’s a towering giant these days.”  That got a little smile out of Lily and Charlie both.  “Take it from one older sibling to another, as much as you hate it and as much as it sucks you have to let them make their own choices.  Like it or not Daisy made a decision that was hers to make and she did it because she loves you and Rose.  You can’t ask for more than that.”  Dean took another sip of his whiskey and then looking Lily straight in the eye he said “My brother sucks at lying to people.  The only reason he was able to pull this off was because he was terrified of anything happening to you.  I’m not gonna argue with you about what he should or shouldn’t have done but his intentions were good.  He did what he did because he loves you, Lily.”  Her eyes got huge at that and Dean watched as they softened, giving him the answer he needed about Sam’s feelings being reciprocated.  “Put yourself in his shoes, Lily and tell me you wouldn’t do the same.”

Lily was quite for a minute, mulling over everything he’d said.  Then she swore softly and without another word she got up and walked out.

“He’s in your bedroom” Dean called out after her, then a second later he added "And you’re welcome.”

Turning back to Charlie, Dean smirked.  “You’re getting your fill of relationship drama with those two, huh?  It's like a live action telenovela."

Charlie laughed.  “They’re like that couple in high school who are either making out in the hallway or fighting for everyone to see.  Well OK, maybe not that bad but they’re just as entertaining.”

Dean laughed at that then sobered, looking at Charlie hopefully.  "Any sign of her?" he asked softly.

Charlie shook her head, smiling at Dean sadly.  "I'm sorry, Dean."  Charlie grimaced then.  "Oh and just FYI you do not want to search the terms mistress and Chastity together."

Dean gave a small laugh at that then drained his glass.  "That's what I get for dating a smart girl that was raised by a hunter.  It's amazing the amount of stuff you learn even when you don't want to."  At Charlie's quizzical look Dean said "Rose picked up a lot more than I thought she did from her family and us too I guess."

"We'll find her, Dean” Charlie said confidently.  “Something will come up, she'll slip up somewhere.  She may be smart but so am I and you guys are freaking awesome at finding people."

Dean nodded, not looking reassured.  When Rose had first taken off he didn’t think she would be that hard to find but she’d turned out to be a lot harder to track down than he ever imagined.

"How about some dinner?" Charlie asked, hoping to distract him before he refilled his glass again.

"Well we won't be seeing those two again tonight" Dean said, indicating the direction Lily had walked out.  "May hear some yelling, good or bad." Charlie giggled at that. "Headphones may be required,"

"Well OK but I'm hungry so come on, Dean, make me some dinner."  Charlie got up and tugged on Dean's arm and after a few minutes Dean went along with her.

Since Charlie hasn't been able to turn up anything on the Rose front she figured the least she could do was get Dean to eat something.  If nothing else it would soak up some of the alcohol he was so liberally consuming.  She hugged his arm as they headed toward the kitchen together and promised to do her best to take care of him till Rose got back.

* * *

Taking a deep breath Lily opened the door to their bedroom.  Sam was on the bed, his laptop open on his lap and he looked up when Lily came in, his eyes wary, clearly conveying that he wasn't sure if he should say anything or not.

Lily closed the door behind her and leaned against it, her eyes on the floor.  Neither spoke for a few minutes until Lily raised her head.  Eyeing Sam and the rapidly darkening bruises on his face she said softly "I'm sorry I hit you."  Sam's face softened at that, then Lily clarified "The second time" and that got a painful smile from Sam.  Leave it to Lily to make it clear she wasn't apologizing for the first punch, just the second.  "You lied to me, Sam” Lily said, her eyes watching him intently.

"I know" Sam said, shutting his laptop and setting it on the bed side table, his regret showing clearly on his face.  "And I'm sorry, I truly am.  I didn't want to but Lily you have to understand, Daisy and Cas were both adamant that to tell you would put you in danger.  I couldn't, I can't do that."

Lily made a frustrated noise, kicking a foot back against the door.  "This is why I suck at relationships" she muttered, getting a confused look from Sam.  "I get what you're saying, I do, but I am still so pissed at you.  You lied to me, you didn't give me a choice and I hate that with every fiber of my being." Pushing off from the door Lily started to pace, her agitation showing in every step she took.  "I get why you did what you did, that you wanted to protect me.  But here's the problem, Sam: I don't want to be protected, not like that."  She shook her head.  "Last night, when you kept me from getting to Rose, ya it pissed me off but I understood it.  I would have done the same if the positions were reversed.”

“I think we can both see how situations like that are always going to be a struggle for us” Sam said.  “We both instinctively want to protect people we love and now it’s harder because we want to keep the other one out of harms way.”

“Right” Lily agreed.  “But that I can handle, that I can deal with.  We’ll argue about it, but it’s logical to me.”  She shook her head.  "But this, I don’t want this kind of protection, not when it means you keeping things from me and making decisions for me." 

Sam tried to explain.  “But I had to, Lily.  There was no other way.  I had to keep it from you to keep you safe.”

“I don’t want a relationship where being lied to so I can stay safe is an option.”  She stopped and stared at Sam and he could see the wheels turning in her head.  Her eyes looked sad and that was scaring Sam more than he cared to admit.  “Maybe this was a bad idea.”

“What was?” Sam asked.

“Us” Lily waved a hand.  “This makes me believe that you need a girl who wants to be saved, wants someone else to make the hard choices for her and that’s not me.”  Before Lily had time to blink a pair of strong arms were wrapped around her waist and she was stunned to find Sam on his knees before her.

“Don’t” he said roughly, shaking her.  “Don’t you even think that.  I love you.”

“I love you too, Sam.  But I can’t change who I am.”  Lily smiled sadly at Sam, smoothing his hair back from his face.  “And most importantly of all?  I don’t want to.  I know some women like to be shielded, they like to feel like they belong to someone.”  Lily shook her head.  “That’s not me.  I don’t want to belong to anyone but myself.”

Lily had been almost as surprised as Sam was to hear the conversation head this way.  When she’d started to their room she’d known they had to talk, had every intention of telling him she understood why he had done what he did but it couldn’t happen again.  But as they’d started to talk she’d began to worry that this was the beginning of a pattern.  She’d seen it in men before, change this, tweak that, get Lily to stand down.  It had never worked out well in the past and the last thing she wanted was to go down that road again.  Better to end it now.

“I’m not asking you to change, Lil” Sam said, his desperation showing in his eyes.

“Maybe not yet but I know where this road leads.  I'm not that girl, Sam, the one who hides behind the big strong man, cheering him on as he slays the dragon.  I want to slay the dragon myself and I’d like to think the man that loves me could cheer _me_ on.”  Lily went to pull away from Sam and he squeezed her waist, drawing her eyes to his.

“Or maybe we slay the damn dragon together” he said, his voice low and rough.  "I want you, Lily.  I don’t want to own you or control you or change you.  I like that you’re independent and stubborn and your own person.”  He looked up at her, praying she would see the truth in his eyes.  “I fell in love with you, just as you are and I wouldn’t want you any other way.”

Lily was searching his face, hoping desperately that what he was saying was true.  She didn’t want to walk away, not in the slightest but she wasn’t going to stay in a relationship with someone who wanted to change her either.  “You swear?” she asked softly.

“I swear” Sam said and he pulled her lips down to his own, kissing her softly, letting her feel his sincerity.  Pulling back he winced.  "Sorry, kissing and a split lip are a bad combo."

"Ya, I kinda screwed myself there" Lily admitted.

Sam smiled then he admitted “I can’t make myself not be protective.  It’s who I am, Lil.  But it has nothing to do with me wanting to make decisions for you.  It’s because I love you so much that the thought of anything happening to you makes me feel like I can't breathe.”  Sam's eyes were big and sincere, practically begging her to believe him and Lily found she couldn't argue with his explanation.

“I get that” Lily said.  “And I admit, if I had been in your place I’m not even saying I wouldn’t be tempted to do the same thing” Lily said and Sam raised an eyebrow at her challengingly.  “OK maybe I would have done the same thing” she admitted and Sam laughed.  “But I’d like to think I would have told you or tried to.  It’s the keeping things from me, the lying, that I can’t stand.  And it sent me into a panic that you really would rather have someone who wants to stay at home while you fight the monsters.”

“Nope, not in the slightest.  I like that my girlfriend is a badass” Sam said, giving her a sexy look.  “So maybe we can accept we each want to protect each other, just we shoot for honesty from now on.  How’s that sound?”

“That sounds good and I’m thinking we may have to work some kind of sibling clause in here.  You know at some point you are going to want to jump into save Dean and get pissed when I stop you and I can’t stop myself from saving my sisters or at least trying.”

Sam nodded.  “OK let’s think about what we can agree on and talk about it.”

Lily nodded, bit her lip and then gave Sam that almost shy smile that killed him.  “You know Rose knew something was going on, right?”  Sam nodded.  “And she didn’t tell me, she kept it a secret just because Dean asked her to.”  Taking a deep breath she said “I know I’m not great at trusting people but I’d like to think that given some time I could do that too.”

Sam smiled; knowing how big a thing it was for Lily to voice that.  “So we’re setting relationship goals based on Dean and Rose’s relationship now, are we?” he teased gently.

“Oh God no” Lily said.  “There is just so much there that wouldn’t work for either of us” and Sam had to laugh because it was so true.  “But that, well I heard that and it just felt right, like I want to be able to do that.”  She smiled at Sam, the soft smile he treasured deep in his heart.  “I think I could with you."

"I'd like that too" Sam said.

"So no more lies" Lily said.

“No more lies” Sam agreed as Lily’s lips found his gently.

And Dean was wrong: There was no yelling, no shouting and it was the very opposite of loud.  It was soft and gentle and it felt more right and more permanent than anything else ever had for either of them.

* * *

After making Charlie dinner and eating with her when she insisted, Dean had stayed up late, even later than Charlie.  He sat in the library, bottle of whiskey at his side, searching the Internet for any sign of Rose.  Finally when he found nothing he headed to bed, his steps unsteady and his head and heart heavy.  He went straight to Rose's room and with one distracted pet to Sookie he flopped on the bed still in his clothes and fell asleep.

He felt like he'd only been asleep a minute when a soft voice roused him, saying his name.  He lifted his head and then sat up to find himself outdoors.  His surroundings felt familiar and he slowly realized he was sitting on a lawn chair in the Sullivan's backyard.  This felt way too real to be a normal dream. 

"We're doing this again?" he muttered and scanned the yard for a pint sized Rosie.  Instead he found a teenaged version sitting cross legged on the patio in a t-shirt and denim shorts and Dean couldn't help but grin.

"You're sixteen, right?"  He got a nod in return and laughed. "Those damn shorts nearly drove me crazy."

Rose looked down at the shorts in question, then back up at him.  "They're just shorts."

"Oh no" Dean said shaking his head.  "Those are not just shorts. Trust me.  They're the shortest shorts I've ever seen you wear and they fit you like you were born to wear them, like a damn glove."  He looked at her curiously.  "You don't still happen to own them do you?"  Rose shook her head and Dean sighed sadly.  "That's a damn shame.  God the fantasies I had about you in those shorts."  Interestingly enough even in a dream Rose blushed at that and Dean couldn’t help but laugh. 

Dean leaned back in the chair, making himself comfortable and Rose just watched him, smiling.  Finally the silence got to Dean and when he realized Rose was making no move to speak he did.

"So any particular reason we're here, Sweetheart or are we just taking in the night air?"

"I wanted you to know that I'm OK" Rose said.  “I’m safe.  I’m sleeping where there are lots of flowers.”

“Oh well that’s just so nice of you” Dean said, the sarcasm lacing his voice heavy and impossible to overlook.  Then he paused and added “And also confusing.  There’s flowers?  What does that even mean?”  Ignoring that Rose continued on:

"And I missed you, I wanted to see you."

"Hmm, well you know there's a simple fix for that.  Get your ass back here where it belongs."  Dean's body still looked as relaxed as before but his eyes were flashing and his tone was harsh.  This entire day his thoughts had gone back and forth from "God, what if she's in danger?" to "My God, when I get my hands on her," a constant battle between fear and anger and currently it was the latter that was at the forefront.

Rose frowned.  "I can't, Dean.  I wish I could but I can't."

"Bullshit" Dean said, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. "You can.  You're just choosing not to."

Rose shook her head, her face set in a stubborn look Dean knew all too well.  "I won't put you in danger."

Dean gave her a cocky smirk, the experienced hunter on display.  "My life is dangerous, Sweetheart.  If you think last night was the worst thing I've ever seen you are very wrong."  Dean sat back in the chair, studying her.

"It's the worst thing I've ever seen" Rose said quietly, instantly making Dean feel guilty.

"That's why I want you to come home, Baby" he said, his voice gentler than before.

"But I can protect myself, Dean.  You saw" Rose said and he couldn't help but notice that her eyes looked anything but happy about that.    

"You shouldn't have to though" Dean said. "Tell me where you're at, Rosie and I'll come get you" he pleaded.  "I'll keep you safe, I promise."

Rose wrapped her arms around her knees, drawing them to her chest in a carbon copy of her sister earlier.  "I can't, Dean.  I wish I could." She frowned.  "I wish you weren't mad at me."

"Oh no, that's not gonna work this time" Dean said, crossing his arms and fixing her with a hard stare.  "Last time you weren't in control.  This time you drove away of your own free will, leaving me and just about everyone that cares about you behind. Mad doesn't even come close to how I feel at you right now.  Try livid, irate, furious." Dean shrugged.  "One of those might come close."

Rose had paled as Dean had expounded on how upset he was with her.  Now she just looked up at him sorrowfully.  "I'm sorry" she said.

Dean chuckled darkly.  "Oh no, you're really not."  Then he fixed her with a stare that made her squirm.  "But you will be when I get a hold of you, little girl."  Rose stared down at her feet, not meeting his eyes.

"You won't remember any of this tomorrow will you?" Dean asked, thinking back on his research. 

Rose shook her head.  "Nope.  I don't even know how this happens."

"Ya it would be nice to have a control manual or something" Dean muttered.

Rose gave him a small smile as she stood up.  "I have to go now" she said, coming over and softly reaching out a hand to stroke his face. 

Dean stared up at her, wishing he could keep her with him, that this dream didn't have to end.  He may be angry at her but seeing her was like a small river of cold, sweet water to a man dying of thirst.  But before he could say anything else Rose turned and with one more smile she walked away.

Dean woke up briefly, his mind a jumble but holding onto two things: Rose’s lingering presence in his mind and that she was safe.  With that thought clutched desperately in his mind, the closest thing to reassurance he had right now, he drifted back to sleep.

 


	4. Don't You Dream Impossible Things?

Early Tuesday morning Bobby was startled out of a light doze by the ringing of a telephone.  He jerked awake, almost falling off the couch in the hospital room while the phone rang again, it's shrill call piercing the quiet of the room.  Across the room he saw Cas slowly stir and glance his way; Bobby raised a hand to let him know he had it handled.  Reaching over to the phone on the table Bobby picked it up, not sure who would be calling.  Everyone who knew Daisy was here had his and Cas’ cell numbers.

“Hello” Bobby said gruffly into the phone, stretching his back out as he did and hearing a few loud pops as he did.  This couch would not be winning any awards for comfort.

“Bobby?” a female voice asked and Bobby froze mid-stretch.  He knew that voice.

“Rose?  Where the hell are you?”  Bobby’s eyes flew to Cas who only looked mildly interested in the phone call.  Bobby had discovered yesterday that Cas was singularly focused on Daisy right now.  Anything and everything else was simply a distraction to him, at best to be tolerated, at worse to be dismissed.

“How’s Daisy?” Rose asked, ignoring his question.

Bobby sighed and rolled his eyes (Damn, stubborn kids.) and then he thought carefully about how to answer her question.  It wasn’t exactly one there was a cut and dry answer to.  “She’s hurt but Cas is taking care of her.”

“Hurt, how bad is she hurt?  Lily’s text didn’t really tell me-“

Bobby cut her off, his agitation showing through.  “You have a lot of people really worried here, Rose.  You need to call your mom and your sister,” then dropping his voice he added more urgently: “You need to call Dean.  He’s about to go out of his head with worry over you.”  Bobby had watched Dean closely yesterday and could tell he was wound up tighter than a spring and Bobby was worried about him.  He'd only seen Dean in a similar state a few times in his life and it never ended well.

There was silence on the line for a minute, long enough that Bobby was almost sure Rose had hung up.  Then finally in a quiet voice she said “I can’t, Bobby.  If I do they’ll come after me and the safest thing for everyone right now is that I stay far away from them.  I can’t” her voice broke, then she cleared her throat and continued.  “I can’t put anyone else I care about in danger.”

“I know you think you’re doing the right thing here, Rosie” Bobby said, softening a little.  “But believe me, you’re not.  You’re hurting everyone with what you’re doing, especially Dean.”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone” Rose said.  “But look at where Daisy is now.  That’s because of me.”

“There’s a lot more to that than you know, Rose.  If you were here you would know all the details.”  Bobby paused, trying to decide if he should say what was on his mind.  In the end, his loyalty to Dean won out.  He loved Rose, true, but Dean was like a son to him and he got first priority.  “You need to get back here now, Rose.  Dean is hurting and it’s because of you.  You two got real close, I know and then you just up and took off.  You know what that’s doing to him?  If anyone knows how much something like this will hurt him it's you.  What you’re doing right now, I know you think you’re doing it for the right reasons but it’s selfish.  You have a lot of people here who care about you and want to help you through this."

“That's not fair.  I'm not trying to be selfish" Rose said.  Heat was showing in her voice now, obviously brought on my Bobby’s words.  "I'm trying to do the right thing."

“Well you're not" Bobby said bluntly.  "I always figured you would be good for Dean, Rose.  Didn’t think you were the kind of woman to get a man’s heart involved and then turn tail and run when things got difficult.”  Bobby heard Rose suck in a sharp breath and knew she had gotten his point.  "I thought you cared about Dean more than that.”

When Rose answered Bobby could tell she was crying and Bobby felt a twinge of guilt.  He hadn’t wanted to make her cry, had just wanted to get through to her how much her actions were hurting others.  “I want to come back more than anything, Bobby I do. I hate being away from everyone and I care about Dean so much but I just, I don't know what the right thing is anymore."

"The right thing is to come back.  Tell me where you are and the boys will come get you."  Bobby waited patiently for Rose to answer, praying she would let them come get her.

"I can't, I don't know, Bobby."  Rose's voice was wavering, not sounding as sure as she had to begin with.  "Just, just let me think about it."  Bobby could hear the doubt in her voice and he hoped the seed he had planted had taken hold.

Before he could say anything else he was left with a dial tone sounding in his ear, hoping he had made things better, not worse.

Cas stared at him curiously while Bobby in turn stared at the phone.  He knew Rose had a good heart and she wouldn't intentionally hurt anyone and especially not Dean.  The way he saw her look at Dean there was no doubt in Bobby's mind how she felt about him.  He just hoped that by pointing out the pain she was causing he had gotten through to her enough to get her to come back where she belonged.

* * *

Miles away, in a soft, comfortable bed Rose was curled up under warm, plush blankets, crying into her pillow.  She had been asleep, her body worn out from all it had been through and she'd woken suddenly, with a feeling of overwhelming panic, worried about Daisy.  (She’d read Lily’s message before turning off her phone but all it had said was that she was stable.)  She had figured she could call and hopefully get at least some idea of how she was doing.  She hadn’t expected to get Bobby on the phone and certainly hadn’t expected to be told off.  A small voice in her head added that he had no right to say those things to her, but she shushed it, brushing the voice aside.

Rose wasn’t sure what to think now.  She was so sure, so positive she was doing the right thing by leaving.  She had figured if she got anyone aside from Cas on the phone they would try to talk her into coming back, telling her how much safer it was for her at the bunker.  She hadn’t been prepared for Bobby’s argument, that she was hurting everyone by doing this, most of all that she was hurting Dean.  Those words had been like a knife to the heart.  The last thing she ever wanted to do was hurt Dean.  She knew when she left that he would be upset but she hadn’t thought about it hurting him.  In retrospect that was dumb on her part.  Bobby was right, if anyone understood how Dean felt about being left it was her.  Dean would wince and roll his eyes if she had said aloud to him that he had abandonment issues but of course he did.  How could he not with his mother’s death and his father running off at every chance and barely being a parent when he was there?  Rose was kicking herself now, irritated that she was so stupid. How could she have not thought of this?  But she had to leave, she was putting all those she cared about in danger, that was a fact.  Look at what had happened, where Daisy was now.  Though Bobby had implied there was more too that than she knew.  God, it was all so confusing.

With a sigh, Rose felt her eyes start to close again against her will.  She was upset and confused, but more than anything she was exhausted.  Everything that had happened had drained her and right now she had no choice but to sleep.  Whatever she decided would have to wait till she had some rest.

* * *

When Sam’s cell phone rang Lily was happily and enthusiastically making sure that he knew she was sorry about his bruises.  (And note to self, Sam thought distractedly, maybe we need to talk about some anger management.)  Her lips and hands were busy, licking and sucking and making Sam think that maybe he could deal with being punched if it meant this kind of enthusiastic treatment.

Then his phone rang and Sam groaned.  Normally he would ignore it, figuring he could call whoever it was back, but with everything going on he couldn’t take a chance.

Reaching out and grabbing his phone he tangled his other hand in Lily’s hair and tugged gently.  “I need to answer it, Lil” he said.  Lily just smiled, nodded her head (somewhat) and kept doing what she was doing.  Sam rolled his eyes and answered his phone.  This could be interesting.

The first words out of his mouth after hello though were enough to get Lily to stop what she was doing and crawl up beside Sam, sitting back on her heels and watching him anxiously.  Sam got off the phone fairly quickly and looked at Lily, who was practically holding her breath.

“He talked to her?” she asked.

Sam nodded.  “Rose called the hospital to check on Daisy.  She got Bobby on the phone and he lost his temper with her.  She got a piece of his mind from the sound of it.”  Lily looked surprised and Sam smiled.  “Rose hurt Dean by leaving and that didn’t sit well with Bobby.”  Taking a deep breath Sam said gently “Don’t get your hopes up, but Bobby seems to think he might have gotten through to her.  He said she sounded like she was re-thinking things when she hung up.  So keep your fingers crossed.”

Lily surprised Sam by bursting into tears.  Of all the reactions he had expected this wasn’t it.  He thought she might be irritated at Bobby for telling Rose off or happy there was a chance Rose was changing her mind.  He hadn’t expected tears.

“Hey” he said in alarm, pulling her against his chest.  “What’s wrong?”

Lily just shook her head and cried and Sam stroked her hair, knowing she would tell him when she was ready.  For a few minutes she just sobbed against his chest then slowly she raised her head and wiped her eyes.  “Sorry” she said.  “I just want her back here so badly.  I hate her being out there where anything can happen to her and we won’t even know.”

“I know” Sam said, smiling at her.  “I know this is really hard for you, Darling.”

Lily nodded.  “I miss her” she said in a small voice and Sam hugged her and kissed her on the forehead.

“I know, Lil.  I wish I could just get her back here right now, just snap my fingers and she’d appear, just for you.”

Lily smiled at him.  “And for Dean” she said.  “You need to go tell him.”

Sam nodded.  “Ya, I’m not sure if he’s up yet and he said he was going to clean the Impala this morning.”  He hugged Lily again and smiled at her.  “Let’s go get some breakfast and I'll see if he’s around.”

Lily bounced out of bed and started rummaging for clothes in the closet.  A pair of arms grabbed her around the waist as Sam pulled her back against him.  He kissed the side of her neck and then growled against her ear “I expect an enthusiastic continuation of what got interrupted earlier.”

Lily laughed then turned in Sam’s arms and kissed him soundly.  “Oh, you can count on it."

* * *

After grabbing coffee earlier in the morning Dean had indeed headed down to the garage.  He’d given Baby a thorough, much needed cleaning clearing his mind of anything else.  He washed and buffed till the inside and outside shown as if it were brand new.  Then after draining his beer he laid back on the clean front seat of the Impala and closed his eyes.  He hadn’t slept much last night and figured he would just rest his eyes.

The smell of bacon cooking and coffee brewing woke up his senses and he opened his eyes to find himself once again in a different setting than the one he fell asleep in.  This time he was in the Sullivan’s kitchen with warm sunlight pouring in through the windows and a full breakfast plate in front of him.  He was seated at the kitchen table and the plate in front of him was full of bacon, eggs and hash browns.  There was a separate plate of pancakes dripping with butter and syrup and a full cup of hot coffee next to it.  Dean took a bite and moaned as the delicious tastes hit his tastebuds.  The food was perfect, the bacon crisp, the eggs fluffy and the hash browns crispy with little flecks of cheese peeking out amongst the browned potatoes.

“I always did make a good breakfast” a voice said, causing Dean to look up.  Sitting cross legged on the kitchen counter was Rose, albeit a young, pre-teen one, dressed in jeans and a Twin Peaks t-shirt.  Dean swallowed the mouthful of food and tried to figure out just how old she was.  “I’m twelve” Rose supplied and shrugged at Dean’s questioning look.  “I knew you’d be trying to figure it out.  Try the pancakes” she urged.  “From what I hear they aren’t as good as yours but they aren’t bad either.”  Dean obeyed and moaned again.  They were light and fluffy with a slight hint of something extra.  Rose grinned at his obvious enjoyment.  “Good, huh?”  Dean nodded and swallowed, then took a sip of coffee.  Of course it was rich and strong, just like he liked it.  “Funny, I don’t even really like breakfast but I can cook a good one" Rose mused.  She fidgeted with the charm bracelet on her arm and Dean’s eyes were drawn to it.  She’d worn that bracelet for years, hardly taking it off.  He wondered what had ever happened to it.

“It’s kinda funny all the different ages you show up as, you know” Dean commented, then shoveled more food into his mouth.  These dreams seemed to have a habit of ending abruptly.  He was getting as much food eaten as he could.  “I mean, why are you twelve in this one?”

Rose shrugged.  “No idea.  I just sleep and appear.  Trust me, if I had a choice twelve year old me would not be it.”

“Why not?  You were a cute twelve-year-old.”  Dean smiled at her as he swallowed the last of the eggs.

Rose rolled her eyes.  “OK, if you got the chance to appear in my dream are you going to pick the twelve-year-old version of yourself?”

Dean chewed on a piece of bacon thoughtfully.  “Good point.”  He watched Rose sitting so comfortably on the counter.  She looked at ease here, obviously in her element.  Rose caught him watching her and smiled.

“I love this kitchen” she said softly, running her hand over the counter then looking around.  “I learned to cook here, spent so many happy moments here.”  She smiled at him as he ate the last of the hash browns and moved onto the pancakes.  “We had a lot of good conversations here.”

Dean nodded.  The Sullivan kitchen was warm and cozy, the perfect spot for long conversations.  He had spent countless hours here, sometimes with just Rose, other times with Sam and Lily as well.  He’d had some good conversations with Rose’s dad here too and on rare occasions even with Erin.  It was a room that invited deep, intimate conversation, seeming to offer reassurances that whatever was said here would be kept in confidence.  Looking up he found Rose watching him with a smile on her face.

”That was a damn fine breakfast, Rosie” Dean said, pushing his plate away with a groan.  “Now when are you coming home?”

Rose frowned and stared down at her bracelet, fiddling with it again.  “What if you hate me?” she asked in a small voice.

Dean was taken aback.  “What?” he asked shock evident on both his face and in his voice.

Rose shrugged and Dean was reminded how very much she had done that at his age.  Rose had gotten better about owning her words as she had grown up, Dean realized now.  As weird as these dreams were it was interesting to see the changes in Rose and the things that had stayed the same.  "Why would you think I would hate you?”

Rose looked up at him and her blue eyes were dark with worry.  “I left you and that hurt you” she said softly, looking back down.

Dean waited and then realized when she didn't go on further that that was the whole extent of Rose’s worry.  Talk about a leap.  “You’re right.  You did hurt me.”  (And wasn’t that easier to admit in a dream, Dean thought.) “And I am so mad at you, angrier than I have ever been with you in our lives.”  He shook his head then and smiled at Rose who was peeking up at him from under her bangs.  “But Rosie, I couldn’t hate you if you shot me, though let’s not try that OK?”  That got a little giggle and Dean’s smile grew.  “Hating you would be like hating everything that’s happy in the world for me.  I just can’t do it.”  He shrugged.  “So when you get back home you’re gonna have to deal with the consequences of what you did, but one of them won’t be me hating you.”

Rose smiled at him, her mind obviously eased and Dean thought what a bizarre situation this was.  She was twelve and they were talking about their relationship.  God, he was going to need therapy if this kept up much longer.

“So how’s about coming home?” Dean asked, giving Rose his most charming smile.

Rose twisted her bracelet around her wrist and after a minute she looked up at him.  “I was thinking mayb-”

Dean was wrenched quite suddenly and without warning from the coziness of the Sullivan’s kitchen to the front seat of the Impala, with Sam leaning over him, shaking his shoulder.  Damn it.  Dean pushed his brother away impatiently, then sitting up he groaned and scrubbed his hands over his face.

“Damn it, Sammy, I was dreaming about Rose” Dean groused.

“Sorry” Sam said, giving him an apologetic smile.  “But I have news.”

Dean sat up straighter, his eyes suddenly alert and he listened intently to what his brother had to say.  When he finished Dean was silent for a second, then nodding his head he said “I think Bobby’s right.  I think maybe he got through to her” and he filled Sam in on his dream.  “I think she was testing the waters, wanting to make sure I really wanted her to come back.”  Dean rolled his eyes.  “Which is crazy since I told her as much last night.”

Sam stared at him.  “Just how many of these telepathic dreams have you two had?” he asked, taking a seat on a nearby stool.

“Only two since she left” Dean said, then he paused, thinking. "From what I read and what from Rose told me she won't remember anything from the dream when she wakes up.  I guess maybe her sub-conscious wanted reassurance."  He shook his head then said “That was smart of her, to call the hospital.”

Sam nodded.  “Yep, can’t trace a call coming in there, way too many calls coming in.  She’s a smart one, your girlfriend.”

Dean nodded, his mind working at something.  “So she’s obviously sleeping again.”  He shook his head.  “She must be really run down.  All those powers really take it out of her and she hasn’t slept as much as I thought she would.  She must have gotten off the phone with Bobby and fell back to sleep.”

Sam nodded thoughtfully.  “So we won’t know anything for awhile either way and knowing Rose she won’t make a quick decision anyway.”

“Yep, she’s a thinker, not a jumper.  That’s why this all took me by surprise in the first place. Quick decisions are not her style.”

“She was panicked, Dean.  Lily was bleeding, covered in blood at the hotel and Bobby said she thinks Daisy being in the hospital is all her fault.”  Sam looked at his brother with a knowing look.  “And then there’s you.”  Dean looked at him quizzically and Sam said “She would throw herself in front of a moving train before she would put you in danger.”

“Ya, she doesn’t seem to get that being a hunter is dangerous” Dean said, shaking his head.

“There’s a big difference between knowing you have a dangerous job and being the one to bring the danger down on you” Sam said.

Dean looked at his brother in surprise.  “Are you saying you agree with her running off?”

Sam shook his head vehemently.  “No, not in the slightest and even if I did, I share a bed with her sister, I get to see what this does to her.”  Sam shook his head again.  “No, Rose was wrong to leave but her intentions were good.  Just keep that in mind, OK?”  Sam rolled his eyes at his brother’s questioning look.  “Dean, I know you’re angry at her.”

“Damn right I’m angry at her” Dean said, glaring at his brother.  “She left, she came in here and just made herself at home in my life and then she just took off.”  Sam laughed and Dean glared at him again. “What’s so fucking funny?”

Sam shook his head.  “She made herself at home in your life?  Dean, she’s always been at home in your life.  OK maybe not day to day, I’ll give you that” Sam conceded when he saw Dean ready to argue.  “But Rose has always been more than comfortable in your life.  That’s nothing new.”  Dean didn’t reply, just gave his brother an inscrutable look and walked over and pulled two beers out of the fridge and handed him one.  Sitting back down and opening his beer, Dean watched his brother open his own and take a sip.  He was swallowing when Sam said quietly:

“You said you were afraid you were gonna fuck things up with Rose,” causing Dean to swallow quickly and look at his brother, then look away even quicker.

“Thought you were too drunk to remember that” Dean muttered.

Sam laughed.  “Nope, I remember.  Who knew I was right, huh?  She did the messing up, not you.”

“You’re gonna have to forgive me if I’m not taking comfort in that fact, Sammy” Dean said, with a sarcastic grin.

The brothers drank in silence for a few minutes and Dean gave a sudden little laugh.  At Sam’s raised eyebrow Dean said “I am angrier at Rose than I have ever been in our lives.  I am so mad, I just, I can’t even describe it.  I have thought about what I could have said to her to make her stay, thought about what I will say to her when she comes back, thought about what I’ll do to her when she's back.”  From the look in his brother’s eyes Sam had a pretty good idea that he didn’t want to know what that was.  Some things he didn’t need to know. “But you know what I’ve not thought of once, what I’ve never even considered?”  Sam shook his head.  “I’ve never once even thought about ending things with her, not taking her back, not once have I thought about not forgiving her.”  Dean shook his head and took another sip of his beer while Sam just smiled softly to himself.  “What the hell does that say about me?”

Sam grinned at his brother as best he could with his split lip.  “I don’t think you need me to explain that, Dean.”

"Ya" Dean said with a soft laugh.  Then clearing his throat he asked "So you and Lily, you worked things out?”  He grinned.  “I mean, I figured you did since we never saw you again last night.  Your face looks like shit, by the way.”

Sam rolled his eyes.  “Thanks, Dean.  Ya, we’re good.  We talked, she yelled, we worked it out.”  Sam drank the last of his beer then looked at Dean seriously.  “Speaking of Lily, she wants to go back to the hospital this afternoon and I figure we’ll relieve Bobby for a bit.”

Dean nodded.  “Good idea.  He’s gotta be sick of that room by now.  If you guys go over this afternoon I’ll come over and spend the night.”

“Sounds like a plan.”  Sam cleared his throat.  “You haven’t read any of the website Charlie got deciphered yet, have you?”  Dean shook his head.  He had planned on doing it the day after the spell removal but then all hell had broken loose.  Now Sam picked up his phone and quickly sent him the deciphered translations.  “You have them now.  Before you look at it all though, well there’s a certain part I want you to look at first.”  Dean was watching his brother closely, knowing the expression Sam was wearing now.  He was worried, deeply concerned by something.

Sam ran a hand through his hair and then looked at his brother.  “I kept this part from Lily, because well, I’m not sure how she’s going to take it.  Before we got to the hospital today I’m going to take her out for lunch and show it to her.  I want you to read it first.”  With a concerned look Dean picked his phone up and opened his email.  “It’s the last paragraph” Sam said quietly.

He watched his older brother read it once, then again.  Finally he looked up at Sam, his eyes wide.  “What the fuck?”

“Ya you can see why I was hesitant.  I really don’t want to show it to her now, I mean this really isn’t great timing, but we had a conversation about honesty last night after the whole thing with Cas.  Keeping this from her definitely breaks that promise.”  Sam looked at his brother, hoping he could give him a way out but Dean just shook his head and Sam’s shoulders slumped.  “Maybe if I tell her there’s a part of the website about her but I don’t think she should read it yet…”

Dean laughed.  “Lily is the most curious, nosy person I’ve ever known.  She’ll have to see it if you mention it.”  Dean shook his head.  “And I don’t see any way you can get out of telling her, Sam, not if you’re being honest.  I’m assuming keeping it from her would count as lying.”  Sam nodded his head sadly.  “Ya, then you’re screwed.”

“Wish me luck” Sam said, heading towards the door.

“God speed” Dean said then added “And you might want to remind her about what I said about not punching you.”


	5. Don't Even Try To Understand

Sam and Lily spent a little time in the library with Charlie who had looked thrilled at the idea of Rose possibly coming home on her own.  She’d turned up nothing on Rose's whereabouts so far and she was still working away on cracking the second website.  Lily had looked so happy when Sam mentioned the two of them going out to lunch on their own that he made himself a promise that once things had settled down, even just a little bit he was going to take her out on a real date.  (He most definitely wasn’t counting this as a date.  Breaking news of a prophecy he was fairly certain would freak her out was not something he considered a great date activity.)

Sam ushered Lily into Paul’s Café, a local lunch spot not far from the hospital, his hand on the small of her back and a satisfied smile on his face.  Lily had pounced on him the second they had gotten into the garage before he could even open his car door, purring that she was more than ready to show him just how enthusiastic she could be.  She’d pushed him up against the car, kissed him hard and with quick nimble fingers had him unbuckled, unbuttoned and unzipped before he could even blink.  Then with a quick wink she had dropped to her knees in front of him and made him damn near forget his own name by the time she was done with him.  Watching her as they walked into the café now he noticed how happy she looked and he was crossing his fingers that her hopes weren’t dashed.  He knew that even though he had told Lily there was no guarantee Bobby's words had worked and that Rose was coming back, in her mind she had Rose back at the bunker and all settled back in.

They were seated at a quiet booth and ordered fairly quickly and while Lily looked around at the other diners Sam tried to decide if he should wait till after they ate before mentioning the prophecy.  Yes, that seemed best.  That way if Lily did freak out at least they would have eaten.

“Are we OK?” Lily asked suddenly, causing Sam to look at her in mild alarm.

“What?  Yes, of course we are.  Why wouldn’t we be?”

Lily shrugged.  “You’ve been awful quiet on the way here.”

Sam smiled.  “We’re fine” he said, reaching across the table and picking up one of Lily’s hands and giving it a quick squeeze before releasing it.  “I promise.”

“OK so what’s wrong then?” Lily asked, taking a sip of her Coke.

“We said totally honesty last night, right?”  Lily nodded and Sam took a deep breath.  “Right well, after we eat I need to show you something.”

“What?” Lily demanded, not wanting to wait.

“After we eat” Sam insisted, earning a glare from Lily.

Their food arrived and they ate quickly, neither one very focused on the food.  Sam was kicking himself, wishing he hadn’t said anything but she’d asked and he couldn’t lie.  Stupid honesty.

Once the waitress had cleared their plates and brought them both cups of coffee Sam pulled a folded piece of paper out of his wallet.

“The day Charlie showed us the website there was one part she only showed to me.  She wanted me to see it first and I kept it back from you because, well there was so much going on.  I figured once we got the spell lifted from your mom I would show it to you.  But then Rose ran away and Daisy was hurt and things were such a mess.”  Sam ran a hand through his hair nervously.  Lily was watching him warily, her eyes giving nothing away.  “But last night, we said we’d be completely honest with each other so bad timing or not I have to show it to you, right?  So uh, here and I’m sorry I didn’t show it to you before.”  Way to ramble Sam, he thought with an internal eye roll.

Lily stared at the piece of paper Sam was holding out to her; suddenly certain she didn’t want to read it.  But that wasn’t who she was.  _You face monsters_ a little voice whispered.  _You don’t run away._   Doesn’t mean I don’t want to, Lily thought back.

With a less than steady hand Lily reached out and took the piece of paper from Sam, sure beyond a doubt that whatever was written on this piece of paper would change her life.  If Lily had had a single intuitive bone in her body she would have sworn it was a premonition, but as Castiel had said she was the most human of the Sullivan girls and she relied on facts, not any kind of divination.  Still, she couldn’t help noting what an average, ordinary piece of paper it was.  One would think that something life changing should be on gilt edged, heavy, rich paper, or some sort of magical looking scroll maybe.  But this was just an ordinary piece of printer paper, white with black ink on it, nothing special or unique about it.

Holding the paper in her hand, Lily glanced up at Sam, his eyes on her full of worry and concern and behind those two emotions she glimpsed the one that finally gave her the push she needed to unfold the piece of paper.  That was love she saw, pure and unflinching and she knew suddenly that no matter what this paper said that she could handle it.  Firstly because that’s who Lily was; she may freak out but at the end of the day she dealt with the facts and moved on no matter what.  And secondly, and more importantly, because now Lily truly wouldn’t be handling it on her own.  Sam's eyes told her that whatever this was they would handle it together and Lily had to admit that that word _together_ was growing on her.

Looking down Lily slowly unfolded the piece of paper, read the words printed there and felt her entire future shift.

* * *

Dean dropped down into a chair in the library across from Charlie.  He lay his phone down and leaned back in his chair, propping his legs up on the edge of the table.

“Hey Kiddo” he said smiling at Charlie.  “What are you up to?”

Charlie fidgeted nervously in her chair causing Dean to raise an eyebrow curiously at her.  “So Sam told me Bobby talked to Rose” Charlie said, hoping to distract Dean from his question.  “Do you think it will work?  That she'll come home on her own?”

Momentarily taking his focus off Charlie, Dean sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.  “God, I hope so.  That would be so much easier.”  Dean fidgeted with his phone nervously.  “I don’t know though.  I mean, Rose is smart, she’ll think about what Bobby said but it doesn’t mean she’ll go along with it.”  Dean gave another sigh.  “I’m dating quiet possibly the most stubborn woman in the world.”

Charlie laughed.  Since Dean was one of the most stubborn people she knew if what he said was true then that could make for some interesting arguments between the two.  “So you’ve moved from” Charlie made air quotes with her fingers, “Involved” to dating?”

Dear rolled his eyes at Charlie.  “I think you spent too much time talking to Sam when I was away.  Involved, dating, whatever.”  His eyes narrowed as he watched Charlie typing and looking guilty the whole time she was.  “OK seriously, what are you doing?”

Charlie glanced up guiltily.  “Um, well I'm Facebook stalking your girlfriend.”  At Dean’s surprised look she said “I was thinking maybe I could find something on here to help figure out where she went.”

Dean just stared at her for a second and then asked quietly “So what did you find?”

Taking this as permission to keep snooping Charlie smiled and said “I had just started looking when you came in so not much yet.” Charlie clicked away for a second then turned the laptop towards Dean and showed him a slightly faded photograph of much younger versions of himself, Rose, Sam and Lily sitting in what looked like some sort of tent made out of fabric with lots of twinkling lights.  “This is a cute picture.  How old were you guys?”

Dean studied the picture closely.  He and Rose were lying under the stars, their heads resting against each others, both very intent on the book they were sharing.  “Um, Rose and I were seven I think?”  He turned his eyes to Sam then who was sitting next to Dean, a chubby faced toddler, smiling happily, dimples showing.  He was surrounded by a fleet of toy cars, one of which he was happily driving up Lily’s arm.  For her part Lily seemed to be happily entertaining baby Sam, playing cars with him with a big grin on her face as she balanced a toy car on his foot.  Lily had long hair at this age, well past her shoulders. Dean was so used to the short hair style she had worn for so long he almost forget she had ever worn it that long.  Dean smiled at the picture and Charlie couldn’t help but smile too.  They were so young and all looked so happy in the picture.  Dean cleared his throat finally and said “Sam would have been about three."

"Is this at their house?" Charlie asked and Dean nodded.  "Pretty lights" she commented.

"That's Rose's room" and Dean proceeded to give Charlie a brief synopsis of the canopy under the stars.  When he finished he said "God, I didn’t know Rosie had any of these old pictures of us posted on here.”

“Spend a lot of time on Facebook do you, Dean?” Charlie asked, knowing Dean’s lack of love for the tech world.

He managed to look offended.  “Hey, I have an account.”

Now it was Charlie’s turn to roll her eyes.  “You have one picture of you with the Impala on there and one status update.  Ever.”

“Ya well, I don’t have time to be playing around with that crap.”  Dean shifted in his seat as Charlie turned her laptop back around.  “I check out Rosie’s page a bit though.  It was nice to be able to see her pictures when I couldn’t see her in person.”

Charlie was quiet and Dean was curious what had her so intrigued.  She was scrolling through Rose’s old profile pictures and had definitely found something that had gotten her interest.  Dean sucked in a breath when Charlie turned the laptop so he could see the picture she was looking at.

Dean didn’t remember the picture being taken but he had seen it before, in the past few months actually; Rose had used it as her profile picture for the whole month of February, more specifically for Valentine’s Day.  In the space underneath the photo Rose had typed “Best Valentine Ever” and Dean had worn an irrepressible grin for days after reading that. In the photo Dean and Rose were young, five or six years old at best guess, both still with the round, chubby faces left over from toddlerhood.  Rose had her arms flung around Dean’s neck and her lips pressed firmly to his cheek in a sweet kiss, while Dean was looking at the camera with big eyes and an even bigger smile on his face, obviously quite pleased at the position he found himself in.

“Oh my God” Charlie breathed.  “That is the most adorable picture ever.”  She looked over at Dean who was squirming in his chair, a faint blush creeping across his cheeks.

“Ya, um, I’m guessing she doesn’t have the picture her mom took right after this one on there?”  Charlie clicked the next picture (Sookie sleeping contentedly on a pile of books – Cute, but no competition for the previous picture.) and shook her head.  Dean laughed and Charlie demanded he tell her what it was.  Dean smiled and said “Well she kissed me so I kissed her back.  Just when I did it I grabbed her face and kissed her on the lips.”  Charlie laughed in delight and Dean couldn’t help but join in.  “Her parents tried so hard to handle it right, telling us how love and affection were wonderful things but maybe we should wait a few years before we started kissing.”

“Dean Winchester, ladies man from a young age” Charlie said with a laugh.

“Hey, she kissed me first” Dean said.  “Don’t forget that.”

Still laughing at him Charlie said “Well those pictures were her profile pictures at some point which is why I could see them.  She’s got a pretty locked down account though so those are the only pictures I can see since we aren't friends on here.  Damn, smart people are so much harder to stalk” she said, drawing a chuckle from Dean.

Picking up his phone and walking over to her Dean said “Here, let me sign in.  You’ll be able to see more, right?  Since we’re friends.”  Charlie nodded and moved over so Dean could get to the laptop.  He logged out and signed in as himself then turned it back over to Charlie.  “Try and resist pulling anything cute while you’re logged on as me, please” he said dryly, shooting Charlie a knowing look and taking a seat next to her.

“Dean, I would never…” Charlie couldn’t even make it through that sentence with a straight face.  “OK, yes I totally would.  But I won’t with you sitting right there.”  Turning her attention back to the laptop Charlie clicked on Rose’s profile and started looking around.

"OK um, lots of pictures, lots of you and Sam” she said with a grin.  That got another eye roll from Dean.  Rose was always taking pictures and Dean had given up trying to stop her for the most part years ago.   Though he couldn’t put the blame on her for a lot of these; both her parents were picture takers too. Charlie smiled.  “I should have thought of this ages ago.  There’s some cute kid pictures here and oh teenage ones too!”  Dean rolled his eyes again at Charlie’s delight.  She giggled excitedly when she came across a picture of a gawky Sam in the Sullivan’s kitchen stealing a cookie from behind Rose’s back, a goofy grin on his face for the camera.  “Oh and then we have teenage rebel Dean” Charlie said, clicking on a picture of Dean around seventeen giving the camera a surly stare.  He looked less than thrilled to be having his picture taken.  Some things don’t change, Charlie thought to herself, seeing the look Dean was giving her currently.

Looking over Charlie’s shoulder as she clicked through Rose's pictures Dean saw her current profile picture was one of her and Lily all dressed up for something.  Both were in dresses (A rare thing for Lily) and full makeup (A rare occurrence for Rose.)  Dean noted Rose was wearing red, something she rarely did and decided he liked her in it.  Lily was of course dressed in something over the top sexy but Dean thought Rose was the one who was absolutely shining in the picture.  The two had their arms flung around each other’s shoulders, laughing and smiling at the camera.  That hadn’t been her profile picture the last time he had been on here, but that had been weeks ago.  She’s obviously changed it in the last month or so.

Clicking through more pictures Charlie came across a lot of Rose with groups of other girls, some of her with just one or two others.  “Any idea who they are?” Charlie asked, indicating the pictures.  Dean shook his head.  “Geez, if her pictures are anything to go by she has a lot of friends” Charlie commented and Dean felt a flash of guilt.  This was the life he had taken her away from he thought, then shook himself when he reminded himself it wasn’t his choice.  Blame the demons, he thought, not yourself and realized that ironically Rose would have been proud of him for that.  She was always telling him he blamed himself too much for things he had no control over.

“Ya, people have always just liked Rose.  She makes friends really easily” Dean said.

Charlie smiled.  “I can see why.  She’s really nice and easy to talk to.” Charlie looked thoughtful.  “I like her and Lily both actually and I wasn’t so sure about Lily at first.”  Charlie looked at him slyly.  “You do realize that on paper Lily is more your type, right?  And I think most people would imagine Rose is more Sam’s type.  I mean if we’re just going on appearances you guys are mis-matched couples.”

“Ya, well appearances aren’t worth much are they?  I mean you look like just another geek girl but who would guess you’re a kick ass hacker?”  Charlie smiled proudly at that.  Dean smirked after a second, saying “Lily and I would kill each other within a week, hell, maybe even a day.  We’re way too much alike.  Besides she’s too…I don’t know, in your face.”

“Dean, I’ve seen the girls you go for at bars.  In your face would be putting it nicely” Charlie said, scrolling through a set of pictures in an album entitled “Lori’s Birthday!!”  From what Dean could tell it seemed to have a theme of drunken girls in flowery, bright dresses.  Aw yes, there was Lily in a short, bright pink dress (Lily in pink, that was new.) and pink crazy high heels, cocktail glass in hand, raised high above her head.  She was dancing with a throng of girls on a crowded dance floor of whatever club they were at and just about every face in the picture was turned towards her.  Dean however was already scanning the next picture and Charlie watched his face as she clicked on it.  This one showed Rose seated next to a few other girls, cocktails on the table in front of them, talking animatedly.  Rose’s dress was flowery and short, but almost Sunday church worthy compared to the scrap of fabric her older sister was wearing and there was a wreath of flowers in her hair, adding a touch of sweetness as well.  Dean had a small smile on his face and was just soaking the image up and Charlie’s heart ached for him.  It was painfully obvious he missed her.  Pulling himself out of his Rose induced trance Dean shook his head and continued the conversation.

“Ya, well those were hook ups” Dean explained.  “It’s pretty clear what they wanted and that’s what I was there for.”  He shrugged.  “Those weren’t relationships.”

“So sexy is bad in a relationship?” Charlie asked, interested in what Dean had to say.  She scrolled through more of the pictures in the album, most showing Lily in different stages of drunken dancing with only a few of Rose thrown in, watching and laughing from the sidelines.

“No, sexy is awesome in a relationship and I for one highly recommend it” Dean said with a grin.  “But it doesn’t have to be in your face screaming “Look at me, look at me!”  But that wasn’t necessarily what I was talking about either.” Dean crossed his arms, trying to decide how to explain, muttering “I have a feeling this is one of those discussions I may regret having with you later” and Charlie laughed but didn't deny it.  Finally Dean said “Lily is over the top in everything she does.  I don’t think she actually tries to be, I just think that’s who she is.  I mean she's always been that way, even when we were little.  Sam is mellower so they balance each other out.  It works.  I think it amuses Sam but honestly, Lily just exhausts me after awhile.”  Dean rubbed at his temple, as if he felt a headache coming on at the thought of how overwhelming Lily could be.  “I mean, come on you saw the way she blew up at Sam yesterday.”  Charlie nodded, that had definitely been extreme.  “That’s Lily.”  Dean shook his head.  “Rose is more subtle, more easy-going.”

Charlie watched Dean out of the corner of her eye as she continued to scroll through Rose’s pictures.  She could tell he was still debating how to answer her question, obviously not feeling he had made his point to his satisfaction yet.  For her part she felt like she was missing something, like there was something on Rose’s account she just wasn’t seeing.  She started scrolling down Rose’s timeline, going past posts about books Rose had read, movies she had seen (Many of the same ones Charlie had watched recently), fandom related posts, reading random comments from her friends while Dean fidgeted with his phone.  Charlie couldn’t help but notice he hadn’t been without his phone at all today, had barely put it down.  That was unusual for him.  Seeing Dean was still struggling with what he wanted to say Charlie finally supplied: “If Lily is a Neon Sign then Rose is a water color.”

Dean grinned.  “Ya, that sums them up really well.  I like that.”  He watched Charlie read random comments and finally he said “Rose is soft and sweet and-”

“She melts when you touch her” Charlie interrupted abruptly, causing Dean to stare at her in surprise.  Catching sight of his look Charlie smiled.  “Well she does.  Whenever you lay a hand on her she just melts into you.  I didn’t know people actually did that” Charlie confessed.  “I thought that only happened in fan fiction.”

Dean laughed.  “She melts, huh?”

Charlie nodded her head enthusiastically.  “Absolutely.”  Charlie turned from the computer for a second and looked at Dean thoughtfully.  “Current drama aside you guys both seem happy in totally different relationships, which makes sense really.”  Charlie smiled at Dean.  “You want my report I promised you on my observations?”  Dean laughed, having had forgotten about that; Charlie had told him she’d tell him what she’d observed about he and Sam in their relationships.  He made a motion with his hand for her to go on and Charlie leaned back, crossing her arms and staring at Dean thoughtfully.

“Sam and Lily touch each other like 95% of the time.  They’re super sexual, lots of heat and hormones.  I keep halfway expecting them to just go for it and have sex right in front of us all" she said with an eye roll, getting a loud laugh from Dean.  "There’s a lot of competitiveness between them, which works for some people, though personally it would make me crazy.  But hey, Sam likes a challenge, right?” Dean nodded.  “Ya, well he’s got it in Lily.  And I think yesterday, as over the top as it was probably helped them sort out some stuff.”  Charlie fidgeted with her pencil for a second then asked “Did Sam show you the part of the website about- Oh good.” Charlie smiled when Dean nodded his head.  “That would have been pretty awkward if he hadn’t.  That little bit of prophecy is an interesting twist, huh?”  Dean nodded his head again.  That was putting it mildly.  “They’re interesting because while they’re all over each other it’s super important to them both to keep separate identities and they are quite possibly the least possessive couple I’ve ever seen, at least on the surface.  There’s actually a lot more sweetness between them than you see on the surface.”  Charlie doodled aimlessly on a piece of paper then smiled and said “I think they’re good for each other but it’s never going to be boring with those two.  They’re going to have minor and major blow ups and butt heads a lot.  But that works for them.”

“Great, blow ups, just what we need more of” Dean muttered.  He got up and grabbed a beer from the mini fridge and brought one back for Charlie as well.  They both opened the cans and took a sip before Dean sighed and said “OK, let’s hear it.”

Charlie grinned and rubbed her hands together, laughing in delight when Dean squirmed.  “You and Rose...You’re so different than Sam and Lily.  First off you both are so possessive of each other.  But not in a creepy, bad way” Charlie hastened to add when she saw the alarmed expression on Dean’s face.  “It’s like it’s just an accepted fact between you two that you belong to each other.” Dean smiled at that, nodding his head in acknowledgement as he drank his beer.  “You two are a lot less loud, no making out in front of everyone else; though you leave enough marks on Rose’s neck that we do get what you’re doing behind closed doors, Dean.”  That got a chuckle from Dean and a raise of his beer in acknowledgement.  “And on that subject I have a bone to pick with you."  Dean raised a questioning eyebrow.  "You, Dean Winchester, led me to believe you two were already sleeping together before this past weekend.  I couldn't understand why Lily was making such a big deal about wanting details till I finally understood it was the first time." Charlie glared at Dean.  "You totally suck."

Dean just sipped his beer and smirked at her.  "I told you I don't kiss and tell."

"Bullshit" Charlie said, getting a chuckle from Dean, who looked totally unrepentant.  She took a breath then returned to her original topic: Dean and Rose. "Anyway, you two seem way less concerned with what everyone else thinks about your relationship and more concerned with each other, which I think is how it’s supposed to be.”  Charlie took a sip of beer then continued.  “When you put your hands on her, Dean, it’s like” Charlie pondered for a second how best to describe what she saw whenever Dean laid a hand on Rose, then remembered what she’d said to Sam. “It’s like she’s so precious to you that you touch her like she’s made of glass, like she’s special and fragile and you’re so careful with her.  I already told you she melts when you touch her.  I think I'd melt too if someone touched me like that.  And if you so much as look at her everyone else disappears for her and if you smile at her I’m pretty sure the bunker could burn down and she wouldn’t even notice.” Charlie took another quick sip of beer, noticing Dean was smiling softly.  “I’ve never seen you like you are when you’re with her.  It’s like all that shit that you believed about yourself, you’ve finally realized it wasn’t true and you can see yourself for the awesome guy all the people who love you have always seen.  You’re lighter, happier.”  Charlie smiled then, knowing the perfect way to describe how Dean was with Rose.  “It’s like you’re home, where you were always meant to be.” Charlie wasn’t surprised to see Dean staring at his beer intently.  Emotional talk was not his forte, especially not when it was about himself.  “Honestly the way you two look at each other, I didn’t know that was even real.” Charlie shook her head, surprised to find a lump in her throat and Dean looked up in surprise at the emotion he heard in her voice.  “I’ve never seen anyone look at each other like that, not in real life anyway.  You two belong together” Charlie finished softly.

Dean took a deep breath, obviously overwhelmed at what Charlie had said.  “Quite the observant little thing, aren’t you?” he said with a raised eyebrow and Charlie just shrugged, watching him drink the last sip of his beer.

“I try” she said with a grin, finishing her beer and turning back to her laptop and scrolling further down Rose’s wall.

"You do realize I’m actually really mad at Rose right now and you’re telling me and making me tell you all this good stuff about her?”  Charlie gave him a grin.  The conversation had happened naturally but Charlie figured it certainly couldn’t do any harm to remind Dean of what he was fighting to get back.  “You’re talking about me touching her and making her melt and at the moment I’d rather-”

“Spank her?” Dean’s head snapped up in shock but Charlie didn’t notice as she was excitedly reading aloud “Happy Birthday, Rose!  I hope you get a really good birthday spanking this year, ‘cause we both know you deserve it!  Kisses & Hugs, Chastity” Charlie quickly clicked on Chastity’s name but her account was completely locked down.  She went back to Rose’s friends list and cursed when she found Rose had that hidden.  Damn it, she was so close!

"Ugh, I can't look at Chastity's page because you're not friends with her."  Charlie fiddled with a pen nervously for a second and then looking at Dean out of the corner of her eye, she hesitantly suggested “I could try to hack into Rose's account.  I would have access and could look at Chastity’s page then.  I might find out a lot more that way.”

Dean stared at her for a second and she could see he was turning that over in his mind.  Having reached some sort of decision he motioned to Charlie to give him the laptop.  Charlie did so, looking at him questioningly as she did.  Cracking his knuckles Dean said “I can get in, I think.  Let me try.”  Dean typed in Rose’s name, then took a deep breath and typed in her password.  In just a second they were into her account.  Dean passed the laptop back to Charlie and the redhead just stared at him.

“You knew her password?  She told you it?”  This was an unthinkable thing to do in Charlie’s mind.

Dean shook his head.  “I know Rose.  It was easy to figure out, and no I’m not telling you what it is.”  Charlie gave him a dirty look and Dean just laughed.  “Now come on, what can you find?”

Looking at Rose’s account the first thing Charlie saw was that underneath Chastity’s birthday message to Rose there was a picture Rose obviously had hidden.  Charlie turned the laptop so Dean could see it.  “I’m guessing that’s Chastity.”  Rose was dressed in a t-shirt Dean had seen her in many times before (Professional Fangirl was emblazoned across the front.) and she was hugging a girl with shoulder length brown hair, who was wearing a shirt with symbols on it that Dean didn’t understand the significance of.

“What’s her shirt mean?” Dean asked Charlie, figuring she'd know.

“Oh it’s Irene Adler” Charlie said with a laugh.  “That’s appropriate.”  At Dean’s blank look Charlie sighed and explained.  “She’s from Sherlock, a dominatrix who some would say stole Sherlock’s heart, though I personally prefer Molly.”

So Rose and Chastity bonded over more than just kinky books, Dean thought.  Dean studied Chastity.  She was pretty though not beautiful, nice hair, big, warm smile.  Dean frowned thinking that she didn’t fit what he thought a dominatrix would look like.

There were a few other pictures of Chastity and quite a few conversations between the two of them on Rose’s wall they hadn't been able to see before.  “She had Chastity hidden so almost all of her stuff wouldn’t show” Charlie explained.  “The birthday message, I’m guessing that was a slip up.”  Dean shook his head.  Rose had gone out of her way to make sure nobody knew about Chastity and she’d done a good job of it too.  He didn't get why.  Rose's family was actually incredibly open-minded when it came to sex so it wasn't like they would judge her for having a friendship with Chastity.  There must be some other reason that Dean wasn’t seeing.

"It's weird her being so secretive with Chastity" Dean said, voicing his thoughts aloud.  "I've never known her to be so guarded."

"I know someone else she's like that with" Charlie said.  "You."  Dean looked at her in surprise.  "You didn't see her when Lily was digging for details on your weekend.  The more Lily dug at her the more closed mouth Rose became.  Oh she made it very clear you were amazing and blew all expectations away, don’t worry.”  Charlie patted Dean’s shoulder and he chuckled.  “But details were not up for grabs.  Its one reason I said you two are possessive of each other.  Rose didn't want to share your weekend with anyone, not even Lily.”  Charlie looked thoughtful.  "She obviously didn't want to share Chastity either so she must be pretty important to her."

Dean thought about that a minute, deciding it fit what he'd seen of Rose when it came to Chastity.  He grinned to himself, admitting that he liked that Rose hadn’t wanted to share the details of their weekend with Lily or anyone.  That was theirs and theirs alone.

Turning his attention back to what Charlie was doing he saw she was clicking on Chastity’s profile and now they were able to see her page.  It was fairly innocuous, aside from a few slightly risqué pictures here and there.  Her profile picture was a riding crop but maybe people assumed she just liked to ride horses, Dean thought.

"At least half of the posts on her wall are either from Rose or somehow connected with her" Charlie said, scanning quickly.  There were a lot of book posts between them, some shared Sherlock posts, a few jokes, nothing too out of the ordinary. 

Dean nodded, not surprised. Something in the way Rose had spoken about Chastity had made him believe they were really close.

Charlie combed through her information till she finally found a link to Chastity's business page.  Discreetly titled “The Haven” clicking the link took them to a sleek, well designed page (Charlie’s comment) which didn’t seem all that interesting if you just looked at the front page.  A study with a leather chair in front of a fireplace took up the screen, with only a pair of women’s legs visible, a pair of sexy red heels on her feet.  Clicking the next link allowed you to see more, this time revealing Chastity herself sat in the chair, dressed in a sexy black dress, a predatory smile on her face and a riding crop (obviously her tool of choice) in her hands.  The difference between the girl hugging Rose and this woman was amazing.  With heavy makeup, professional, sexy clothes and her hair pulled back into a tight bun she looked like a completely different person.  Though the biggest difference of all was the expression she wore.  In the picture with Rose she had looked warm and open, in this one she looked closed and intimidating and someone you definitely did not want to cross.

“Now she’s hot” Charlie breathed softly.  Dean looked at her in surprise.

“Really?”  He studied her as Charlie nodded enthusiastically.  “Hmm, guess she’s just not my type.”

Clicking on another link took them to a page with a whole menu of services offered and there at the bottom of the page was the photo that had started this all.  Dean chuckled and explained to Charlie how he had first seen the barely dressed male in leather cuffs on Rose’s phone.  Charlie quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Your sweet, innocent looking girlfriend has some interesting layers” she said.

“You have no idea” Dean murmured back, drawing a curious glance from Charlie.  Ignoring the look Dean asked “Is there an address anywhere?”

Scrolling through the pages Charlie was finally able to find that The Haven was located in New Orleans, though no street address was given.  _No walk-ins accepted, appointments taken over the phone and online and ID will be verified_ _before you arrival_ a note read.  That was smart, Dean thought.

“We could message her” Charlie suggested, just as they heard a soft *Ding* and a message popped up on the screen.

_Rose, where have you been?  I haven't heard from you in ages!_

“Or we could just respond to her message” Dean said, raising an eyebrow.

“What do I say?” Charlie asked in a panic.  “Do I tell her I’m not Rose?”

Dean nodded.  “Tell her you’re a friend and that we’re looking for Rose.”

Charlie hesitated and then typed:

_Hi, sorry this isn’t Rose.  I’m a friend of hers.  We’re actually looking for her._

_Hi Rose’s friend!  You're looking for her?  Is she missing?_

_Yes, we haven’t seen her since Sunday.  Any chance you’ve heard from her?_

_Sorry, haven’t heard from her since Sunday morning. Is she OK?_

“Ask her to text me if she hears from her” Dean said and Charlie nodded.

We hope so.  If you hear from her could you text me?  Charlie typed in Dean’s cell number.

_Of course_

After a second another message popped up:

_This wouldn't happen to be Dean, would it?_

Both Charlie and Dean looked at the screen in surprise.  Finally Charlie said "So she's heard of you.  That makes sense if they're as close as you think they are."

Dean nodded then took the laptop over from Charlie.

_Ya, it is.  You've heard of me?_

_Oh yes!  Probably in way more detail than you can imagine.  ;)_

That left Dean at a loss for words momentarily while Charlie laughed, enjoying this way too much in Dean's opinion. Finally Dean typed:

_I've heard a little about you.  I saw your newest model on Rose's phone._

_Oh yes, he's a gem.  Rose has shown me some pictures of you.  I wouldn't mind using you in an ad sometime..._

Charlie lost it at that and Dean had to resist pushing her off her chair.  He glared at her instead which she ignored.  She was way too amused at this.

_Ya sorry, I don't do submissive, sweetheart._

Charlie about choked at that.

 _Yes, Rose said as much._   Dean blinked at that and Charlie's eyes had gotten huge, looking back and forth between Dean and the message on screen.  At least she'd stopped laughing, Dean thought idly as Chastity continued.  _Sorry, I couldn't resist.  I'll behave now.  Rose will lose that temper of hers if she finds I'm flirting with you.  If I hear from her I'll let you know.  I hope she shows up quickly._

Dean turned the laptop back over to Charlie who was staring at him in mild shock.  She slowly started scrolling up through old messages between Rose and Chastity before Dean reached over and shut the message window down.

“Hey!  We could find out-”

Dean shook his head.  “Uh-uh.  Now you’re just being nosy.”

“But I saw your name up there” Charlie wheedled.  “Don’t you want to know what she said about you?”

“No!" Dean said forcefully and Charlie jumped in surprise and then grinned.  Dean has obviously not been expecting that conversation with Chastity.  "Log out of her account, Charlie” Dean said, pulling out his bossy big brother tone.  Despite pulling a face Charlie listened and quickly exited Facebook.  “I feel bad enough going into her account, I’m not reading her messages too.”

Logging out with a pout Charlie said “You’re no fun.”

“Chastity is her sounding board.  I’m not above snooping to find Rose but I’m not going to read her private messages just to satisfy your curiosity.  Or my own” he added.

"That was an interesting conversation you two were having.  Chastity seems to know some very...intimate details about you" Charlie said with a grin.

"Ya, we're not discussing that.  Ever." Dean was shutting down that conversation before it could get started.

Charlie laughed then was quiet for a second before she slowly looked at Dean.  “You don’t think she’s coming back on her own, do you?”

Dean hesitated and then he shook his head.

“Why not?” Charlie asked.  “Lily seemed certain she was.”

Dean rolled his eyes.  “Lily loves her sister but she completely underestimates her.  You know how I said Rose is soft?”  Charlie nodded.  “She is but there's steel underneath that.  She's a hell of a lot stronger than most people think she is." Dean fidgeted with his phone and it occurred to Charlie why he was hanging onto his phone today.  Despite what he was saying he was hoping desperately that Rose would call.  "If she really thinks what she’s doing is right, if she thinks she’s keeping people she cares about safe then no amount of guilt Bobby laid on her will work.  Oh, she’ll feel bad.  I’m not saying she’s immune to guilt or anything.  But guilt won't make her change her mind." Dean shrugged.  “Maybe I’m wrong.  I hope I am.  Maybe Bobby got through to her and made her rethink things and right now she’s trying to decide the best person to call, the easiest way to get back here.  But I doubt it.”  Dean shook his head.  “If she truly believes that she made the right decision in leaving then she’s not coming back here on her own.  She’ll have to be dragged back here kicking and screaming.”  Dean smirked at Charlie.  “Which luckily I have no problem doing."

Charlie studied Dean's face, having seen the determined look he wore before.  If Rose was as stubborn as he said she was then Charlie had a feeling that watching the two of them try to out stubborn each other could put the drama of Sam and Lily to shame.

* * *

Sam sat back on the small couch in the hospital, watching Lily as she hovered over Daisy.  Bobby had left just after they gotten there, looking tired and in desperate need of some sleep.  Lily was pestering Cas without meaning to, asking him question after question about Daisy:

Was she in pain?  No 

Was she happy?  Yes

Did she know Rose had run away?  No, Cas hadn’t wanted to upset her.  (Lily approved of that.)

Could Cas communicate with her?  Yes but only a little as she needed to mentally rest to heal

Sam had to give him credit; he was being a lot more patient with Lily today.  Sam wondered idly if someone had said something to him or if he could just tell how concerned she was.  Either way Lily finally seemed to run out of questions and just stood staring at Daisy for a few minutes, smoothing her hair back and then coming over to sit beside Sam on the couch.

Lily had been quiet since reading the bit of prophecy at the diner.  (And Sam had to wonder where all this quiet was coming from all of the sudden.  Twice in two days she’d surprised him with silence when he’d expected shouting.)  When she’d read it initially Sam had thought she was actually going to faint.  Her eyes had widened and all the color had drained from her face and for just a second she’d seemed shaky.  Sam was ready to spring up to grab her when she’d seemed to get a grip on herself.  He’d watched her take a deep breath and then another before squaring her shoulders and nodding her head.  She’d folded the piece of paper and slipped it into her pocket, drank the rest of her coffee in one big gulp and then looked at Sam and said “Can we go now?”

Sam had hesitated, wanting Lily to talk to him about what she was feeling and it was on the tip of his tongue to ask her when he looked in her eyes.  There were unshed tears there and Sam kicked himself for both showing her this in public and for not catching onto the fact that she was barely keeping it together.  He dug his keys out and handed them to her, urging her to go ahead to the car while he paid.  When he got to the car Lily had her legs drawn up to her chest, her forehead resting against her knees. She stuck her hand out, offering the keys to Sam without saying a word.  He took them and then reached out his hand and stroked her hair lightly.

“Are you OK?” he asked softly.

Lily leaned her head back and he dropped his hand, taking in her watery eyes and still too pale face.  “I don’t know” she said, her voice quiet.

“What can I do?” he asked, feeling helpless and hating every second of it.

Lily rested the side of her face against her knees, looking at him sadly.  She was quiet for a minute then said “Not talk about it.”  When Sam looked at her quizzically she clarified.  “There’s too much else going on right now and I just can’t handle this on top of everything else.”  She drug a hand through her hair, which she swore was longer every time she looked at it.  She needed to get it cut, needed to go see Ramona her stylist back in Hastings.  For the first time since she’d been here Lily felt a wave of homesickness wash over her, all the more acute with Rose’s absence on top of it.  More so than just missing home Lily missed the people in her life she assumed would always be there and the familiar places where she was comfortable.  Given enough time she was sure she would find places here that brought her happiness too but just now she wanted those places from home so desperately she thought she might cry.  "You’ve told me.  I know" Lily said.  "Now let’s just leave it, OK?”  She could see Sam was getting ready to argue and she felt her temper flare a little.  “I mean it, Sam.  I don’t want to talk about it.”

So now here they sat in a hospital room, with Lily's youngest sister in a coma and the angel she was married to without her knowledge keeping watch.

Not talking.  At all.  This total honesty thing was off to a great start.

Sam reached an arm out and slowly drew Lily up against his side.  She didn't put up any sort of fight which Sam took as a good sign.

"Hey, when Dean gets here later why don't we pick up Charlie and go out?" Sam suggested, hoping to make Lily at least a little happy.  "We could grab some dinner at Dempsey's.  They have live music most nights, maybe even dancing."  That was the hook.  Sam knew Lily loved to dance.

Lily eyed him suspiciously.  "You don't like to dance."

Sam shrugged.  "I didn't say I was going to dance.  You can dance and I'll watch and scare off all the male admirers you're sure to attract."  That got a little smile from Lily.  "Charlie likes to dance; you two can own the dance floor."

After a minute Lily nodded.  "OK.  I'll text Charlie so she'll be ready."

Sam was suddenly so thankful that Charlie was here.  He knew she couldn't take Rose's place and he highly doubted Lily would talk about the prophecy with her.  But Lily was used to being surrounded by women and with Daisy in a coma and Rose gone, Charlie was a Godsend.  Thankfully she and Lily had seemed to really hit it off too.  Sam hadn’t seen that coming in a million years but he was grateful for it.

Sam watched Lily texting Charlie, happy that he came up with something for her to look forward to.  He couldn't instantly bring Rose home, he couldn't heal Daisy and he couldn't make life altering prophecies disappear.  But he could give her little moments of happiness and make her smile.  And more importantly he could be by her side, reminding her in big and small ways that she wasn't going through any of this alone.  No matter what they'd get through it.  Together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a Jensen story to go along with the picture of Dean and Rose kissing as kids. I didn't think about it till I was searching for a picture for inspiration and it popped up in my search. Once I saw it I had to add it so Dean kissing Rose back is based on that story.
> 
> "I was in preschool and a girl actually kissed me on the cheek. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what it meant, so I instantly grabbed her face and kissed her on the lips. And, then I got suspended. - Jensen Ackles"


	6. I Don't Know What I Want, So Don't Ask Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things happen, people talk, we meet someone new and we get a little glimpse at Cas' feelings.

Rose woke up late in the evening, feeling better than she had the last time she had woken, though she was still extremely tired.  She felt as if her body was just completely drained, as if she may never get enough sleep.  She stretched slowly looking around her room.  She could guarantee of all the places that anyone would think to look for her a bed and breakfast would be the very last one.  Who ran away and hid in a place couples go for romantic getaways?  She did.  The one thing Rose had going for her was that people generally liked her.  She didn't look intimidating or like someone you wouldn't trust.  In her experience places like this were generally ran by older women and they usually liked her a lot.  She looked sweet and that worked to her advantage.  When she'd asked the woman who had checked her in if it was at all possible to not run her credit card till she checked out, offering to put down cash to cover the room, she'd kindly agreed, giving her a sympathetic look.  Rose figured she must have looked like an exhausted mess and that had probably helped as well.  The lady had looked genuinely concerned for her.  Looking around the room now Rose had to laugh, picturing Dean or Sam here.  There were so many flowers and floral decor in this room that she was pretty sure the boys would break out in hives if they so much as stepped foot in the room.  Rose thought the room was beautiful, with comfortable antique styled furniture, an inviting fireplace and a huge bathtub in the attached bathroom that was to die for.  There was even a window seat that just begged her to curl up in it and read.  She frowned distractedly as some throw pillows on a chair started rearranging themselves.  She'd gotten oddly used to things moving around her.  She'd have to be careful to concentrate around other people.

Rose groaned and lay back on the bed, thinking of her conversation with Bobby.  She honestly didn't know what to do.  She had firmly believed she was making the best choice when she left, no matter the fact that it had just about killed her to make it.  She hadn't wanted to leave but couldn't stand the thought of anyone else being hurt because of her.  Rose shivered, remembering the moment when she came to in the hotel room and saw Daisy and Lily both unconscious and covered in blood.  That was something she never, ever wanted to see again.

But Bobby didn't lie.  He didn't say things just to make a person feel better.  If he said he thought she was wrong to leave then he truly believed that and Bobby had good instincts.  Had she been wrong?  All the people she trusted most would say yes automatically because they wanted her back. She wished there was someone who wasn’t involved she could ask.

With another groan Rose pulled herself from the bed.  She’d slept in Dean’s t-shirt and as much as she didn’t want to take it off she needed a shower and some clean clothes and then maybe some food.  She hadn’t eaten since yesterday afternoon which certainly wasn't helping her lack of energy.

Stripping her clothes off and stepping under the hot water in the shower Rose kept mulling things over in her head as she washed off.  She needed to make a good decision, wanted to make sure she was doing the right thing this time, whether it was going back or staying away.  Things were already enough of a mess without her making the wrong choice.

* * *

Daisy slowly opened her eyes to a vision of pure, sparkling white.  She blinked a few times before she realized that she was looking out a window at a snow filled landscape.  There were mountains in the distance, their pearly white slopes glistening in the moonlight as more flakes fell lazily from the sky.

Looking around she realized she was still at the ski lodge, but the couch she was lying on earlier had been turned to face the window and Cas was nowhere in sight.

Stretching her legs out she saw she was dressed differently as well, this time in Hello Kitty pajamas and slippers, again ones she actually owned.  For some reason it struck her as incredibly sweet that Cas had bothered to put her in her own clothes.  He could have imagined her in anything but he'd done his best to find things that he knew would offer her comfort.

Behind her Daisy could still hear a fire crackling in the fire place and the room was toasty and warm because of it.  There was a soft pillow under her head and a soft blue blanket covered in pink polka dots near her feet that Daisy assumed she had been covered in but had kicked off at some point.

A small part of her longed to walk around the lodge, to explore, to maybe even head out and feel the snow on her skin.  But she was still so tired, she wasn't sure she could stand, much less walk outside.  Laying her head back down on the pillow Daisy watched snowflakes falling outside, drifting lazily but steadily past the window.  She thought idly of calling out to Cas so he could come watch the snow with her.  He'd mentioned once that he loved snow, seeing the landscape so pure and white and the strange quiet that went along with it.  Daisy yawned.  Her one great ski weekend aside, she was more of a beach person herself though she had to admit the view was stunning and the lodge itself was very peaceful.

Wherever Cas had gone to she knew he'd be back soon.  He'd barely left her since this all had happened.  Till then she'd just rest her eyes and get a little more sleep.  Daisy closed her eyes and let the popping of the fire and the stillness of the snow lull her mind back into a peaceful state.

* * *

Lily buckled her shoe and stood up, walking to the bathroom to check her reflection.  She smoothed her green satin tank top down and straightened her black mini skirt as silver bangles jangled on both her wrists and silver arrow stud earrings shown in the light in both her ears.  A short cropped leather jacket completed the outfit but in her mind her shoes were the best part of all.  Black with a 5 1/2 heel (Putting her close, but not quite at Sam's height) and chains wrapping around the shoe and around both ankle straps, Lily thought these shoes were hot and just a little dangerous looking.  Which was good she thought, straightening her jacket, because that's how she felt tonight. Tell me where those words were found in that stupid, very obviously wrong prophecy, she thought defiantly.

She'd reached her limit this afternoon.  Since Sunday everything had been screwed up and going in all the wrong directions and Lily was done with it.  Tonight she wanted to go out, have some drinks and dance till she couldn't stand up.  She didn't want to think anymore.

Sam came in just as she was finishing putting some perfume on.

"Thanks for doing that, Sam" Lily said.  He'd gone to feed Sookie for her as Dean had forgot to before he left, then texted Lily to ask her to do it.  Lily didn't even want to step foot in Rose's room tonight.  She was going to shut her brain off.

Sam nodded then drug his eyes up and down, taking in Lily's outfit.  "Ya know, we could stay home and you could dance here." He smiled at her.  "I wouldn't mind a private show."

Lily laughed.  "Nope, nice try though.  Besides, I was promised dinner too."

"I could cook-" At Lily's look Sam gave in with a laugh.  "OK, you're right.  That's a terrible idea."

Lily patted Sam's cheek playfully.  "I love you, Sam but I really don't want to die from food poisoning."

Sam's eyes darkened at that, those words coming from her lips still new enough to draw a strong reaction from him.  Reaching out he wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her to him.  "Say it again" he said lowly.

Unable to resist Lily murmured "I really don't want to die from food poisoning."

Sam growled and nipped at her neck playfully.  Lily laughed and smiled at him.

"I love you, Sam" she said, her eyes and tone soft.

Instead of the passionate kiss she was expecting Sam reached out and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, then taking her hand he headed toward the door.

"Hey!" Lily said, her surprise evident in her voice.  "That's the kiss I'm getting?"

Sam turned to face her with the door pulled open in his hand, his eyes dark and intense.  "Do you still want to go out tonight?"  Lily nodded her head.  "Then we need to go now, without my lips getting anywhere near yours.  Otherwise we won't be leaving this room tonight.  Understand?"

Lily nodded, smiled and walked out and Sam followed behind her.  Something told him this could be a very long night.

* * *

After brushing Daisy’s forehead with a brotherly kiss Dean had settled into the chair beside her bedside, a cup of coffee in his hand.  The cup may or may not have contained a fair bit of whiskey along with the coffee but no one was asking and Dean wasn't telling.

Looking Daisy over Dean decided that considering she was in a coma she looked good.  She had color in her face, her hair was its normal riot of blond curls and if he wanted to he could easily believe she was peacefully sleeping.

"Hello Dean" Cas said suddenly making Dean jump slightly.  Cas had his eyes closed when Dean had come in and knowing angels didn't sleep Dean assumed he was working on healing Daisy and had left him to it.

"Hey Cas" he said now.  "How's Daisy doing?"

Frowning and reaching out to stroke her face Cas said "She's healing but slower than I would like."  He sighed, glancing at Dean.  "I fear I'm not being very successful at being patient in this instance" and Dean chuckled.

"Ya, well it's hard when it’s someone you care about."  He looked at Cas curiously then.  "You do care about her, right?"

Cas nodded, the expression on his face sincere.  "I do, very much."

Dean shifted in his chair slightly, taking a sip of his coffee before asking "Are we talking in a romantic way here?"

Cas just stared at him blankly for a few minutes and Dean began to think he wasn’t going to answer.  Finally Cas said "I don't know..I..." Cas drug a hand through his hair, looking agitated.  "I'm not sure what romantic feelings feel like, how they differ from caring for others."  Leaning back in his chair Cas added in a more comfortable tone "And there was nothing in the prophecy about romance."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Life does happen without a prophecy foretelling every step; you do know that, right?"  Cas nodded slightly and Dean thought of how to explain to Cas the difference between romantic feelings and simply caring for someone.  Explaining romance to an angel, so not what he thought he would be doing with his evening. “You care about Charlie, right?”  Cas nodded again.  He liked Charlie very much.  She was bright and funny and had a very caring heart.  "OK well do you feel differently about Charlie and Daisy?”

Cas considered this and then nodded his head slowly.  “Yes, very much so.”  He looked at Dean thoughtfully.  “You kissed Daisy when you came in.”

“Ya” Dean said, taking another sip of coffee and trying to decide where Cas was going with this.

“A small part of me didn’t like that” Cas confessed and Dean couldn’t help but laugh.

“Ya, that’s jealousy, man.  Perfectly normal.  Though don’t worry, Daisy is like a little sister to me.  I’m not hitting on your girl” Dean reassured him.

Cas frowned.  “I am fairly certain it’s not acceptable to hit any females, Dean.  Physical force is very much frowned upon.”

Dean rolled his eyes.  “I mean I’m not flirting with her, Cas.”

“Aw” Cas said, his face lighting up with comprehension.  “I apologize.  My grasp of human slang is still somewhat lacking.”

“Ya, you don’t say” Dean said with an eye roll.  “So have you kissed her?” Dean asked, getting down to brass tacks.

The angel shifted uncomfortably in his chair and finally shook his head.  “Well, I kissed the top of her head once to offer her comfort” Cas said “But I don’t think that’s what you mean.”

“Nope, definitely not the type of kissing I’m talking about.  That’s good though” Dean said approvingly and Cas looked at him in surprise.  He had though Dean might push him to move things along and Cas wasn’t sure he was ready for that just yet.  “Nothing wrong with taking your time, doing things right.”  Dean could hardly believe that he was saying this (And internally a small voice was demanding to know just what had happened to him?) but the last few days aside, taking their time had worked well for him and Rose.  And if there was ever someone who needed to take it slow it was Cas.  Dean figured there were junior high kids who probably had a better understanding of relationships than Cas did.

“I want to be careful with Daisy” Cas was saying seriously.  “She’s been through a lot in a very short time.  And she’s so young.”

“That’s good” Dean said again.  “And true” he added, not even trying to comprehend the age difference between these two.  “In the meantime, are you I don’t know, talking a lot?  Getting to know each other better?”  Dean took a sip of his coffee and realized this was the second time in two days that he was giving out relationship advice.  At the rate he was going he could have his own advice column pretty soon.

“Yes, I know all of her love for the doctor in the blue box (Doctor Who, Dean mentally translated), that she loves to watch movies with lots of strangers in large, darkened rooms (Going to the movie theater) and she thinks the goodbye cat is adorable” Cas said proudly.  That last one stumped Dean for a second before it hit him suddenly what Cas meant and he almost wished it hadn’t.

“Hello Kitty” he corrected Cas and when Cas smiled gratefully Dean pointed at him and glared.  “Don’t you ever tell anyone I knew that.”  Damn it, the things he picked up from being around these girls.  Daisy had loved Hello Kitty since she was a toddler so Dean was well acquainted with the cartoon cat, even if he would never willingly admit it.  He sure as hell would never admit to having bought anything with her on it either as a present for Daisy.

Clearing his throat Dean asked “So is Daisy happy where she is?”  Cas thought about that for a second before responding.

“Yes, though she’s yet to be awake for any long stretch of time.  The damage that was done to her was immense.”  Cas stroked Daisy’s face again softly then looked at Dean.  “She’s in a happy place in her mind and is comfortable and resting so she can heal.  She’s content.”

Dean nodded his head thoughtfully then asked “So how’s she feel about you?”

Cas looked taken aback by this question but finally admitted “Well she likes my eyes a lot and she enjoys when we cuddle.  She often thinks it’s the place she feels safest.”  There was a note of pride in Cas’ voice at that.  “And she likes when I think about her.”

Dean stopped with his coffee cup at his lips and then slowly lowered it.  “Whoa, wait how does she know what you’re thinking?” he asked.

"Our thoughts and feelings flow easily between us" Cas said, gently brushing her curls back from her face.

“She can read your mind?” Dean asked his shock showing in his voice.  “I didn’t know it was possible for a human to read an angels mind.”

“As far as I know it’s never has been possible” Cas said and Dean was fairly certain that was awe in his eyes.  “This is certainly the first I have ever heard of it.  Daisy is nothing short of amazing.”

“Ya, this family seems to specialize in amazing women” Dean said softly, finishing off his coffee.  Clearing his throat he stood up and threw his empty coffee cup away.  “I’m gonna run down and get some more coffee.  You OK here?  Need anything?”  Cas shook his head and Dean stepped out into the hallway. 

Dean walked to the stairwell quickly and once the door had closed behind him and he was on his own and it was quiet he pulled out his phone and did something he had been doing quite frequently since Rose had left: He called her voice mail and left a message.  He’d lost track of how many he had left her by now; whenever it got to be too much and he missed her or just couldn’t get her off his mind he called.  Sitting and listening to Cas talk about Daisy had just made the gaping hole he felt in his chest ache that much more. 

This message he left this time was short and simple but no less meaningful in its content.

“Hey Baby” Dean said, his voice rough with emotion.  “I really miss you.”

* * *

Nancy Harper had seen a lot of people in the time she had been running an inn in downtown Kansas City.  It was one of her favorite parts of her job, seeing all the different people who came and went.  She loved hearing their stories, getting to learn different things from all the different people who stayed with them.  They got a lot of couples, lots of people looking for a romantic trip away.  They didn't generally get a lot of single women, though it did happen on occasion.  Sometimes they were moms in desperate need of some time off, some pampering.  Other times  they were women traveling on their own, figuring a bed and breakfast was a safer stop for them.  And sometimes they were women who were very obviously in trouble and running from something, though those were few and far between.  That was the case with the young girl who had shown up Monday evening, no doubt about it.  One look at her had set all of Nancy's alarm bells ringing.  She'd raised five girls of her own, one of whom had a terrible time of it, attracting trouble like it was her best friend so she knew the look of a girl in trouble.  She'd seen that desperate look before on a girls face and there was no way she could turn her away.  Even before Rose had asked her not to run her credit card and given her cash to cover her room Nancy had already planned on letting her stay.  She didn't have it in her heart to say no.

Nancy smiled warmly when she saw the young lady hesitantly enter the kitchen where she was seated drinking coffee and flipping through a magazine.  It was a quite night, all the other guests either out for the evening or settled in their rooms already.  It was the first sign of Rose she'd seen since she checked in.  She'd looked exhausted when she gotten here and Nancy had guessed she would sleep for some time.  She was glad to see her up now and Nancy relished the chance to mother her a bit, if she'd let her.

"There you are!  Have a good rest?"  Rose nodded her head shyly and Nancy motioned to a chair at the table and Rose took a seat.  Nancy got to her feet saying "I bet you're hungry.  Would you like some dinner?"

Rose smiled and said "If it's not too much trouble."

Nancy waved a hand dismissively.  "Not at all.  I like cooking for people, it's one of the reasons I started running an inn."  Nancy busied herself in the kitchen, keeping up a steady stream of conversation as she got food ready.  "I had five girls to feed at one time and a husband.  But now it's just me and Jake, that's my husband, and our youngest at home.  All but the youngest of my girls are grown now, and moved out of state."  She motioned towards Rose's shirt.  "My youngest, she likes that singer, took me to her concert last Fall."

Rose glanced down, having thrown on the first shirt she found.  Teal blue with some of her favorite song lyrics printed on the front stared back at her.  Did you like her?" Rose asked politely.

"Hmm" Nancy said non-committal.  "She had a pretty voice and was cute as can be but she sure liked to sing about drinking and fighting a lot" she said and Rose found herself grinning to herself at the description.  "But Katie, that's my youngest, she was over the moon at getting to see her."  Nancy was checking on something in the oven then moving to stir something on the stove.  "She dyed her hair blond 'cause of her" she added with an affectionate eye roll.

Rose smiled.  "How old is she?"

"Eighteen" Nancy said, leaving the stove to slice some fresh bread and bring it to Rose with some butter.  "She's starting college in the fall so in a few weeks time she'll be settled into a dorm room and all my babies will have left the nest."

"My younger sister's nineteen" Rose said, after swallowing a bite of the delicious bread.  "She's a blond and was going to dye her hair black a few years ago.  Thankfully she changed her mind before she did it."

Nancy smiled at her.  "So you've got sisters?"

Rose nodded and proceeded to tell her about them while Nancy finished warming up some food for her.  She sat down across from Rose when the food was ready and Rose found herself with a bowl of hearty chicken stew and the promise that dessert was in the oven.

"So you all have flower names.  How pretty.  Your mother picked them?" Nancy asked.

"Well it was a compromise.  There's an Irish song about three flowers that represent Irish patriots that my dad loved.  If we'd been boys we'd have had their names" Rose explained.  "But since we were girls my Dad just wanted flowers to represent the song and my mom got to pick which names to use."

Rose took a bite of the stew.  "Oh this is really good" she said and Nancy beamed at the praise.  Rose was concentrating as best she could to keep things from moving around the kitchen.  She was lacing and unlacing her shoe under the table, focusing her energy on that and so far it was working.

For her part Nancy was studying Rose as she ate, trying to figure out how she could help her. There was an air of sadness around her that tugged at Nancy's heart.  She chatted with Rose while she ate then cleared her plate away and poured them both mugs of tea then pulled an apple cake from the oven.  She cut a slice and brought it to Rose who murmured her thanks.  Hoping to learn something more Nancy sat back down with a slice of apple cake in front of herself as well and asked gently:

"So you've got a good family.  Any special gentleman in your life?"

A small smile tugged at Rose's lips and she blushed, causing Nancy to laugh.  "Well that's a yes if I ever saw one" she said and Rose smiled and nodded. "Tell me about him."

Rose took a bite of the cake and contemplated how to describe Dean.

"Well I've known him practically my whole life..."she started slowly.

"Oh isn't that the best way?" Nancy cut in.  "I've known my husband since we were in junior high.  We know all the good and the bad about each other.  So much better that way than just meeting and dating."  Nancy took a bite of cake and seeing that Rose was hesitant she asked her some questions to make it easier.  "Is he kind?"

Rose smiled again and Nancy watched as her face lit up.  "He's so kind, though he would argue that fact."  Rose took another bite of cake then added "He's protective of people he cares about and if he loves you there's nothing he won't do for you."

"Is he good to you, Sweetie?" Nancy asked, her tone warm and motherly.

"Oh yes" Rose breathed.  "He's wonderful to me.  He's a good man" she said sincerely.

"Then I just have to ask why aren't you with him, sweetheart?" Nancy asked and watched at the smile quickly disappeared from Rose's face.

Rose struggled, wanting to share but knowing she only could so much.  Still, maybe if she was careful she could get another opinion on the matter.  She fidgeted with her fork, thinking of how best to explain.  She was lacing and unlacing her sneaker over and over, faster and faster trying to keep calm.

"Something happened, because of me.  Some bad-" she hesitated "people wanted to hurt me and they came after me and hurt some of the people I care about most.  I didn't want to put them in any more danger so I left."

"Oh sweetie, I'm sorry" Nancy said.  She hesitated before she said "I'm guessing your boyfriend, what did you say his name was?"

"Dean" Rose said, swallowing tightly to hold back her tears.

"I'm guessing Dean didn't want you to leave."

Rose shook her head.  "No, in fact I'm pretty sure he's furious with me right now" she said with a strangled little laugh.  She took a sip of her tea then said "I talked to a family friend this morning to check on everyone and he, well he told me off pretty good for leaving like I did. He said I'd upset everyone and hurt Dean by running off."  The tears fell then and Nancy got up and came to sit next to her, pulling her into a hug and murmuring soothing words that mothers instinctively know to say.  When Rose calmed down and her tears had lessened Nancy pulled back and said "One of my girls, our middle daughter got herself in some trouble, when I'm guessing she was just a little younger than you.  I'm sure it wasn't exactly the same situation but there were some people who Allison got into trouble with."  Nancy shook her head, her eyes mirroring the pain of the past.  "They were horrible people who offered nothing but trouble and pain and my daughter got herself mixed up with them.  It got to a point where they were coming after her for things she owed them and couldn't pay."  Nancy cleared her throat, rubbing Rose's back in a soothing way that comforted them both.  "They threatened her and not wanting any of her sisters or us to get hurt she ran away.  She was gone for two weeks and it was the longest two weeks of my life."  She gave a shaky laugh and Rose reached over and squeezed her free hand in support, drawing a grateful smile from Nancy.  "Anyway, we got her home and got the situation straightened out.  Allison is a kind girl, always has been and would have never hurt us on purpose.  But even though she left thinking of our safety I would have much rather her stayed and taken a chance.  That's what families do: they get through hard times together.  Not knowing where someone you love is or if they're even all right is horrible." She squeezed Rose's hand then and stood, going to get them both more tea.

"So you think I should go back" Rose said softly once Nancy had sat back down.

Nancy nodded. "I think at the least you should call Dean and talk to him.  Let him know you're safe."

Rose stared at her tea cup thoughtfully and Nancy let her think it over.  After a few minutes Rose smiled at Nancy and asked:

"So what happened to Allison?"

"Oh she writes for an entertainment magazine based out of LA.  She's marrying her girlfriend this December and we're all going to California for the wedding." Nancy was beaming, obviously very proud of her daughter who had survived the bumpy patch in her life and came out a stronger person for it.

Rose smiled and asked Nancy about her other daughters.  Nancy was only too glad to share, telling Rose about Ellie who lived in DC and worked for the FBI and had a little girl (Nancy's first grand baby - "The prettiest baby you've ever seen"), Cassie who was a schoolteacher in Georgia (Still single but she was happy and so dedicated to her job.), Kimberly who worked at an art gallery in NY and had just gotten married last year ("She'd been with Robbie so long we'd almost forgotten they weren't married.") and of course Katie, who had just started at Missouri State two weeks ago to study, well something.  Nancy laughed.  "Katie isn't sure what she wants to do just yet but she'll figure it out."

Rose gave a yawn and Nancy reached out and patted her hand.  "Get some sleep and think about what you want to do.  A good night’s sleep can do a mind and body wonders."

Rose murmured her thanks and headed back upstairs.  She planned to take a long soak in the bathtub first, then she would sleep.  And hopefully she'd wake up with a clearer idea of what to do.

* * *

Charlie slid into the backseat, watching Sam leaning over Lily, buckling her seat belt then quickly walking around and getting into the driver’s seat.  Lily was pouting, her arms crossed over her chest and a scowl on her face.  "Why'd we have to leave?  I was having fun."

"It's late, Lil.  Time to go home" Sam said.  "And you've had more than enough to drink."  That was putting it mildly, Charlie thought.  They'd all drank beers with their dinner but Lily had started on tequila shots as soon as she'd finished her food.  She was quickly feeling no pain and kept right on putting the shots away.  She'd put on quite the show, dancing to every song that the band played in a way that would have been more at home in a music video than in a local bar.  She had almost every eye on her and only Sam's glowering protective presence held off any advances.  (Charlie figured the bruises on his face had probably helped; he obviously wasn't afraid to get physical.)

"I was just having a good time, Sammy" Lily said, giving him a big smile.  "I like good times.  Good times should be required."

"Ya, you had that covered tonight" Sam muttered.

Lily was tugging on her hair now.  "How'd my hair get so long?  It wasn't this long yesterday.  Daisy can see dreams and Rose can throw you across the room with her mind but hey, I can grow my hair out really fast.  Ya, that seems like a fair deal.  I mean obviously my rapidly growing hair will just terrify demons."  Charlie was giggling in the backseat, unable to control herself while Sam just looked amused at Lily’s rambling.

“You used to have longer hair, Lil” Sam said.  “You could always grow it out again.”

Lily wrinkled her nose.  “Ugh, no.  It get’s in my face and just all over the place.  Short is better.”  She reached out and ran her fingers through Sam’s hair.  “’Cept on you.  I like your hair long.”  She gave him a wicked smile and added “Especially when I can pull on it and make you moan.”  Charlie covered her face with her hands but continued laughing while Sam turned several shades of red.

"I've decided no" Lily announced suddenly.

"No to what?" Sam asked, glancing her way.

"No to the prophecy.  No.  It's just not happening" she said, then dusted her hands off.  "So that's that."

"OK" Sam said amicably, knowing arguing with Lily when she was drunk was pointless.

"'Cause it's wrong you know" Lily said, talking a lot about a topic she'd told him earlier today she didn't want to talk about.  "It's as wrong as wrong can be.  Oh look!"  She pointed excitedly out her window at a building they were passing.  "That's the antique store my mom wants me to go get Daisy a wedding ring from.  That's wrong too."  She rested her head back against the seat.  "Everything is wrong, wrong, wrong.  I'm pretty sure more tequila would make it right though."

"I'm pretty sure more tequila would have you throwing up" Sam muttered.

"Nope, I never throw up.  Not since I was twelve and ate bad shrimp at Amber Hanson’s birthday party" Lily proclaimed proudly and Sam just rolled his eyes at her.

"Well let's not push it OK?" Sam said, mildly.

Lily didn’t answer but started humming to herself and eventually singing an odd song she had made up that seemed to have words to the effect of “screw prophecy makers” and lots of mention of tequila thrown in.  Sam winced, realizing Rose was right: Lily really couldn’t sing.  Luckily they were home quickly and Lily weaved her way into the bunker, her walk unsteady enough that Sam eventually picked her up and carried her.  Lily smiled at him happily as he walked into the kitchen with her.  He sat her down on the counter (Since Dean wasn’t here to have a fit about it) and tried to back away but Lily had wrapped her arms around his neck and wouldn’t let go.

“Hey Charlie” Sam said, looking at the redhead who was standing in the doorway, unsure of if she should come in or not.  “Could you make some coffee?”

Charlie nodded and came fully into the kitchen.  She added coffee and water to the machine and got it going then leaned back and watched Sam try to convince Lily she should have some coffee.  “Charlie’s making some coffee for you, Lil.  If you drink some it will help you feel better.”

Lily wrinkled her nose at him and shook her head.  “Nope.  You’re trying to sober me up and I don’t wanna be sober.  Sober life sucks.  Sober life is missing sisters and hospitals and prophecies that make my head hurt.  I wanna stay in happy tequila land and tie you to the bed with the pretty red scarves we have and suck my way-”

Charlie eyes were huge as she cleared her throat before Lily could finish her sentence and said “I’m just gonna go check and see if anything came up while we were out and then head to bed.”  And she beat a hasty retreat from the kitchen.

Sam watched her go with a deep blush on his face and turned to find Lily looking after Charlie with a confused expression.  “Why’d she go away so fast?  I like Charlie.  She’s fun.”

“I don’t think Charlie really wanted to hear about what we do in our bedroom, Lil.  Remember, some people are private?”

Lily waved her hand dismissively.  “Silly people.”  She turned serious suddenly.  “You’re the only non-sucky thing in sober life, Sam.”  She said, patting his cheek and smiling at him.  “You’re so pretty and shiny.”  She ran her hands through his hair and Sam chuckled.  He had definitely never been referred to as pretty and shiny before.  Lily was looking at him with big sincere eyes now, her fingers twining in his hair.  “You know when I said you couldn’t own me I meant just me, right?  I didn’t mean my heart?  Because you totally own my heart, Sammy.”

Sam felt his own heart give a little lurch at her statement.  She could go from talking nonsense,  then switch to the kind of sex talk you didn’t share with others and then turn around and say something that took his breath away so fast it made his head spin.  Keeping up with Lily was a challenge at the best of times; keeping up with a drunk Lily was like trying to catch a hurricane.  He smiled at her now.  “Well that’s good to know since you own my heart too, Darling.”  He pressed his lips to hers and a soft kiss quickly morphed into a heated, passionate one.  Lily’s hands tugged on Sam’s hair till he did indeed moan and they kissed till they were both gasping for air.

“Make me feel good, Sam” Lily said, running her hands over him.  “Please?  Right here and now, make me forget everything else.”  And Sam smiled and proceeded to do just that, right there on the kitchen counter.

As smart as Sam is even he would admit there are things he doesn't know, but he knew one thing for sure: When the woman you love asks you for something, if it’s in your power to give it to her, you do.  And if it’s something that makes you both happy, all the better.


	7. Come On Baby Don't Say Maybe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of talking and things are put into motion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter turned out much longer than I planned but it seemed to just keep growing.

Erin Sullivan was an early riser.  She had been since birth, much to the chagrin of her mother who much preferred to sleep in and later on to the dismay of her daughters, all of whom preferred staying up late to getting up early.  So it wasn’t unusual that at nine am she had been up for several hours.  Bobby had left to get them a late breakfast and she was just finishing up a call with one of her contacts on the East coast.  She sighed as she hung up; no one had seen any sign of Rose.  Erin knew at least one person in all the big covens on the East coast and Midwest; you would think someone would have seen her or be able to find some trace of her.  Damn if that girl wasn’t as smart and cunning as her father had been.  Since Rose was a child Erin had watched as others underestimated her because she looked sweet and wasn’t as aggressive as Lily was.  People forgot how smart she was and few people knew how gifted a liar she was when she had to be.  But Erin knew her daughters, even the one she was the least close to.  She knew Lily had a much gentler heart than she ever wanted anyone to see, she knew Daisy hid her serious side behind blond curls and sunny smiles and she knew that Rose could lie to the devil if she had to and make him believe whatever she told him.  A different mother would have found this a horrible trait for her daughter to possess but Erin was herself the daughter of a hunter and knew better than most that there were times that lying could very well save your life.  And Rose had a conscience; she wasn’t someone who would lie without a reason so Erin had always looked at Rose’s ability to lie as an asset rather than a character flaw.  Rose was good with people too, always attracting people to her without trying.   She was just like her father that way.  Brendan had always been someone people were drawn to, people just naturally liked him.  It wouldn’t surprise Erin if Rose had found someone to help her along the way.  Erin just hoped whoever it was turned out to be trustworthy.

Erin was just getting up from the couch when her phone rang.  Caller Unknown flashed up on the screen and Erin held her breath then quickly hit the accept button.  She had no reason to think it would be Rose but she had to hope.

"Hello” she said, praying who she would hear on the other end of the phone.

“Hi Mom” Rose said, her voice quieter than normal.

Erin felt her shoulders relax and air completely fill her lungs for the first time since Monday morning.  She had been keeping up a calm front around the kids but in private she was a wreck.  Rose was smart and intuitive but Rose was also trusting and kind.  Those weren't traits that generally did well on the streets.

“Oh Rosie, are you OK?” Erin breathed.

Rose settled in on the bed in her room, twisting a finger in her hair.  She had thought long and hard about who to call this morning.  Nancy’s talk had left her feeling she needed to call someone, to let them know what she’d decided and to put their minds at ease.  She had thought about calling the hospital again but had no way of knowing who she would get.  The two people she wanted to call the most, Dean and Lily would most likely not listen to what she wanted to do, they would insist on coming to get her or talk her into it.  Sam would tell Dean and Lily and she wasn’t sure what Bobby would do.  So she figured her mom was the best choice; she would listen and hopefully would agree to Rose’s plan.   And Rose thought it kind of fitting that Nancy’s talk would lead to her calling her mother.

“I’m OK.  I’m safe” Rose said.

“Oh thank heaven” Erin said.

“Are you OK?  Is everyone there all right?” Rose asked.

“Yes, we’re all good.  We all miss you though.” Erin hadn’t planned on saying anything about Daisy but of course the next words out of Rose’s mouth were:

“How’s Daisy?  Lily just texted she was stable.  Is she all right?”

Erin sighed.  She should have known Rose would ask; the girls were incredibly close. “It’s complicated.  She’s in a coma but Castiel is healing her slowly.  He’s positive she’ll be fine but it’s going to take time.”

Rose frowned.  Why couldn’t Cas just heal her like he’d healed them?  “I don’t understand.  He can’t just heal her?”

“No, there’s a lot involved.  Cas could explain it better in person really.”  Speaking of… “So are you just calling to tell me you’re OK or are you calling to say you’re coming back?”

Rose hesitated.  “How mad is everyone at me?” she finally asked.  The way Bobby had told her off yesterday had her worried about how Dean was going to react.  She knew he was mad but if Bobby was that upset she could only imagine what Dean was going to be like.

“You mean Dean” Erin said quietly and Rose winced.  Her mother seemed so oblivious to everything around her so much of the time and then just when it was most inconvenient she would be way more perceptive than you expected.

“No, I mean everyone” Rose argued.  “I mean you and Lily and, and…” It occurred to Rose suddenly that Erin was in fact right: she did mean Dean.  Because everyone else she knew how they would react, that yes they would be upset with her, would most likely yell at her a bit but nothing would change between them.  In this case she actually was unsure of Dean which felt odd.  She knew him so well that usually she could tell you how he was going to respond, almost exactly what he was going to say.  But she’d never done anything like this when he was involved before.  She wasn’t sure what this would do to them, to their relationship.  As Bobby had pointed out she had hurt Dean, had in fact left him even if that hadn’t been her actual intent.  He might not forgive that.  It was all still so new between them, being an actual couple at least, what if this was just way too much for him?  “OK, yes, I mean Dean” Rose finally admitted.

“He’s worried about you and I would think you’ll have a fair bit of explaining to do when you’ll get back” Erin said.  “I think he’s pretty mad at you, yes, but I also think he would do anything to get you back here.”  Rose gave a sigh of relief loud enough for Erin to hear over the phone and she couldn’t help but smile.  Rose couldn’t hide the fact, no matter how she tried, that Dean was her first priority.  Erin understood what that feeling was like; She’d felt that way from the moment she first lay eyes on Rose’s father.   

Now it was time for a bit of motherly reproach.  Dean wasn’t the only one upset with Rose.  “You know Rose, we’ve been through this before, back when you were a teenager.  I didn’t think we’d have to go through it again.”

“That was completely different, Mom” Rose said.  “I left because I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt.  I didn’t want to leave in the first place but it seemed wrong and selfish to stay, to put everyone else at risk.”

“Oh baby, that’s not true” Erin bit her lip, trying to think of the right words.  Brendan had always known the right thing to say to Rose, the way to get through to her.  Erin never had.  When she lost her husband she not only lost the love of her life she lost the intermediary between herself and Rose.  Lily tried but she didn’t have the patience or the knack for it that her father had.  Conversations between Erin and Rose had never come easily.  They tended to irritate each other, to step on each other’s toes without even meaning to.  “What’s happening is bigger than just you; it affects your sisters and everyone who cares about you.  The best place for you is with the people who love you.  We take care of each other, you remember that?”

Rose murmured her agreement and gave a small sniffle; she was not going to start crying again.  “I want to come back, I do.”

“Then tell me where you are and I’ll have Cas come get you.  Or I’ll tell the boys and they can drive there.  I know Dean would love to-”

Rose shook her head even though her mom couldn’t see it.  “I need to bring Lily’s car back.  I took it, I need to return it.  And I need to come back on my own.  That’s...it’s important to me, OK?”

Erin sighed.  Rose had been stubborn from birth, always wanting to do things her own way.  People mistakenly thought Lily was the only rebel of the family but they had no idea.  Rose had marched to her own beat her entire life; she just did it wearing flowers in her hair. “Oh Rosie, please, can’t you just do this the easy way?”

“I want to come back on my own” Rose repeated and Erin could just picture the stubborn look on her face, the same one she’d worn since she was a child.  She sometimes swore Rose was born wearing that expression. “Please Mom?  Let me do this?”

Erin sighed again; knowing arguing would get her nowhere.  “All right, if you insist.  But when?”

“I need to wrap things up here and then I’ll head back.  Um, I should be on the road by eleven and home around two, two-thirty tops.”

“No speeding, Rose” Erin continued, knowing saying this was pointless but still feeling the need.  Rose murmured something that could be taken as agreement and Erin decided to accept it.

“You call me when you get on the road to come back” Erin commanded.

“Yes Mom” Rose was on her feet now, starting to gather her things up, excitement coursing through her at the thought of being back with her people again.

 “I mean it, Rose.  If you haven’t called by eleven at a minute after I’m handing my phone over to that hacker the boys have at the bunker.  She can figure out where you are now that you’ve called me.”

“I’ll call, I promise” Rose said, with a roll of her eyes.  “And I’m coming back.”

Erin smiled softly as they said their good-bye’s, praying everything went smoothly and in just a few hours time her girls would all be back together where they belonged. 

* * *

Rose gathered up all her things and threw them into her bag, doing a quick sweep of the room to make sure she wasn’t missing anything.  Satisfied she had everything she headed downstairs and ran into Nancy who greeted her happily.  When Rose told her she was planning on leaving that morning Nancy insisted she have some breakfast first.  Rose acquiesced happily and ate her fill of the tasty breakfast Nancy put in front of her.

“Is there a Target anywhere near here?” Rose asked as Nancy was running her credit card.  Her headache was yet to completely go away and Rose knew she’d need some more asprin to get her home.  She was swallowing it like candy and she knew there must be something going on but she’d deal with it once she was back at the bunker.  That and the angry voice that hadn’t gone away either, with its nasty, snide comments about Dean and Lily and everyone else back home.  She’d gotten better at tuning it out but it was still there. _Just get home_ she thought _and then you can figure it out._

“Oh sure” Nancy said, handing Rose back the cash she had put down for her room.  She gave her directions and then had to ask.  “So did you talk to Dean?”

Rose shook her head but she was smiling.  “Thank you so much for your advice last night.  I called my mom actually.” That got a happy little noise from Nancy and Rose’s smile grew.  She glanced down and admitted “We’re not really close but she’s still my mom and I know she’s been worried.”  Rose twisted a strand of her hair nervously.  “My mom said Dean was really worried and really wanted me back there so well, I’m going.”

Nancy smiled happily and couldn’t resist coming around the counter to hug Rose.  “I’m so glad, sweetie.  You’ll have to come back to visit and bring him with you so I can meet him.  I bet he’s handsome.”

“Oh he’s way too handsome for his own good.  He has the most beautiful eyes you've ever seen and don’t even get me started on his smile” Rose said with a happy blush.

“Well then you’ll definitely have to bring him back so I can check him back” Nancy said with a grin and they both laughed.

"You know what let me turn my phone on" Rose pulled her phone, not the disposable one but her real phone out of her purse and turned it on.  She was going home; she could turn it on for just a minute. "And I'll show you a picture."  She flipped through her pictures once her phone was on and brought up the picture she'd taken of Dean reading in the kitchen from their weekend away.

"Oh honey" Nancy said, smiling at her.  "Handsome doesn't even come close to describing him.  Do you have one of the two of you together?  I always like to see couples together."  Rose quickly brought up the one of the two of them on the pier together, all smiling and golden in the sunlight.

Nancy took the phone from her and studied it then gave it back to Rose and said "The way that mans holding you, you don't belong anywhere outside of his arms.  Now get back to him quick!"  Rose blushed and smiled happily.  She couldn't wait to be in Dean's arms again.

Rose turned to go then stopped and turning back she asked “Would it be weird if I asked you to send me a picture from Allison’s wedding?  I mean, I know I don’t know her really, but it was your story about her that got to me.”  She shrugged.  “I guess I’d like to see her happy ending.”

“It’s not weird at all” Nancy assured her.  She pulled one of the inns business cards out and quickly wrote her personal email address on it and had Rose jot hers down for to her keep, promising her pictures.  Then with one more hug Rose was on her way.

Nancy watched her walk down the steps and walk towards her car just as Jake came up behind her.  “Is that the girl you were telling me about?” he asked and Nancy nodded.  “She looks like a nice girl” he said as Rose waved before getting into the car and driving away.

Nancy turned and hugged her husband.  “She is.  And she’s headed home now, back to the people who love her.”  She smiled. “You should have heard the way she talked about her boyfriend.  Reminded me of how I used to gush about you to my mom and girlfriends.”

“Aw, so she obviously has good taste in men then.” Jake kissed his wife’s forehead, marveling at her tender heart.  She was forever rescuing strays, be they people or animals and he loved that about her.  “Go call Ali” he whispered to her, knowing that sharing her story with their guest had stirred up old feelings.  “You know you want to” and with a loving smile Nancy walked off to do just that, happy she had married a man who knew her so well.

* * *

Dean had stretched out as much as possible on the small couch in Daisy’s hospital room sometime after two a.m.  Cas was awake and even if he wasn’t Dean was a light sleeper; he’d wake up if anything happened.  He hadn’t slept that much or that well since Rose left so he figured at least a few hours of light sleep would do him some good.  He slept through till the nurses did their early morning rounds, then surprisingly fell back asleep.

He dreamed he was at the bunker in the garage, taking an inventory of all the extra parts he had on hand for the Impala. Some might have thought it was an odd dream to have but Dean had dreamed this before.  At some point he would realize that they were out of some crucial part he needed to fix Baby and he would feel a wave of panic wash over him.  It was the dream he dreamed when he was under a greater amount of stress than normal. With everything that was going on it wasn't surprising for him to have this dream.  This time however before he could get to the moment where he panicked over the missing part a small blond in a white lacy dress walked through the doorway.

“Daisy?” Dean asked in confusion.  “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask her that as well” a deep voice behind her said as Cas appeared suddenly.  Daisy jumped slightly but didn’t turn around and Dean had the sneaking suspicion she had been trying to do this without Cas knowing.

“I need to talk to you, Dean” Daisy said, an urgent tone in her voice.  “There are things you need to know.”

“What things?” Dean asked, walking towards Daisy.

“You’ll want to sit” Daisy said and Dean suddenly found himself sitting on a stool.

“Daisy, you aren’t strong enough to do this” Cas said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“I have to do this, Cas” Daisy insisted, not put off in the least by Cas’ warning.  Dean watched as Cas’ face took on a disturbed expression.  He had the feeling Daisy had never ignored anything he had said before.

"It can wait" Cas insisted.  “You’re still healing.”

Daisy turned to look at Cas with an irritated expression on her face, her hands on her hips and her green eyes sparking.  Dean recognized this as Daisy’s “I’m not giving in” stance that he’d seen more times than he could count throughout the years, usually when one of her sisters was trying to convince her to do something she didn’t want to, but something told him it was new to Cas.  Wait till he saw her in full blown tantrum mode.  Oh Dean hoped he was there to see that.  "It cannot wait.  I understand what is urgent and what isn't.  And if you'd stop interrupting me this would go a lot faster" Daisy said, an annoyed tone in her voice, then she turned back to face Dean.  Cas looked completely astounded at Daisy's refusal to give in to him.  He was obviously used to Daisy being much more compliant and hadn’t been introduced to the stubborn side of her personality yet.  Ya, better work on controlling your wife, Cas, Dean couldn't help thinking with a smirk.

Daisy took a deep breath, looking down at her clasped hands, seeming to gather herself and then she raised her head and looked into Dean’s eyes.  When she spoke her words seemed to echo in Dean’s head and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would remember these words when he woke up.

“She’s coming home, but not in the way either of you want her to.  She will come back to you, Dean” Daisy said, a sure tone in her voice.  “But it won’t be how either of you wished.”

“What’s that mean?  She’s coming home, that’s a good thing, right?” Dean asked, concern coursing through him at the look on Daisy’s face.  He was used to Daisy being a silly, slightly self involved, frivolous teenager.  The look on Daisy’s face now was serious and intense, nothing like how he was used to seeing her.  That in itself was jarring, never mind the words she was saying.  “When, when will she be back?”

“Things will happen this week that can’t be changed” Daisy said with a shake of her head and Dean noticed she was wobbling a bit, unsteady on her feet.  Cas noticed too and was instantly by her side, his hands steadying her.  He was right about her not being up for this but as she obviously wasn’t going to allow him to dissuade her he would hold her up and help her as best he could.

“A life will be lost and scars will be handed out” Daisy said, closing her eyes.  When she opened them again her eyes were sad, full of knowledge Dean didn’t have and wasn’t sure he wanted.

"Wait, a life lost?" Dean asked in alarm, but Daisy continued on as if he hadn't spoken.  She obviously wasn’t going to answer any of his questions.

“Oh Dean, she’s going to be…” She shook her head.  “You two are so connected.  There are so many cords binding you together.”  She turned her head towards Cas slightly, just over her shoulder.  “Can you see them?  All the colors flowing there between them?”  Dean recalled Rose talking about colors that first night in her bedroom after she’d killed her first demon.  He wondered distractedly if they were talking about the same thing.

Cas nodded and Daisy started pointing at things Dean couldn’t see “Passion, loyalty, friendship, protection, devotion, oh and no they don’t say that one yet, I don’t think.” And she giggled, the tinkling fairy giggle Dean always associated with Daisy.

“They don’t?” Cas mused and Daisy shook her head.  “That seems silly, when it’s so obvious.”  Dean narrowed his eyes at that.  A few hours ago he had been explaining to Cas what jealousy felt like and the difference between romance and caring and now he was calling him silly.  Dean resisted the urge to tell him what he could do with his “silly” comment.

“But said or not, it’s there and they’ll need it” Daisy continued.  Her face took on an awed expression then and even Cas looked impressed.  “That one” and she pointed to another one, her fingers fluttering softly. “That one is beautiful and so rare and oh so important.”

“You’re right, it is rare” Cas agreed, then he murmured.  “You need to hurry, Daisy.  Your body can’t handle this for long.”

Daisy nodded and with Cas by her side and his hands still holding her up she walked towards Dean and leaned down so she could hold his face in his hands.  “You’re going to be very angry with her, Dean.  I understand that and you have every right to be.  She’ll even need you to be angry with her.  But don’t lose sight of _why_ you’re angry.”  Daisy took a deep breath and said “Rose is going to need you so very much, Dean.  You’re the key.  She'll come back to you.  Please don’t ever question how important you are to her.  No one else will be able to reach her.”  She looked at him then so sadly that Dean felt fear flow through him.  Nothing good came from sadness like that.  “She’ll be so broken” she murmured mournfully.  “When you see Rose next she’s going to be broken into so many pieces.  What you treasure most in her will still be there though, just buried deep under a lot of anger and pain.  Remember that.  It will take time but you’ll have to help her put those pieces back together again.  Cas and I can help a little but in the end it’s going to come down to you."  Leaning down closer she whispered “My sister would die for you.  You’re going to have to give her a reason to live.”

Dean’s eyes flew open to the harsh scream of an alarm sounding.  He jumped up off the couch as nurses flew into the room as Daisy’s body convulsed on the bed.  Cas was pushed out of the way as a doctor flew into the room and started barking out orders.

Dean stood dumbly by, shocked at what was happening, then his eyes found Cas, slowly sinking to the floor, his back against the wall.  Dean went to him and pulled him to his feet and then started speaking lowly in his ear.  "She's OK, Cas, the doctors have her.  She'll be fine."

Cas’ eyes were shocked, the usually calm, stoic angel in a complete panic.   “This wasn’t supposed to happen” he said to Dean, reaching out and grabbing the front of his shirt.  “In everything we both ever saw this never occurred.  She was supposed to be healing, getting better.”

“Calm down, Cas” Dean said, keeping his voice steady. “The doctors have this.”

The two stood and watched as the medical staff worked for what felt like a much longer time than it actually was, pushing a drug into Daisy’s IV that stopped the seizing, then starting some tests and taking her vitals again.  Slowly a doctor came towards them with a small, reassuring smile that said they were out of immediate danger and started talking in a low voice.  “This happens sometimes, we see it in some cases, it shouldn’t affect the outcome” were a few of the phrases Dean heard, that flowed right over him as he sank back down onto the couch.  For now that the immediate danger with Daisy seemed to have passed the words she had said to Dean in his dream were echoing in his head and he realized they were dealing with a different danger all together.

* * *

Oblivious to all that was going on in her sisters lives at the moment Lily shuffled her way into the kitchen.  Her hair was sticking up in several different directions, she was wearing two different color socks and her skin color was somewhere between green and gray.  She would have preferred to still be asleep but she had woken up not long after Sam has gotten out of bed, whispering something to her which she was totally blanking on now.  She found she was getting so used to sleeping in bed with Sam that it was hard for her to sleep with him not there.  God, she was becoming so sappy.  She made her way slowly to the coffee pot, which thankfully was full and poured a cup then staggered back to take a seat on one of the stools.

Charlie had watched all this with an amused expression on her face, from her spot at the table.

"Feeling good this morning?" she asked cheerfully which earned her a dark glare from Lily.

"I like you, Charlie.  Please don't make me kill you."  Charlie just laughed and took a sip from her own coffee mug.  "Where's Sam?" Lily asked after shooting Charlie another glare.

"He went out to get some breakfast.  Apparently the cupboards are pretty bare."

"Ya it's been what, two weeks since we went to the grocery store.  God that seems like a lifetime ago."  Lily was rubbing her head; it felt like someone had hit her with a sledgehammer.  She hadn’t been drunk this many times in such a short period in years.  Alcohol and sex were her stress relief.  If it wasn’t for Sam she probably would have hooked up with half of the town by now; as it was he was just reaping the benefits.  She leaned up against the wall and propped her feet up on the stool closest to hers and stared at her legs for a second, then said softly "I'm wearing someone else's pajama pants."

Charlie looked at her curiously then glanced at the pants in question.  "You are?"

"Do I really strike you as someone who would wear cupcakes on my pajamas?" Charlie shook her head with a small grin on her face.  "These must have gotten mixed up with my clothes when I did laundry.  I really need to get taller sisters" Lily added thoughtfully, staring at her ankles which stuck out a few inches below the hem of the pants.  She was two inches taller than Rose and five inches taller than Daisy (Who complained that Lily and Rose had taken all the height by the time she was born.) so these must be Rose's; Daisy's pajamas wouldn't even have fit her.

"I like the t-shirt" Charlie offered.  "It's very you."  "Strong women intimidate boys..and excite men" the black t-shirt read.

"Wanna guess who got it for me?" Lily asked with a grin.

Charlie gave her a surprised look.  "Sam?" Lily nodded her head and Charlie laughed.  "Oh that's just perfect.  Five points to Gryffindor!"

Lily frowned.  "He'd so be Ravenclaw."  At Charlie's look she shrugged.  "Come on, you see who I live with.  The geek has to rub off on me a little."

Sam appeared in the doorway then, bearing a box of donuts and some muffins.

"Hey you're up" he said in surprise, placing the food on the table and kissing Lily gently on the forehead.  "How are you feeling?"

"Like my head may explode at any minute" Lily said, giving Sam a pitiful look.

Charlie watched in amusement as Sam bustled around the kitchen, getting Lily some aspirin, warming up a muffin and buttering it for her and then re-filling her coffee cup.  He was acting like a mother hen, hovering over Lily and coddling her and Charlie realized she'd never seen him look happier.  Every time Lily smiled at him or murmured thank you he beamed.  It was actually adorable but since Charlie knew both Sam and Lily would cringe at that word she kept the thought to herself.

Charlie finished her muffin and wandered off to take a shower and get dressed, leaving Sam and Lily alone in the kitchen.

"Look at you, eating junk food for breakfast" Lily teased as Sam swallowed the last bite of his donut.

"Hey we all indulge from time to time" Sam said with a smile. 

“I personally am a big believer in indulging” Lily said then grimaced.  “Though maybe not this morning” and Sam laughed.

“You’re the queen of indulgence, Lily and you pay the price” Sam said.  He looked around the kitchen with a frown.  "We are going to have to do a grocery run at some point."

"I went last time" Lily said.  "Someone else can have the honor this time."

"Trust me, Lil, I remember you doing the grocery shopping" Sam said dryly.  “The whole town probably remembers.  There are quite possibly posters up with your face on them at the entrance to the grocery store, barring your admittance.”

"Now Sam, let’s not be dramatic” and Sam rolled his eyes at that.  “I seem to recall you enjoying the texts that went along with that trip" Lily protested.

"Ya right up until you almost got arrested" Sam shot back.

"That woman so over reacted" Lily said, getting up to get more coffee.  "And I brought you a present back.  Think of all the fun and enjoyment you've gotten from those scarves.  I think I deserve a little credit for that."

Sam grabbed Lily's free hand and pulled her to stand between his legs.  "Oh you do, but let's be honest here, Lil, I'm not the only one whose gotten enjoyment from those scarves."  He put his mouth close to her ear and said lowly "I seem to recall a certain someone tied to our bed recently who was moaning and begging me, offering to do anything I wanted if I would just make her come."  He pulled back and looked into her face with a cocky grin on his.  "Sound familiar?"

"Yep" Lily said, with a toss of her head as she pulled away and headed towards the door.  "Sounds similar to what I heard coming from your mouth three nights ago."

Sam's appreciative laugh followed her down the hall as she went off to shower with a triumphant smile on her face.

* * *

Rose wandered through Target picking up supplies for her trip back to the bunker.  She'd gotten some medicine for her headache, picked up a drink and some snacks for the drive back and was headed towards check out.  She was equal parts excited and scared about going back; she knew Dean was mad at her and that worried her but she was also so anxious to be back with him and everyone else she cared about that she was willing to face his anger.

The store had been relatively uncrowded and she'd managed to find parking at the side of the building, not far from the door but not in a spot where the entrance was visible either.  Walking out to the car she had the door unlocked and had placed her bags on the front seat when she heard someone call out to her.

Turning around she found a teenage girl with dark hair that she'd never seen before standing a few feet away.  Rose frowned, looking at her and taking an unconscious step towards her.  There was something off in the way she looked, some weird color about her, almost as if she had an outline.  Rose shook her head and the color lessened but didn't disappear.

If Rose hadn't been so caught up in the odd look of the girl she might have noticed the man parked in a spot a row behind her who was out of his vehicle, watching her carefully and slowly moving towards the two of them.  But Rose was too focused on the girl and trying to figure out why she looked so odd.

"Do I know you?" Rose asked and the girl shook her head, an odd smile flitting across her face. "Well can I help you with something?  I'm in a bit of a hurry" Rose said, very aware of the time.  It had been after ten thirty when she'd walked out of the store.  She had to call her mother on time so she wouldn't turn her phone over to Charlie.  Now that she was going back the last thing she wanted was someone coming to fetch her like she was some wayward child.

The smile on the girls face grew and she finally spoke.  "Someone very special is looking for you, Rose."

Rose felt her heart leap into her throat.  "How do you know my name?" she demanded, trying to keep her voice steady.  She eyed the car trying to decide if she could make it into it and get out of there.  The car door slammed in Rose's face making her jump.

"Oh no, you won't be going anywhere" the girl, obviously a demon, said with a smile.  She reached out a hand trying to pull Rose to her but Rose's body didn't budge.  So demons couldn’t use their telekinesis on her.  That was good to know Rose thought.  A look of confusion passed over her face and Rose noticed the outline around her again.  It was thick and red, like someone had taken a crayon and drawn a fat line around her whole body.  And there was a thinner line of black underneath the red that was pulsing and writhing, moving actively around her.  Underneath that Rose could just make out a light blue color.

"Well that's not fair is it?" the girl said, a look of disgust on her face.

"Ya there's a lot of that going around lately" Rose murmured.  The colors were fascinating and Rose thought back to that first night in the basement, all the colors she had seen then.  She was fairly certain those were different than these.  She hadn't known what those were then and she wasn't really sure what these were now but she had this strong urge to touch them, not with her hands but with her mind, with her power.

"Well we'll just have to do this the old fashioned way then" the demon muttered, pulling a knife from her jacket and starting to move towards Rose.  “If you come with me-”

Reaching out her hand Rose watched in awe as a little tendril of her power reached out as well towards the girl. Rose noticed the tendril was such a lovely shade of purple with smaller streaks of red and orange woven throughout it and looked so strong and mighty that it surprised her.  She recognized these colors from that first night in her basement and from the night in the hotel too.  These colors were hers, her powers she realized with a jolt and she felt a little piece of the puzzle fall into place. The tendril of her power went right towards the colors surrounding the girl, passing through the red outline easily and going straight to the black line surrounding the girl; it never touched the blue.  The instant it made contact the girl came to a stop with a jerk, a shocked look crossing her face. 

"Hey!  What are you doing?" the demon asked in surprise.

"I don't know." Rose's voice sounded curious, intrigued even.  Normally something like this would have terrified her; Rose wasn't daring, that personality trait belonged to Lily.  But she'd found right from the very start that when her power to control demons kicked in an odd sense of calm came over her.  After the fact she would feel all the panic, terror and overwhelming feelings that made sense.  But in the moment it was like slipping on a comfortable cloak that centered her and covered all her fears.  In these moments Rose was completely in charge and totally comfortable with it.

She watched now as the purple tendril wrapped itself around the moving black line like a vine winding its way up a trellis.  It twisted and turned and the girl’s body jerked with every touch.

"I didn't...they didn't tell me you could do this" the demon gasped out.

"That's because they didn't know" Rose said softly.  "Because I didn't know.  You see I'm still figuring out just who and what I am and what all I can do.  That makes me pretty dangerous, don't you think?"  The demon couldn’t nod her head but her wide, alarmed eyes seemed to convey her agreement.  Rose cocked her head to the side curiously.  "You might want to relay that message to your friends."

* * *

Crockett Porter wasn't out looking for the girl Bobby Singer had called him about.  He had jotted down her details and he had the picture on his phone that Bobby had sent him.  But he was just out getting some supplies from Target, minding his own business when he saw a redhead leaving Target who stuck out to him.  He pulled out his phone, bringing up the picture Bobby had sent and compared it to the pretty girl heading to her car.  It definitely looked like her.  He snapped a picture with his phone quickly to pass on so Bobby could verify if it really was her.  Bobby had been pretty clear about not approaching her, that she was scared and might react badly so just to give him a call and he would handle it.  That’s just what Crockett was doing: He was getting ready to call Bobby and tell him he had her in his sights when another girl walked up to her.

He watched with interest as the two interacted and he figured out pretty quickly that the dark haired girl was in fact a demon and started moving quickly to help out the poor redhead Bobby was looking for when things took an odd turn.  He saw the demon slam the car door shut and then try to grab the redhead but it seemed her powers weren't working on her.  Crockett frowned.  What kind of person was immune to a demons power?  He watched in shock as the redhead reached out a hand and seemed to freeze the demon where she stood.  She was writhing and trying to move but having little success.  Wary but unable to help himself he moved closer, trying to hear what was being said.

“-is Angie McClaren.   She’s a high school kid who works at some dive down the street.”

"She's still in there, isn't she?"

The demon gave a fake cocky smile.  "Yep, and she's pretty freaked out by all of this" she said, looking pleased at the thought.

“So if I got you out, the girl could have her body back, right?”

The demon seemed alarmed at this idea but tried to cover.  “Ya, good luck with that.  It’s harder than it looks.”

“We’ll just see” the redhead murmured.

Crockett wasn't sure what the redhead did next, from his perspective it just looked like she twisted her wrist but whatever it was caused the demon to whimper and beg her to stop.  She started offering up all kinds of things if the redhead would just let her go.  There were names thrown out that she obviously thought the redhead should know and offers she thought would sway her but the redhead didn’t budge.  She moved her hand up slowly and Crockett thought he must be hallucinating.  Slowly there was a small cloud forming above the dark haired girls head as the redhead seemed to literally pull the demon out of the girl’s body.  Then with a flick of her wrist the black cloud went crashing down into the earth, sending the demon back to hell with a small flare of flames on the ground that quickly disappeared, leaving a scorch mark behind and the girl the demon had been possessing collapsed into a heap on the ground. 

Crockett had been hunting since he was in his early twenties and he was no youngster now, easily old enough to be this girl’s father and then some and he'd never seen anything like that.  That was how he'd explain his actions later, to himself and to others; he had no idea what he was dealing with here but the redhead definitely seemed like a threat.

Rose heard a soft click behind her, the distinctive sound she'd come to know well from all her training with Dean, of a gun being cocked.  Turning around she saw a man holding a gun on her and staring at her in utter horror.  The two of them just stared at each other for a few second till finally he spoke.

"What the hell are you?" he managed to sputter out.

"I’m just a girl.  Please, put the gun down" Rose said, staring at it nervously.  This guy did not look stable enough to be holding a weapon. 

"The hell I will.  You're some kind of monster, a freak of nature.  I don't know how the hell you did what you did but it ain't natural."  Crockett was practically vibrating with adrenaline and fear now, his voice higher than normal and his usually steady hand shaking.

Later on Rose would ponder how someone who hunted monsters could worry about what was natural.  (And she knew he was a hunter, though obviously not a very good one.  He had the look and yes he was freaked out , but nowhere near what I normal person would be.)  She would think that seeing what they saw natural had a whole different meaning.  But right now all she felt was shock and anger at his words.  He kept right on going though.  "I don't know what Bobby and those Winchester boys have going with you but they must be some kind of freaks as well to know the likes of you."

Rose felt her temper flare and struggled to keep it in check.  With a glare she said "Those are good men you're talking about."

Crockett (Who never had been gifted with a lot of sense; His mother had always bemoaned that fact and it was honestly luck more than anything else that had kept him alive this long.) glared right back at her.  "No, those are the kind of men good hunters want to take out.  If they're with you then they're no better than the things we hunt."

This was the absolutely worst thing he could have possibly said and he realized it about a second after the words left his mouth.  A look of pure rage came over Rose's face as her hold on her temper snapped.  With a flick of her wrist she wrenched the gun from his hand, bringing it to her hand and flung him so he was pinned against the wall.  Holding the gun loosely in her own hand she walked towards him, a dangerous look in her eye.  If he could have heard the argument that was taking place in her head he would have been more worried than he already was.  The angry voice had been quiet all throughout her run in with the demon but it had started up again when the hunter appeared.  Right now it was howling at her to break his neck, to take him out of the picture completely.  He was a threat and needed to be dealt with, swiftly and without mercy.  Rose was doing her best to shut it out but it was a struggle.  

She stopped on the way towards him and checked on the girl who was lying unconscious on the ground.  Rose noticed the red outline had disappeared along with the black and now only the light blue color was there, softly disappearing while Rose watched.  By the time she stood she couldn’t see any outline or color at all.  After feeling that her pulse was nice and steady Rose stood back up and continued to walk towards the nervous hunter.

“If I was the monster you think I am I would have just snapped your neck" she said calmly and watched his eyes widen.  "But see I was raised by a good man much like those three you just spoke so badly about."  She slowly turned his wrist, looking into his eyes as the bones ground against each other and he winced in pain.  The voice in her head rejoiced at that sight and cried out for more.  "And you should be really, really grateful for that fact right now."  She leaned in close and said softly "If you so much as threaten those men again you'll be dead before the words leave your mouth.  Understand?"  And Crockett quickly nodded his head.  “Now that girl needs to get to a hospital" she said, motioning to the teenager. "Can you handle that or do I need to call 911?"

"I..I'll handle it" he stammered.  Rose gave a nod of her head and walked to her car.  She uncocked the gun (Silently thanking Dean as she did for making her practice how to do that over and over.) clicked the safety back on and tucked the gun into her purse, then she released Crockett and without another word she got in and drove away.

* * *

She wasn't going home.  She couldn't now.  What had just happened had brought some other factors into play.

Firstly she was dangerous.  She had wanted to snap that idiot hunter’s wrist so badly back there and had come really, really close.  She’d wanted to hurt him.  That fact sent a wave of terror through Rose.  She wasn't violent and yet that had come so easily to her.  What was happening to her?

And what was that with the demon?  Seeing the colors, reaching out to touch them.  She’d just removed a demon from a human’s body, going on nothing but instinct.  Rose shook her head.  She could have easily killed that poor girl. 

And then you add in what that hunter had said, threatening Bobby and the boys.  If he felt that way it was a good bet there were other hunters that would too.  A lot of hunters tended to see the world in black and white with no shades of grey allowed.  She was putting a target on them by being associated with them and that just couldn't happen.

As much as she wanted to go back, as much as her heart ached to be with Dean and Lily and everyone else she knew she couldn't do that now.  Feeling moisture on her face she reached up to wipe it away and realized her nose was bleeding.  She pulled over to find a tissue in her purse, made all the more difficult by the fact that her hands were shaking.  She finally managed to find one and apply pressure, stopping the flow of blood down her face and she spotted her disposable phone in her purse too and pulled it out, shutting it off, realizing she couldn’t use this one anymore since she’s called her mom on it.  She’d have to make a stop and get another one.  She pulled her real phone out too, realizing she hadn't turned it off yet.  Glancing at the time she saw it was after eleven; she was officially late calling her mom which didn't really matter now as she wasn't going home.

The phone icon at the bottom indicated she had twenty-five new messages.  Opening it up she saw that all but two of them were from Dean and that caused her eyes to fill with tears. Picking one at random (Why not?  She was parked on the side of the road, bleeding and shaking, why not just stick a dagger into her heart too?) she pressed play and listened as Dean's deep voice filled the car.

"Hey Baby.  Just called so I could hear your voice.  I miss it.  I miss _you_.  I just, I wish you would call so I could talk to you.  This sucks not being able to even talk.  We haven't gone this long without talking in years and I just, I really miss talking to you.  Kinda feel like I’m missing a part of myself and oh shit, I just said that out loud.  Ya so, anyway moving right along.  It sucks not having you to talk to.  There’s so much I want to tell you.  So if you hear this call me.  Please.  I won’t even ask you to come back.  I just, I want to hear your voice."

Rose dropped the phone and sobbed into her hands.  She wanted to talk to him so badly.  She wanted to call him and beg him to come get her, to bring her back home where she belonged.  She wanted to tell him she knew exactly what he meant, that a part of her was missing too since they had been apart.  But the words that hunter had said rang in her mind "If they're with you..." Well the safest thing for them was to not be with her.  That was the best way to keep them from becoming a target, not only from demons but some hunters now too.  She'd been fooling herself to think she could go back.  That just wasn't possible and wishing it was didn't change that fact.

Rose cried for several minutes, every tear seeming to come straight from her heart and shredding it as it left.  Finally the tears dried and she straightened her shoulders.  Dabbing at her still bleeding nose Rose dried her eyes, turned her phone off, put the car in drive and headed south, the opposite direction from home.  Going back was no longer an option.


	8. Trying to See Through the Rain Coming Down

When eleven o'clock rolled around Erin didn't even notice.  By that time she was at the hospital by Daisy's bedside, worried despite the doctor's and Cas' assurances that she was all right.  Dean had called Bobby not long after they had finished breakfast and the two of them had immediately headed to the hospital.  Currently Erin was watching Dean pace agitatedly around the room, after telling them what Daisy had said in his dream.

“How is it possible she was even able to do that?” Erin asked, looking at Cas.  The angel looked worried and a bit shell shocked if truth be told.  He obviously hadn’t been prepared for this which worried Erin even more.  He met her eyes now and they were concerned.

“I don’t know.  When I left her resting she wasn’t strong enough to even stand and the next thing I know she’s appearing in Dean’s dream, without my knowing and talking about a vision I knew nothing about.”

Sam and Lily burst through the door just then, Lily rushing to Daisy’s side.  “Is she OK?” she asked anxiously.  “What happened?”

“She’s fine” Erin soothed, despite her own worry.  “We talked to the doctors and apparently this isn’t uncommon.”

“Ya, that’s the medical explanation” Dean muttered and Lily’s eyes flew to him.

“What’s that mean?”  Lily demanded.

“Daisy had a vision and popped into my dream to share it with me” Dean said, dropping down on the couch.

“How’s that even possible?” Sam asked unconsciously echoing Erin’s question, He came up alongside Lily and Erin glanced up and caught sight of his face for the first time.

“My God, Sam, what happened to you?”  Lily visibly winced.

“Lily did” Dean with a smirk.

“Lily!” Erin said, shooting her daughter a disapproving look.

“Tattle tale” Lilly muttered, glaring at Dean.

“Sam, sweetie, let me see your face” Erin said and Sam obligingly bent down so Erin could inspect the damage, protesting to her that it wasn't all that bad really.  Lily rolled her eyes while her mother fussed over Sam and came over to drop down next to Dean.

“Isn’t she supposed to be on my side?  Aren’t I the helpless female here?” Lily asked.

Dean laughed.  “Your version of helpless is pretty dangerous.”

“Lily, I heard that” Erin said.  “The helpless female is a socially constructed stereotype that none of my daughters were ever raised to believe.  It does much more harm than good to both sexes and-"

“Oh God” Lily groaned, dropping her head into her hands.  “Kill me now.”

Bobby was leaning against the wall, watching the chaos taking place around him.  Sometimes being with this lot was like watching a three ring circus.

“Cas, could you…” Erin was saying now, motioning to Sam’s face.  With a weary sigh Cas got to his feet and did as Erin asked and Sam’s face was once again clear, without swelling or bruises and Sam and Erin both said their thanks.

As Cas took his seat and Sam went to lean against the wall next to Bobby, Lily cleared her throat and said “So now that Sam’s owies are all fixed could someone tell me what exactly happened?  What was this vision?”

Cas took it upon himself to recite what Daisy had said for Lily.  He summed up the whole color thing by saying something about Dean and Rose having many connections.  Hearing it all again made Dean’s agitation once again rise to the fore front.  He was on his feet again pacing, glaring at Cas while he said:

“I don’t understand why you can’t ask Daisy who it is that’s going to die.”  Glancing back and forth between him and Cas Lily had a pretty good idea this wasn’t the first time he’d asked this.  There was tension in the air and Cas looked tired and on edge.

“Because she’s unconscious, Dean, like she was the first night she was hurt” Cas said.  “She used up a lot of energy that she didn’t have to spare by coming into your dream.”

“Ya, so you keep saying” Dean said with a glare.

“Well if you would stop asking me I could stop repeating myself” Cas said calmly, but with a note of irritation leaking into his voice.  Lily studied the angels face.  He looked tired and concerned.  She had no idea what the hell was actually going on with him and Daisy but it was clear he did care for her.  And he was very obviously worried which put Lily even more on edge.  When he’d explained to them a few days ago what was going on with Daisy he had seemed sure and confident.  Now he seemed anxious and concerned, which made Lily believe she should be too.

“Look man, we’re talking about someone dying here” Dean said, his anxiety bleeding into his words.

“He can’t tell you what he doesn’t know, Dean” Bobby broke in.

“I know, I know that.  I just-” Dean cut off as his phone rang.  “One sec, it’s Charlie.”  He answered his phone and Lily watched as his eyes widened.  “We’ll be there in just a few minutes.  Send the addresses to our phones, OK?”  He hung up and turned to them all, his face flushed.  “Two charges showed up on Rose’s credit card.  We know where she is.”

Erin’s eyes flew to the clock on the wall.  It was almost noon and she swore softly, drawing every eye in the room her way.  “There’s something I need to tell you all.”

* * *

Lily was torn.  She wanted to go with Sam and Dean to find Rose now that they had a location (Though considering what their mom had said who knew if she was still there?  God, she could kill her for that.) but she also wanted to stay here and keep an eye on Daisy.  She’d been debating what to do at the hospital and Dean had made it more than clear there was no time for that, finally throwing his hands up in exasperation and saying he was going back to the bunker and whoever wanted to go better be in the Impala when he was ready to leave or they were getting left behind.  Then he’d stalked out with a last final glare thrown Erin’s way.

“I want to be there when you find her” Lily was saying, chewing on her lip.

“I get that, Darling and if you want to come along then that’s what we’ll do” Sam said, his eyes on the road as they headed back to the bunker.

“But Daisy…she scared me today, Sam” Lily admitted.  Sam reached a hand out, immediately finding hers and giving it a reassuring squeeze.  “What if something happens and I’m not here?”

"It was scary" Sam admitted.  "But the doctors explained it and Cas says she's just worn herself out.  She’s as stubborn and as determined as her sisters” Sam said throwing a little grin Lily’s way.  “But she'll be fine.”  He paused for a second then asked “You want my opinion?"  Lily nodded her head and Sam took a breath and said "I think you'll be better off staying here.  Charlie's still gonna be here and could use the company and you can check in on Daisy and be here for your mom if she needs you.  Plus, Dean is so wound up over this whole thing with your sister and the call with your mom just made it worse, so he's not gonna be a joy to travel with, trust me."

"Ya, that's true" Lily said.  “God, I thought he was gonna strangle her."

Sam winced.  That conversation had not gone well.  Dean was furious that Erin hadn’t told them immediately that Rose had called.

_“She’s my daughter, Dean and she asked me to let her do this on her own” Erin had said calmly, making Dean even more irritated by the fact that she didn’t seem as upset by this as he thought she should be.  "I needed to give her the benefit of the doubt."_

_“Ya, well that worked out great, didn’t it?” Dean threw out, the sarcasm and venom heavy in his voice._

“Don’t get me wrong” Lily was saying now.  “I wish my mom had told us right away too.  She should have.  But I get why she had to try too."

"Just don't mention that to Dean right now, OK?" Sam asked, giving Lily a pleading look.  Dean was a powder keg just waiting to go off.  He didn’t want Lily to be the person who lit the fuse.

"I won't" Lily promised.  She paused then asked "If I stay here will you call me as soon as you know anything?  Keep me completely up to date?"

"Of course" Sam said. “I’ll keep you completely in the loop.”

“Then I think I’ll stay here” Lily said.  “I’ll keep my phone with me so you can keep me updated.”

Sam smiled at Lily as they pulled up to the bunker.  “I think that’s a good idea, Darling.”

Things moved quickly then.  Dean was walking out into the library when Sam and Lily walked in, bag in hand.  Sam kissed Lily’s forehead and headed to their room quickly, motioning to Charlie to follow him.  He kept a bag packed so just needed to make sure he had everything he needed; it wouldn’t take long.

Dean looked at Lily questioningly.  “You’re staying here?”

She nodded.  “Ya, I went back and forth but decided I needed to be here to keep an eye on Daisy after today.”

Dean nodded. “Ya, man that came out of left field.  You girls just love to throw curve balls.”

“Ya, it must be so tough for you regular, ordinary guys to have to deal with us extraordinary beings" Lily said dryly and Dean couldn’t suppress a small gin at that.

* * *

Charlie hovered in the open doorway of Sam and Lily’s room.  She hadn’t been in here since it was just Sam’s room, which really wasn’t that long ago but seemed much longer.  “Sam?” she asked hesitantly.

“Ya, come in” Sam said, coming out of the bathroom, adding something to his bag.

Charlie walked in, looking around curiously.  It was still the room she remembered from binge watching sessions with Sam and Dean but there were a few changes.  Another dresser obviously, with jewelry and other bits of Lily’s scattered across the top, a pair of high heels laying in front of it, a few stray pieces of Lily’s clothes here and there.  And it definitely smelt better in here, Charlie thought with a little grin.

“Lily’s staying here while Dean and I go after Rose” Sam said, adding a few more things to his bag.

“Oh wow, I thought for sure she’d be going with you” Charlie said, watching as Sam started to zip his bag shut then stopped and went to the closet and pulled out an extra shirt and added it to the bag.  Seeming to decide he had all he needed he zipped the bag shut and looked at Charlie.

“Do me a favor and keep an eye on her, OK?” he asked, running a hand through his hair.  “Maybe you can think of something to get her mind off of all this.  I know it’s a lot to ask-”

“It’s not” Charlie said, cutting him off.  “Aside from the fact I’d do it for you anyway I happen to really like Lily.”  That earned a pleased smile from Sam and Charlie shrugged.  “I’ll do what I can to distract her.”

Sam picked up his bag and came over to Charlie, hugging her and kissing her forehead.  “Thanks, Charlie.  You’re the best.”

“I know” Charlie said lightly, following Sam out into the hallway.  “You’re lucky to have me.”

Sam chuckled.  “Don’t I know it.”

* * *

Sam and Dean left Lily and Charlie standing in the entrance of the bunker, waving good bye and headed out.  A front had rolled in this morning and rain was steadily falling from the sky making for a wet, gray day.  Sam eyed his brother, trying to decide if he should try and get him to talk or just leave him to brood.  He was still debating when Dean made the decision for him by breaking the silence.

“So the charges were at a Target and some kind of inn, right?”

Sam nodded, opening up the email Charlie had sent them with all the details.  “Um, Southmoreland on the Plaza.”

“Sounds expensive” Dean commented as Sam typed the name in and brought the website up.

“You’re not wrong” Sam said, then added “Wow.  Fancy.  It’s like a bed and breakfast.  Turndown service, gourmet breakfast, complimentary wine, very classy.”

“She ran away and stayed at a bed and breakfast” Dean said with a laugh and a shake of his head.  “Only Rose would do that.”

Sam let out a laugh too.  “She’s definitely unique.”  He paused then added “Smart though too.  I mean you have to admit, it’s not somewhere we would have ever looked for her.  And she would fit right in here.”  He motioned to the pictures on his phone.  “It looks like a room you would sit and drink tea in, read a book maybe.  It’s fancy, lots of flowers, stuff Rose likes.”

“Lots of Flowers” Dean repeated softly.  He shook his head then said “She told me she was sleeping where there were lots of flowers in a dream the first night she was gone.  Makes sense now.”  He was quiet a minute then said “You’re right though, she is smart, too smart for her own good and my sanity.”

“You’d be bored if she wasn’t” Sam said off handedly but then realized as the words left his mouth that it was the truth.  Dean was smarter than most people gave him credit for but Rose knew it and she challenged him.  Dean needed that, whether he knew it or not.

“I’d take being bored if it meant she was safe” Dean said and Sam glanced over to see him clenching his hands around the steering wheel and glaring at the wind shield wipers fighting the rain.  He had a feeling he was about to get a tirade.  A few seconds later he was proven right.  “I could have fucking killed Erin today.  She had to give Rose the benefit of the doubt?  No, no she sure as hell did not.  Not in this case.  Rose ran away, she wouldn’t talk to any of us, we had no fucking clue where she even was.  That’s not someone you give the benefit of the doubt.  Rose is obviously not thinking straight.  You don't do what she asks in this case.  You do whatever the hell you have to do so you can get her back safe.  God, why is that so fucking hard for Erin to understand?”

“You know Erin and Rose-” Sam was just starting when his phone beeped, indicating a text.  “Huh, it’s from Bobby” Sam said and saw that Bobby had sent a picture.  It was taken in a parking lot and was of two girls, one of whom Sam realized pretty quickly was Rose.  The other girl looked to be a teenager and Sam didn’t recognize her.  “It’s a picture of Rose and some other girl” Sam said and Dean looked at him quickly.  “And that’s Lily’s car they’re standing by” he added.  A second later Sam’s phone rang and he picked it up, figuring it would be Bobby.

“Hey Bobby, what’s up?”

“You get the picture?” Bobby asked and then sighed when Sam said yes.  “Look your brother’s gonna blow a gasket when he hears this so be prepared, OK?  Might as well put me on speaker.”

Glancing at Dean Sam did just that.  “OK Bobby we’re both here.  What’s going on?”

“That picture is from a hunter named Crockett Porter.  I don’t know him that well, only met him a few times; he’s from Missouri, kinda a knuckle head to be honest, but a pretty good guy.  He’s one of the hunters I contacted to be on the lookout for Rose.”

Sam and Dean exchanged a glance.  Bobby seemed to be telling them a lot about this guy and very little about him finding Rose.  Clearing his throat Sam asked:

“So he found Rose, that’s good right?”

“Well you see that other girl in the picture?”  Sam grabbed Dean’s phone off the seat, knowing Bobby would have sent him the picture too.  He brought it up and looked it over.  Nothing special stood out to him about the girl.

“Ya, who is she?” Dean asked, glancing at the picture.

“She was a demon” Bobby said and both boys swore.  “Apparently Crockett came up on them in the Target parking lot and the demon went to try and grab Rose-”

“And we know how that ended” Dean said knowingly.

“Well not quite” Bobby said causing both boys to look surprised.  “Crockett said Rose stopped the demon from moving, which comes as no surprise.  But he said she pulled the demon out of the girl’s body somehow.”

“What?  Rose has never done anything like that before” Dean said, surprise ringing in his voice.

“Well it looks like she’s learned a new trick”

“Or just figured out how to control her powers” Sam said.

“Ya, could be” Bobby acknowledged.  “Now comes the part you aren’t gonna like.”

“I was supposed to like that part?” Dean asked.

“Compared to this bit, ya.”  Bobby took a deep breath and said “So Crockett is a good guy, like I said but not too bright.”

“What did he do Bobby?” Dean growled, knowing he wasn’t going to like the answer.

“He panicked when he saw what Rose could do and he pulled a gun on her” Bobby said, deciding to just go for it, rip the band aid off in one fell swoop.

“He what?” Dean yelled while Sam looked shocked.

Bobby sighed.  “He freaked out.  He didn’t know Rose was anything other than a normal girl.  I didn’t think info about her powers was something we wanted out there.  It didn’t end well, as you can imagine.  He wound up held against the wall with his gun in Rose’s hands.”

Dean chuckled at that.  “Good for her.  Idiot pulls a gun on a person like that he doesn’t deserve to have one.”

“Ya, Rose must have felt that way too.  She kept his gun.”  That got a laugh from both boys.  Bobby was quiet for a second then added “She also sprained his wrist.”

Dean froze at that and Sam thought belatedly that he should have asked Dean to pull over before this conversation had started.  “What the hell did he say to her, Bobby?  She wouldn’t have done something like that without a reason.”

“The idiot decided to tell her she was a freak of nature.” Dean saw Sam wince out of the corner of his eye as Bobby continued. “Then he said something about me and you boys being freaks too since we knew her and a few other things that Rose took as a threat.”

“I’ll say it again: Good for her” Dean said, grinding his teeth.

“Ya well, let’s see if you can control that temper” Bobby said, even though his own irritation was showing in his voice.  “I’m assuming you boys want to talk to Crockett, see what he can tell you.”

“Oh you’re damn right we want to talk to him” Dean said, gunning the engine a little.  “I personally have quite a few words I want to say to him.”

“Sam maybe you should talk to him on your own” Bobby suggested, sounding worried.  “I’ll text you his address.”

“Uh-uh, no way” Dean said before Sam could answer.  “He threatened Rose there is no way in hell I’m not talking to this son of a bitch.”

“Well don’t kill him.” Bobby sighed.  “Look, he realized he screwed up.  He called and told me everything that happened and said he realized after that he over reacted.  He even apologized.” Dean gave a snort and Bobby rolled his eyes.  “He screwed up, ya but we’ve all been there.”

“We won’t kill him, Bobby” Sam said, sounding calmer than he felt.  His heart had been pounding just a little faster every since he heard what Crockett had called Rose, only slowing slightly when Bobby said Crockett admitted he’d been wrong.  “Though we might put a little bit of the fear of God into him” he added, earning a grin from Dean.  Sam knew he was going to have to be the voice of reason here but he was angry as well and no way was this guy not gonna know that.

“Or the fear of the Winchesters” Dean said.  “Ya, I like the sound of that.”

Bobby sighed again.  “Well just don’t get carried away, boys.  He’s not evil, just stupid.”

“Ya, we hear you, Bobby” Sam said.

After they hung up Sam looked at Dean, trying to judge just how upset he was.  Dean caught him looking.

“What?”

“Are you OK?” Sam asked.

Dean gave a dark laugh.  “Oh I am nowhere near OK, but I kind of figure that’s a given in this situation.”  Dean stared out at the rain soaked road silently for a minute.  When he spoke again his voice was quieter and Sam could hear the frustration and pain in it.  “It just seems like people who should be helping me get her home – her mother, another hunter – they’re making it harder instead of easier.”

"Ya, I know." Sam had to agree nothing had gone right when it came to finding Rose.  It had been a struggle every step of the way.  Deciding that there was nothing he could say to make things better he instead brought up their plan.  He suggested going to see Crockett first, since he was obviously the last one to see Rose from the credit card charges.  Dean agreed easily and Sam eyed him cautiously, hoping he wouldn’t just stew and get angrier on the drive.  Hopefully he would calm down a little.  Dean turned the music up, his way of saying he didn't want to talk anymore and Sam leaned his head back and closed his eyes, praying for something to go right.  He wasn’t sure how much more of this Dean could take.


	9. Take It Easy

“So do you think this is the first time there’s even been only women in the bunker?” Charlie asked.  She and Lily had drifted back into the library after the boys left.  Lily was staring at her laptop now with a distracted look on her face and Charlie was fairly certain she hadn’t heard a word she’d said.

“Lily?” she looked up and finally seemed to take in that Charlie was speaking to her.  She flashed an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, what did you say?”  Charlie repeated her question and Lily smiled, obviously liking the idea that they were the first.  “Oh ya, probably.  I don’t really think the Men of Letters had a ton of women running around here.  Maybe one or two to make tea and coffee."  She went back to staring at her laptop again and Charlie left her to it.  For roughly an hour Charlie worked on her laptop while Lily browsed on hers.  When the clock struck two Charlie stretched and looked at Lily who looked as listless as before.

“Hey, what do you say we get out of here for a bit?”

Lily looked up at her.  “And go where?”

“Well, we need to get some groceries right?  And you need to go get rings at some point too."  Lily grimaced and nodded.  That wasn't something she was looking forward to.  Coming around to her side of the table and seeing that Lily was looking at shoes gave Charlie an idea.  “And we could get you a PO Box set up so you could get mail here.”  Really she just figured Lily needed to get out and do something.  She looked down and between Rose still being on the run and Sam being gone Charlie figured a change of scenery would do her good.

Lily nodded her head slowly.  “Ya that would be good.  And we could swing by the hospital and bring Bobby some dinner.  And I guess we need to get some dinner for ourselves too, huh?”  Charlie nodded and Lily got to her feet.  “Let me go check on Sookie and change first.”

Charlie followed Lily down the hall, needing to put on some shoes herself.  She stopped outside Rose’s room when Lily stopped in to see Sookie.  “Can’t she come out in the rest of the bunker?” Charlie asked.  “It must be lonely for her back here.”

Lily thought about it a minute.  “I don’t see why not, as long as we keep the doors to the lower levels closed.  Though we’d need to pick up at least another litter box.”  She picked up Sookie and snuggled her against her which Sookie tolerated with the calm acceptance of a cat used to affectionate humans.  “Would you like that Sook, having a big new place to explore?”  Lily put her down and closed the door behind her.  “We can pick up some stuff while we’re out.”  Lily laughed suddenly and Charlie glanced at her curiously.  “The boys will come back and we’ll have the bunker cat proofed and God knows what other changes made.  They’ll never leave us along here again.”  Charlie joined in her laughter.  It was true though; the boys had lived on their own so long that having other people staying here long term was going to be an adjustment to them and Lily didn't look like she was going anywhere.

A short while later found Charlie and Lily in Charlie’s car headed into town.  They went to the post office first and got a PO Box set up.  Charlie laughed to herself at the way the young clerk stared at Lily the whole time.  She seemed completely unaware or maybe this was just normal for her.  She wasn’t even dressed in anything overtly sexy, just a Buffy t-shirt, jeans and boots but it didn’t matter.  She was gorgeous and attracted attention wherever she went.  Going out with her was an interesting experience.

Next they ventured into the antique store Lily's mom had given her the business card for.  It was a maze of rooms packed to the rafters with all kinds of things, everything from old bicycles to full sets of dishes.  Charlie and Lily stood in the entrance not sure where to start when an older woman came striding towards them, a wide smile stretched across her face.  Lily couldn't help but notice her hair was a light shade of purple, not exactly what she would have expected to see on a shop owner in a small Kansas town.

"Hello! Hello!" the shop owner beamed at them as she came to a stop in front of them, looking at them proudly as if she herself had conjured them out of thin air.  "Aren't you two girls lovely!"

Lily and Charlie exchanged glances.  "Uh ya, sure" Lily said, looking around the shop.  "We want to look at some wedding rings."

"Well you've come to the right place" the shop owner said enthusiastically.  "We've got plenty to choose from."  She motioned to them to follow her, leading them through the maze of the shop, chattering away the whole time.  Charlie’s eyes widened at what the woman was saying but when she glanced at Lily she seemed to have tuned out.  Finally arriving at a counter with a jewelry display the woman (She’d introduced herself as Mrs. Bucket at some point in her ramblings.) went behind the counter and pulled out a tray of rings.  Charlie looked at the displayed jewelry, realizing that unlike the rest of the things in the store the jewelry was new.  Lebanon wasn’t exactly a big town so she guessed it made sense to double up businesses, have an antique store and jewelry store together.  A phone rang behind her and she excused herself to answer it, turning her back towards the girls.

“Lily!” Charlie hissed and Lily looked up from the rings she was examining with a questioning look.  “She thinks we’re a couple!”

“She what?” Lily asked, looking confused.

“She was jabbering away about marriage rights and wasn’t it great that we didn’t have to hide our love” Charlie whispered urgently.  “You didn’t hear any of that?”

Lily shook her head guiltily.  “I zoned out” she said, earning an eye roll from Charlie.  She’d quickly learned that Lily had the attention span of a toddler.  A wicked grin spread over Lily’s face just as Mrs. Bucket hung up and turned around.

“Did we find anything in there you like?” she asked.

Lily shook her head regretfully.  “We’re actually looking for a set of wedding rings for my sister and brother in law.  They got married very quickly, spur of the moment and my mother is having a fit they don’t have rings.  She wanted us to pick some up as a wedding present.  I have their sizes if that helps.”  Lily slipped her arm around Charlie’s waist, pulling her against her side and Charlie felt her eyes grow wide.  What was she doing?  “Our relationship is a new one.  We’re not quite at the point of needing wedding rings just yet.”  She smiled at Charlie.  “Right sweetie?”  Charlie just gaped at her.

For her part Mrs. Bucket smiled at them then looking at the piece of paper Lily had handed to her she pulled out another tray of rings.  She chattered away while Lily’s eyes raked over the choices.  One set immediately stood out to her.  A shimmering white gold with a single vine wrapping its way around the band in yellow gold.  It was delicate and yet somehow strong looking at the same time, reminding Lily of her youngest sister.  The matching band next to it was a strong, solid gold with the vine engraved into it and Lily could picture it on Cas’ hand.

“What can you tell me about these?” Lily asked, fingering them gently.

“Oh aren’t they beautiful?” Mrs. Bucket asked, pulling them out and putting them in Lily’s hand.  “The vine represents the shared destiny of marriage, one love, one life path.”  Lily nodded at that.  Daisy and Cas definitely seemed to have a shared path.  She liked the feel of these rings; they were solid and felt heavy in her hand.  “Oh and I have the matching engagement ring, if you would be interested?”  Lily’s eyes lit up and Mrs. Bucket smiled.  She could spot a born shopper a mile away.  She pulled the engagement ring out from behind the counter and Lily and Charlie both let out little gasps.  The ring was beautiful, the same white gold with the gold vine atop it and a beautiful diamond in the center.

“I’ll take all three” Lily said firmly and Mrs. Bucket put the trays away with a smile and whisked all three off to wrap up.

Lily was looking at a display of bracelets and finding one she liked she looked up to show it to Charlie and found the redheads eyes already on her.  “What?”

Charlie shook her head.  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so casually spend that much money.”

Lily shrugged.  “Credit cards are our friends.”  She looked uncomfortable with the subject so Charlie let it drop.  Lily pointed to a green leather bracelet with a green emblem in the center.  “What do you think? Can you see me wearing that?”

Charlie nodded.  “Mmm hmm.  Looks your style.”

Lily started strolling, looking at the rest of the jewelry on display.  “Now what about you…What’s your style, Charlie?”

“Oh no, you don’t have to get me anything” Charlie balked.

Lily shot her a look.  “I know I don’t _have_ to.  But I want to.  Your ears are pierced right?”  Charlie nodded her head and before she knew what was happening Lily had her agreeing to a pair of delicate silver earrings with blue stones.  “To commemorate the beginning of our torrid romance” Lily said with a wink and Charlie couldn’t help but laugh.  A short time later they were walking out, both wearing their purchase and carrying the rings wrapped up nicely.  They giggled as they walked out and Mrs. Bucket waved good bye.

“She’ll be expecting an invitation to our wedding you know” Charlie said with a laugh.

“Oh I should bring Sam in here sometime and really blow her mind” Lily said, her eyes sparkling mischievously.  “She won’t know what to think then."  Lily pursed her lips thinking.  "She might think we're all three involved.  We could be the talk of the town.”

Charlie shook her head.  "That's never really been my goal, Lily."

"Why not?  There are worse goals."

Charlie laughed as they got in her car.  “You love to cause trouble” she said with a grin.

Lily nodded affirmatively.  “Well ya, how boring would life be if I didn’t?”

The two set off to get dinner, stopping at the same café Lily had gone to with Sam just days ago.  They chatted over their food, then got Bobby some dinner to go and stopped by the hospital.

“Meatloaf and mashed potatoes” Lily announced, coming into the hospital room.  Bobby lit up when he saw the food.  “And I have rings for you both” Lily said, looking at Cas.  Charlie sat down next to Bobby while he dug into the dinner they had brought him and Lily unwrapped and took out the rings.  “Here, swap with me” she said, handing a ring to Cas.  He slowly slid the ring off his finger, replacing it with the one she handed him and Lily put her father’s ring in the box, a relieved look on her face.  It was blatantly obvious she hadn’t liked his ring being on someone else’s hand.  She started toward Daisy with the ring boxes in her hands and then stopped as something occurred to her.  She turned to look at Cas who was studying the ring he was now wearing.

“Do you want to do this?” she asked.

Cas looked up at her curiously.  “Do what?”  He asked and Lily rolled her eyes.

“Do you want to put Daisy’s rings on?  I don’t quite know what you guys have going on but it seems like maybe something you should do.”  Cas stared at her blankly and Lily muttered “Forget I asked” and started to turn back around.

“Wait” Cas said, getting to his feet and coming to her side.  “I’ll do it.”  Lily handed him the rings, slipped her moms ring off Daisy’s hand and got out of his way.

Cas looked down at the rings in his hand, taking in the similarities with his own.  Lily had done a good job; the rings did indeed suit Daisy and him.  He frowned, examining the engagement ring.  He wondered if there was a certain order these were supposed to go on Daisy’s hand.  Humans seem to have so many right and wrong ways of doing things, with complicated reasoning’s behind them.  Studying the rings he decided to put the band that matched his on first.  Picking up Daisy’s hand he slid the band on her small hand.  He was aware that all eyes in the room were on him, some more obvious than others so he kept his face still and said nothing.  He slid the matching engagement ring on her hand as well and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

He turned and went back to his chair, Lily’s eyes on him the entire time.  She was studying him and Cas just stared back, letting her look for whatever it was she was trying to find.  She opened her mouth, about to say something then seemed to think better of it and just shook her head.

"How’s she doing?” she asked finally.

Cas turned his eyes to Daisy’s sleeping form.  “She’s resting.  I expect she will be for at least the rest of today, maybe longer.” 

Lily nodded then turned to Bobby.  “You need anything else, Bobby?”

He shook his head.  “Thanks for the dinner.  I’ve pretty much raided all the vending machines.”  He took a sip of the coffee they had brought him and then said “I talked to the boys a bit ago” and filled them in on what had happened with Crockett.  As he’d expected Lily was mad but she also took it better than he had expected.  He’s been half prepared for her to want to get in a car and go beat the hell out of Crockett herself.  But once she knew the boys were heading there she appeared to settle down.  She was obviously still mad but she seemed to be all right with letting them handle it.  That was unexpected.

“Well we’re headed to drop the rings off with mom, then to the grocery store and then back home.”  Lily leaned down and smoothed Daisy’s hair back, whispered a few words in her ear and then straightened.  “Take care of her” she said to Cas and then she and Charlie were onto their next destination.

“Oh let’s make a detour to Starbucks” Lily said, spotting one close to the hotel.  They pulled through the drive through and Lily made a face at Charlie’s drink order.

“Hey, it’s not my fault you like boring coffee” Charlie countered.  “Have you ever tried flavored coffee?”  Lily shook her head, looking wary.  “Do you like chocolate?  Caramel?”  Lily shrugged, obviously not moved by either of these flavors.  “What about vanilla, cinnamon…”  Lily’s eyes lit up at that and Charlie caught it.  “You like cinnamon?”  Lily nodded her head enthusiastically and Charlie turned and asked if she could add on another drink.  When they got their order Charlie handed her a cup and told her “Try it.  I got your regular plain old coffee too so if you hate it it’s no biggie.”

Lily inhaled the delicious scent wafting up from the cup.  She adored cinnamon anything.  Every year Rose would make cinnamon rolls from scratch for breakfast on Christmas morning and it was one of Lily’s favorite things the whole holiday season.  Rose didn’t make them any other time.  If Lily was having a bad day she’d sometimes makes her some other cinnamon dessert but never cinnamon rolls.  Those were only for Christmas.  This coffee smelled like someone had taken one of the Christmas morning cinnamon rolls and mixed it with freshly brewed coffee.  Taking a small sip Lily’s eyes widened as the flavors coated her tongue.  This was pure heaven in a Starbucks cup.

Charlie was watching her raptly, eager to see her reaction.  “Do you like it?” she asked anxiously.

“Holy shit, Charlie, this is amazing!” Lily said and Charlie grinned.  “God, I’ve teased Rose for years for drinking flavored coffee.  She’s never going to let me hear the end of this.”  Lily’s smile disappeared suddenly.  She was OK as long as she didn't think about Rose or where Sam and Dean were.  She had a gift for living in denial when it made things easier and this was definitely one of those times.  Seeing the look on her face Charlie reached over and squeezed her hand.

“Hey, she’ll be back and she can tease you like crazy, OK?”  Lily nodded and then thrust her phone at Charlie.

“Here, take a pic.  I’ll send it to Sam.  He can laugh at my adventure into the world of flavored coffee.”

They stopped by the hotel where Erin was staying and stopped in for a minute so Charlie and Erin could finally meet.  She seemed happy to have her rings back and after just a few minutes Charlie and Lily were once again back in the car this time on the way to the grocery store.

Wheeling carts through the store Lily headed straight for the frozen food section.  She knew from experience there was plenty there you could eat without having to know how to do anything more than turn an oven on.  Charlie watched her loading a cart full of pizzas and TV dinners.

“So how’s it possible Rose is the only one who knows how to cook in your family?”

Lily shrugged, reading the back of a stir fry bag and putting it back when she saw she had to mix stuff into the sauce packet.  Way too much work.  “She’s the only one who’s any good at it and she actually likes it.  I get bored and wander off and almost burn the house down, or miss a crucial ingredient and it turns out horrible.”  Charlie nodded.  She’d been around Lily long enough to see both those things as completely likely to happen.  Lily held up a frozen pizza.  “These are dangerous.  Make sure you remove the cardboard underneath before you put it in the oven.  I learned that the hard way.”  Charlie couldn’t help but laugh at her serious expression.  Moving onto the next section (Raviolis that Lily deemed easy enough and put several into the cart.) Lily continued "Daisy just isn’t interested and never really tried.”

“What about your mom?” Charlie asked, putting some frozen lasagnas in her cart.

Lily laughed.  “Oh no, my mom does not cook and we’re all grateful for that fact.  I learned all about frozen foods from her.”  She pushed her cart further down the aisle.  “My dad cooked.  He could make just about anything you can think of and it would turn out wonderful.  But my dad was gone quite a bit, ya know, with hunting and all.  So our childhood was this weird combination of great home cooking and frozen dinners.”  Lily laughed.  “Probably why Rose learned to cook so early.  Oh Eggos, yes now these I can make.”  She added several boxes to her cart, murmuring that she needed to remember to get some syrup.  “You didn’t get to try any of Rose’s baking though.  That’s what she really loves and that’s all her.  My dad never baked.”

Charlie looked thoughtful as they moved to the next aisle.  “I’d actually heard of Rose’s baking before I met her.”

“From Dean?” Lily asked.

“Yep” Charlie said with a laugh.  “He went off a few times on monologues about a pie she’d made him.”

“Sounds like Dean” Lily said, adding some potato chips and bread to her cart.  "Between his love for food and Rose's love of making it they're a perfect pair."  They got through the rest of the store, finally making their way to the check outs.  There was a mother there with a sleeping baby in her cart and a blond haired toddler milling about her legs.  The toddler stopped and stared when Lily and Charlie came up.  Lily smiled at her and waved and the toddler giggled and hid behind her mother’s legs, peeping out at them.

"She looks a lot like Daisy did when she was little" Lily said to Charlie.

"Cute" Charlie commented.

"Ya, kids are fun as long as I'm not the one responsible for them.  Rose got me a t-shirt for Xmas one year.  Parental Advisory Explicit Content."  Lily grinned unrepentantly.  "Apparently I don't have a great kid filter."

Charlie had to laugh at that.  She wasn't sure Lily had a filter of any kind.

The mother finished checking out and Lily and Charlie began loading the conveyor belt up with their purchases.  The bag boy hurried back to help them, practically tripping over his feet in his haste to impress Lily.  He offered to help them out to the car, obviously not getting that he was not going to get anywhere.  Lily waved him off with a distracted thanks and Charlie laughed as they loaded the groceries into the car themselves.

“What?” Lily asked but Charlie just shook her head.

“So back to the bunker?” Charlie asked once she was behind the wheel and Lily was in the passenger seat.

“Yep, let’s get the groceries put up, let Sookie out to explore and then I can do some shopping, get those shoes I was looking at this morning.  Break in my new PO Box.  Oh and Sam should be calling not long after” Lily said, looking at her phone.  She laughed then, grinning at Charlie.  “He likes our picture but says you don’t get to keep me.”  Lily and Charlie had snapped a picture of the two of them with their arms wrapped around each other outside the antique store and Lily had sent it to him informing him of their new relationship status. 

Charlie snapped her fingers. “Damn, there goes my plan.”

Lily smiled at her, happy Charlie was here.  “So ya, let’s head home.”

Charlie nodded.  “Home it is.”


	10. And You Don't Know, What You Don't Know...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some violence, some talking and some tears

Rose had managed to make it as far as Arkansas before she had no choice but to find a place to stop.  Her nose was still bleeding off and on and her head was spinning.  (It was nothing short of a miracle that she hadn't crashed the car.)  Things were still moving around her- her purse, her phone- but she’d gotten so used to that that she hardly noticed anymore. Just barely over the Arkansas state line she pulled into a rest stop, parking the car in a quiet spot and turning it off. She managed to lock all the doors just before she passed out.

* * *

Lily was watching Sookie sniff the library tables when her phone rang.  She smiled when she saw Sam’s name and picked up as she stood and headed for their room.

“Tell him I said hi” Charlie said as Lily passed by.

“Hi” Lily said, picking up.

“Hi Darling” Sam said and Lily smiled, surprised to find how much she missed the sound of his voice.  It washed over her as she opened the door to their room, giving her a warm, safe feeling.

“How are you?  How are things?” Lily asked, closing the door behind her, tugging her boots off and settling down on their bed.

Miles away in Kansas City Sam shrugged out of his suit jacket and sighed, kicked his own shoes off and stretched his legs out on the bed in front of him as he settled down to talk.  Dean was in the shower so he had the room to himself for a small amount of time and could let his guard down.  “I’m tired.  And things are…” Sam searched around for a word to sum up things, finally settling on “Messy.  Bobby told you about the hunter finding Rose?”

“And pulling a gun on her?  Ya, he told me” Lily said, sounding pissed.

“Well we went by his place, talked to him.”  Sam ran a hand through his hair, sighing again.  “Well I talked.  Dean broke the guy’s nose.”

* * *

Sam had known things weren’t going to go well as soon as they pulled up outside the address Bobby had sent them.  He could tell from the set of Dean’s jaw and how tense he looked that he was just itching to beat the shit out of this guy.  As soon as Crockett answered the door and let them in Dean started shooting death glares his way.  Crockett had offered them a beer which they’d declined and they’d all taken seats in the kitchen.  All it had taken was Crockett opening his mouth and starting to say something about how he’d never seen anything before like he’d seen today and the glare had intensified.  Sam tried to put himself between the two of them, blocking Dean's view as much as possible while sitting at the same table, hoping that would help somewhat but then Crockett had done something so stupid Sam was still amazed.  You didn't have to be a genius to tell Dean was tense and itching for a fight so what Crockett said next was nothing short of idiotic.

“Man, I know Bobby said the redhead was a friend of yours  and he vouched for her but I’ve never seen anyone or anything do what she did.”  He’d looked at Sam and Dean quizzically.  “You sure she ain’t some kind of evil?”

Dean had been out of his chair like a shot, punching Crockett in the mouth before he even knew what had hit him.  Crockett flew out of his chair backwards, blood spraying out of his mouth and his body hitting the floor.  Dean was on top of him before Sam could even move, his fist hitting Crockett’s nose with a loud crack and Sam winced as he heard bone break.  Sam jumped to his feet, trying to pull Dean off of the other hunter but Dean had one hand wrapped around his neck now and wasn’t letting go easily.

“Dean!  Dean calm down!” Sam was pulling on his brother, trying to dislodge his hand from Crockett’s throat but it was like trying to move a mountain.  Dean didn’t budge.  He hauled his fist back and before Sam could get a hold of that arm he was driving it into Crockett’s face, no doubt blackening one of his eyes, his other hand still wrapped around his throat.  He was glaring down at Crockett, his face a mask of pure rage.

“Don’t you talk about her like that!  She’s good.  She’s not even close to evil.”  Dean squeezed his hand and Crockett let out a desperate gasp.  “If you ever touch her or come near her again I’ll fucking kill you, you understand me?”  Crockett's face was beet red now as he gave a desperate nod or as close to one as he could manage with Dean's hand around his throat.

Sam tugged on his free arm, trying to get Dean to hear him.  He figured at least Dean couldn't punch Crockett again if he had a hold of this arm though honestly he was more concerned with his other arm that was cutting off his air supply.  "Dean, Rose wouldn’t want this.”  That seemed to snap him out of his crazed rage, at least enough to hear Sam’s voice.  “Let him go, Dean.  You hurt him.  He’s got the message.”  Sam looked at Crockett whose face was turning purple, his eyes bulging out of his head with panic and thankfully Crockett knew enough to nod his head again.  “Rose wouldn’t want you to do this.  Come on, Dean.  Let go."

Slowly Dean released the other hunter and stood as Crockett coughed and gasped for air.  Sam put a hand on Dean’s shoulder and led him towards the front door.

“I can’t...I can’t do this, Sammy” Dean said, his eyes showing the desperation he felt at this situation.  “I thought I could but I can’t.”  He rubbed the back of his neck, looking down then back up at his brother.  “But if he says anything else about her I’ll…I’ll fucking lose it.  I’ll kill him."

“It’s OK, Dean.  I got this.  Just go out to the car and wait for me, OK?  I got it handled.”  Dean looked at him for just a second, his eyes darting to Sam’s quickly, checking this was really OK and then with a slight nod of his head he walked out of the house.  For the first time in years he left Sam to take care of things.  That alone told Sam what this was doing to Dean.  Sam watched his brother go, watched him stand by the car, bracing his hands on the hood and Sam could see the tension running through Dean’s body.  He was wound so tight Sam was afraid he was going to break.

With a deep breath Sam turned back to find Crockett slowly getting to his feet.  He took a seat at the kitchen table, watching as Crockett grabbed a cloth to hold to his nose that was freely gushing blood.    The two men sat in silence for a moment while Crockett got the bleeding to slow and Sam got his thoughts in order, making a mental list of what he wanted to ask and what exactly he planned to tell Crockett.  Finally with a wince Crockett looked at Sam and said:

“I’m gonna guess the redhead is more than just a friend of yours?”  Sam nodded.  “His wife?”

Sam’s eyes widened for a second and then thinking back to how Dean had reacted he could see how Crockett would draw that conclusion.

“Girlfriend” he said.  Then clearing his throat he got down to business.  “OK here’s how this is going to go.  I’m going to tell you some things that should clear up what you saw a little and then you’re going to tell me every single detail you can remember.”  Crockett nodded, obviously having decided compliancy was the way to go.  Sam took a deep breath and started.

“The redhead, her name’s Rose, she's the daughter of a hunter.  The name Brendan Sullivan ring any bells?"  Crockett nodded his head instantly.  "He was her father."  Sam felt a small sense of satisfaction at the other hunters softly muttered curse.  Being sorry you’d overreacted was one thing but realizing you'd royally fucked up with a hunters kid who was also dating a hunter was another.  That was just putting a target on your back.  "She and both her sisters are part of a prophecy that was written hundreds of years ago.”  Crockett’s eyes had gotten big as Sam spoke.  This was all a lot bigger than he had imagined.  "The power you saw, it’s just one of a few she has.”  Sam looked at the hunter intently, wanting to impart on him how important this was.  “There are a host of demon’s who want her and that alone should tell you she’s on the right side in this fight.  We’ve been doing our best to keep her identity secret so this information is not for general knowledge.  It needs to stay with you.  Is that clear?”  Crockett nodded his head quickly.  “Now, about what you saw…”

Sam took copious notes, jotting down everything Crockett had heard, everything he saw and anything that had stood out to him.  Finally after clarifying a few things Sam felt he had it all down and stood to go.  He turned at the door, wanting to impart a reminder.

“Rose may be my brother’s girlfriend but she’s important to both of us.  I’ve known her my whole life.  She’s family and I can give you a list of people who would die for her in a heartbeat.  They’d be even happier to kill for her.” Sam let that sink in for a second before continuing. “What I told you today isn’t public knowledge so if it gets out we’ll know it came from you.”  Sam gave Crockett a deadly stare and the hunter thought that he wasn’t sure which of the Winchester brothers was scarier; both were intimidating and people he'd be happier to never see again.  "If that happens we’ll be back and I won’t be holding my brother back this time.  I’ll be joining in.”

* * *

On the other end of the phone Lily gave a dark chuckle.  “Good for him.”

“He almost choked the guy to death, Lil.  I had to pull him off of him.”

"The guy threatened Rose.  Of course Dean flipped."

Sam shook his head.  "If I hadn't stopped him, Lil...God, if the guy actually had hurt her I think Dean really might have killed him."  Sam paused then said softly "I'm worried about him."

"He needs her back" Lily said simply and Sam knew she'd hit the nail on the head.  Dean was spiraling out of control and Sam was getting to the point he wasn't sure if he was more worried about Rose, out there on her own or Dean, here without her.

“And what did you do, Sammy?” Lily asked in a knowing tone and Sam had to grin. She knew him too well.

“I was calm and got the information we needed."  Sam paused then added "And then I let Crockett know what would happen if word got out about Rose and her powers. I was very clear.”

“That’s my boy” Lily said, snuggling against Sam’s pillow.  "You're pretty hot when you're intimidating."

Sam let out a laugh.  "I'll remember that for future reference.  We went to the store where Crockett saw Rose, got the tapes with the footage of her on them" he continued, loosening his tie and pulling it off.

“They let you take those?” Lily asked in surprise.

“Well technically they let the FBI agents who showed up take them" Sam said and Lily grinned.

“So you stole them.”

“Well they're now in our possession so yes, tectonically we stole them" Sam admitted.  "I didn't think we wanted footage of Rose and her powers falling into just anybody's hands."

"Good idea" Lily said. She paused, considered asking him about what he'd seen on the tapes then thought better of it.  She’d watch them herself at some point.  "So there's no sign of her being still in the area?"

"Honestly?  No" Sam said on a regretful sigh.  "Best guess is she took off just after her run in with Crockett.  But we're going to the inn she stayed at tomorrow morning.  Maybe the owners can tell us something."

Lily mulled all this over, knowing none of it sounded good.  None of it sounded like Rose was anywhere near Kansas City anymore though Lily wasn't honestly surprised.  As soon as her mom had said Rose hadn't called like she said she would Lily's gut had told her that finding her in that location was a long shot.  That fact had made her decision to stay behind easier; she just hadn't voiced that out loud.

"Lil?  You OK?" Sam asked when she was silent.

"Ya, I just miss you” she said softly, wishing he was with her.   

Her words caused a soft smile to spread across Sam's face. "I miss you too, Darling."  Then his voice took on a teasing tone.  "Though I don't know how much I buy you missing me.  I'm gone half a day and you've moved onto Charlie."

Lily laughed.  "Well a girl has needs, Sam."

"Those needs were met less than fourteen hours ago, Miss" Sam growled, eyeing the bathroom door.  He'd never hear the end of it if Dean walked in on this conversation.  “And quite satisfactorily too judging from your reaction.”

"But Sam fourteen hours is a long time” Lily whined.  “And I'm all alone on our bed" and Lily grinned when she heard Sam groan at that image.

"Lily I'm in a hotel room with my brother getting out of the shower any minute.  I don't need the image of you laying on our bed in my mind."  Sam shifted uncomfortably and Lily laughed almost as if she could see him.

"So you don't want a picture of me-"

"Lily you're killing me" Sam groaned, his voice rough and Lily laughed again.

"OK I'll be good-"

"This'll be a first" Sam muttered and Lily chose to ignore that.

"Did you see my coffee picture?"

Sam smiled, relaxing once again.  "I did.  So Charlie worked a coffee miracle huh?"

"Cinnamon, Sam.  They had cinnamon coffee” Lily said in a delighted tone, making Sam’s smile grow.  “Why didn't anyone ever tell me this?"

"Probably because you have some very strong opinions on coffee which you frequently voice" Sam offered.  "The strongest one being that coffee with any flavor added is gross."

"Well I was wrong” Lily said dreamily.  “It's heavenly."

"Don't give me a heart attack here, Lily” Sam said with a grin. “I just heard you admit you were wrong.”                              

“Hey I admit when I’m wrong” Lily protested.  “It just rarely happens.”

“OK, sure we’ll go with that story” Sam said.

Dean came out of the bathroom then, toweling off his still damp hair.  “Lily?” Dean asked and Sam nodded.

“So what else did you guys do?” Sam asked, watching as Dean walked over and opened the bottle of whiskey he’d stopped off to get on the way to the hotel.  He poured a generous amount into one of the paper cups the hotel had in the room and sat down in the chair at the table, picking his phone up as he did.

“We went out to dinner and took Bobby some food.  I figured he was sick of the crap he could get at the hospital” Lily said, rolling on her back and looking up at the ceiling above their bed.  “We went grocery shopping, without incident, I might add and oh, I got a PO Box.”  Lily held her breath a little at that last one.  That was a sign she was staying here.  Hopefully that was a good thing.

“You did?” Sam said, pulling his attention back to Lily.

“Ya, I mean this way I can get stuff sent here” Lily said.  “Is that OK?” she asked hesitantly.

“It’s perfectly OK, Lil” Sam said, smiling softly.  "In fact it's really good."  It amazed him sometimes that Lily for all her confidence and bravado seemed to be the one who needed reassurance when it came to their relationship.  Sam lowered his voice, not because he was ashamed of what he was saying but because he figured Dean didn’t really need him and Lily waved in his face right now.  “I told you, whatever you need, OK?”

“So if I want to put oh, a sex swing in the library…that’s cool?” Lily asked with a grin.

“OK, leave the library alone” Sam said with a chuckle.

“So in the living room then” Lily ventured playfully.

“I think we may need to have a house vote on something like that” Sam said, still smiling.  God, she could make him happy even in the midst of all this.

“Right, putting that on the agenda” Lily said cheerily.  She paused a second then asked softly “So assuming you don’t get any leads from the innkeeper tomorrow, when do you think you’ll be home?”  And Lily instantly hated herself for asking that.  She was not that woman, the one who couldn’t survive without her man near her.  God, she couldn’t stand women like that.  “Sorry, no never mind.  Forget I asked that.”

“Hey” Sam said, sitting up straight.  “You’re allowed to ask that, you know.”  He saw Dean looking at him questioningly and decided to take a walk.  This was not a conversation he wanted to have in front of his brother.  “Hold on a second, OK?” He slid his shoes back on and headed for the door, saying “I’ll be back” to Dean and walked out into the chilly evening air.  He’d forgotten to grab a coat of course but before he could go back inside an arm was sticking out the door, holding his jacket, his brother’s face smirking at him above the coat.

“You forget your coat every damn time, Sammy” Dean said, with a grin.  “You have since you were eight years old.  Some things never change."

Sam took the proffered coat, said a quiet “Thanks” and shrugged into it as he walked towards the Impala, hearing the hotel room door shut behind him as Dean went back inside.  “Sorry about that” he said into the phone.  “I’m back.”

“Are you outside?” Lily asked and then before he could answer “Did you forget your coat?” prompting Sam to roll his eyes.

“My God, between you and Dean you would think I was incapable of dressing myself” Sam muttered, leaning back against the trunk of the Impala.

“Oh there are so many good responses to that, but right, I’m being good” Lily purred.  She waited a beat then said “Dean brought you your coat didn’t he?”

“Yes” Sam groaned getting a loud laugh from Lily.  “Happy now?”  Once Lily’s laughter had died down Sam steered them back to what he’d started to say before leaving the room.  “You’re allowed to ask me when I’m coming back, you know.  It’s kind of an expected question.”

“I know, I just, I don’t want to be needy.  I’m not that way, Sam, you know that” Lily said tugging on the ends of her hair nervously.

“I think we need to work on your definition of some words, Darling” Sam said, frowning.  “Asking when I’ll be home isn’t needy.  And for the record, Lil, you’re allowed to be needy with me anyway.”

“Not right now, I can’t be” Lily said firmly.

“Why not?” Sam asked, genuinely perplexed.

“You have a lot going on there, Sam, handling all this and keeping Dean calm” Lily said.

“Right…and?”

“You’re working.  You’re a hunter.  You don’t need me being all needy and weepy.”  Sam had the sudden hunch those words had been said to Lily at some point in her life, or she’d heard someone else say them.  Either way they’d obviously sunk their claws into her, entrenching themselves so that they were the law of the land in her mind.

Sam was genuinely confused how Lily asking when he thought he would be home had somehow turned into her being concerned about being needy.  This was one of those times where he felt like they were having two very different conversations.

“OK I’m getting the feeling we’re talking about two different things here” Sam said.  “This kind of sounds like something we need to have a longer conversation about when I get back…which I think will be tomorrow but if something comes up could be the next day.”  Sam softened his tone then, making sure she could hear the emotion and sincerity in his voice when he said “I like you missing me, Lil.”

“You do?” Lily asked, biting her lip.

“I do” Sam said gently.  “I never had someone to miss me before when I was gone.  It’s nice.  It makes the idea of coming home that much nicer.”

Lily was struggling now, her instincts telling her one thing, her inner voice telling her another.  In the end instincts and her heart won out.  “I do miss you, Sam” Lily said her voice soft and vulnerable.  “I’ve never slept in this bed without you.”

Her soft tone got to Sam, just like it always did.  “I miss you too, Darling and I hate the idea of you sleeping there without me.  I’ll be home as soon as I possibly can, I promise.”

They said their good-bye’s, both reveling in the sound of the other one saying I love you and hung up the phone.  Sam headed back to his hotel room, hoping Dean hadn’t drunk too much whiskey and Lily, well Lily finally fell apart.

* * *

As soon as Lily hung up the phone all the tears she had been holding back for the past few days fell.  She had been keeping up her wall, not letting herself really face the fact that Rose was gone and no one knew if or when she was coming back.  When Sam was here she could handle it.  He made her feel safe and like things would work out somehow.  But now Sam was gone too and she’d been doing her best all throughout the phone call to keep up a brave front, to be cheery and fun, like she’d been taught she should be.  But in true Sam style he’d shot that down and now she was left with a mess of emotions she didn’t know what to do with.  She’d tried to hold it together till she got off the phone and she’d succeeded at that but now there was no holding the tears back.  Lily cried at the unfairness of this whole situation.  Neither she nor her sisters had ever asked for any of this.  They’d just wanted to be normal girls.  She cried at her fear for Rose, who knew where she was or what was going on.  Lily knew her sister was hurting and it was like a knife to her heart that she couldn’t be there for her.  She cried over Daisy, who she still felt confused over what was going on with her.  She missed her bratty, sassy comments and her big smile.  She cried over Sam some too, because there was still a part of her that was so, so scared at how vulnerable she was with him.  For the first time ever she realized how much he’d changed her life and that she had no idea what she’d do if things fell apart between them.  She loved him and as wonderful as that was it was also really scary.  Lily was crying so hard, finally letting so much go that she never heard the bedroom door open or was even aware that Charlie had slipped into the room until she felt a pair of arms wrap around her.

Charlie had been following Sookie down the hall, being watchful of the cat in her new surroundings.  Sookie had been walking purposefully down the hallway and then sat down and stared at Sam and Lily’s door, as if she was trying to alert Charlie that something was going on that she needed to take care of.  When Charlie caught up with her she immediately heard Lily’s sobs and hesitated for just a second before opening the door.  Seeing the obvious pain her new friend was in Charlie didn’t think, she just lay down next to Lily and pulled her into her arms.

Lily looked up in surprise, having no idea Charlie was there.  She floundered for a second, trying to come up with some smart comment to brush this all aside but found she had done.  Charlie just hugged her and said “Just let it out, Lily.  It’s OK."

Rose had always been Lily’s comforter.  Sure she could go to her mom but her mom would want to talk and when Lily was really hurting, when she really fell apart she just wanted to cry, for someone to hold her and tell her it was all going to be all right.  The only other person to do this in Lily’s adult life was Sam.  Sometimes being the loud brave one had its drawbacks, the biggest one being that people rarely thought to check if you were OK, if maybe you needed some comforting.  Rose and Sam had been alone in that department and even Sam was a new addition to that list.  And now here was Charlie, not asking questions, not judging her, just holding her and letting her cry.  Charlie smoothed her hair back as Lily so often did to her sisters and rubbed her back soothingly and Lily gave in and let herself cry and be comforted.  Finally, when Lily was just about out of tears she realized that her world was getting larger, the people she loved and trusted and considered family, the ones she knew had her back was growing and that was a good thing.

Lily pulled back and Charlie looked at her, offering a comforting smile and Lily was relieved to see no judgment in her eyes, just care and concern.  “Here” Charlie said, rolling over quickly and grabbing the bottle of water she’d had in her hand when she came into the room.  “Take a sip” she said, handing it to Lily and Lily obeyed, drinking down big gulps.  “I always get so thirsty when I cry.”  Charlie said.  Charlie spotted Sookie sitting on a chair across the room then, having come into the room with her.  She'd watched over them while Lily was crying and having obviously decided things were calming down she curled up in a ball to rest now.

Lily was quiet, drinking the water and eyeing Charlie cautiously.  “I don’t, I don’t do this” she finally said.

“Don’t do what?  Cry?” Charlie asked and Lily nodded.  “Everyone cries” Charlie said.

“I hardly ever do” Lily said, lying back on the bed as Charlie took the now empty bottle from her hands.

“Well maybe you should” Charlie suggested.  “I mean, you’ve had a hell of a lot going on.  I think I’d be crying hourly if I were in your position.”  Charlie’s eyed widened when she realized how that sounded but Lily just laughed.  "You wanna talk about it?"  Charlie asked then hastened to add "It's OK if you don't but the offers there."

Lily smiled at her gratefully.  "Maybe tomorrow?  I think I'm honestly too rung out tonight."  She hesitated then and Charlie could see whatever she wanted to say next made her nervous.  Going on a hunch Charlie asked:

"Hey would it be OK if I hung out in here for awhile and watched something on Netflix?  I don't think I can sleep just yet."  The look of relief that swept over Lily's face told her she'd guessed right.

"Sure.  I'm gonna change into my pajamas and get comfy."

"Oh good idea.  We could always make it a sleep over, right?"

Lily and Charlie watched TV well into the wee hours of the morning and despite what Lily had said she found she did feel like talking.  She told Charlie more than she had planned, even more than she'd told Sam yet, finding Charlie to be a good listener.  When they finally fell asleep with Sookie cuddled on the bed with them Lily had a much lighter heart and found she'd truly gained a new family member.


	11. There's Nothin' We Can Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some alcohol, some sweetness and some people with their hands caught in the cookie jar.

Dean had drunk well over half the bottle of whiskey by the time Sam got back to the room and the alcohol had made him want to talk.

“Lily OK?” Dean asked, eyeing his brother from where he was slouched by the table.

Sam shrugged off his coat and slipped his shoes off. "Mm hmm.  She's fine.  She and Charlie are keeping each other company."

"Bet she misses you though" Dean said, filling his cup up.

Sam just nodded sitting down on the edge of the bed and watching Dean.  Dean had barely eaten anything at dinner, a huge red flag that things were definitely not right with him.  Now he'd drunk over half a bottle of whiskey in a short amount of time on a virtually empty stomach.  No wonder he was feeling chatty.

Dean shook his head.  "Can't have that.  You gotta stay home from now on, take care of her."

Sam let a small smile flit across his face for just a minute, allowing himself be amused, thinking how Lily would react if she heard those words leaving Dean's lips.  Being told by Dean that Sam was going to stay home to take care of her...God there would be fireworks of epic proportions.  "She's fine, Dean" Sam repeated.

Dean shook his head emphatically.  "Na, you can't" he took a gulp of whiskey before continuing. "You can't fuck things up with her, Sammy.  You gotta do things right and stay with her.  Don't mess up."

"I'm not messing up, Dean" Sam said, noticing the way Dean was slumped in the chair now, his eyes looking unfocused and cloudy.  He was definitely feeling the whiskey.  Sam tried to decide what his chances were of getting the bottle away from him.  Probably not very high.  Sam wasn’t too surprised by this actually.  He’d been expecting something like this and was just surprised it hadn’t happened sooner.  So he just got comfortable on the bed, moving back so he could rest his back against the headboard and let his brother talk.

"Aw, that's what you think" Dean said, waving a hand at Sam in protest.  "But you don't know.  You think things are fine and then blammo!" Dean slammed a hand down on the table suddenly, causing Sam to jump slightly. "Next thing you know you wake up and she's gone."

Dean took another drink and continued with his less than sober advice.  "You gotta be there all the time, man.  You can't close your eyes at all or she'll just disappear on you.  You learn from my mistakes, Sammy" Dean said, pointing a less than steady hand in Sam's direction.  "You do it right with Lily.  Gotta have one of us able to keep it together, keep her with you."

"Dean, you didn't mess up" Sam said gently but Dean just waved a hand dismissively.

"Oh sure, sure.  I'm did everything right, right?  I took my time, I took care of her, I said all the right things."  Dean cocked his head to the side, thinking.  "I think I did.  I mean I don't remember saying anything really stupid or messed up." He snorted then and drained his glass.  "And how much good did it do me?  She still fucking left."  Dean picked the bottle up and took a swig, forgoing the cup this time.

"It wasn't your fault" Sam said, though he had little hope of his words getting through.  Dean was stubborn at the best of times and with almost an entire bottle of whiskey in him he was about as open minded as a brick wall.  "Rose left because-"

"It doesn't matter why she left" Dean interrupted.  "What matters is she left and nothing was good enough to keep her here." It went unspoken that what Dean really meant was that _he_ wasn't good enough but he might as well have been shouting that.  Dean guzzled down some more of the whiskey and Sam sighed.  Before he could come up with an appropriate response Dean was continuing on.

"She makes me fucking crazy.  I mean, I could have killed that guy today you know.  Easy as that." Dean gave a sloppy snap of his fingers.  "Just cause of her.  God, what the hell is wrong with me?"  He looked at his brother.  “I don’t get how she does that.  She’s not even here and she’s got me going nuts.  What the hell is that about?”  Dean looked honestly perplexed and Sam did his best not to laugh.

“It’s because you have feelings for her, Dean.  You know real, honest emotions?”

Dean snorted.  “Ya, well those suck.”  He eyed the almost empty bottle suspiciously.  "This isn't helping" he announced.  Then with a shrug he took another sip.  "Isn't hurting though either."

"You're gonna feel differently about that in the morning" Sam said knowingly.

“You know how many women would have been happy to stay with me?” Dean asked then answered himself. “Lots and I didn’t even fucking try with them.  That really pretty blond on that job with the ghost…ya know the one?”  Dean looked at his brother obviously expecting those scant details to clear it up for him and Sam couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

“You’re gonna have to give me a little more to go on than that, Dean.  There have been a lot of jobs with ghosts.”  Sam paused then added “And a lot of blonds.”

Dean smiled, acknowledging the truth of his brother’s words.  “Ya know, the one up in um, Michigan?  She was a doctor or something.”

“A professor” Sam said, realizing what job Dean was talking about now.  An especially vengeful spirit had taken up residence in a professor of psychology’s house and Sam and Dean had a hell of a time trying to figure out what the spirit was tied to.  They finally found a lock of her hair saved behind an old picture of her stored up in the attic. The professor had been pretty though, Dean was right about that and she’d definitely taken an immediate liking to Dean.  They’d spent several days there after the spirit had been taken care of so Dean could “tie up loose ends.”

“Right” Dean said “A professor.  I mean, that’s impressive, right?  She was smart and sexy.  And she made it really clear she would have packed everything in and came with me wherever I was going.  She wanted me; she would have given up her job and everything and just taken off with me, no questions asked.”  Dean took another drink.  “And I never even asked her to, never gave her any reason to think I was after anything but a memorable weekend.”  Dean gave his brother a beseeching look.  “So why couldn’t I just want her or one of the other girls who were more than happy to be with me?  Why'd I have to want a girl who complicates things?  I had options, Sammy, why’d I have to want to be with a girl who runs away?”

Sam shook his head.  Dean had only ever looked at one woman like he did Rose, as if the world as he knew it revolved around her.  None of those other women had ever stood a chance.  "Just how it works, Dean."  Then he smiled at his brother.  “Anyway, you’re a Winchester.  When have we ever done things the easy way?”

Dean laughed at that.  “This is true, little brother.”  Dean looked at him seriously then.  "There should be rules for these kinds of things though.  You can't just get people all wrapped up in you and then leave.  That's just...it's wrong."  Dean's expression was going back and forth between annoyance and pain.  "Things were good.  I thought once we got Erin taken care of things would settle down, ya know?  We could just enjoy each other for a little bit.”  He looked at his brother with a questioning look.  “You know that point where you just can’t keep your hands off each other?”  Sam nodded a small smile on his lips and Dean laughed.  “Of course you do, I forgot, you and Lily perpetually live there.”  Sam felt his cheeks redden at that but he didn’t argue.  “We were at that point, Sammy and it was…it was fucking awesome.  So I thought maybe we could just enjoy that…I hoped we could just kinda coast for a bit, be comfortable for awhile."

"Coasting would be nice" Sam said on a sigh.

Dean nodded.  "But now she's gone and every time I think we're getting close she just slips away.  It’s like she's teasing me and not in any good, fun kind of way."  Sam couldn't hide his grin at that.  Dean waved his hand in the air.  "Whoosh...just get a little close and poof like magic she's even further away."  Dean downed the last of the whiskey and muttered "I swear she's never gonna drive again. Gonna have to hide all the keys, everybody's keys."

Speaking of keys Sam got to his feet and quickly swiped Dean's set off the table.  Dean barely noticed, he was so busy mumbling to himself.  Thankfully it didn’t take much cajoling on Sam’s part to convince Dean lying down on the bed would be more comfortable than sitting in the chair.  Sam was hoping he would fall asleep quickly and would sleep it off.  Seeing Dean settling down on the bed Sam decided now was as good a time as any to take a shower himself, making sure to take both sets of car keys into the bathroom with him.  Dean didn't need to be driving anywhere.

When Sam came out of the shower Dean was still sprawled across one of the beds and thankfully was sound asleep.  Sam gave a sigh of relief and went to bed himself.  He hated watching his brother go through this and he hoped with everything he had that tomorrow would give them something to go on.  Dean needed Rose back now.

* * *

Not surprisingly Sam woke up earlier than his brother.  Checking his watch he saw it was too early to go to the inn.  (They didn't want to get there at breakfast time, needing some time with the innkeeper when it wasn't especially busy).  So while Dean was still sleeping Sam slipped out, driving to a nearby diner they had passed on the way in last night.  When he got there he stayed in the car for a minute, calling Lily's voice mail and leaving her a message.  Then he headed in and sat down to have some breakfast on his own.

* * *

Lily woke up and stretched.  Sookie was lying close to her head and gave a long stretch as well and Lily reached up to give her a good morning pet.  Charlie was sound asleep so Lily reached for her phone, not wanting to disturb her.  She saw the notification that she had a voice mail from Sam and quickly dialed, happy to hear his voice first thing.

_Hey Darling, hope you slept well.  I'm getting ready to eat breakfast and just wanted to call and say good morning so even if I can't be there when you wake up it's the next best thing.  We're off to see the innkeeper as soon as Dean wakes up.  I'll call you and let you know how it goes.  Tell Charlie I said hi and try and have some fun today.  Just not too much fun!  Love you_

Lily saved the message then lay there with a smile on her face.  If you had told her that a simple voice mail from a guy would make her this happy she would have laughed in your face.  But it was the truth with Sam.  He did so many little things that just felt perfect to her.  He seemed to know what she needed even before she did sometimes.  He made her feel taken care of which was an entirely new experience for Lily and one she was surprised to find she really liked.  Lily had no idea what she’d done to get this lucky but she wasn’t going to take a second of it for granted.

* * *

Rose woke up slowly.  Her face was pressed up against the window and her neck was twisted in an uncomfortable position.  Easing herself up she saw it was morning.  She’d been asleep (Unconscious?  She wasn’t really sure.) since early yesterday evening.  Her body protested as she slowly stretched her muscles out.  There was some blood on the window from her nose bleeding but thankfully that seemed to have stopped now.  She took a sip from the bottle of water she had in the car and sat there, trying to sort out her thoughts and come up with some kind of plan.

Catching sight of herself in the mirror she realized she had blood on her face.  She scrounged around in her purse for a napkin, poured some water on it and scrubbed the blood off.  Putting her face in her hands Rose couldn’t believe how many times in the last month she’d had blood on her, hers and others.  God, what was she doing?  This was her life now?

She had no plan.  No idea what to do next.  She felt like all her clear thinking had been left behind in the parking lot of that store back in Kansas City.  Rose had been really alone for very little of her life but now she well and truly was.  She wished she had someone to talk to, someone to offer her some advice or even to just tell her what to do.

Slowly she pulled a change of clothes out of her bag and made her way into the bathroom to get cleaned up.  She realized the t-shirt she had pulled out had been a gift from Daisy (“This is how I roll!” it read with a cute rolling pin underneath, such a Daisy kind of gift.) and that just made her feel worse.  Pretty much everything in her life was connected to a small group of people, the ones who made up her family, some by blood, others not, but all equally important.  And she couldn't talk to any of them.

She made her way to the store located in the rest stop and bought something to eat and a new disposable phone.  (And thank God for shoe laces and figuring out that trick because otherwise things would be flying off the shelf all around her.)

She headed back to the car, still trying to come up with a plan.  The problem was that what she really wanted to do was turn her phone on and call Dean- to apologize, to plead with him to forgive her and beg him to come get her.  She didn't want to be out here on her own anymore. She wanted his arms around her, making her feel safe and protected and like she belonged.  Out here she felt small and lost, like the world was just way too big for her.

But that was selfish she reminded herself. She was just scared and feeling overwhelmed.  As much as she wanted to go to the people she knew would take care of her that would be putting them in harm’s way, putting a bull’s eye on their backs.  As much as she wanted to she couldn't do that.

They were probably so mad at her by now, especially after she had called her mom and said she was coming back.  They probably didn’t even want her to come back now, the angry voice in her head whispered and Rose sorrowfully agreed.

So with a sad sigh Rose started the car and started driving, no destination in mind, just going to keep going.

* * *

“You gonna be OK to walk in there?” Sam asked, eyeing Dean cautiously.  They were sitting outside the inn Rose had stayed at getting ready to go in and see what the owner could tell them.

“Ya, I’m fine now, dude.  Stop worrying.”  Dean did look better than when he had first woken up.  He'd had a definite green cast to his skin then.  They’d wound up waiting till after lunch to go since Sam didn’t think Dean puking on the doorstep of the inn would win them any favors. 

Before Sam could say anything else Dean was out of the car and headed for the front door.  Sam caught up with him and they walked into the entrance hall, a welcoming looking space full of fresh cut flowers and comfortable looking furniture.  There was no one around so they rang the bell on the counter and waited for a second.  A friendly looking woman appeared after just a moment, a welcoming smile on her face.

"Welcome to the Southmoreland on the Plaza.  How can I help you today?"

In a practiced move both boys pulled out their FBI badges, introducing themselves as agents Angus and Young and asking to speak with the owner.

The woman's smile dropped and she studied the proffered IDs, glancing up at their faces.  Her eyes lingered on Dean's face long enough that he started to squirm.  Just as he was about to break and ask what she was looking at she said:

"That would be me.  I own the inn with my husband.  I'm Nancy Harper.  What can I help you with?"

Sam stepped up, seeing the odd way she had looked at Dean and figuring he should take the lead.  "Well ma'am you had a guest staying here recently who we have some questions about.  A Rose Sullivan?"

Upon hearing Rose’s name the smile returned to Nancy's face.  "Oh she was a lovely young lady."  Sam caught how her eyes flicked towards Dean as she spoke.  For his part Dean was studiously ignoring her glances, looking around the entrance way and the connected seating area.  "I’m afraid you just missed her.  She checked out yesterday morning and I believe she was heading home."

Dean's head snapped her direction at her words and Sam could have sworn her smile looked triumphant at his reaction.  "She told you that?" Dean asked his voice hoarse and inwardly Sam winced.  Hangover or not this was going to be rough on Dean.

Nancy's smile gentled.  "She did.  It was my understanding that she had some special people to get back to."

Dean was staring at her, his eyes wide and desperate looking and Sam cleared his throat, cutting in.  "The thing is ma'am, Miss Sullivan didn't make it to her next destination."

Nancy’s smile quickly became a frown as a cloud passed over her face.  "Oh no.  Do you, you think something happened to her?" She turned her eyes Sam's way now and he breathed a sigh of relief, happy to have her attention off of Dean.  His brother hadn't been the most stable coming into this and this conversation wasn't making things any better.

"We're not sure, Mrs. Harper, though we are concerned she may have come across some trouble.  We were wondering if we could possibly see her room.  Maybe she left something behind?"  Nancy was studying him now and Sam pulled out his most charming smile, dimples showing and all.  Lily swore he could charm anyone with this smile and he certainly hoped that was the truth.   Something about this woman made him think they might need every trick they had so he threw in the puppy dog eyes too. 

After a second of studying his face Nancy smiled and nodded.  "Oh certainly, though the rooms been cleaned but you're welcome to look."  She reached behind the counter and pulled out a key then led them up two flights of stairs, chattering all the way about what a lovely girl Rose was.  Sam glanced at Dean; he flinched every time Rose's name left her lips.  This had turned out worse than Sam had feared.  Dean looked like he was being tortured. 

Nancy led them into a room and Dean couldn't help but smile, there were flowers everywhere.  Rose hadn't been kidding about that part.

Sam glanced at Nancy who had taken a seat in the window seat and he realized she meant to stay with them.  She caught him glancing her way and smiled; Sam had the distinct impression she knew he wanted her to leave and she definitely wasn't going to.  He looked around a little, glancing Dean's way and was surprised to find his brother standing in the doorway to the bathroom staring at the bathtub, a haunted expression on his face.

Of course she'd stay in a room with a huge bathtub, Dean thought.  She loved baths and he could picture her here, soaking in the water, surrounded by bubbles.  His mind flew back to the last bathtub he'd seen her in.  The images flashed before him - her hair piled up on top of her head, her skin glistening and a soft, inviting smile on her face - like a knife dragging across his heart.  God, if he’d known what was going to happen he would have bought the damn cabin and the two of them would have never left. 

"Agent" Sam hissed, very aware that Mrs. Harper’s eyes were on them, especially Dean.  She seemed to be taking in his every reaction and filing it away.

Dean turned with a jerk, realizing where he was.  "Yes, yes sorry, just looking for any, uh, evidence."  Sam turned his back and rolled his eyes.  Smooth, Dean.

"Ma'am" Dean said, trying to pull himself together enough to get some information.  Nancy smiled at him pleasantly from her seat and Sam thought she seemed intrigued to see what Dean would ask her.  "Did you talk to Rose at all?"  Sam winced at his use of her first name.  His brother had taught him all the rules of faking it as FBI agents and now here he was forgetting every single one of them.

"Oh yes, Rose and I chatted quite a bit over dinner" Nancy answered, adding nothing more.

"And how did she seem?" Dean asked and Sam sighed.  His voice was so anxious, way too eager for information.  So much for their phony professionalism. 

Nancy thought over Dean's question before she answered.  "At first she seemed tired. She slept a lot the first day she was here."  Dean nodded. That fit with their shared dreams and the rest she would need after using her powers.  "Then when we talked over dinner well she seemed sad." Dean visibly flinched and Sam had to stop himself from rushing over and pulling Dean out of the room.  He wasn't sure if it was the hangover or just because of the situation but Dean was wearing his heart on his sleeve. He was usually a hell of a lot better at this.  "Aren't you sweet to be so concerned about Rose?" Nancy exclaimed, smiling at Dean sweetly and he weakly returned her smile. "Did I mention I have daughters of my own?" Nancy asked.

Dean blinked at the sudden change of topic.  "Uh, no ma'am you didn't."

Nancy beamed.  "Oh yes, five daughters.  So I know how to comfort heartbroken girls.” Sam watched as Dean winced at the word heartbroken.  This was a fucking train wreck.  “Talking to Rose was just like talking to one of my own daughters.  Don't you worry, agent, once she had talked to me a bit she was feeling better."

Dean gave her a weak smile.  "Well that's good to hear."

“Such a sweet girl” Nancy murmured and added “And so concerned about her family and loved ones.”

Sam's phone started buzzing; slipping his phone out of his jacket pocket he saw it was Lily calling him.  He frowned.  Would she be calling him if it wasn't important?  Probably not but he wasn't sure Dean was stable enough to handle this on his own.  He sent her call to voicemail, planning to call her as soon as they were done here.  Clearing his throat Sam cut Mrs. Harper’s monologue off, asking: "You said Miss Sullivan had told you she was headed home?"

"Mmm hmm" Nancy said.

"Did she say anything to indicate she wasn't headed straight there?"

"She did ask me where the closest Target was" Nancy said glancing Sam's way.  Sam and Dean exchanged a look.  Well there was their timeline confirmed.

Sam's phone buzzed again and pulling it out he saw it was Lily.  Again.  Even knowing she was probably just impatient he couldn't put her off any longer.  The way things were going he couldn’t take the chance it wasn’t important.

"I'm sorry, I have to take this. If you'll excuse me for just a second..." And Sam left the room, ignoring the panicked look in his brothers’ eyes.  Sam couldn't decide if it was a good thing or not that Dean knew he wasn't handling this well.  At least he wasn't in denial but on the other hand knowing and not being able to get a grip wasn’t great either.

Dean glanced at Mrs. Harper anxiously.  He hadn't been this nervous about being alone with a member of the opposite sex since he was eleven years old and was left alone with Barbie Franklin, the prettiest girl in his class after he volunteered to help her study for an English Lit test on a book he hadn’t even opened.

There was so much he wanted to ask her but he had to try and keep up some semblance of his FBI persona, he reminded himself.  He smiled at her nervously and she smiled back calmly.  Dean wandered around a bit, hoping that would calm his nerves some.

"You know when Rose seemed the happiest?" Nancy asked casually before Dean could ask anything and he shook his head, unable to hide his curiosity.  "Well she smiled a lot when she was telling me about her sisters.”  Dean nodded, that sounded like Rose all right.  Nancy cocked her head to the side, considering him for a second and then she lowered the boom.

“But she absolutely beamed when she talked about you, Dean."

Dean's entire body froze and then he slowly turned to face her.  Nancy couldn't help but grin to herself at the guilty look on his face. He looked like a little boy with his hand caught in the cookie jar.  Of course her face gave none of this away.  Raising five daughters had given her a poker face to rival any professional player.

Slowly a sheepish grin spread across Dean's face.  "How long did you-"

"Know who you were?" Dean nodded. "Oh about two minutes after you walked in the door.  Once I got a good look at your face there was no doubt in my mind who you were."  She nodded her head towards the door Sam had exited.  "I take it that's your brother?"

“That’s Sam” Dean nodded.  "So how'd you know who we were?"

Nancy smiled.  "Before Rose left she showed me a picture of you, two actually, including one of the two of you together.  I never forget a face and especially not when the person who showed me the picture is so obviously crazy about the person in it."  Nancy gave him her best mom look.  "Now do you want to explain the FBI ruse?"

Dean tried to bluff.  "Rose didn't mention we were with the FBI?"

Nancy raised an eyebrow and Dean knew his bluff hadn't worked, hadn’t even come close.  "No because she knew I'd see through it.  My oldest daughter is with the bureau."  She explained and Dean couldn't help but laugh. It figured.  Of all the times for them to run across someone related to an actual FBI agent it had to be now.

"Can I ask what she told you?  About why she was here I mean." Dean asked and taking pity on him Nancy told him a synopsis of what Rose had told her about why she was on the run.  As she spoke she watched Dean's face.  There was a lot of pain there, especially when she mentioned how Rose had blamed herself for the people she cared about being hurt.  Nancy knew one thing for sure; you didn't hurt like that unless you loved someone.

When she finished Dean sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, dropping down into the chair not far from where Nancy was seated. "Ya, that sounds like Rose's version of what happened."  He glanced up at Nancy then and his eyes were determined.  "What happened wasn't Rosie's fault at all.  She did everything she could to stop others from getting hurt.  But she takes responsibility for everything."  Nancy caught the nickname he called her and smiled as he glanced down and fidgeted with his watch.  "Once she left here one of the people who was after her caught up to her."  Nancy drew in a sharp breath and Dean glanced up and his eyes were so full of anguish and desperation it was painful to see.  The mother in Nancy just wanted to hug him and comfort him, much as she had Rose not so long ago. "She got away from them but it looks like she's on the run again.  She had called her mom and said she was heading home but never showed."  He smiled up at her and Nancy saw a bit of his charm shining through.  "I'm sorry about lying to you but we're pretty desperate."

"Well now see, you could have just told me who you were and I would have told you anything."  She eyed him for a second.  "I don't think there's anything I can tell you that will give you an idea of where she went unfortunately.  But I can tell you she was pretty crazy over you."  She laughed then.  "And she was pretty sure you would be angry at her for leaving."

Dean grimaced and glanced down again.  "She wasn't wrong."  He looked up at Nancy.  "She snuck out while I was asleep."

Nancy winced.  "Oh yes, she left that detail out."  Eyeing Dean and the obvious pain he was in she figured it would do him some good to hear some of what Rose had said about him.  "She was right about one thing." Dean raised a questioning eyebrow.  "You are a handsome young man."  Dean grinned at her and Nancy had a feeling this wasn't news to him.  "She also said you were kind, protective of those you loved and a good man.  She said you were especially good to her."  Interesting that got a blush where the comment on his looks hadn't.  It was easy to see which one meant more to him.  "I know I don't know all the details, Dean but I do know there was no doubt of the depth of Rose's feelings for you."

Dean frowned.  "You know every since Rose took off I've had different people try and reassure me about how strong her feelings are for me.  That's nice to hear but the thing is in my experience if her feelings were as deep as everyone else seems so convinced they are then she would have taken a chance and stayed."  Dean glanced up and she could see from his eyes that he was worried he'd offended her.  "No disrespect or anything."  And nice manners as well, Nancy noted.  That was always a plus in her book.

Nancy leaned over and patted his hand.  "Oh honey, five daughters remember?  Don't worry about upsetting me."  Dean smiled at her gratefully.  Nancy glanced down at her hand, at the wedding ring on her finger and then back at Dean's face.  "Just take this little bit of motherly advice if you would.  Sometimes the people who care about us the most try to protect us too much and in the process they hurt us.  Their intentions are good but in trying to shield us they inadvertently do more damage than good.  One thing I can tell you is that Rose did what she did to protect you.  Now looking at you, you don't hit me as a man who’s used to people protecting him.”  Dean grinned and nodded.  That was most definitely the truth.  “Well trust me when I say that little girl who sat at my table would have done anything to keep you safe."

Dean mulled that over.  "Is this your way of telling me not to be mad at Rose?"

Nancy shook her head.  "Nope, you have every right to your anger.  Just don't lose sight of why she did what she did.  Her actions may have been wrong but her intent was good.  There’s not a doubt in my mind that little girl is head over heels crazy for you." 

Sam had came back to the door several minutes earlier but hearing the conversation inside he had drawn away, figuring this was a conversation Dean was better off having on his own.  At least now he knew what the odd looks Mrs. Harper had given Dean were about.  He'd walked to the end of the hall and taken in the scenery out the picture window and tried to work out a plan for their next step.  When he figured he'd given them enough time he walked in on Dean and Mrs. Harper chatting like old friends.  Dean turned to him with a grin.

"Hey Sammy, Nancy wants us to stay for dinner!"


	12. Even Though I'm Not the Only One

Dinner turned into Sam and Dean spending the night and Nancy (who refused to let them call her Mrs. Harper now) and her husband Jake insisted they stay without paying.  There was a lull in guests this week and there were empty rooms; the rooms would just be sitting empty they insisted.  Despite the floral decor the boys had to admit the rooms were comfortable and a whole lot nicer than where they normally wound up; they happily agreed to stay.

Sam was staying in the room next to Dean's and he grinned as he said good night to his brother.  "How typical Rose is this?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

"Rose and the people she collects.  She stays at a place two nights and somehow has the people treating her like she's family.  She has a knack with people, Dean."  And it was Sam thinking tactically this time, thinking what an asset that would be on jobs.  People talked to Rose, they shared things with her and trusted her without any real effort on her part aside from what came naturally to her.  The information she would be able to get with half the effort they put forth was mind boggling.

"Ya," Dean said with a proud little smile. "She got that from her dad.  Don't you remember how he was on the job?"  Sam nodded.  Brendan Sullivan could show up at someone's door and somehow walk away with all the information he needed in half the time it would take anyone else and most likely with a dinner invitation to boot.  People just instinctively liked him.  "Used to annoy the hell out of Dad, remember?  He never could figure out how he did it."

"It's a gift" Sam said.  "She'd make a hell of a politician." Dean rolled his eyes at his brother.  Rose and Sam loved to get into political debates that bored Dean to tears.  As far as Dean was concerned the best thing he could do to help the world be a better place was to gank as many monsters as possible.  Sam and Rose could keep the politics.

"Ya and you'd argue with her about every point" Dean said.

Sam grinned.  "You do realize we agree about most things right?  It's just fun to see her get so riled up."

Dean grinned.  "Funny, she says the same thing about you."

Saying goodnight Dean closed the door to his room, the same room Rose had slept in.  He stripped his clothes off and quickly stepped into the shower, keeping his eyes firmly away from the bathtub.  Then he slipped under the fresh sheets and sighed.  This was as close to Rose as he'd been in far too many days and it still was way too far away.

* * *

"Hey, sorry it took me so long to call you back" Sam said, stretching out on the bed.  The room Nancy had put him in was a bit less frilly that the room Rose had stayed in.  Oh there were still flowers on the wallpaper (And on one bedside table and in the bathroom...) but the furniture and dark color of the wood gave it a bit more of a masculine feel.  (Sam figured Dean wouldn't have cared if the room he was in was decorated in a My Little Pony theme.  It was the room Rose had stayed in and there was no way he was staying anywhere else.). The room was nice and the inn itself was warm and inviting, not to mention the hospitable hosts.  He could actually imagine staying here for a weekend.

"It's OK" Lily said.  "I was just worried before but once I knew you were all right I was OK."  Lily had sounded a bit panicked when he'd talked to her this afternoon.  He hadn't planned on it being so late but being sidelined with a hung-over Dean had gotten them behind schedule.

Sam gave Lily a brief rundown of their conversation with Nancy, the parts he'd been there for and what Dean had passed along as well.  Lily was fairly quiet and Sam worried what that meant.  Finally she said: "Well I'm glad she found nice people" and that was it.  Sam frowned.  He'd expected more of a reaction from her.

"You OK, Babe?"

"Oh ya, I'm just tired."  Sam debated whether he should push her but in the end he just asked:

"What did you do with your day?"

"We went to the hospital for a bit, took Bobby some more food." Lily laughed.  "He's decided we're his personal catering service."  Sam smiled at that.  He was glad Lily was making sure Bobby ate some real food.  They were all doing what they were good at and should be doing under the circumstances: taking care of each other.

"Then we picked my mom up and drove to Wichita and went to a salon that had great reviews and had a day of pampering."  Lily studied her nails then put her feet up in the air so she could inspect her toenails.  Chick Flick Cherry was the color she'd chosen for both, loving the name as much as the color.  They'd gotten the works then grabbed dinner before heading back.  They'd stopped by the hospital again, taking Bobby dinner as well.  Lily had offered to stay but Bobby had refused, insisting he was fine.  She'd made him promise he'd let her take over tomorrow for a few hours at least and he'd begrudgingly agreed.

"You drove to Wichita to have your hair done?" Sam asked in disbelief.  "Lily that's three hours away."

"Well Sam my other option was to drive to Hastings which is much closer and go to my own hairdresser but I figured that would give you a stroke" Lily said, her voice obviously conveying the fact that she thought this act should earn her sainthood.  "I'm not blind you know.  I saw how you reacted when I mentioned going back to Hastings for more clothes.  At some point that does need to happen but I'm trying not to give you more to worry about right now. So yes, we went to Wichita."  She dropped her feet back onto the bed with a dramatic sigh.

Sam smiled, appreciating Lily's compromise.  He knew she was used to doing what she wanted so the fact she took his concerns seriously meant a lot.  "If I say good girl are you going to punch me?" He asked a grin in his voice.

"Just this once you can get away with it" Lily said with a huff and Sam laughed.  "Just don't make a habit of it."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Darling.  So do I get to see the new hair?" Sam asked.  "I can't believe you didn't send me a picture."  Lily had sent him a picture of her and Charlie early that morning, snuggled in their bed, asking if he was jealous but nothing else since then.  In fact aside from the calls when he first got to the inn and the good morning text she had sent him he hadn't heard from her.

"Nope, you have to wait till you get home" Lily said.  "I'll get Charlie to send you a picture of hers though.  It looks great."

"Hmmm I'm intrigued now by what you did" Sam said.  Knowing Lily she could have done just about anything to her hair, though honestly usually the most extreme she went was just her super short cut.  "We should be heading home sometime after breakfast I think.  I don't see any reason to stay around here any longer."

"Good" Lily said on a sigh.  "This place is too big for just two people."

Sam didn't bother pointing out that there had been just two people living there for awhile now.  But then he and Dean were used to it just being the two of them.  Lily was used to being around more people so it made sense it seemed empty to her.  "I'll text you when we're on the road" Sam promised.

They said their goodbyes but just before they hung up Lily stopped Sam by quietly saying his name.  Her voice was soft when she said "I liked waking up to your voice mail this morning."

"I'm glad" Sam said back in a warm voice that made Lily able to picture the smile he had on his face.  It was the one that made her weak in the knees.  "I know it's not the same as waking up next to me but figured it was as close as I could get today."

"I love you, Sammy."

"I love you too, Darling" Sam said, smiling softly.  "I'll see you tomorrow."

After Sam hung up he hesitated, his hand hovering over his phone.  He wanted to text Charlie and ask if Lily was OK.  She'd seemed quiet to him but maybe she really was just tired.  She had been busy since he left, he reasoned, running around, keeping busy.  It could honestly just be tiredness.  He was saved from making a decision when Charlie texted him a picture showing off her hair cut.  His eyes widened; her previously long hair was now super short, shorter than Lily's the last time he'd seen her.

_Wow, that's a big change.  I like it!_

_You sure?  It was kinda spur of the moment._ Sam could practically hear the nervousness in Charlie's text.

 _Absolutely.  You look great!_ Sam hesitated then he had to ask.  _Hey is Lily OK?_

Charlie took quite awhile to reply.  Sam was getting worried, almost ready to call her when finally she texted back.

_Ya, I just think today kinda made her miss Rose a lot.  She was OK at first and then she got really quite.  They get their hair done together usually right?_

Sam winced and swore softly.  Going to get their hair done was definitely something the girls would have done together. Before he could respond Charlie was texting him again.

_She'll be OK, Sam.  You're coming home tomorrow?_

_Ya should be there in the afternoon._

_Good.  See you then._

Sam sat there with his phone in his hand for several minutes after reading Charlie's last text.  He'd defended the reasoning behind Rose's actions just days ago to Dean and he still believed she'd acted with the best of intentions no matter how flawed her reasoning was.  But he couldn't help but wonder if she had any idea of the amount of pain she was inflicting on the people she cared about the most.

* * *

Charlie knocked on the door to Sam and Lily's room and let herself in when Lily called out.  She entered to find Lily looking at herself in the mirror.  Charlie had to grin.  Lily had worn the shirt she’d described yesterday.  _Parental Advisory Explicit Content_.  It really did describe her.

"You think I should have gotten more cut?" She asked, staring at her dark hair in the mirror.  Lily had debated over what to do with her hair the entire drive, finally deciding to keep most of the length and just get her bangs cut and some layers cut.  She'd also opted for dark blue streaks framing her face.  Charlie thought it really suited her, the blue streaks adding an edge and the length and layers softening her.

"Na, you can always cut it later if it makes you crazy.  But I really like it" Charlie said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"It just seems silly," Lily said, coming to stand in the doorway.  "I mean we went primarily because my hair was driving me nuts and then I kept it long."

"You got it trimmed and you got your bangs cut, so they won't be falling in your face" Charlie pointed out.

"I love your hair" Lily said, staring at Charlie's hair enviously.

Charlie smoothed her hair back nervously.  She still expected there to be so much more there.  "It's gonna take some getting used to" she admitted.  "I feel practically bald."

"You'll get used to it" Lily assured her.  "I felt that way too when I first got mine cut short.  Now this feels long to me" she said, motioning to her hair that just brushed her shoulders.

Trying to think of how to broach the subject Charlie decided the direct approach was the best way.  "So Sam's worried about you."

Lily raised an eyebrow and went and took a seat on the chair.  As if by magic Sookie appeared, purring and jumped up on Lily's lap.  "And you know this how?" Lily asked, running her fingers through Sookie's plush coat.

"When I sent him a picture of my hair, after he said he liked it he asked if you were OK." Charlie shrugged.  "I told him I thought maybe today was hard for you, that it made you miss Rose."

Lily nodded her head slightly.  "It made me miss both my sisters actually."  She stroked Sookie for a few minutes then said "Back home we'd all go together to get our hair done and beforehand we'd spend all this time debating over new haircuts.” Lily smiled. “Though honestly I'm the only one who really ever does anything different."  Lily rolled her eyes.  "Rose likes her hair long and Daisy likes her hair just past her shoulders so all they ever do is get a trim, maybe a temporary streak of color."  Lily frowned and looked at Charlie, a guilty expression on her face.  "I had a good time, I really did.  I've actually enjoyed these last two days way more than I thought I would and that's all thanks to you, Charlie."

Charlie smiled at her.  "I did too.  But it's OK to be sad too.  People aren't interchangeable."

Lily nodded thoughtfully. "Today was just so different than the norm for me and it's such an ordinary thing I do all the time.  I'm used to Rose laughing and Daisy chattering away in the background and going to the same place we've had our hair cut since we were little girls."  Lily paused then said "It will probably sound dumb but today was like a big dose of "Your life has changed." I wouldn't have thought it would have happened over something as ordinary as getting my hair cut."

"Pizza Tuesday's" Charlie said and then explained when Lily looked at her curiously.  "We always had pizza on Tuesday night when I was little.  After my parents accident everything changed for me, my whole life. I went from being an only child with two great parents to being a kid in the system. Not an easy transition.  The first Tuesday in my first foster home I had a complete meltdown because we weren't having pizza."  She shrugged.  "It didn't really have as much to do with pizza as it did the people I should have been having the pizza with."

Lily put Sookie down gently then joined Charlie on the bed, hugging her unexpectedly.  "I'm sorry" Lily said softly.

"Oh it was a long time ago" Charlie said, surprised to find tears in her eyes.

"It doesn't mean I'm not sorry" Lily said and Charlie smiled, thinking that was one of the best responses she'd ever gotten.  People forgot sometimes that just because time passed the pain of losing people you loved never entirely went away.  Pulling back and looking at her Lily said "You'll have to tell me about them.  I want to know about the people who made Charlie Bradbury."

Charlie smiled.  The more time she spent with Lily the more she realized why Sam had fallen for her.  Sure she was hot and funny but that was just the tip of the iceberg.  She was a fairly amazing person.

"I'd like that but not tonight" Charlie said, wiping her eyes. "I think we've had our share of tears over the last two days."

"You aren't kidding" Lily said with a laugh.  "Let's lie and tell the boys we partied the whole time."

"Deal" Charlie agreed with a grin.

Sookie jumped up on the bed then, looking for the pets she felt she'd been denied when Lily moved her.  Reaching down and stroking her coat Lily asked:

"If I tell you something do you promise not to think I'm a horrible, selfish bitch?"  Charlie nodded, trying to figure out what Lily was going to say.  "You're right about me really missing Rose.  But on top of that I'm actually really, really angry at her."  Lily was staring intently at Sookie, her words coming out almost against her will.  Charlie got the impression she didn't like admitting this.  "I get that she panicked and ran away but she's had time to think about things now.  Even with what happened with the demon in Kansas City she has to know she doesn't need to be out there on her own."  Lily reached up and tugged on the ends of her hair, one of her nervous habits Charlie realized.  "She has to know how worried she's made people."  She looked up at Charlie and Charlie was surprised by how guilty she looked.  "I feel like a terrible person but I'm so mad at her I could just strangle her."

"Hey no, that's perfectly normal" Charlie said.  "I get why you feel that way.  It's OK."

"It's just, we don't really get mad at each other.  Not for any amount of time." Lily looked lost and overwhelmed.  "Daisy and I fight, occasionally Rose and Daisy fight.  Rosie and me we, well we argue sometimes but we never have fights." Lily shook her head.  "This just feels wrong.  And see, this isn’t normal Rose behavior.”  At Charlie’s looks Lily backpedaled a little.  “OK yes, the running so totally is Rose.  She’s got the flight part of the fight or flight response down pat.  I mean it’s not like she runs away regularly but she’s not a fighter.  It’s not her nature.”  Lily stared at her bracelet and twisted that for a few seconds and then she continued.  “This staying gone though that’s not Rose.  I thought she would have at least contacted Dean.”  She hesitated then added softly.  “Or me”

"Sometimes when we’re scared or trying to protect people we’re real idiots” Charlie said, drawing laughter from Lily at her bluntness.  “I know she had her reasons but it doesn't mean you don't get to be mad at her." Charlie tugged on the end of Lily's hair and smiled at her.  "Cut yourself some slack."

Lily smiled back at her. "Thanks Charlie."

Charlie leaned over and hugged her.  "Hey, what are friends for?"

* * *

Miles away in a town in Arkansas Rose herself was entering a rundown hotel room.  The Rainbow Room (*Shiny Colorful Rooms!* the sign outside advertised.) lived up to the colorful part at least Rose thought, taking in the orange walls and yellow carpet.  Shiny it was not, at least not anytime in the last ten years.  But they took cash and Rose desperately needed a shower and a place to sleep.  And the older gentleman at the front desk had been surprisingly nice, giving her extra clean towels and telling her there was a good diner just up the road.  Glancing at the bathroom (Pink walls, purple tub, toilet and sink - Yep the colorful theme was carried out in here too.) Rose felt like she had walked into a room designed by a burnt out version of Rainbow Bright.  The hotel itself didn't look too sketchy but she made sure the gun she had taken from the hunter was in her purse.  There was another change - a month ago she couldn't shoot a gun, now she had one in her purse that she knew how to load and use.  Dropping her bag on the bed she headed straight for the bathroom and showered as quickly as she could.  Then she came out, threw a nightshirt on and got under the covers, falling asleep almost before her head touched the pillow.

* * *

Dean found himself greeted by a soft, inviting smell, slowly wafting its way into his senses.  He wasn’t surprised when he opened his eyes to find Rose smiling at him, though it had been a few days since she’d come to him in a dream.  They were in the kitchen at the bunker and Rose, at her current age, not a younger version was standing in front of the oven, the door open and a baking sheet full of cookies ready to be pulled out, while Dean sat on one of the stools watching her.  He blinked as he watched her pull the cookies from the oven and admitted that OK yes, what she was wearing did surprise him.  Placing the cookie sheet on the kitchen counter Rose smiled up at him.  “Don’t you like it, Dean?”  She did a little twirl and Dean gulped as the man’s shirt she wore (His shirt and damn it that would never _not_ get to him) flew up, revealing long legs and a glimpse of bare skin.  “My mind seems to think it’s your favorite thing to see me in.”

Dean swallowed hard and said “Well my favorite would be you in nothing, Baby but ya, my shirt is definitely a close second.”

Rose smiled again and walked towards him, a slow, sexy smile on her face.  Dean knew that smile; he’d seen it in his dreams more times than he could count and more than a few times in reality as well.  He just never imagined he’d be seeing it in one of _these_ dreams.  Was that even allowed?

Rose stopped right in front of him and placed a hand on his shoulder and used the other to stroke his face.  She drug her thumb over his lips, then murmured “I miss these lips” in a low voice that made Dean ache.

“Well you know where they are, Sweetheart.  Come back home and you can have them and everything else attached to them” Dean said with a smirk. His hands reached out for her but he stopped, hesitating.  He hadn’t ever touched Rose in one of these dreams.  She’d kissed him before, twice actually but he’d never put hands or lips on her.

Sensing his hesitation Rose smiled at him  and said “You can touch me, Dean.  It’s OK.” She sat on his lap, straddling his hips, wrapping her arms around his neck.  His arms automatically wrapped around her and he couldn’t help but groan at the feel of her body pressed against his.  God, he missed this.  She had her lips pressed against his neck, placing feather light kisses against his skin.  “I miss you touching me” she whispered, moving her mouth up to his ear.

“Well then come home, damn it!’ Dean growled, dragging his hands up her thighs.

Rose hummed a sound of approval at the feel of his hands on her.  She moved against him, grinding her hips against his and he groaned again, moving to cup her ass in his hands, holding her against him.

Rose rested her forehead against Dean’s staring into his eyes and he felt his breath catch.  Her lips were hovering over his, close enough that he could feel her breath against his lips.  “Miss you, Dean” she whispered before her lips finally connected with his, her tongue licking at his lips sensually and Dean moaned and moved a hand up to her head to hold her mouth firmly against his.  The kiss became heated quickly, their tongues moving against each others, their lips passionately caressing the others.

Dean broke the kiss eventually, pulling back to look at Rose, taking in her lust glazed expression, her lips swollen from their kiss, her hair messed from his hands.  He slid his hands down to her waist, pulling her tighter against him.  “Come home, damn it, Rosie.  You know this is where you’re supposed to be.  With me.”

“I can’t Dean” Rose murmured, grinding her hips against his and drawing another groan from him.  Her hands moved to the front of her shirt, unbuttoning it slowly as she smiled at him, a smile that promised all kinds of sinful delights.  His eyes were glued to her hands, watching as she revealed the curves he missed so much.  “But you can be with me here.”  She grasped one of his hands and pulled it to the apex of her thighs.  “You can touch me” she whispered in his ear and he did just that, his fingers stroking her and then slowly delving into find her hot and wet and ready for him.  She threw her head back as his mouth found its way to one of her breasts.  Dean let out a moan of his own at the soft noises leaving her lips.  Her reaction to his touch was always such a turn on.  Having lavished one breast with attention Dean moved his lips to the other and looked up to find Rose’s eyes watching him intently, her eyes heated and desperate.  He pulled his lips from her skin and she grasped his face in her hands, kissing him passionately, her teeth nipping at his lips.  She ran a hand down his chest, her hand rubbing over the bulge in his pants and Dean bit back a moan. 

Pulling her mouth from his Rose smiled at him.  “You can have me here, Dean” she murmured.  “I miss you being inside of me” and Dean let out an unintelligible sound at her words, his hand slipping from inside her to splay across her back.  Rose’s fingers stroked him, pulling him out of his pants and in one fluid movement she sank down onto him.  They groaned in unison, the feel of their bodies joining an overwhelming sensation.  Dean closed his eyes for a second as the feeling washed over him but as soon as he could make himself he opened his eyes again.  He wanted to watch Rose, to see the intense expression on her face as she rode him, her pleasure evident on her face.

“So good” Rose murmured, her words falling from her lips unguarded, “So right”.  Dean’s hands stroked her back, enjoying the feel of her skin, of being able to touch her.  Their bodies fit so perfectly and Dean had to agree with Rose’s words.  Right was the best way to describe this; this was where they should be.   As their bodies moved together, as Dean felt Rose clenching around him he drug his lips over her neck, enjoying the feel of her skin under his mouth.  His mouth found the spot that made Rose crazy and he kissed and then sucked desperately there, wanting to leave his mark on her even if it was only in a dream.

All too soon their movements turned desperate, erratic and they came together much quicker than Dean would have liked.  He wanted this to go on longer, knowing that once this was done he would wake up alone, Rose not by his side as she should be.  Rose rested her forehead against Dean’s, their breathing slowly returning to normal as she stroked his face softly, her touch gentle and adoring.   

“Come home” Dean said softly, his words no less urgent for the lack of volume.  He watched as Rose’s eyes took on the sad look he’d seen too much in these dreams.  “Don’t give me any excuses” he said harshly before she could speak.   “Just call me, get in the car and drive, call out to Cas.  Do something.” His fingers entangled in her hair desperately.  “I can’t take this anymore, Rose.  You need to come back.”

Dean woke early the next morning with the memory of his dream with Rose fresh in his mind.  Usually he remembered everything from these dreams but this time he remembered nothing after telling her he couldn’t take her being gone anymore.  He wasn’t sure why that was but he didn’t dwell on it.  Instead he lay there holding onto the feel of her lips on his, his hands on her body and drifted back to sleep wrapped in the memory of the dream.

* * *

Miles away Rose awoke with a start in the early morning light, her hand flying to her neck.  It felt tender, very much like it did when Dean had left a mark there from his passionate kisses.   She rose, going to glance in the mirror and seeing nothing there she stumbled back to bed, still unable to shake the sensation.  She fell back asleep, her dreams jumbled and full of images of Dean just out of her reach telling her she’d thrown away their chance at happiness.


	13. What Do You Do When You Come Up Empty?

Daisy felt as if she was swimming up through thick layers of fog.  Slowly, so slowly it felt almost painful she found herself breaking through.  The first thing she heard was a deep voice she knew well asking if she was all right.  With a wince Daisy struggled to sit up and quick as a flash strong hands were on her waist, helping her into a sitting position. The room swam before her and she closed her eyes, struggling to hold onto consciousness as she rested against the strong body behind her.  Finally things stopped moving and she was able to open her eyes again.

“Are you all right, Daisy?” Cas asked again, after giving her a minute to get her bearings.  They were back in the ski lodge and Daisy was dressed in pajamas that Cas had seen she wanted very much.  (There were colorful woodland creatures on it and Cas was unable to figure out why Daisy wanted them so badly aside from their connection to the blond singer she was so obsessed with.)  He smoothed her hair back as she slumped against him, praying she’d hang onto consciousness long enough to talk to him.  She’d come to a few times since her collapse after going into Dean's dream, but hadn’t stayed awake long enough to speak.  Finally, just when he was fairly sure she would drift off again he heard her say quietly:

“I’m better now that the room’s not spinning” and Cas smiled, happy to hear her voice.  He’d missed it.  “I still feel kind of floaty though.”

“That’s understandable. You put your mind under a lot of stress doing what you did.”  Daisy winced, hearing the scolding note in Cas’s voice.  She’d figured that was coming.  She struggled to turn and finally had to ask him to help her turn to face him.  Cas turned her easily, as if she were a doll and positioned her so she was trapped between him and the arm of the couch, her legs across his lap and she found herself snuggled close to him, with one of his arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders.  Daisy blinked.  Usually she was the one snuggling up against Cas. Him holding her so closely, being the one to instigate it, well that was new.  Before she could think on that too long she felt a finger under her chin, tipping her head back so that her eyes met dark blue ones.  Daisy winced again.  Oh those eyes were very decidedly not happy with her.

“You shouldn’t have gone into Dean’s dream, Daisy” Cas said, his voice low, even lower than normal and Daisy hadn’t known that was possible.  "You were just starting to get a little strength back and you didn't have anywhere near the energy you needed to get through that."  He stared at her reproachfully.  "I find myself quite angry with you,” Cas said, sounding somewhat bemused at the fact.  Looking into Cas’ eyes a thought flashed across Daisy’s mind that an angry angel was a fairly scary thing.  Cas’ jaw was clenched tightly and his body was ramrod straight, tightly restrained power rippling just beneath the surface but it was his eyes that really sold the deal.  They were dark blue storm clouds flashing in Cas’ stony face and Daisy would have been lying if she said she wasn’t slightly intimidated.  But Daisy had stood up to two bossy older sisters her entire life and while she wouldn’t compare either of them to an irritated celestial being that experience had made sure it wasn’t in her nature to back down.  So even if she wanted to she didn’t flinch from Cas’ angry gaze.

“I had to do it, Cas” she said, her jaw setting stubbornly.

Cas traced her chin lightly with his finger then removed his hand, dropping it to rest on her leg.  He was less than pleased with her response.  “You could have told me" he pointed out.  "I could have told Dean.  It would have accomplished the same thing and you wouldn't have done any more damage to yourself."

Daisy shook her head.  "It wouldn't have been the same.  It needed to come from me."

"You could have waited, Daisy" Cas argued, his frustration at her stubbornness clear in his voice. "You didn’t have to tell Dean now-”

“Yes I did” Daisy interrupted, growing irritated herself by the fact that Cas wasn’t getting that her actions had been necessary. “It had to be now.”

“Why?” Cas demanded.  “Why did it have to be now?  What did telling him any of that change?”

“Because things are going to go badly.  Really badly.  And Dean needs to know there’s a reason to hang on.”  Daisy said, not backing down in the slightest.  “Hopefully he’ll remember that when he wants to walk away, when he thinks there’s no hope.”  Cas was looking at Daisy with an expression that let her know he didn’t find any of this a compelling argument for the risk she’d taken.  “He needs to not lose faith in Rose, in what they have.  It’s important."  Daisy finally dropped her eyes from Cas’ angry gaze, her hand going to play with his tie.  “I’m sorry you’re mad at me, Cas.  But I had to do it and I’m not sorry I did.”

“This is what comes of raising humans with a purpose” Cas muttered softly, earning a confused look from Daisy but he just shook his head.  He sighed, feeling some of his anger ebbing away.  He knew Daisy took her duty seriously, he found that quality quite admirable.  But he had admitted to himself over the last day that he cared more about her safety than for any duty or calling.  That was a new feeling for the angel, one he wasn’t entirely comfortable with.  But he knew what he wanted to do now, what he had promised himself he would do when Daisy was awake again.

He raised his hand from her leg and grasped her chin between his finger and thumb, titling her head back so their eyes met once again.  When he spoke his voice was rough, the anger lessened and other emotions taking its place - fear, desperation, and something else.  “I had to watch doctors run into your hospital room to stop your body from convulsing.  I was…I have never been so scared in all my years.”  His hand moved to caress her cheek softly and Daisy’s eyes went wide, taking in every movement, every word he said.  “Don’t ever do that to me again, Daisy.”  And tipping his head down he brought his lips to cover hers, kissing her softly but with all the pent up emotion he had kept in check since she had collapsed.

Cas wasn’t sure how to tell Daisy exactly how he felt about her, mostly because he wasn’t sure how to explain it to himself.  But when Dean had asked if he’d kissed her that had stuck in Cas’ mind as a good place to start.

To say Daisy was surprised by the kiss would have been putting it mildly.  She liked Cas a lot but she had always figured if something were ever going to happen between them then at some point she would have to be the one who made the first move; he seemed so unsure of most things human.  But he was so hard to read and she wasn’t sure what his feelings for her were and there was that small voice in her head that would point out who he was (An angel of the Lord, powerful, intimidating) and who she was (Cute (not beautiful), bubbly and clueless what she was doing with her life) and why on earth would he want her?  Guess that voice was wrong, Daisy thought with an internal grin as she kissed Cas back.

Cas was pleased to find that Daisy wasn’t pulling back and she didn’t seem to be giving him any of the stop or slow down signals that Dean had mentioned to look out for.  In fact, oh! she was wrapping her arms around his neck, pushing herself closer to him and kissing him back. 

Finally the two broke apart and Cas was watching Daisy anxiously, his eyes raking over her face looking for any signs that she was unhappy or uncomfortable with what he’d done.  The sunny smile she graced him with drove away all his doubts and he found himself returning her smile.  He was fairly certain he had done everything correctly and she was obviously pleased which made him extremely happy.

Daisy rested her head against his shoulder, feeling the exhaustion start to sweep over her again.  She wanted to say something, to talk with Cas but she was so tired.  She drifted off with a happy smile, snuggled against him with one of her hands wrapped in one of his, their fingers intertwined.

* * *

Nancy insisted on the boys eating a hearty breakfast before they headed back home.  As they got ready to leave Sam had headed to the car after thanking Nancy for the hospitality and returning her motherly hug.  Standing on the porch Dean turned to her with a smile and Nancy returned it warmly.  She liked these boys.  They were good and kind, she could tell.  And yes she knew she should probably be calling them men (Jake teased her that she thought anyone under the age of fifty was a child) but they were the same age as some of her daughters so in her eyes they were boys.

“Now you take care of yourself, Dean” she said, giving him a hug.

Dean returned the hug, thinking that Rose had definitely chosen good people to stay with.  “Yes Ma’am.”

“And you have that girlfriend of yours let me know when she’s back home where she belongs.”  She saw his eyes darken and the smile fade from his face.  Nancy took a hold of his shoulders, wanting to make sure he heard what she was going to say.  “Listen here, I know about panicking and running.  But the people who love us, they come back.  Sometimes they just need time to come to their senses”  She gave Dean an encouraging smile.

“How can you be so sure?” Dean asked the struggle in his eyes clear - He desperately wanted to believe her but he was afraid to.

“Because once upon a time I was a young bride who panicked when I found out I was pregnant, just six months after walking down the aisle.”  She met Dean’s eyes and he saw the truth shining there.  “I was so afraid, didn’t think I was ready to be a mother.  I barely felt ready to be a wife.”  She shrugged.  “I’m not proud of it but I ran.”  She looked down and Dean’s eyes followed hers to her wedding rings.  “I didn’t get far, just a few towns over and checked into a hotel room where I proceeded to have a good cry, convinced my whole world was falling apart.”

“You let Jake come get you though, didn’t you?” Dean asked shrewdly.

Nancy nodded.  She could still remember the image of Jake standing on the other side of the hotel room door.  He’d been angry and upset but he’d listened to her fears and he wisely hadn’t tried to downplay them.  They were young and hadn’t been planning on having kids so soon but they loved each other and they’d be OK.  They’d spent the night there and if Nancy hadn’t been pregnant to begin with she certainly would have been by the time they left the room.  It's amazing what emotions do for the libido Nancy thought with a small smile.  Bringing herself back to the present Nancy looked at Dean.  “I did but my situation wasn’t nearly as complicated as Rose’s.”  She shook her head and gave Dean her best motherly smile.  “The point is, I ran not because I didn’t love Jake.  I was just overwhelmed and scared.  I’m confident that Rose is the same.”  She hugged Dean again.  “She’ll come back home, Dean.  Just give her time.”  Pulling back she looked at him expectantly.  “Promise me you’ll try and be patient.”

“I’ll try” Dean said with a sigh.

"And once she’s back you can come and spend a weekend here.  Oh we’d love to have you all” Nancy said as she smiled and looped her arm through his as she walked him to the Impala.  Inside Sam was on the phone, no doubt talking to Lily.  Nancy hugged Dean once more, unable to help herself.  She missed having her own kids at home and relished the chance to mother others.  “Now drive safely” she advised and then stood back and waved as she watched them drive away.

She sighed to herself as she walked back into the house.  She hoped things worked out soon for Dean and Rose.  She liked them both and it was easy to see how crazy they were over each other just from the way they talked.  If anyone belonged together it was those two.

* * *

Sam hung up with Lily just as they pulled into a gas station to fill up the Impala before heading home.  He went inside and got both he and Dean drinks for the road and got back just as Dean was finishing up and they headed out.  Sam glanced at his brother; he was quiet but seemed better than when they left Kansas.  Nothing was fixed, they weren’t bringing Rose back with them but it seemed to have done Dean some good to talk to Nancy.

"They were a nice couple weren't they?" Sam asked.  "Nancy and Jake?"

Dean nodded.  "Yep, they're good people.  Nancy wants us to all come back and spend a weekend."

Sam nodded, smiling.  "Oh ya, she wants to meet Lily.  She cornered me when you were putting your bag in the car wanting details on her."

Dean grinned then said "Speaking of Lily you never did say how she handled the prophecy bit."

Sam frowned.  "She didn't."

Dean glanced at his brother curiously.  "Care to explain that?" He asked.

"She read it, turned so pale I thought she was going to faint on me then said we had enough going on to handle and she didn't want to talk about it."

"Well you're right, that sounds very much like not dealing with it."

Sam shrugged.  "She did say she had decided no it wasn't happening later that night when she had copious amounts of tequila in her."

"Well hey if we'd known that was an option where prophecies were concerned our lives would have been a hell of a lot easier" Dean said dryly.  After a second he glanced at his brother and asked "So how are you dealing with it?"

Sam shrugged again. "Don't know.  OK.  Just giving her time till she's ready to talk about it."

"And you're OK with that?"

"I kind of have to be, don't I?" Sam asked, a vexed expression crossing his face.  "I mean, it's about her after all."

Dean shot him a curious glance.  "Well ya but it affects you too. I mean you two are together so that's kinda obvious, isn’t it?"

Sam shifted uneasily in his seat running a hand through his hair nervously and then finally just shrugged.  "Hey you can talk about this to me, you know" Dean said, seeing how on edge his brother had gotten.

Sam flashed him a grateful smile.  "I know and thanks.  I'm just, I don't think I've really let myself think about it yet.  Not really.  When Lily called a halt to discussing it I put the mental brakes on myself."

Dean had to roll his eyes at that.  That was such a Sammy thing to do.

"But ya, I think once we do talk then I think I'll take you up on the offer, Dean" Sam said, with a nervous glance thrown his way.

Dean gave him his best confident big brother look, the one he’d perfected over the years.  "When you need it, Sammy, I'm here."

* * *

Lily let out a small cheer and Charlie looked up from her laptop curiously.  Lily had spent the morning at the hospital covering for Bobby while Charlie had stayed back at the bunker, plugging away at the second website.  She felt like she was finally getting somewhere.  Lily had gotten back just after lunch and brought some food with her for both of them.

“They should be home by two” Lily said, clicking her phone off and explaining her cheer to Charlie.

“Oh _they_ will, huh?” Charlie teased with a grin.  “Feeling just as happy about both of them coming home are we?”

Lily laughed but then tried to bluff.  “I’m totally happy they’re both coming home.”  She gave in under Charlie’s knowing look.  “I just happen to have plans for Sam…that involve a lot of nakedness and moaning.” She threw her hands up with a laugh. “OK fine I admit it.  I’m desperate for Sam to come home.”   

Charlie laughed.  “Two days, Lily, it’s been two days.  You guys are hopeless.”

Lily nodded her head, admitting it.  “I know.  We’re horrible.”  Then she grinned completely unrepentant.  “But we have a hell of a lot of fun together.”

Charlie joined in her friend’s laughter, pleased to see her looking happy once again.

* * *

Rose wake up just after noon, thankful that she’d asked if she could pay more for a late check out.  The man at the front desk - Mr. Solomon- Rose’s brain filled in the name, he’d been nice and told her not to worry about it.  There really were some nice people out in the world, Rose mused.

The remnants of her nightmares stuck to her mind like a spider web that wouldn’t let go, making her sense of despair and confusion stronger than ever.  She couldn’t just bounce around from hotel to hotel forever.  She needed some place to rest and come up with a plan.  She lay there in the bed in the overly colorful room, pondering where she could go and finally she got up and pulled her own phone out.  She knew turning it on was a risk but she needed a phone number and it wasn’t one she could just look up.  This number wasn’t easy to come by and the only place she’d find it was on her own phone.  She was quick, turning it on, jotting the number down and then turning it off quickly.  It was worth the risk she decided as she sat back down on the bed and pulled out her newest disposable phone.

She listened to the phone ring and sighed in relief when she heard the familiar voice on the other end.

“Hey, it’s Rose.  I’m in trouble and I need a place to stay for a few days.  I can be there in about five hours.  Is that OK?  Great, you’re the best.  See you soon.”


	14. I Could Show You Incredible Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reunion sex is fun times y'all.

Lily and Charlie were in the library when Sam burst through the front door of the bunker.  He barreled down the stairs and headed straight for Lily, throwing out a distracted "Hi Charlie" along the way, though Charlie was fairly sure he didn't really actually see her; his eyes had been locked on Lily and Lily alone from the second he entered.  Lily's eyes had lit up when she saw him and Charlie couldn't help but grin at the two of them.  They were like two besotted hormonal teenagers.

Dean entered behind his brother at a slower, less harried gait just as Sam reached Lily's side.  He didn't even slow down, just snagged her hand, drug her to her feet and pulled her along behind him at a quick pace, his destination obvious - their bedroom.

Charlie glanced at the doorway where Dean had stopped, watching the whole thing play out with an amused smirk on his face.  He grinned at Charlie now.  "He's been tapping his foot and fidgeting for the last two hours.  I was tempted to suggest stopping for lunch just to see if he would blow a gasket."

Charlie laughed.  "You didn't."  A door slammed in the distance, the two having obviously reached their room.

Dean shook his head.  "Na, went the drive thru route instead.  Far be it for me to stand in the way of young love and raging hormones."

Charlie smiled at Dean fondly.  Though he'd never admit it and he’d never forgive her if she said it he could be really sweet when he wanted to be.  "Sit down and tell me about what you found out.  I only got scant details from Lily."

Dean plopped down in the chair across from Charlie with a sigh and after taking a deep breath he started talking.

* * *

The second after Sam slammed the door shut he had Lily pressed up against it, his arms wrapped around her and his lips descending on hers.  Sam's lips were hot and needy on hers, demanding and hungry and Lily responded in kind tangling her fingers in his hair, feeling heat course through her at the feel of his lips on hers, of his hands on her body.  She couldn't believe how much she'd missed this, missed him.

Sam's tongue darted out, nudging at Lily's lips and she willingly parted them, letting his tongue lick sensually at her own.  You would have thought it had been weeks they had been apart from the desperate way they kissed, devouring each other like two people starved.

Pulling back finally to catch their breath Sam smiled down at Lily.  "God, I missed you" he said and he watched as Lily flushed with pleasure.

"Me too" she said returning his smile.

Sam pulled his head back then to take in her hair.  "Blue huh?" he asked, drawing a hand through the strands.  Lily nodded, saying nothing and Sam reached the end and tugged on the length.  "Not as short as normal."  He grinned at her.  "I like it."

"Ya?" Lily asked and Sam nodded.

"It's sexy...suits you" he said, dragging both hands down her back to her hips, his lips coming back to hers.  He smiled at the taste of cinnamon on her lips and the soft feel of her in his arms.  His hands moved down farther, cupping her ass and lifting her and she instinctively wrapped her legs around him.  He held her against the door then, his hips pushed up against hers, kissing till they were both desperate for air.  Pulling back he grinned at her again and moved to the bed, dropping her on it with a little bounce.  She went to reach for him and he stopped her.

"Let me just look at you for a second" he said, his voice husky and Lily smiled, settling back down to let him look to his heart’s content.  His eyes roamed over every inch of her, from the top of her head to her bare feet.  His eyes were heated, his expression intense and Lily was fairly certain he was plotting a course of action.

"You know, Sammy usually when someone looks at me like that I'm wearing something a hell of a lot sexier than this" Lily said, motioning to her casual outfit - a pair of red leggings paired with a "Shoe love is true love" t-shirt.

Sam drug his eyes back up to meet hers.  "First off, that's bullshit.  I see the way guys and girls look at you all the time, Lil, doesn't matter what you're wearing."  Lily returned his grin, not bothering to deny his words.

"What's second?" she asked.

"Hmm?  Oh secondly these need to come off" Sam said and reached for the waistband of her leggings.  Lily lifted her hips, making it easier and Sam was quickly tossing the leggings over his shoulder.

"Oh I like these" Sam said, tracing the red lace panties Lily had on.  He moved a finger lightly over them and smiled at the way she caught her breath at his touch.  "Remember how you let me get away with calling you a good girl?" Lily mmm hmmd distractedly, more interested in the movement of Sam's hand than his words.  "What if I told you good girls got rewards?" Sam asked, dragging his fingers underneath the lace lightly.

Lily bit her lip and gave him a scowl, obviously not moved by this argument.  "Then I'd say give me the damn reward but you better come up with a better fucking thing to call me."  Sam threw his head back, laughing.  He loved that Lily didn't give in.  This was an ongoing "argument" of theirs and it never failed to get a strong reaction from her.

"Fair enough" he said sinking to his knees by the side of the bed and grasping Lily's hips and dragging her towards him.  That erased the scowl and got him a pleased smile instead.  His large hands rested on her hips and he smiled at her a second and then he was dragging the panties off of her and they joined the leggings somewhere on the floor.

He leaned down so his mouth was hovering just over her.  He spread her legs and stroked her thighs.  "The last two hours in the car all I could think about was this" he murmured huskily and then his tongue was licking a path up the center of her.  Lily's eyes shut and a loud moan left her lips as Sam's mouth and tongue worked their magic on her.  She swore no one had ever been able to do to her with their mouth what Sam could.  The man was gifted.

Sam's spread her lips apart before his tongue dipped in between her folds, tasting her and causing her to writhe under his mouth.  His tongue was moving in a sensual pattern that was making Lily crazy and she moaned her approval loudly.

Sam slipped two fingers inside her, lifting his head to watch her face.  "I knew exactly what I wanted to do to you the second I had you alone" he said, pumping his fingers slowly, causing Lily to clench around them.  "I kept picturing you just like this, laid out on our bed, my fingers and my mouth making you crazy."  He chuckled softly.  "Damn near made myself crazy." He lowered his head again, his tongue circling her clit.

"Oh God, Sam" Lily said, thrusting her hips towards him.  Sam lifted one of her legs, draping it over his shoulder, opening her up wider to him.  He slipped his fingers out and moved his mouth down, licking and tasting her, drawing delicious sounds of desperation from Lily.

Sam looked up at her again with a smile.  "You were all worked up before I even got you naked, Lil.  Didn't make me work too hard for it, huh?"  He slipped his fingers in again and twisted them, crooking them and drawing a hissed curse from her.  Sam chuckled and lowered his head again, his tongue pressing down right on her clit and Lily's hands flew to his hair, holding him in place.  "Oh God, yes.  Right there...Don't stop."

His fingers moved while his tongue flicked then pressed again and again and Lily came with a loud scream, tremors coursing through her as everything exploded.

It took Lily several minutes to come back down to earth and in the meantime Sam quickly shed his own clothes.  By the time she felt herself really coming back down Sam was lying beside her, stroking her hair and watching her with a small, pleased smile on his face.  "Hey gorgeous " he said, feeling her eyes on his face.

"You know if we could bottle this feeling we could be millionaires" Lily said, her voice sounding dreamy even to her own ears.

Sam laughed.  "Ya, pretty sure that's what the makers of ecstasy were going for."

Lily waved a hand dismissively.  "Eh, not even close.  They never felt your tongue."  Lily rolled to her side so she was facing him and cupped Sam's face in her hands and kissed him deeply.  "You're amazing" she said after drawing back.

"Because of my tongue?" Sam queried with a mischievous smile.

"You're tongue is pretty fucking awesome" Lily admitted with a grin.  Then her fingers traced lightly over his cheekbones and her grin turned to a soft smile.  "But you're amazing just because you're Sam.  The list of reasons is too big."  Sam's heart clenched at her words and the sincerity behind them.  Pulling back Lily looked him up and down, blinking in surprise.  "And hey you're naked.  When did that happen?"

Sam laughed.  "When you were coming down from that amazing orgasm I gave you."  His grin grew, dimples flashing, the pride evident in his voice as he said “I love making you scream.”

"Mmm it was amazing" Lily said with a dreamy smile, reaching a hand out to stroke his chest.  "You made me feel so good.  What do you want, Baby?" she asked, reaching up to kiss him softly, nibbling at his lips.

Sam tugged on her t-shirt.  "Take this off for starters."

Lily climbed up to sit on her knees and tugged the t-shirt over her head, then reached for her bra clasp and flung that off as well.  Sam immediately reached for her breasts, unable to stop himself, earning a gasp from Lily.  Sam grinned, knowing and loving how sensitive her breasts were.

"Ya know I'm trying to figure out what you want, Sam and you're distr-oh God" Lily cut herself off as Sam's fingers tugged on her nipples, sending sparks through her body.  She shut her eyes and Sam watched her face as she bit her lip, trying so hard to focus on him and what he wanted.  He couldn’t resist leaning up and licking then teasing a nipple with his teeth, earning a moan from Lily that quickly grew louder when he pinched her other nipple.

"Fuck, Sam, that's not- I can't..." Lily's cheeks were flushed; her voice sounding wrecked and Sam felt a flush of pride go though him that he was able to get her like this so quickly after her first orgasm.  Sam figured that was one perk of going away; Lily was more worked up than normal.

Sam sat up, drawing a whine from Lily at the loss of contact but he quickly drug her onto his lap, her back pressed up against his front.  "Shh, I got you, Darling.  Don't worry, I'm gonna take good care of you."  He stroked one breast and spread her legs wide draping them over his own, sweeping a hand up to cup her sex.  "You wanna come again, don't you Baby?"  Lily nodded her head quickly and Sam kissed the back of her neck, another sensitive spot.  (He'd found that out purely by accident.  They were both drifting off to sleep one night at one of the myriad of hotels they had stayed at and Sam had casually kissed the back of her neck.  A shiver went through Lily so strong Sam had felt it.  "Lil? You like that?" he'd questioned and when she'd just nodded her head in the semi dark room Sam had repeated the action and gotten an even stronger reaction that led to them not going to sleep for quite some time.). Flexing his fingers and slipping them inside of her while his other hand tweaked and pinched at her nipples Sam smiled.  "I think we can do that" he murmured against her neck.  In just a few minutes Lily was moaning and writhing on his lap, so close to the edge.  "I could watch you like this all day, Darling" Sam said, loving the feel of her body against his.  Lily was completely unguarded in bed, her feelings and desires completely open and on display.  If she didn't like something she'd say it and if she did like something you definitely knew it.  There was no guess work involved and Sam loved that.  In no time at all Lily's whole body tensed as another orgasm washed over her and she gave a loud moan of his name before collapsing against him.

Sam wrapped his arms around her, appreciating the relaxed, satisfied look on Lily's face.

"God you're beautiful" he breathed and Lily smiled at the compliment.

"You're not so bad yourself" she murmured.  They stayed like that for a few minutes, Sam softly stroking Lily's arms and giving her time to recover.

"So if your plan was to kill me with orgasms I'm all for it" Lily murmured and Sam laughed.

Finally she gave a little wiggle of her bottom and Sam groaned while Lily grinned feeling his hard cock pressing against her.  "So are we just making me happy today or do you want me to do something about that?" she asked sweetly, an impish smile on her face.

"Oh that's a leading question" Sam said, nipping at her neck.

"What do you want, Baby?" Lily said, glancing at him over her shoulder and flashing him a wicked grin.  "I could return the favor and use my mouth, suck on that beautiful cock of yours till you explode.  Or...." Lily let her words trail off, making it clear whatever Sam wanted he could have it.  "Name it and it's yours."

Sam groaned at the images her words conjured.  After a second he moved his mouth up close to her ear.  "Well since you're so opposed to the term good girl how about I fuck you like bad girls gets fucked?"

Lily made a little noise at that, her hands that had been stroking his legs clutching them unconsciously.  "And how's that exactly?"

"I want you on your hands and knees" he said, his voice low and rough in her ear and Lily felt a shiver go through her. She turned her head and twisted at the waist so she could kiss him, her lips opening and her tongue coming out to tangle with his.  After kissing him thoroughly making it clear she was a fan of this plan she pulled back and grinned at him.  "You got it."

Before Sam could do more than blink Lily was off his lap and on her hands and knees in the center of the bed.  She turned to look at him over her shoulder, giving him her best sexy bad girl smile.  "This what you had in mind, Sammy?"

Sam couldn't help but groan at the sight.  He was fairly certain that if he lived to a ripe old age he could search far and wide and wouldn't come up with a more gorgeous sight than Lily on all fours on their bed, giving him a come hither glance over her shoulder.  He was on his knees behind her in a heartbeat, stroking a hand down her spine and letting his lips follow, leaving a path of kisses down her back.  He slipped a hand between her legs, long fingers slipping inside her and stroking. Lily was pushing back against him, obviously eager and satisfied that she was ready Sam moved his hand back to rest on her hip. With one hard thrust he buried himself inside her deeply, their moans mixing into one joint sound of pleasure.  Sam closed his eyes just soaking up the feel of how good this felt.  Their bodies fit together so perfectly it was as if they had been designed for each other.  He gripped Lily's hips tightly and pulled almost all the way out then thrust deeply again.  He wasn't sure who was moaning louder at this point.

Lily felt like her whole body was humming with electricity.  Everywhere any part of Sam's body touched her it felt like fire was being left behind.  Things between them were always amazing, the chemistry almost unbelievable right from the start but this was off the charts, unlike anything Lily could remember.  Maybe her body was extra sensitive from the two amazing orgasms she'd already had or maybe it was because of them being apart but everything felt heightened.  Whatever the reason she couldn't remember ever feeling this sensitive.  She half believed if Sam just looked at her the right way she might be able to come from that.  Every thrust from Sam pushed her closer and closer to the edge again.

Sam's hands were tightening on Lily's hips, leaving bruises behind he was sure.  He was so close, so ready to explode and when he felt and heard Lily come again he gave two more deep thrusts and came himself with a loud shout.

He collapsed next to Lily on the bed, feeling sated and relaxed.  Lily wound up on her stomach with her head on one of Sam's outstretched arms, her body spent, her legs feeling like jello.  She stared at Sam's face, smiling when he opened his eyes and gave her a lazy, contented smile. He pulled her to him, kissing her in a way that matched his smile - easy and unhurried.  Sam always wanted to kiss after they had sex, almost always the one to instigate cuddling and Lily admitted it was something she appreciated about him.

"Your kisses" she said when Sam pulled back, getting a confused look from him.  "I'm working on my list of things that are amazing about you."

Sam smiled at her, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.  "There's two people involved in most kisses, Lil."

"Shut up.  It's my list.  You don't get to argue with me about it" Lily said, giving Sam a pointed look and he raised a hand in surrender.  Convinced he wasn't going to voice any more objections Lily continued.  "You kiss me all the time, not just when you want something.  I like that."

"I love kissing you, Darling" Sam said, kissing her forehead.  "I could do it all day long and never get my fill."  Sam stroked her hair then said “So if this list is so long it’s gonna take you awhile to compile it, huh?”  Lily nodded and Sam grinned.  “Sounds good to me.”

“I love you, Sam” Lily said, smiling up at him and Sam gave her his happiest smile.

“I love you too, Baby” he said, kissing her forehead again.

“Dimples…those have got to be on the list” Lily murmured.  She snuggled closer to Sam, resting her head on his chest while he lazily ran a hand up and down her back.  “Ya know, I had a plan too for what I was gonna do to you when I had you alone.”

“Oh ya?” Sam asked, his interest piqued.

“Mmm hmm but you were obviously feeling bossy so I just went along with your plan.”  Lily paused a second then added “And your plan was pretty awesome.”

Sam laughed softly.  “I thought you liked the fact that I was bossy.”

“Sometimes I do” Lily said then grinned up at Sam, her chin resting on his chest.  “And sometimes you like the fact that I’m bossy.”

“Absolutely.” Sam reached up and kissed the end of her nose earning a giggle from Lily.  “But now you’ve got me curious about what your plan was.”

Lily gave him a wicked grin.  “Well maybe if you’re a very good boy I’ll show you later.”

Sam gave her a cocky grin.  “I’m pretty sure from the loud scream you gave plus the two repeat performances that I’ve met all the requirements for good today.  So whatever your plan is I expect plenty of enthusiasm.”  Before Lily could reply Sam was climbing to his feet and picking her up in his arms.  “Now come on Miss, we could both use a shower.”

* * *

Sam and Lily eventually made their way to the kitchen in search of food.  Neither Dean nor Charlie were anywhere to be seen and Sam found a note on the refrigerator door saying they had headed out to run some errands.  Lily happily jumped up to sit on the counter since Dean wasn’t here to bitch at her about it.  Rose never complained when she sat on the kitchen counter so she didn’t get what his problem was.  Lily shut that train of thought down quickly, focusing solely on her happiness at Sam being back.  She didn’t want to think about her missing sister.

Sam grinned at Lily from his spot at the coffee maker.  “Ya know Lily if that shirt is true then I just wasted a lot of time and effort.”

Lily looked down at the sweatshirt she’d thrown on with a pair of sweatpants.  She hadn’t paid much attention to what she put on, just wanting something warm as it was starting to get chilly.  Fall was definitely just around the corner.  When she realized what shirt she had on she had to laugh.  _Sorry I’m Late.  I Didn’t Want to Come._ “I swear it’s not true” Lily said giving Sam a big smile.

Sam flipped the coffee pot on with a laugh.  “So what all did you guys get at the grocery store?”

“Oh we got loads of food” Lily said as Sam opened the freezer.  It was completely filled with every kind of frozen food a person could imagine.

"Wow, did you ever" Sam exclaimed and Lily smiled proudly.

“And not one threat to call the police either!” Lily declared proudly and Sam had to laugh.

“Yes, Babe, that’s a big accomplishment on your part” he said.

They settled on a frozen pizza and were seated at the kitchen table together with Lily perched on Sam’s lap when Charlie and Dean came home.  Charlie put another pizza in the oven and they all hung out together till the pizzas were ready then ate their dinner together.  No one commented on that fact that Lily ate her entire meal sitting on Sam's lap and no one mentioned the redhead who was missing but neither went unnoticed.

After dinner Sam and Lily headed back to their room, their stomachs full and Lily ready to go ahead with at least part of her plan.

* * *

Rose pulled the car up in front of the address she’d been given over the phone and despite herself she was impressed.  She knew enough about the area to know this district wasn’t cheap by any means but having never actually been to the Garden district she hadn’t really grasped how expensive it was. 

Before she could do more than marvel at the beautiful two story house in front of her a familiar form was strolling happily down the front steps, coming her way and Rose smiled and got out of the car. 

She met Chastity half way across the lawn, they hugged tightly and Rose gave a big sigh of relief.  She hadn’t seen a familiar face in five days and it was amazing how much comfort it brought her. 

“Hey stranger” Chastity said, pulling back and looking at her.  “You look tired.  Let’s get you inside and settled in.”

Rose nodded and grabbed her bags from the car and linking arms with Chastity she followed her inside.  Chastity got her settled into a large bedroom then ushered her towards the kitchen.  She bustled around the kitchen, refusing to let Rose lift a finger, insisting she sit and drink a glass of wine at the table.  Rose who generally didn’t like wine found this one quite tasty and was pleasantly surprised to feel herself relaxing for the first time in days.  So much so that she didn’t even have to focus on anything to stop her powers from flaring up.  The wine must be calming my nerves, Rose reasoned as she watched Chastity moving around the envy inducing kitchen.  In no time at all Chastity was serving them both a light dinner and Rose found herself genuinely smiling and feeling happy for the first time in almost a week.

Not long afterwards she settled down in the luxurious bed and smiled as she drifted off to sleep.  “ _This was the right choice_ ” she thought to herself before sleep overtook her.  


	15. Don't Let the Sound of Your Own Wheels Drive You Crazy

Lily made her move as soon as they were back in their bedroom, mimicking Sam’s move from earlier.  She laid a hand on his chest and pushed him so that he was leaning up against the bedroom door.  Leaning in against him Lily kissed him, her lips demanding, her fingers tangling in his hair.  Sam wrapped his arms around Lily’s waist, pulling her tighter against him, deepening the kiss as he did.  He’d never get tired of the feel of Lily’s lips on his, not if they kissed a hundred times a day.  Maybe that could be a goal, Sam thought as Lily’s tongue traced over his lips.  His hands slid down to her hips, grinding her against him and he heard her hum appreciatively at the reaction just one kiss had gotten.  Before he was anywhere near ready for the kiss to be over Lily was pulling back from him with a smile on her lips that Sam knew well.  Quick as a flash her fingers were moving to his belt buckle and with fast nimble fingers Lily had him unbuckled, unbuttoned and unzipped before he could even blink.  The smile, that wicked, wicked smile that usually meant trouble was headed his way was on her lips and her fingers were stroking his hard length while Lily watched his face.

“Sam” Lily purred, moving so her lips were right next to his ear.  "You did request enthusiasm, right?"

Sam nodded his head, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the feel of Lily's hand wrapping around him and sliding back and forth smoothly.  He cleared his throat and managed to mutter "Enthusiasm is greatly appreciated."

Lily laughed lightly and sank to her knees gracefully in front of him.  Sam had to open his eyes then because those lips were just perfection.  He couldn't not watch.

Feeling his eyes on her Lily looked up and smiled at Sam and then she licked her lips and said "Enthusiasm I can do because, Sam..." Lily's eyes roamed over him, her fingers running up and down and then squeezing him appreciatively.  "You're a fucking work of art."

Sam let out a surprised bark of laughter.  "OK I've never been described tha-aw, fuck!" Sam said.  He'd taken his eyes off Lily for just a second and she had started leisurely dragging her tongue over his cock.  She grinned up at him, obviously pleased at his reaction and started laying small soft little kisses up and down his length.  It sounded so simple, almost sweet when you described it but God it was driving him crazy.  Her mouth, her luscious lips were right there, so close to being wrapped around him and he wanted that desperately.  Lily licked up his length again, swirling her tongue around the head, causing Sam to groan.  "God, Lil, you're killing me here" he said hoarsely.

Pulling back slightly Lily grinned up at him, one hand wrapping around his thigh and giving him a squeeze.  Then she threw him a quick wink and leaned forward and wrapped her lips around him.  Sam moaned happily at the feel of her mouth engulfing him.

Lily took her time, licking and sucking and stroking and making Sam feel like he had died and gone to heaven.  There was nothing rushed or hurried about it; Lily has promised Sam enthusiasm and she gave him that and more.  By the time Sam came with a hoarse shout he felt like the luckiest guy in the world.

While he was leaning back against the door catching his breath Lily was easing the rest of his clothes off of him.  He watched as she went to their bed and pulled back the covers, getting everything ready for them.

Then she came back to his side and leaned up and kissed him sweetly.  “Good?”

Sam grinned.  “Mind blowing.”

Lily beamed at the praise and took Sam by the hand and led him to their bed.  She got him lying down and tucked him in before quickly stripping herself, turning all the lights off except Sam’s bedside lamp and climbing into bed next to him.  Sam’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her close to him.  He kissed her and his hands had just started moving slowly over her body when Lily pulled back and shook her head at him.

“Uh uh.  Sleep.”

Sam looked at her in confusion.  “Wait, what world is this?  You’re turning down a chance at an orgasm?”

“I’m taking a rain check” Lily said, snuggling against him.

“I’m confused” Sam said, _sounding_ very confused.

Lily sighed and looked up at him.  “Sam, how long were you in the car today?”

“Five hours, give or take” Sam said, having no idea where this was going.

“And when you got home how many times did you make me come, I mean you were on your knees and then on the bed and then I was on my hands and knees…”

“OK yes, I was there, Lil” Sam said dryly.  “I get it, we were busy but I don’t see-”

“Aren’t you tired?” Lily asked and Sam instantly looked offended.

“Hey!  I can-”

“Oh shut up" Lily said, before he could get on some macho rant.  "Look, I said this was my plan, right?”  Sam nodded, still looking slightly mutinous.  Lily lifted a hand to cup his cheek.  “Well this is just part one. I figure you did such a great job with your plan we can stretch this out for another day.  So my question is - Do you feel good, feel taken care of?”  Sam’s face softened and he nodded.  “You said you never had anyone miss you before and I figured that meant no one waiting at home to take care of you either.”  Lily shrugged and Sam watched as a blush made its way across her cheeks.  “This is me taking care of you.  If I cooked I would have made you dinner but I did technically buy the pizza so in my book that counts.  I’m pretty confident I made you feel pretty damn good a few minutes ago and now we’re going to cuddle up in our bed together on fresh, clean sheets that I put on it.”  She met Sam’s eyes and he could see the vulnerability there.  “Is that OK?”

She'd thought about this that much was clear.  And that made the whole thing that much sweeter, that much more meaningful.  Sam had to swallow hard around the sudden lump in his throat.  He really was the luckiest guy.

Sam leaned down and kissed her softly.  “That’s way more than OK, Lil.  It’s perfect.”

* * *

The next morning Lily woke earlier than normal.  One second she’d been sleeping soundly and the next she was wide awake. This happened when her brain was overloaded.  No matter how content she was to float along on the River of Denial she could only shut certain thoughts out for so long and then they overwhelmed her and nudged her awake.

She stretched slowly, smiling at the feel of Sam warm and solid against her back.  She peaked at him over her shoulder and couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face.  He was sound asleep on his back, one of his arms her very convenient pillow.  Waking up next to Sam was one of her favorite things, such a simple thing but she liked starting and ending her days with him.  She’d discovered when he was gone that he’d totally screwed her for sleeping without him.  She’d gotten so used to sleeping next to him that sleeping without him just felt weird.

She tried closing her eyes, willing herself to go back to sleep but after a few minutes of struggling she gave up and slipped out of bed with a resigned sigh.  She pulled on some pajamas and socks and padded silently down to the kitchen.    It was early, so early that no one else was awake.  She went immediately for the coffee machine and got some coffee going.  Standing at the counter and watching the coffee brew Lily’s mind finally settled on one topic to focus on: the prophecy Sam had shown her about herself.  She’d done a good job of just not thinking about it after that day, shutting the topic away in a sealed box in the back of her mind that she didn’t dare touch.  But apparently the box was open a crack this morning and there was no ignoring it.  Lily sighed.  She desperately wanted to talk to Rose about this.  If anyone would understand what it was like to have a prophecy you didn’t fit thrust upon you it was her.  But Rose was God only knew where and while Lily had others who would listen and be sympathetic she decided to keep her own company at the moment.

Pouring herself a cup of the freshly brewed coffee Lily padded softly towards the library.  Once there she settled into one of the red leather chairs sat along the side of the room, setting her mug down on a small table and leaning her head back and staring up at the ceiling.

**_The duty falls to the warrior._**   That line kept playing on a loop in Lily’s mind.  Duty was one thing she understood.  Lily had spent her entire life believing in duty and doing what she was called to.  Lily had known things at a young age that most people never knew about.  Looking back now she knew her parents had held off telling her details as long as they felt they responsibly could.  They had wanted their daughters to have as normal a childhood as possible while still being safe.  Sam and Dean had known a hell of a lot more than she had with firsthand experience as well a lot younger than she had but her parents had made it clear in attitude at least that they did not look at John Winchester as a responsible parent.  Lily had known what her dad did when she was young, sort of.  Her parents had always been very vague, not wanting little girls up every night with nightmares so she and Rose (and Daisy later on) had some notion that he did something to keep everyone safe.  Her mom used the word hero a lot and for years Lily had thought that was an actual job title.  (She'd only realized it wasn't when Tommy Hanover had laughed at her and called her stupid for not knowing what her dad's job was. Lily had kicked him so hard he cried, thus leading to a conversation with her mom about not discussing what her dad did.  And another conversation (the first of many, none of which had stuck) about not using physical force to solve an argument.)  She finally heard the word hunter used around her house often enough to figure out that’s what her dad and Sam and Dean’s dad was though it was years before she figured out what they were hunting.

She’d believed from the moment Rose was born and then Daisy that it was her duty to help keep them safe and her sisters had been taught the same in varying degrees.  But Lily was the warrior - a prophecy written years before she was ever born said so and once she’d known that she knew that really she was the one who was meant to do the protecting of her sisters.  Her parents might say it was a joint effort on all the girls’ parts but Lily knew deep down, in that place where she knew the really strong true facts in life, that it was her duty.

Unlike Rose and Daisy there hadn’t been some magical age when all of Lily's powers came to her, instead they just grew stronger as she aged.  She’d always been a strong little girl, beating all the boys in her class in races and sports as long as she could remember.  (She supposed looking back now that if she had any interest in college she could have played sports in high school and gotten a scholarship. But she’d had no interest in sports or college.)  When she was ten years old her father had started teaching her to fight.  He hadn't told her why, had just said he thought she should learn and Lily hadn't questioned it.  Lily had been a natural, able to punch and kick and jump and block as easily as if she was walking.  To her it was fun to be included in something with her dad that neither of her sisters got to be a part of.  It made her feel special and Lily loved that feeling.

Just before Lily’s twelfth birthday she had come across her parents arguing.  She had just gotten dropped off by her friend’s mom after a big study session for a science test.  (Lily might not care about school but her parents didn’t accept bad grades.  She knew from experience that they had no problem grounding her for them and so Lily tried to do OK enough in school to keep that from happening.)  She’d let herself in the house and headed towards the kitchen when she heard raised voices coming from that direction.  She’d slowed and then came to a stop when she was close enough to make out what her parents were saying.

“-too young.  We promised we would never make our girls live a life like the boys have had.”  That was her mom and she sounded really upset.  Lily frowned in confusion.  The boys were obviously Sam and Dean but she didn’t understand what her mom meant.

“Her life won't be anything like there's.  But she's not too young, Erin.  We’ve put this off as long as we can.”  That was her dad, speaking in his most soothing tone.  He was obviously trying to calm her mom down but wasn’t willing to give into her either.  “If it wasn’t for her God given talent I’d say we put it off too long.”  Lily’s eyes got big at that statement.  Her dad was always calling her fighting skills a God given talent, so they were obviously talking about her.  “She’ll be twelve next week, sweetheart.  She needs to know the truth.”

“Her life will never be the same, Brendan.  We’ll be taking that from her.”  Something was slammed down and knowing her parents Lily had a pretty good idea her mom had slammed something down on the table.  “We swore they wouldn’t grow up like I did.”  It would be several years before Lily understood what her mother meant.  Lily realized with a shock that her mom was crying.  Her mom never cried.

“Erin, shhh, baby don’t cry.” Lily peaked around the corner and saw her dad holding her mom.  “Our girl’s lives are nothing like yours was.  You know that.  Look at all the friends they have, all the things they’re involved with.  Good, normal things." Brendan tipped his wives face back to meet his own and wiped her tears away.  “Our girls are strong and happy because they’re loved more than any other girls in the world.  Telling Lily, teaching her what all she needs to know, that won’t change that.”

Erin had calmed down somewhat and seemed to be considering her husband’s words.  “You won’t be taking her out on the road with you.”  This wasn’t a question or a request but an order and he took it as such.

“Not for a good long while.  I promise.”

“You’ll be careful.”

“Would I be anything but?  That’s my first born baby we’re talking about here.”  Lily felt a little glow of pride at that.  She was the first born and nothing either of her sisters did could change that.  She was special.

“Then I suppose…..” Lily had backed away slowly and quietly, heading back to the front of the house.

A few days after her birthday her father had told her the truth about all that he did.  She’d known bits and pieces, (much more than her parents realized) mostly from the boys and from things she’s picked up when the adults were talking and didn’t know she could hear, but this was the first time someone had sat her down and explained it all to her.  Then he’d told her why she was so strong, that she was special and he’d explained about the prophecy.  Looking back now she could see what a good job he had done, how careful he’d been.  He’d said this didn’t change who she was, that it was just an added bonus, the cherry on top of how wonderful she already was.  And then he’d given her his best dad wink that always made her feel extra special.  He’d told her that one day both her sisters would have gifts too, though they would be different than hers and because she was the oldest she got to learn everything first.  He’d explained carefully that all this wasn’t something to tell others, that it had to stay within the family and this time that meant not even telling Sam and Dean.  He hadn’t looked happy at that part and Lily was fairly certain that had been her mom’s decision, not her dads.  Lily had found all the information, all the explanations fascinating.  The monsters and demons had been scary but even with that fear she felt better knowing.  She suddenly understood what she was supposed to do in life, what she was meant to do.  It fit and Lily was happy because she liked things that made sense.  She liked knowing her purpose.

And now here was this other stupid bit of prophecy throwing all that on its ear.  It made her angry, as if she’d been reading from one script most of her life and now suddenly someone had decided to pull that script out of her hands, throw it away and give her a re-write.  “Sorry about that.  Ignore all those things we told you.  Follow this script now.”  Oh and this one happened to be written in ancient Aramaic, that’s how much sense it made to her.

Despite the fact that in a lot of ways her life had been shaped by a prophecy Lily had never felt controlled by it.  If she’d wanted to go to college or had some career goal her parents would have backed her the whole way, she knew that.  They’d never tried to stop Rose from going and her dad especially had been crazy proud of her for getting a full scholarship.  But honestly Lily had done pretty much what she wanted with her life.  She went with her dad on hunts when he was alive and pretty much just kept an eye on things around their area after he passed away, handling anything that came their way.  (Knowing you had backup like Bobby and the Winchester’s and a great research team and spell resource in her family helped.)  She did random jobs that she liked or that interested her.  She hooked up with guys when she wanted, had a boyfriend when she liked and never lacked for company and had a group of great friends.  She still lived at home but even though they occasionally made her crazy she genuinely liked her family so why shouldn’t she?  She didn’t remember ever feeling trapped.  Until now.

But this new prophecy wasn’t one she could even think of going into half assed and it didn’t mesh with most of what had made up her life for so many years.  It had been so much easier when her parents had told her what the prophecy meant for her as a kid.  What she wouldn’t give for someone to show up to explain it all to her now.  Sam had been so patient about it but she knew at some point he was going to push her to talk about it with him and she didn’t know what to say, didn't have the first idea of how to explain how she was feeling aside from confused.

With a groan Lily drained her coffee cup and headed back for a refill, none the clearer or more settled.

* * *

Daisy stretched feeling well rested for the first time in ages.  Well as rested as one can be when you're in a coma she amended.  This all seemed so real, she thought, looking around her at the cozy lodge.  The sounds, the smells, they all led her to believe and feel like this was reality.  It was hard to remember it wasn't.  She stretched her legs out in front of her and while they still felt weak they felt better, stronger she was sure.

She craned her neck looking for Cas and as if hearing her he appeared by her side.  “Daisy?  Are you OK?”

Daisy smiled at him happily.  “Mmm hmmm.  I feel better today, Cas” she said and watched the relief flood over Cas’ face.  He sank down next to her on the couch, looking her over as if making sure she was telling the truth.  Daisy sat patiently, knowing how worried he had been about her.  Finally he nodded his head.

“You do seem to be stronger than yesterday.  Still, you need to take it easy.  We don’t want to rush things, Daisy.”

Daisy sighed, trying to be patient.  She knew she’d been hurt, knew she was still hurt but for the first time since all this had happened she felt bored, restless.  She figured that must be a good sign.

“I am taking it easy, Cas.  Look see?  This is me not moving.  Just lying like a lump on a couch.”  There was a slight pout on her face now, despite her best attempts to hide it.

Cas frowned.  He wasn’t sure what to do.  Daisy needed to rest that was for certain.  But he wanted her happy and she didn’t look at all pleased right now.

“Would you like to go somewhere else?” he questioned and Daisy’s whole face immediately lit up.

“Oh could we?  That would be awesome, Cas!  I mean, I love it here” she amended quickly, not wanting Cas to get the idea he hadn’t chose well with where to bring her, because he totally had.  But a new location sounded great.  “It’s so pretty here.  But a new place, a change of scenery would be nice.”

Cas nodded and was trying to figure out where to go when Daisy added “And could it be somewhere warm?”

With another nod and a smile this time Cas took Daisy’s hand in his.  The next thing Daisy knew she was seated on a lounge chair, partially shaded by a palm tree on a beautiful sandy beach.  The ocean was like a crystal sapphire in front of her, stretching out for as far as the eye could see.

Looking down Daisy saw she was wearing an adorable blue and white polka dot swimsuit, something like a pin up model would have worn and red high heels that Lily would have killed for.  Perched on her nose were her own red heart sunglasses.  She glanced up at Cas who was standing beside her watching her reaction.

“This is perfect” she breathed and he smiled proudly.

“You have very specific images in your mind of clothes.  It’s nice to have something so easy to follow.”

“Well, I know what I want” Daisy said, her eyes unwittingly focusing on Cas’ lips.  She immediately blushed and averted her eyes.  She hadn’t meant that like it had come out.  Well yes, she had but she hadn’t planned on saying it or even thinking it.

Unlike her sisters Daisy was shy when it came to the opposite sex at least if she liked a guy.  It was one reason she was so relieved when Cas kissed her. Not only did it make it seem believable he liked her but it took the responsibility of making a move out of her hands which was a good thing as she was fairly sure that would have been a disaster.  Lily and Rose had always had a fairly steady stream of boyfriends as far back as Daisy could remember.  They were comfortable with flirting and dating and everything that went with it, seeming to do it all like it was the most natural thing in the world.  Sometimes Daisy wondered if that skill had skipped her somehow.  She had only had a few boyfriends in high school and no one serious.  She could talk to guys all right if they were a friend but not if she liked them and certainly not if they might like her back.  Then she got all tongue tied and awkward.  And now here she was on her own with a guy she most definitely liked, more than she’d ever liked anyone.  This could be off the charts awkward.

She shot Cas a sideways glance and saw he had his head cocked to the side and was looking at her with a confused expression on his face.  Great.  He could read her mind and she still managed to confuse him.  That said a lot about her Daisy thought with an internal eye roll.  Needing to talk, to make things somewhat less awkward Daisy asked the first question that popped into her mind.

“So when can I start to learn more about what I can do?” Cas looked at her in surprise, obviously not expecting that question.

“Soon, Daisy” he said after looking at her for a minute.  “Give your body a little more time to heal and we’ll start.”

Daisy nodded her head agreeably, stretching out and getting comfortable.  The sun beating down on her legs felt good and was making her feel sleepy, the good kind of relaxed sleepy that only lying in the sun could bring.  And hey imaginary sun meant no harmful rays.  Bonus!

Cas reach out and pushed a stray curl out of Daisy’s face and said softly “I’ll be back in a little while.  If you need me I’ll be here.”  He hesitated a moment then bent down and kissed her forehead lightly and was gone.

Daisy sighed and closed her eyes.  I’m in a coma, laying on a beach in my mind and I just freaked out the angel who kissed me yesterday.  Who would ever believe that?

* * *

Sam woke to the pleasant aroma of freshly brewed coffee.  He opened his eyes to find Lily sitting crossed legged on the bed facing him, drinking a cup and looking at her phone.

“Morning Sam” she said, glancing up at him with a smile.  Sam blinked, trying to remember the last time Lily was awake before him.  And she had coffee and was wearing pajamas so she’d obviously been up and about the bunker.  “There’s a cup of coffee on your table.”

“Thanks” Sam said sitting up and reaching for the hot coffee.  He eyed Lily cautiously as he drank, knowing that look.  Her eyes were shining mischievously, her cheeks were flushed - She was up to something.  As if she read his mind Lily laid her phone aside and smiled at him over the rim of her cup.  She said nothing though, just drank her coffee and kept smiling.

"What's going on in that head of yours Miss?" Sam asked but Lily just giggled.  She finished her coffee then lay back down while Sam finished his coffee, the same happy smile on her face.  After she’d had her morning freak out she’d pushed all those thoughts aside, locking them back in their box in her mind.  And now she was focusing on Sam again and her plans for later.  Our latest cruise on the River of Denial has boarded and is sailing, ladies and gentleman.

Sam sat his own mug aside and lay back down on his side and stared at her.  “You’re not going to tell me are you?” Sam asked a note of resignation in his voice.  A smile teased his lips though as he playfully tugged at her hair.  Whatever Lily was plotting it was making her happy and Sam figured anything that made her smile like that couldn’t be too bad a thing.

Lily shook her head, kissed Sam quickly on the lips and then hopped off the bed and stopped in the doorway to the bathroom, turning to Sam with a grin.  “Shower time?”

Sam smiled to himself as he watched Lily sashay off to get the water going.  They had things they needed to talk about, he knew that.  But Lily looked so happy this morning that Sam couldn’t bring himself to start any kind of serious conversation.  Instead he drug himself out of bed and made his way to the bathroom where a smiling Lily was waiting for him.

* * *

Rose came out to the kitchen to find Chastity drinking coffee and reading the paper.

"Morning Sleepy Head” Chastity greeted her with a grin.

Rose glanced at the clock which read just after noon.  She smiled and stretched.  “I slept so well.  The best I have in days.”  She hadn’t explained anything to Chastity last night and luckily she hadn’t asked for details.  Rose looked at Chastity curiously.  "You're not a morning person yourself.  What gives?"

Chastity looked surprised by the question but then smiled.  "I'm off work this week.  It's nice to be able to keep normal hours for a change."  She folded the newspaper up and laid it on the table.  "Now if you want to get dressed in something a bit more appropriate we can go grab a late lunch.”

Rose glanced down at her t-shirt (Another baking one from Daisy – When All Else Fails Bake!) and jeans and wondered where exactly Chastity was planning on taking her.

Seeing her confusion Chastity laughed.  “If we’re going to be ladies who lunch, Rose we might as well do it right.  I was thinking of lunch at the country club. Maybe we’ll do some shopping afterwards.  Take your mind off whatever’s troubling you.”

Rose smiled at her, grateful for the fact that Chastity wasn’t pushing her for details.  She wouldn’t even know where to begin.

“Sounds good.  Just give me a few minutes to change.”

"Take your time" Chastity assured her.  "I need to change too."

Rose slipped back to her room and rummaged through her clothes trying to decide what to wear.  Don’t even think about the last time you wore a dress she commanded herself as her mind ignored her and wandered down that path anyway.  She shut her eyes as images of that night with Dean flooded over her, each one more beautiful and painful than the last.  She shook herself after a minute, clearing her mind.  Don’t go there again she warned her reflection.

Rose pulled out a grey and mauve polka dotted dress with a matching cardigan.  A pearl bracelet and drop pearl earrings completed the outfit along with grey flats.  Chastity wanted to do lunch right and that was something Rose could do.  She even had a pearl covered clutch to finish the outfit.

She brushed her hair out slipping on a grey crystal headband but leaving the back loose (Like Dean liked it a small voice whispered), dabbed on just a touch of makeup and perfume and was good to go.  She realized with a start how young she looked like this; as if she was a little girl playing dress up in her mother’s clothes or at best a very, very young housewife.  You would have though with all that had happened recently it would show on her face, that she’d look more grown up, more jaded.  But nope, there was her sweet, innocent, young looking face staring back at her.  As she checked her reflection in the mirror it also occurred to her that Dean would have liked the outfit, the way she looked in it.  She looked prim, proper and Dean would have teased her about that, liking it all the same.  He would have made her blush for sure telling her how much he liked her in a dress and she would have heard the heat behind his words and melted accordingly.  God she missed him.

“Almost ready?” Chastity asked, knocking on the door and sticking her head in, breaking Rose out of her thoughts.  “Now that’s better” she said, eyeing Rose’s outfit approvingly.  She studied Rose’s face for a second and then as if reading Rose’s mind she said “Damn, you still look like a baby.  Bet you still get carded, don’t you?”  And she grinned when Rose blushed giving her all the answer she needed.  “Hey don’t knock looking young, kiddo.  People pay good money to look like that for as long as they can.”

For her part Chastity looked sophisticated and polished in a form fitting teal dress that fit her like a glove and accented all her curves perfectly.  From her black and white heels, to her perfectly applied makeup, to the antique onyx earrings she wore she looked well put together and absolutely stunning.  Though Rose personally preferred the less polished Chastity, the one who wore jeans and t-shirts and giggled with her over silly things, but this was the public Chastity and she did look good.

Rose plastered a smile on that she hoped covered up how emotional she was feeling.  “You look fabulous.”

Chastity smiled and patted her chignon.  “Eh, it pays to clean up nice in my line of work.”  She looped arms with Rose and lead her towards the door.  “Now come on.  I’m starving!”

* * *

Back at the bunker Dean and Charlie were in the library, finishing off their lunch while Charlie told him how it was coming with the second website.

“This one has been a nightmare.  I thought the first one was bad…” Charlie gave a little shudder.  She took a bite of her sandwich then continued.  “But I’m getting there finally.  I think I should have something today maybe tomorrow.”

Dean nodded.  “Good deal.”  Dean took a bite of his own lunch and eyed Charlie thoughtfully.  “You’ve done a really good job, Charlie.  I know none of this has been easy and you had no way of knowing what you were walking into here.”

"Dean, I don't think you guys had any idea."  She shrugged.  "Either way, it doesn't matter.  I'd have helped no matter what."

Dean grinned at Charlie.  "Because you're awesome."

Charlie nodded.  "Damn straight."  Then she couldn't help but grin back.

Dean’s phone vibrated and he pulled it from his pocket, his grin disappearing to be replaced with a scowl when he saw the displayed number.  Before Charlie could say anything Dean was letting out a string of curses and answering his phone.

“What the hell do you want?” he growled into the phone.

“Nice to talk to you too, Squirrel.”


	16. Like The Colors in Autumn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of convos and a whole new way of looking at peanut butter.

"There’s some interesting gossip going around that I thought you and Moose might just know something about.” Crowley was saying in a breezy tone that Dean didn’t buy for a minute.  There was something serious going on here.  Crowley didn't just call for a chat.

Charlie was watching Dean nervously as he paced around the library growling into the phone.  Her eyes widened when she heard the name leave Dean's lips.

“Sorry Crowley, I don’t have time to play gossip girl with you.”

“Oh no?  So you wouldn’t happen to know anything about a certain oh..what shall we call her?  How about a special girl with some extra scary powers?”  Inside Dean was cursing, every curse word he’d ever heard in his life and Dean knew some truly legendary cursers and  was no slouch in that department himself.  For good measure he threw in a few he made up on the spot.  He figured the circumstance called for it.  There was no doubt in Dean's mind who Crowley was talking about.  He knew about Rose.  Dean closed his eyes for just a second as a bolt of panic ran down his spine.  If Crowley knew about Rose then others knew about her too and that was so not good.  While Dean was having an internal breakdown Crowley continued.  "Rumor is up until late she was somehow involved with a family of hunters.  And when I heard that well I just thought to myself what hunters do I know that would be that stupid?  Of course I immediately thought of you two.”

"Ya, where'd you hear this crap anyway?  Sounds like idle demon gossip to me" Dean bluffed.

"Well you see when a demon gets exorcised and thrown down into the pit they tend to talk, really willing to spill their guts."  Crowley gave a much put upon sigh.  "When one shows up claiming someone yanked them out of their meat suit in a parking lot in broad daylight without so much as breaking a sweat I tend to perk my ears up a bit."

Crowley paused them asked oh so casually.  "So is it true?"

"Is what true?" Dean asked, dropping back into his chair.

"Is she one of the bloody sisters from the prophecy or not!" Crowley roared.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Dean shot back.  "What prophecy?  What sisters?" Charlie froze when she heard Dean's words.  She caught his eye and saw the panic there.  Oh this was so not good.

"Oh please." Dean could practically feel Crowley rolling his eyes.  "You know what this means don't you?"  When Dean was silent Crowley snarled "Oh sure, play the clueless sap why don't you?  A role that comes quite naturally to you I'm sure" Crowley said.  "You'll forgive me if I don't believe you."

"Sorry Crowley, can't help you with something I don't know about."

"You remember that when you need my help.  I might not be my usual accommodating self" Crowley spat out and hung up.

"Shit" Dean muttered, staring at his phone for a second.  "Shit shit shit."  He looked at Charlie then stood to his feet and bellowed loud enough for people in the next county to hear "Sam!"

* * *

After a delicious lunch Rose and Chastity had walked around one of the local shopping districts.  It had been a beautiful day out, with lovely weather, perfect for window shopping which they had done quite a bit of.  They’d stopped in a few shops and looked around but for the most part they just strolled, looking into windows and chatting.

Back at Chastity's house Rose took a glass of wine from Chastity and took a grateful sip.  She wasn't sure if it was the wine, the chance to relax or the good night’s rest but she was feeling so much better.  Maybe it was just being back with someone she knew and trusted.  There hasn't been a single incident of her powers flaring up today and that angry voice in her head had finally shut up.  She was feeling so much more like her old self it was amazing.  They had drank quite a bit of wine throughout the day (Chastity was a big fan of wine and was great at finding ones Rose actually liked.) so maybe that was all she had needed.  Who knew alcohol could be so helpful.

Back in her comfy t-shirt and jeans, curled up in a corner of Chastity's couch Rose felt relaxed.  The room was decadently decorated with sumptuous looking fabrics and expensive furniture.  Expensive and decadent seemed to be the way of most things with Chastity.  Rose had known that to some extent before but seeing how Chastity lived in person really drove the point home.  Her home was warm but it was also obviously meant to impress. 

Rose gave a contented sigh.  They had such a decadent lunch, with Chastity insisting Rose try some of the local dishes New Orleans was famous for.  After such a big lunch neither had wanted much to eat for dinner so Chastity was whipping up a quick salad and they'd picked up some decadent looking pastries for dessert later.  (Chastity had suggested some pecan pie but Rose had balked at that idea.  She just couldn’t eat pie.) Chastity had insisted Rose relax in the living room and enjoy her wine, refusing to let her lift a finger.  So Rose did just that, sipping her wine and resting on the couch, shoving down any thoughts of the people she missed.

* * *

"So let me get this straight, you not only know but are friends with the king of hell?"  The disbelief in Lily's voice was clear.

Sam looked at Dean, obviously deciding it was his place to answer.

"I wouldn't call us friends" Dean started and Sam snorted, earning himself a glare from his brother.

"Oh come on, Dean" Sam said.

"We're not friends" Dean said adamantly. "He's a demon."

"And yet he calls you" Lily said.  She looked curious.  "Who else's number would I find in that phone of yours?" She asked and Dean shifted uncomfortably.

"Can we get back to the issue at hand?" Dean asked irritably.

"Right because you being bff's with the king of hell totally isn't it" Lily muttered and Charlie choked back a laugh while Sam struggled to hide his grin.

"You know your boyfriend is pretty chatty with him too" Dean threw out.  "Might want to check his phone sometime."

As Lily turned to look at Sam curiously he glared at his brother and hastily got them back on topic.

"Right so the issue being that obviously Crowley knows about Rose."

"Which means we have to assume other demons do too" Dean said with a grim look. "Interestingly he didn't seem to know you and Daisy were with us" he said glancing at Lily.  "He didn't mention you two at all."

"That's a good thing" Sam said.

"Well Rose has killed what, four demons now right?" Charlie questioned.  "That's bound to get noticed."

"Five" Lily corrected absently.

"What I don't get is why does he care?" Sam said.  "You said he sounded worried right?"  Dean nodded.  "OK why?"

"I don't know, maybe because she could take his ass down without blinking."  Sam had to grin at the note of pride in Dean's voice. Dean might not like Rose being in danger but he was obviously proud of what she could do.

"OK but as far as we know Rose hasn't gone after demons on her own.  She's not hunting them, just defending herself against ones who attack her."

"Good point" Dean said thoughtfully.  "He did ask if I knew what all this meant."

"Which we don't" Sam said the frustration clear in his voice.  It irked Sam not to know things in general, much more so when it was something he had been researching. "For all the mentions of you girls we never found one that said why you were given powers or exactly what you needed them for."

"Well fingers crossed that this website will give us some info.” Charlie clicked a few times then said "Give me some time…."I'm close."

"Maybe we'll go grab some dinner and give you some time to focus without us in your hair." Sam looked at Dean and Lily, getting a nod from both.  "We could bring you something back.  That sound like a plan?"  Charlie nodded her head absently, her focus completely on her task now.

Lily went to get shoes from their room while Sam and Dean both shrugged into their coats.

"We need to find her, Sammy" Dean said, anxiety and desperation heavy in his voice. "She's out there and ya she's powerful but she's not a hunter. She trusts people too easily.  She's gonna trust the wrong person and..."

Sam nodded as his brother trailed off.  He knew what Dean meant.  Rose rarely had her guard up.  It wasn't in her nature to look for the worst in people.  That trait was a huge weakness in her current circumstance.  Sam put a hand on Dean's shoulder.  "We will.  Let's see what Charlie finds and then we'll come up with a plan."

* * *

“You’re spoiling me” Rose moaned, stretched out on the couch after dinner.  The salad had been fresh and light, a perfect meal after their rich lunch.  And the pastries they had picked up had been heavenly tasting, with rich chocolate, fresh fruit and luscious fresh cream.  Rose would have loved to pick the pastry chefs brain because these were just outstanding.  Chastity had waited on Rose hand and foot, insisting she was her guest and treating her like a queen.  For her part Rose had drank several glasses of wine and was feeling relaxed and comfortable.

“You deserve to be spoiled” Chastity said, seated on the couch opposite Rose.  Dressed in an Adele t-shirt (“Long Live The Queen”) and jeans with her hair down and her face washed free of makeup Chastity looked a lot younger, more like the friend Rose had made all those years ago than the polished woman she'd lunched with today.

“Mmm” Rose agreed amiably.  “Being spoiled is fun.”

“Isn’t anyone spoiling you these days?” Chastity asked, smiling at Rose over her own wineglass.  “I seem to recall you had plenty of men who just loved to spoil you.”

“Mmm, there's only one man in my life these days” Rose said as Chastity refilled her wine glass.  How many had she drunk now?  She’d lost count after dinner.  She was definitely tipsy at this point and it felt good.

“And he doesn’t spoil you?” Chastity tsk tskd with a shake of her head.  “He can’t be taking very good care of you then.  A girl like you needs to be spoiled, Rose.”

“A girl like me?” Rose queried.

“A princess, a brat, whichever one you consider yourself these days” Chastity said with a shrug.

Rose looked thoughtful.  “He does call me Princess.  Oh and he definitely spoils me” Rose assured her.  “And he takes suuuch good care of me.”  She took a drink of wine.  She was past the sipping stage now.  “He’s sooo bossy though.”

Chastity smiled at her.  “As I recall you seemed to like that trait in men.”

Rose smiled dreamily.  “Oh yes…I do.  And nice suits.”  She frowned suddenly as a thought occurred to her.  “I never got to see him in his suit.  Oh that sucks.”  She pouted, draining her wine glass and sticking it out for Chastity to fill.  She cheered up when her glass was full again and moved past her disappointment.  “He’s so sexy when he’s bossing everyone around.  He doesn’t even try you know.  It just comes natural to him.”

Chastity sipped at her own glass of wine.  “So is this Dean we’re talking about?” Rose nodded her head enthusiastically.  “Aw, the guy whose picture you showed me with the pretty lips and amazing arms.”  Rose nodded again, her face looking dreamy.  Chastity laughed softly.  “So something finally happened between you two?” she asked, her eyes alight with interest.  "Details please."

Rose slipped down on the couch a little, her body relaxing as she smiled.  “Oh yes…so much happened.  There was the kissing...which you knew about.”  Chastity nodded, encouraging her to go on.  “And then more of the kissing and then the touching…and the spanking.”  That got a raised eyebrow from Chastity along with a raise of her glass in approval.  Rose giggled her face blushing as she took another drink of wine.  “And then the mmmm.”

Chastity laughed.  “That’s a new one.  I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone refer to sex as mmm.”  She cocked her head thoughtfully.  “It’s quite descriptive actually.”

“Sex with him is delicious” Rose said happily.  “Like every decadent dessert you can imagine tasting ten times better than you ever thought it could.  And oh Chast…” Rose was laying on the couch now, her body looking boneless and fluid.  She faced her friend now, her face practically shining.  “When he spanks me…” A little shiver went through Rose’s body and Chastity grinned.  “He’s perfection.  He say’s all the right things and he...he doesn’t have to try to own me.  He just does.”

“Rose darling, why aren’t you with him then?”Chastity asked curiously.  Rose emptied her wine glass again and this time she didn’t ask for more.  She just held it in her hand and looked at it for a moment.  Finally she said:

“Because I’m very, very bad and I screwed up.  And I tried to fix things and I messed up again.”  She looked like an unruly child admitting she had broken all the rules.  “He must be so, so mad at me.”

Chastity couldn’t help but chuckle.  “So putting the pieces together I’m going to guess you ran away?”  Rose nodded her head guiltily and Chastity laughed again.  “Oh Rose…”  She shook her head.  “You’re in a world of trouble.”

Rose looked at her curiously.  “Huh?  What do you mean?”

Chastity sat forward and caught Rose’s eye.  “Sweetheart, you ran away from a man that spanks you…a man you willingly admit you belong to.”  She sat back with a little grin.  “What exactly do you think he’s going to do to you when he gets a hold of you?”

Rose’s whole body froze and she looked at Chastity with a shocked expression, sitting up slowly.  “Ya but we never…I mean…it’s just been play…he’s never seriously…he wouldn’t…” Her words trailed off as her mind went into overdrive.  Chastity had to chuckle.

“I would” Chastity said bluntly, drawing Rose’s shocked eyes to hers.  She shrugged.  “You opened the door, sweetheart.  If you were mine, with the lines you two have set up, I’d spank your ass for real.”

Rose frowned at her then stuck her wine glass back out.  “More wine, please.”

Chastity grinned and refilled her glass.  “What’s wrong, Rose?  Not so keen on that idea?”

Rose took a big gulp of wine and squirmed a little.  Finally she admitted “I don’t know.”  She bit her lip then added “I mean fantasizing about it is one thing but I’m not very good at being in trouble.”  She shot a look at Chastity when she laughed.  “Yes, I know.  I’m such a good girl.”

“Apparently not that good” Chastity murmured, causing Rose to almost choke on her wine as she laughed.

“Look, you want my opinion?”  Rose nodded.  “You trust him right?”  Rose instantly nodded again and Chastity noticed there wasn't any hesitation there. That was a good sign.  "Then don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.  It’s a good way to start over with a clean slate.”  Chastity looked at Rose knowingly.  “I know you and you beat yourself up over every little mistake.  Funny how much less you do that when someone else is beating your ass for you.”

“Chastity!” Rose said the look on her face somewhere between amused and horrified.

Chastity just grinned at her unrepentantly.  “The sex is great afterwards too” she said with a wink.

Rose just rolled her eyes and went back to her wine her cheeks flushed a deep scarlet.  After a minute she glanced at Chastity and asked:

“Besides who said I’m going back?”

Chastity raised an eyebrow.  “Aren’t you?”  Rose shook her head.  “Hmm, could have fooled me." Rose didn't budge so Chastity continued.  "Well from what you’ve told me about Dean – a dominant, oh sorry, you prefer the word bossy, I forgot.”  She shot a mischievous smile Rose’s way.

“Chas, quit teasing me” Rose groaned.

“Hey Kiddo, you have your words you like and dislike.  I just call it like I see it.”

Rose pouted at her, downing more wine then unable to stop herself she asked “How do you see it?”

Chastity grinned, knowing that Rose would have to ask.  “You have yourself a boyfriend with a dominant streak a mile wide who I’m guessing is as crazy about you as you are about him?”  Rose nodded, biting her lip.  “So either you’ll go back or he’ll come after you.  Guys like that don’t just give up or let go easily.  And you two have history as well."  She sipped her wine and added thoughtfully “It makes sense actually, you being with a guy like that.  You always have had a submissive streak in you.”

Rose looked shocked.  “I do not!”

Chastity just smiled at her.  “Sweetie, you do.  You just never had a guy you trusted enough to let it out.”  She looked at Rose knowingly.  “When you were reading “Return to Random Point” I’m pretty sure you weren’t picturing yourself in the role of one of the dominants were you?” she asked, referring to one of the books in the series that had started their friendship.  Rose shook her head.  Chastity nodded wisely.  “You like to be spanked, Rose.  I mean let’s be honest, that's a big time kink for you.  You like bossy guys.  You admit you belong to Dean.  Hell, Rose your eyes light up when you talk about how “bossy” he is.” Chastity said, making air quotes.  “All those things don’t exist in a person without more than a teeny, tiny touch of submissiveness in them.”  Rose just looked at her, biting her lip so Chastity tried a different tactic.  “OK when he’s being bossy how does it make you feel?”

“Hot” Rose admitted immediately then blushed again.  Chastity smiled and motioned for her to continue and Rose thought a second before adding “Safe" she said softly, "Taken care of.”

“Submissive?” Chastity asked just as softly and Rose finally nodded a slight scowl on her face.

“But it’s not like I’m running around calling him Master or wanting him to run my life” Rose argued. “And we don’t get in the bedroom and I immediately fall at his feet begging to be told what to do.”

“I didn’t say you were a submissive, I said you had a streak of it.” She took a sip of her wine and said “So you have a side of you that’s submissive and obviously Dean brings that out.  You also have a side of you that’s stubborn as hell and can take charge.  The most interesting people are multi faceted, sweetie.  If you have a guy that can handle both those sides you’re lucky.”

Seeing that Rose looked happier with this explanation Chastity added “Think of it like peanut butter.” Rose looked at Chastity curiously.  “You love peanut butter but it doesn’t mean you want it for every single meal.  Sometimes you want a nice peanut butter sandwich, other times you want a cheeseburger or lasagna.”  Rose nodded this making sense to her and Chastity grinned.  “So sometimes you’re in the mood for a good spanking and other times you want to tie him up and blow his mind.”  She paused then looked at Rose knowingly and added “Remember Sherlock has a submissive side too.”

Rose grinned finally.  “Good point” she said.

Chastity just smiled modestly then after a minute she asked “So why’d you run?  I can’t imagine what you did was so bad.”

Rose looked at her sadly.  “It was.  And it’s so complicated and will sound crazy.”

“I see a lot of crazy, Rose” Chastity said gently.

Rose shook her head, not budging.  “Not this kind of crazy.”  She took another sip of her wine.  “OK we’ve dealt with my love life…now what about yours?  How's Ryan?  And how's the real love of your life?"

Chastity shot her a wicked smile.  “Oh we’re going to need a lot more wine for this.”

* * *

Dean pulled the impala up in front of the bunker and Lily hopped out, Charlie's dinner in her hands.  Both the boys watched her hurry inside and then Sam turned to Dean.

"I'll let you know if Charlie has anything" Sam said.

Dean nodded.  He was heading to the hospital.  He'd planned on going there tonight anyway, wanting to give Bobby a break then Cas had texted him during dinner asking to talk to him so Dean figured he could kill two birds with one stone.  He'd in turn texted Bobby to say he'd be there to stay the night and Bobby could go get some sleep.

"I just feel like I need to do something" Dean said sounding frustrated.  "Rose is out there with a big target on her.  I need to be looking for her."

"I get that, Dean, I do.  But where would you start?"

Dean stared at his hands gripping the steering wheel.  "Texas maybe?" He finally ventured.  "Maybe New Orleans."

Sam nodded.  Rose's grandparents were near Houston and Dean had told him about him and Charlie discovering Chastity was in New Orleans.  Those two places made sense to him.

"You don't think Chastity would contact you if Rose showed up?" Sam asked.

Dean shrugged. "She's Rose's friend.  If Rose asked her not to I doubt she'd ignore that. Her loyalty would be to Rose."

Sam nodded thoughtfully.  That made sense.  Rose was extremely loyal and it made sense she'd bring out the same intense loyalty in her friends.  "Let's wait till Charlie gets this website cracked, see what it tells us and then if we don't have anything else to go on we'll head for Texas."

Dean looked at him, his eyes dark and unreadable.  "You don't have to come you know."

Sam raised an eyebrow.  "Thanks so much for letting me know that, Dean."

Dean rolled his eyes.  "I just mean, well you’ve got Lily here."

"Mmm hmm and she can come with us if she wants.  I'm not leaving you on your own just because I have a girlfriend."

Dean grinned, masking his relief at his brothers’ words.  "Aw, Sammy I love it when you're all protective."

Sam rolled his eyes.  "Whatever."

Dean gave him a little push.  "Go on, go take care of Hell on Heels" he said referring to Lily's t-shift, a fitting one in his opinion.

Sam flashed him a grin and got out of the car then gave his brother a wave as Dean drove away.

* * *

“Hey Kiddo” Dean said, brushing some stray curls off Daisy's brow and kissing her forehead before settling down in the chair by her bedside.  He’d sent Bobby back to the hotel to get some sleep and had his own cup of whiskey laced coffee with him all set to spend the night.  Cas had his eyes closed so Dean settled back to wait.  In the meantime he looked Daisy over, his eyes lighting on the rings on her hand, his eyes widening slightly.  He remembered now Sam saying Lily and Charlie had bought them their own rings.  Dean didn’t know much about jewelry but those rings had to have cost a hell of a lot.  The diamond on Daisy’s ring looked big enough to knock a guy out.  It was weird seeing little Daisy wearing a wedding ring (And it occurred to Dean that maybe thinking of her as little Daisy was a bit past it’s time but he couldn’t help it.  She would always be somewhat stuck as a kid in his mind.) Just another surreal bit of life lately, Dean thought.

“Oh Dean, you’re here” Cas said suddenly, opening his eyes and blinking like someone just waking up, which wouldn't be odd if not for the fact that he didn't sleep.

“In the flesh” Dean said, raising his coffee cup Cas’ way.  “How’s she doing?”

Cas smiled and it was a genuinely happy smile.  “Better.  She feels stronger for the first time and was getting bored.”

Dean grinned.  “Ya, sounds like Daisy.  She does get bored easily.”

Cas frowned looking at Daisy thoughtfully.  “Dean, what do you know about Daisy and kissing?”

Coffee sprayed out of Dean’s mouth all over the front of his shirt.  “Shit, Cas give me some warning before you come out with stuff like that.”

“My apologies” Cas said sincerely.  “I just thought since you mentioned it the other day th-”

“I mentioned it to see where you guys were at" Dean said, grabbing some tissues from the box on the bedside table and mopping the coffee off his shirt.

“Well it seemed like a good suggestion” Cas said, looking thoughtful.  Dean froze.

“So wait, you kissed her?”  Cas nodded.  “Are we talking here or in wherever you two are hanging out together?” Dean asked taking a cautious sip.

Cas frowned at Dean. “She’s in a coma, Dean.  I don’t think kissing her here would be very satisfying for either of us.”  Dean almost choked on his coffee again.  For the sake of his clothes he decided to set the coffee aside for now, at least until they had finished this discussion.  “No, I mean in the reality I’ve created between us.”

Dean nodded his head.  “Of course you do.”  He dried his shirt off as much as possible, buying time and wracking his brain for what he was supposed to ask next.  He decided in the end to ask the most obvious question, what he would ask Sam after he kissed someone for the first time.  "And how was it?”

Cas smiled again.  “It was remarkable.  Very soft and warm and-”

“OK, whoa I do not need details” Dean said, one hand up in front of him as if warding off Cas’ words.  “That’s like my baby sister we’re talking about here.  Let’s keep it in the generic realm OK?”  Cas nodded, looking slightly amused by Dean’s reaction.  "So there were no warning signs, no slow down or stop signals?  Remember the ones we talked about?”

Cas shook his head.  “No, none of those and I did look for them.  In fact Daisy seemed quite pleased at the kiss.  She responded quite enthusiastically.” Cas’ face took on a dreamy look and Dean was torn between freaking out at the idea of little Daisy making out and giving Cas a high five.  In the end he did neither, just said:

“OK so things went well.” Cas nodded happily.  “So what’s the problem?  Why the need for the talk?”  Dean snuck in a sip of coffee before Cas could answer, making sure to have it set back down before Cas started talking.  He wasn't taking any more chances.

“Today when I went to see her at first she seemed pleased and happy.  I told you she was bored so I changed her surroundings.”

“Where’d you take her?” Dean asked, unable to help his curiosity.

“A beach” Cas smiled, remembering how happy Daisy had been at the destination and the clothes.  “She was quite pleased with it.”

Dean chuckled.  “Ya, she would have been.  She used to spend hours laying in the backyard getting a tan and spent most summers at the lake by her house.” Dean had a vague memory of Rose mentioning Daisy loving the beach near their grandparent’s house and not wanting to leave.  Dean motioned for Cas to continue.

Cas frowned.  “Then she seemed to get uncomfortable.  She was staring at my mouth I believe?  And she was blushing.  I sensed embarrassment and confusion.  It was my understanding that kissing was supposed to make a person feel good, not awkward.”  Cas used that word on purpose, having seen it in Daisy’s mind several times.

Dean squirmed in his chair.  This had to rank up there with one of the most uncomfortable conversations ever.  God, why couldn’t Sam have been the one to have this conversation?  He swore if Cas ever wanted to have some conversation about consummating his and Daisy’s relationship he was done, clocking out, hanging up his unwanted relationship therapist to the angels hat. Taking a deep breath Dean focused on what Cas had said, taking in the all the clues he’d given him.

“Did you kiss her again today?” Cas shook his head. “And did she say anything about that?”

Cas thought for a moment then said “She did say something about knowing what she wanted while staring at my lips.  Then she turned quite red.  But I thought she was talking about clothes.” The angel looked confused and Dean sympathized with him.

“Cas, when it comes to women clothes and kissing are very closely interlinked.  Especially with these women, trust me.”  Dean pulled his phone out of his pocket.  “Give me a second.”  He texted Sam and while he waited for a response he watched Cas absentmindedly stroke one of Daisy’s hands.  His eyes were drawn to the gleaming metal bands they wore, seeming to bind the two of them together.  Gesturing to the rings on their hands Dean asked “Erin did explain what those meant, right?”

Looking down at the rings now Cas nodded.  “Yes, marriage rituals, human’s concept of marriage, I understand.”  Dean frowned, thinking that he wasn't sure Cas did understand.  Not really.  But that was a conversation for another day.  And maybe a conversation Sam could handle.  He had handled explaining romantic feelings vs. affection and was taking on the kissing.  Sam could handle the sex and marriage talks.  That sounded fair.  Dean’s phone buzzed and he looked down to read:

_Not many and nobody serious.  Lil say’s she’s shy with guys and awkward.  And she wants to know why the hell you’re asking._

Dean groaned and then grinned as he slid his phone back in his pocket.  He had suspected as much, that Daisy wasn’t anywhere near as experienced as her sisters when it came to dating and all that went along with it.  He'd seen a string of Lily's boyfriends over the years and while he hadn't met any of Rose's boyfriends he'd heard several mentions of them.  But aside from a few school dances he didn't remember much mention of guys with Daisy at all.  On one hand that was great – Someone like Lily would have eaten Cas alive and Rose would have intimidated the hell out of him as well. But on the other hand that meant Daisy wasn’t going to be much help in the coaching department either.

A thought occurred to Dean suddenly and he had to ask.  “Why didn’t you just read her thoughts?  I mean you guys do that all the time, right?”

Cas nodded looking uncomfortable.  Ya welcome to the club, Dean thought dryly.   

“Usually yes, but today when I tried it felt like I shouldn’t.   Her mind was panicked and I felt that to look further would be an intrusion.”   

“Fair enough.”  Dean snuck in another sip of coffee before clearing his throat and saying “So Daisy hasn’t had a lot of boyfriends.  She’s shy Cas, with guys I mean.”

Cas frowned.  “She’s never been shy with me before, Dean.  She's cuddled and laughed with me.  Are you certain about this?”

Dean rolled his eyes.  “You hadn’t kissed her before, you idiot.  She probably wasn’t sure if you liked her.  She was in friend mode then.  She’s only shy with guys she likes, so see, the being shy thing is good.  It means she likes you.  But she’s not going to be the one starting stuff.”  At Cas’ confused expression Dean sighed and explained. “Kissing.  You’re going to be the one to have to start that for now.  I’ve dated a girl or two like this and the blushing and the looking at your lips is a good sign.”

“It is?” Cas asked, sounding confused and overwhelmed.  Humans were so complicated.  Why couldn't they just say what they meant and ask for what they wanted?

“Definitely” Dean said confidently.  “It means she wants you to kiss her again but she’s too shy to ask or do it herself.  So the next time you see her go for it.  Kissing, I mean.  Just kissing.”  Dean wanted to be very clear on this point.  He didn't want Cas coming back with some Dean-told-me-to-have-sex story.  Cas nodded, taking this all in.  “And you may want to tell her, with you know actual words, that you like her.”

Cas frowned again.  “I thought that’s what the kissing was for.”

Dean grinned.  “Well ya, but girls like words, Cas.”  And if she’s anything like Rose, Dean thought, she’ll like a lot of them.  Oh please, don’t let that be the case.  That was a recipe for disaster with Cas.  “Just tell her you like her, maybe tell her what you like about her.”

Cas nodded, absorbing this.  “Thank you, Dean.  This has all been very helpful.  I’ll ponder on it all and then put it to good use.”

Dean picked up his coffee cup again.  “Good plan” he said.  He leaned back in his chair looking up at the ceiling.  “I remember a time when I just fought demons and lived in this reality” he mused.  “Now you’re kissing Daisy in some other mind zone and Rose is coming to visit me in my dreams.  What kind of reality is this?”

Cas was looking at him curiously now.  “Rose comes to you in your dreams?”  Dean nodded looking at Cas.  “I assume we are not just talking sexual fantasies here?”

Once again Dean found himself with coffee dripping down his shirt.  He glared at Cas and set his cup aside again.  Maybe he’s just give up drinking completely till Cas was back in his fantasy world with Daisy.  “No, my sex dreams don’t usually involve Rose telling me she’s not coming back because she wants to keep me safe” Dean growled as he once again dried his shirt.  Hell, even in the one dream that had been sexual she hadn’t given into his request for her to come home.  Damn, stubborn woman.

The angel looked quite impressed.  “Dream telepathy is quite rare.  In my understanding it’s usually only shared between very special couples with an intensely strong bond.”  Cas seemed to be deciding if he should say something else or not.  Dean’s next words made the decision for him.

“Yes, we’re so fucking special, everyone keeps telling me that.” Dean’s eyes were blazing as he got to his feet with a jerk and stalked towards the door.  “You know what I would rather be?  An ordinary couple who are actually together.”  He pulled the door open with a jerk, growled he would be back and stalked off.


	17. Just Remember This, My Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean dreams, Lily and Sam get rough and Chastity confesses

Soft skin was sliding against Sam's body, delicate fingers sliding down his chest and wet, needy lips were mouthing at his neck.  The last thing he remembered was he and Lily falling asleep but he had no idea how long ago that had been.  Sam's eyes fluttered open to find the room dark.  There was a dim light coming from somewhere, enough that Sam could make out a figure of someone above him, hovering and settling their weight on top of him.

"Lily?" he croaked out, his voice heavy with sleep.

He got no answer but Lily settled her body fully on top of his, stretching the length of her body out atop his and Sam moaned softly at the sensation.  The feel of her body and the scent of her filled his senses as her lips found his.  Lily kissed him slowly, teasingly, taking her time and tracing every inch of his mouth.  She pulled her mouth from his finally, moving her mouth back to his neck, licking, biting gently and finally sucking a mark into his skin.  Sam went to lay his hands along Lily's back and that's when he realized he couldn't.

"Lily, what the fuck?" Sam growled, tugging at the scarves that were tightly binding his wrists.

"Surprise!" Lily said her tone a mixture of amusement and arousal. "Big, giant Sam is tied up at the mercy of little old me."

Sam felt his breath catch at her words.  He should be concerned that she was able to pull this off without waking him.  He should probably be even more concerned that he was as turned on by that fact as he was. But God help him, it was hot and Lily knew that.  She was talking to him now in that dark, husky tone she got when it was just them, when they were both going down a road with only one destination in mind.

"You like that, don't you, Baby? She purred, sitting up and dragging her nails lightly down his chest, down to his stomach.  She stopped there, trailing her fingers back and forth in a pattern only she knew.  He could just see her outline in the dim light he realized now was coming from the bathroom door that was barely open a crack.  "You like that you aren't in charge, that you don't have any say in what happens next."  Sam groaned as Lily drug her fingers down over his hard cock.  "Mmm yep, that's a definite yes if I ever heard one."  Her fingers were light, teasing, barely touching.  “So my plan was to tie you up the night you got home but obviously plans change."  Sam couldn't see her grin but he swore he could feel it.  "I'm nothing if not flexible.  So I decided the element of surprise would be nice.”

“Ya but Lil, if you untie me I could touch you, make you feel so good” Sam reasoned, moving his hips, trying to get a firmer touch but Lily wasn’t having any of it.  Instead she drew her hand away completely causing Sam to groan.

“Nope, not your call” she said.  "You're not in charge here, mister."

“Ya, I’m getting that” Sam muttered and Lily let out a dark chuckle.  His eyes widened as he watched her drag her hands up her own body, her hands coming up to cup her breasts, her fingers pulling at her nipples.  “Oh shit, Lily come on, please?  This is torture.”  Sam pulled at the scarves in vain.

Lily smiled darkly.  “Well getting you to beg was easier than I imagined it would be” she said running her hands back down her body, one hand coming to rest between her own thighs, the other to grasp Sam’s cock, drawing a moan from him.

“I went two days without touching you” Sam gasped out, his eyes rolling back as Lily began to move her hands.

“And have fucked me several different times since then” Lily argued.  Her fingers on her own body were moving quickly, dipping in and circling and putting pressure in all the right spots, if her quickening breath was anything to go by.  Sam watched through heavily hooded eyes as she made herself groan.  The hand on him however was moving leisurely at best.

“Doesn’t matter” Sam managed through gritted teeth.  “You’re like a drug…I go a day without you and I’m fucking desperate.”

Lily grinned as her head fell back.  “Oh I like that” she said.  Sam lifted his head to watch her, her fingers moving quickly.  “I’m your addiction…”  Sam knew the signs, knew Lily was close.  Her hand around him was flexing sporadically and he thrust his hips up and growled when Lily took her hand away.

“You're not in charge, Sam” Lily hissed, moving the hand that had been on him back to her breast.  Sam watched in delightful torment as Lily touched herself till she came with a shudder and soft moan.  She collapsed on top of him and Sam groaned at the feel of her against him.  Lily lay there for a minute one hand lazily stroking his side as she came down from her high.  She propped her chin on his chest and smiled at him.  “Well that was fun” she said in a decidedly cheerful voice.

Sam laughed.  “Talk about someone taking less time than usual” he teased softly but Lily just grinned.

“Hey I was tying you up and getting things ready and then I had to wait for you to wake up.  I had time on my hands.”  Her grin grew as Sam closed his eyes at the images that brought up.  “Oh do you like that idea, Baby?  Of me lying next to you, watching you and touching myself?”

Sam opened his eyes and glared at her.  “You know I do” he spat out.  Sam’s patience wasn’t at a high point right now.  “OK you had your fun” he said, tugging at the bed post.  “Now untie me so I can have some too.”

The wicked smile on Lily’s lips stopped Sam cold as she slowly shook her head.

* * *

Dean lifted his head from his arms to find himself surrounded by stacks of books.  He blinked and taking in the relative quiet, the dim light and the towering shelves he realized he was in a library.  He frowned, not recognizing it but contrary to popular belief he’d been in quite a few libraries in his time.  So why was he in this specific one?  His answer appeared a moment later when a certain redhead walked right by him, smiling at him over her shoulder.

Quick as a flash Dean was on his feet, following Rose where she lead him, through the stacks, winding past several other people who didn’t pay them any notice, buried in their books and notes.  Rose stopped finally at a secluded table near a window where she perched on the edge of the table, swinging her legs and smiling at him.  Dean stopped before he got to her, leaning up against a pillar, folding his arms and watching her cautiously.

“You gonna stay all the way over there?” Rose asked and Dean nodded.  Rose sighed sadly.  “OK fine, I guess I deserve that.”

“Where are we?” Dean asked looking around him, then bringing his eyes back to Rose as he took in what she was wearing (Jeans, sparkly sneakers and a t-shirt with a Buffy quote) and how she looked (Slightly different, shorter hair,  glasses (Had he ever seen Rose wear glasses? he wondered) but nothing  hugely changed but enough for him to know it wasn’t now).  “And when are we?”

Rose traced a hand over the table she was sitting on.  “This is the library at the local college in Hastings.  This was my favorite table.  And when…five years ago.”  She looked down at herself.  “I don’t look all that different do I?”

“Your hairs longer now” Dean said, looking her over.

Rose reached out and tugged at the end of her ponytail, unconsciously mimicking Lily.  Dean wondered if they had any idea how many similar mannerisms they had.  _I wonder if Sammy and I do_ Dean thought idly.

“Mmm, ya I guess it is.  Oh and hey glasses!” Rose tapped the pair on her face.  “Contacts now.”

Dean cocked his head to the side, studying her.  “I kinda like the glasses” he said after a minute.  “You never wore them around me did you?”

“Na, you know that whole thing about guys and girls who wear glasses…” Rose smiled at him.  “But then again you have a thing for librarians” and then she giggled and Dean felt it like a knife through his heart.  He missed that sound more than he thought was possible.  He unconsciously closed his eyes and when he opened them again Rose was staring at him with a stricken look on her face.

“The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you, Dean” she said softly.  Something flared in Dean’s eyes at her words and he was stalking towards her before he could stop himself.  He stopped when he was right in front of her, his legs brushing up against hers.

“You keep saying that but you know what?” Rose’s eyes were big and round as she shook her head dimly.  Dean’s hand shot out to grasp her hair, his hand tugging the elastic out of it roughly.  Rose gasped as he flung it; it went flying, to be lost somewhere in the rows of books, never to be seen again.  He tugged her glasses off next, tossing them onto the table behind her.  Then both his hands were tangling in her hair, tugging her head back.  His hips came forward, nudging her legs apart and he was close to her, his mouth against her ear.  “If you don’t want to hurt me then just quit doing it.”  His voice was harsh, his breathing ragged against her ear.  He wrapped an arm around her hips and pulled her suddenly flush against him and Rose’s eyes flew to his.  Dean tangled the fingers of one hand even tighter in her hair, holding her head in place.  “You can’t tell me you’re mine and then leave. That’s not how it works.”

His lips descended on hers, no finesse just hunger and desperation driving him.  Rose responded immediately, her mouth opening and accepting his unusually desperate kiss.  Dean pulled back all too soon, his breathing uneven.  Rose was gasping for breath herself and Dean dropped his hands and backed up away from her, leaving her there on the table watching him with confused eyes.  He leaned up against the pillar, folding his arms and giving her a look that was equal parts impatience and irritation.

"I'm done playing games, Rose.  Come home.  Now."

In the hospital room Cas startled when Dean moaned Rose’s name in his sleep.  Cas watched him curiously for a moment then lost interest when Dean was quiet with no more sounds leaving his lips.

* * *

“Quit teasing, Lily” Sam growled his desperation evident in his voice.

After much stroking and teasing Lily had slowly (So slowly Sam thought he might die before she finished) lowered her hips onto his, burying him inside of her and Sam had breathed a sigh of relief.  Sam had lost count of how many times Lily had come already and he was desperate to come himself.  But Lily had other plans.  She gave a sigh and moved, rocking her hips slowly.  From her reaction it did more for her than it did for Sam.  It felt like a teasing, light touch to him but it seemed to be hitting Lily just right from the sounds she was letting out.

“Lily, come on” Sam said, flexing his hands and trying to thrust his hips up but Lily had pulled back so while he was technically inside her it wasn’t nearly far enough for him to get any friction.

“But Sam, what you said yesterday inspired me” Lily said, not speeding up, not changing pace at all and Sam was sure he was going to die.  Here, now, like this.  “See, I would argue that bad girls don’t get fucked…they do the fucking.”  Sam felt his cock twitch at her words and moaned loudly.  “They take exactly what they want for as long as they want.  And lucky me I have you.”  Lily stroked her hands down his chest, pulling herself almost all the way off his cock as she leaned forward to kiss him then oh so slowly lowering herself back down.  “To ride for as long as I like…maybe all night long.”

Lily continued her rocking of her hips and Sam realized she meant what she said.  This could go on for hours and there was no way he’d survive.

“You do know there’s going to be payback for this, right?” Sam asked, stretching the fingers on his left hand as far as they could go and reaching what he was after.

Lily grinned as she gave a swivel of her hips that had Sam gritting his teeth.  “Oh I’m counting on it.  I love when you get all riled up, Sam” Lily said, leaning forward again, far enough that his cock slipped out of her completely.  Sam closed his eyes letting Lily talk while he concentrated on his fingers.  He was close…“You get a little rougher than normal, leave some marks, slam into me harder than usual and it’s indescribably hot.”  Lily was licking at the other side of his neck now, sucking his skin into her mouth and nibbling at him, no doubt leaving a matching mark for the one she'd made earlier.

“So what you’re saying….if I’m hearing this right…”  Almost there…just one more loop of fabric..damn, why’d she have to get such silky fabric?  “is you like it when I’m rough, when I really get my hands on you and mark where I’ve been?”  Sam felt Lily’s whole body shiver at his words and a wicked grin spread across his face.

“Well not all the time” Lily demurred, moving back down his body and lining herself up, ready to sink down on him again.  “But you being rough with me on occasion is super hot.”

One final tug and Sam had one wrist free and that was all he needed.  “Glad to hear it” he growled and reached out and grabbed her around the waist and flipped her on her back and pounced on top of her.  The look on her face was priceless.  Utter shock and surprise were painted across her face and she hadn’t recovered enough by the time Sam was stroking inside her to even respond.  His mouth was at her neck now, biting and marking her in a way he usually held back from, most of the time anyway.  But she’d got him so on edge now with all her teasing and then her little confession about liking when he was rough with her had just been an extra shot of adrenaline.  He slammed into her hard, feeling her body tighten around him and she seemed to find herself then.  Her nails started at his neck and went to his back, dragging down his skin, leaving marks he was sure and he sucked just a little harder on her neck, making sure there was a dark mark there.  She wanted marks then he was sure as hell going to give her marks.  He moved his mouth to her breasts, sucking and biting there too and felt her pull his hair in response.  He grinned and moved his mouth near her ear then.

“You wanna know what happens to bad girls who tease, Lily?” Sam ground out, his breathing harsh and his pupils’ completely blown with lust.  He pulled his face back so he could see her face.  Despite her words he had to be sure before this went too far.  What he saw on her face made him grin.  Lily looked as lost as he felt, her eyes huge, and her cheeks flushed.  He reached up quickly and untied his other wrist from the bed.

“What, Sam?  What happens?” Lily asked, her voice sounding breathy even to her own ears.

Sam pulled his hips back and slammed into her again, hard.  Lily let out a noise somewhere between a moan and a whimper, something Sam didn’t think he’d ever heard from her before.  Her fingers were on his shoulders, her nails digging into him hard.

“They get fucked so hard they can barely walk the next day” Sam growled and Lily definitely whimpered at that.  Sam grinned, liking this new reaction from her.  He thrust into her again and knew from the sounds she was making she was close to coming again.  His eyes scanned the room and his eyes lit on the perfect spot.  He leaned down and bit her earlobe and she let out a whine.  “But not like this” he said decisively and picked her up, earning a surprised yelp from Lily.

“Sam wha-“

“Shhh, quiet. You’re not in charge here, Miss” Sam said, mimicking her earlier words.  He dragged her over to the chair that not so long ago had held all her clothes.  He draped her over the back and despite her height her toes barely touched the floor in this position.  Sam stepped back for a second, admiring the picture she made.  Lily’s breath was coming quickly, her hands were gripping the arms of the chair, struggling to keep her balance and her legs were spread wide, a temping invitation if Sam had ever seen one.

Lily was as impatient as ever though and she just had to ask “So are you gonna just look all night or-”

Sam loomed over her suddenly, his hand wrapping around her jaw and jerking her head hard to look at him.  He towered over her, using his height for the intimidation factor, something he’d never done with Lily before.  He saw her eyes widen and the fire in her eyes simmer down.  “I said quiet, Lily and I meant it.  Don’t make me gag you.”  Her eyes went wide at that and Sam watched as her pulse visibly quickened.  Interesting.  He filed that away for future use.  He released her jaw and stroked his hand down her back, loving the way her skin felt under his fingers.  “You had your fun now be a good girl and let me have mine.”

He saw Lily bite her lip, knowing how badly she wanted to respond he was impressed that she kept silent.  He dragged his hands up her thighs, gripping them tightly and spreading her open even further. Then he stoked one hand up between her spread legs and lined himself up and thrust into her quick and hard.  He set a quick, unforgiving pace, his hands wrapping around Lily’s hips tightly and pulling her to him with every thrust.  For her part Lily’s feet were completely off the ground now so she couldn’t do much except let Sam do what he wanted with her and enjoy the experience.  He was thrusting into her hard, fucking her for his pleasure and when he leaned over and bit down on her shoulder Lily exploded, a loud scream escaping her lips as she completely came apart.  She lay there limply as Sam pounded into her, chasing his own release and with just a few hard thrusts he came with a louder than normal shout of her name.  They both just stayed there for several minutes, catching their breath and then Sam leaned down and kissed the bite mark on her shoulder softly and she gave him a drowsy smile.

Sam gathered her into his arms and took her back to the bed where Sam held her and Lily cuddled against his chest.  She was quieter than she normally was after and Sam kissed her lips softly.

“Lil, you OK?” he asked, smoothing her hair back.

“Mmm hmm” she murmured, snuggling against him.  “Good.  Sleepy.”

Sam chuckled.  “Ya, that tends to happen when you torture your boyfriend for hours.”

Lily opened her eyes, blinking at him sleepily.  ‘But you liked it.”

Sam gave her an inscrutable look and she frowned up at him.  “I’ll have to think of a suitable punishment" Sam said, closing his own eyes.

"How'd you get loose anyway?" Lily asked after a minute and she felt as much as heard Sam chuckle.

"I'm a hunter, Lily.  I've been getting out of restraints since I was a kid." He paused then added "You need to work on tying better knots."

"Ya well I don't tend to tie demons up with silk scarves" she shot back.  "Now about this punishment-"

Sam put a finger to her lips.  "Uh uh, sleep."

Lily narrowed her eyes at him but too sleepy to argue she just snuggled against him.  “Love you, Sam”

“Love you too, you terrible girl” Sam said, kissing her forehead and he drifted off to the sound of Lily giggling.

Sam woke before Lily the next morning and pulled on some clothes and made his way to the kitchen to get coffee.  He found Dean already in the kitchen drinking coffee and reading the paper.  Bobby had shown up at the hospital early and Dean had headed back to the bunker, glad to escape Cas and his questions.  Dean looked up at Sam when he entered and for just a second a shocked look spread over his face but it quickly morphed into a smirk.

“Fun night, Sammy?” he asked.

“Huh?” Sam asked.  Dean motioned to his neck and Sam lifted his hand, feeling the vivid scratches there and remembering the hickeys Lily had left early on.  “So looks like Lily has some claws on her” Dean said, smirking into his coffee cup.  Sam ignored him and went to get a mug and Dean coughed at the sight of his wrist.  Sam stared for a second, pulling his other arm up to compare.  Both wrists had a bracelet of red puffy skin all the way around with some bruising starting to show.  “Shit” Sam muttered softly.  Dean looked surprised yet again then gathered himself enough to throw out his usual sarcastic brand of help.

“A little tip, Sammy, if you’re gonna let Lily tie you up you need to learn some patience.  Save yourself some bruising.”  He winked then walked out of the kitchen with his coffee in hand.

Sam got coffee for him and Lily and snagged the paper Dean had left behind before making his way back to their room.  Lily hadn't moved from her sprawled on her stomach position and Sam sat on the bed, drinking his coffee and reading the paper while waiting for her to wake up.  He knew the coffee aroma would get to her soon.

Sure enough a few minutes later her head lifted and she sniffed the air.  She spotted the mug on her bedside table and started to reach for it and then hissed.  “Shit, that hurts!”

Sam looked over at her in concern.  “You OK?”

“Sore” Lily mumbled.  She struggled to sit up and lean against the headboard.  She reached for her coffee and cradled it in her hands, absorbing the warmth.  She looked at Sam out of the corner of her eye.  “I seem to recall you saying something about not being able to walk.  I didn’t realize that meant sitting too.”

Sam chuckled.  “I think you’re a bit too blame for that too, Lil.  Come on, how many times did you come before I even had a chance?”

Lily grinned and held up a hand then had to put her mug down to hold up some fingers on that hand as well.  Sam rolled his eyes at her.  “Greedy girl” he murmured, though there was a grin on his face as he said it.

“Pretty sure that didn’t make my arms and legs hurt like they do though.  That’s all you, Sammy.”

Sam glanced over at her then his eyes widened.  "Fuck, Baby you are seriously marked up.”  His eyes scanned the upper half of her body and winced.

Lily glanced down, but only being able to see her breasts she got up with a moan to head to the bathroom.  When she saw her reflection in the mirror she gasped.  Her breasts had several small, dark hickeys on them and a few teeth marks.  Her neck on the other hand…. She trailed a hand up, her fingers glancing over the teeth marks on the left side and then to the large, purple mark on the right side.  Turning sideways she caught the impression of Sam’s teeth marks on her shoulder, not to mention the handprints on her hips.  Well she had said she wanted him to mark her and he’d done a bang up job.

She turned to Sam who was still seated on the bed.  He smiled at her and held out his wrists.  “I’ve got my own marks” he said, pulling his hair back to show her his neck as well.  He’d looked in the bathroom mirror when he’d come back in and he did indeed have dark hickeys on both sides of his neck plus a set of scratches on his neck, not to mention his shoulders and back.  “And I’ve already had comments from Dean so be prepared.”

Lily grabbed a t-shirt off the back of the bathroom door and slipped it on then walked gingerly back to the bed and sat back down.  “Me and my bright ideas” she muttered.

Sam set his coffee and the paper down and pulled her against him.  “Are you upset?  Having regrets?” he asked, stroking her back gently.

Lily thought a second then she smiled.  “No.  I’m just sore and tired.  But last night was awesome.”  She grinned up at Sam and he grinned back at her in agreement.  Lily’s grin turned sheepish then.  “But I think I may never want to have another orgasm for like a millions years.”

Sam laughed.  “You say that now…” He tapped the end of her nose.  “Drink your coffee, that’ll help wake you up and then we’ll get a shower and that’ll help with the aches and pains.”

Lily nodded and reached for her coffee sluggishly.  “And just remember what you said about not wanting any orgasms” Sam said, causing Lily to glance at him curiously.  “It just so happens to play perfectly into the punishment I have planned.”

* * *

Sam was ready before her and Lily shooed him out of the bedroom, wanting to take her time.  She dressed in soft black yoga pants, a tank top and hoodie, the comfiest clothes she owned aside from pajamas.  She couldn’t believe how sore she was.  She cursed softly as she zipped her hoodie up.  She never was any good at moderation.  She frowned, thinking back to Sam’s comment to her.  He refused to say what this punishment he had planned for her was but did promise to wait a few days till she felt better.  Lily rolled her eyes.  She got herself in the biggest messes.  She caught sight of the marks on her neck in the mirror again as she brushed her hair out and stopped.  She wasn’t usually one to find marks a turn on, having plenty of bruises from actual fights but last night had been different.  She’d said things she normally wouldn’t, admitted things to Sam that turned her on that she normally didn’t even admit to herself.  He had told her once that she challenged him, made him step out of his comfort zone.  Well it looked like he was doing that for her now too.  She trusted him a hell of a lot and he got her to let her defenses down.  Last night had been crazy, intense and definitely had left her worn out.  She wouldn’t want that all the time but she wasn’t sorry and she’d definitely do it again.  She left for the library with a small smile on her face, even if she was walking slower than normal.

Everyone was gathered in the library waiting on her and Sam bless him had filled her coffee mug and brought it in there for her.  She saw Dean’s eyes widen at the sight of her and heard his muttered “What the hell did you two…” before he cut himself off when a shake of his head.

Charlie for her part looked Lily over quickly, taking in the marks and like the good friend she had quickly become she focused on Lily’s clothes instead.

“Oh The Walking Dead!” she squealed upon seeing Lily’s hoodie.  “Let me see the back!” she begged and Lily turned so Charlie could read it.

"This isn’t a democracy anymore” Charlie read in a very bad imitation of Rick Grimes.  “Let me see what your t-shirt says!”  Lily froze, really not wanting to pull the zipper of the hoodie down and reveal the line of hickeys and bite marks that marred the top of her breasts that showed just above her neck line.  She saw Dean smirk at her reaction, obviously figuring out what was going on and saw Sam stiffen and glare at his brother.  "Dean" Sam said, kicking his brother under the table.

"What?  I didn't say anything" Dean protested.

Lily felt her spine stiffen.  Oh hell no.  If Dean thought she was ashamed he had another thing coming.  Lily pulled the zipper down with a flourish as she turned to face Charlie and Dean and glared right at Dean the whole time.  Two can play that game, Lily thought.  “Looks kinda like my sisters neck when she’s around you” she threw his way and Dean had the good grace to flush and look down at his coffee mug.  Sam was grinning at her show of bravado, obviously proud of her not letting herself be pushed around.  She grinned right back and looked at Charlie, who was looking upset at having put Lily in a tough spot.  Lily just shook her head at her and smiled.

“Rick Grimes #Claimed” Lily said, then zipped the hoodie back up, because it _was_ actually chilly in here, not because she was in anyway ashamed of the marks Sam had left.  One thing Lily's parents had taught her was that if she was ashamed of her actions then she shouldn't be doing them.  She had no problem with anything her and Sam had done and certainly wasn't going to act like she did.

“So Rick, not Daryl?” Charlie asked, smiling gratefully at Lily.

“Rick all the way” Lily said, sitting down gingerly and wincing slightly as she made contact with the chair.  Thankfully no one seemed to notice, or had the good manners to pretend not to.

“Huh, I would have thought you would have been a Daryl girl” Charlie mused.

“Nope, he’s Rose’s” Lily said and saw Dean glance up at her words. Her eyes lit up when she saw someone (Sam from the smile he threw her way) had put a small glass of water and two Tylenol by her coffee mug.  She downed them quickly, sent him a grateful smile then looked at Charlie.

“So what do we got?”

Charlie made a look that was somehow a combination of a smile and a grimace and Lily noticed how tired she looked.  She wondered if Charlie had even gone to sleep last night.  When she and Sam had gone to bed Charlie had still been in the library.  “Well I’m into the website and I’ve got it deciphered and there is definitely information here about why you all have your powers.  That’s the good news.  The bad news is that I think we’re going to have to do some more research before it all makes sense.”  Lily and Dean let out perfectly times moans of disapproval.

Sam ignored them both and looked at Charlie.  “OK let’s hear what you have.”

* * *

Rose woke the next morning with an aching head from too much wine the night before and a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach.  She was lying in bed trying to wish the feeling away when Chastity knocked on her door and then stuck her head in.

“You awake?” she asked coming in with a glass of water and some Tylenol.

“Oh bless you” Rose said, sitting up and downing the pills quickly.

“I know you’re not usually a wine drinker and you were out drinking me last night” Chastity said, taking a seat on the end of the bed.

“Ya, my head’s reminding me of that this morning” Rose said, leaning back against the headboard.

“And?” Chastity raised an eyebrow at Rose when she looked at her blankly.  “What else is bothering you?”

"How do you do that?" Rose groused.

Chastity laughed.  "What can I say, it's a gift.  And you have a terrible poker face."

Rose picked at the rich brocade spread on the bed.  “You know that weird, haunted feeling you get after a bad dream?”  Chastity nodded.  “I have that feeling except I can’t remember my dream.  I haven’t remembered any of my dreams really since I left only bits and pieces here and there.”

“Were you and Dean living together, Rose?” Chastity asked softly. 

Rose thought about that a second.  It wasn’t a clear cut answer really.  “Kind of?  It wasn’t by choice really more necessity and God, that makes it sound less than romantic.”  Chastity chuckled and Rose tried to think of how to explain.  “Some things happened that made it necessary for me to have a place to stay.  So it started out as a safe haven really, not that I minded staying with Dean.”  Rose smiled as she remembered all the ways they’d grown closer in the time she’d been at the bunker.  “By the time I left I was sleeping in his bed.”

“You miss him” Chastity said gently, her words not a question but a fact.

Rose was quiet a minute and when she looked up there were tears in her eyes.  “I do.  Every minute of every day.”

“And yet you’re here with me, not home wherever that is, with him” Chastity pointed out.

“It’s complicated” Rose said, wiping her eyes and adding nothing more.

“You know when you called me saying you were in trouble I thought for sure you were going to turn up on my doorstep telling me that the pretty boy with the nice lips had gotten you pregnant” Chastity mused.

Rose laughed.  “Nope, not pregnant.  And a word to the wise, he doesn’t take kindly to being called a pretty boy.  I know from experience.” Rose’s face took on a dreamy look.  “Though in retrospect it was worth it.”

Chastity laughed.  “OK I definitely want to hear that story later.”  She sobered then.  “In the meantime I need to confess something.”  Rose sat up straighter, curious as to what Chastity was going to say.  “Before I do I want it clear that I kept what I knew from you because I wanted to be sure…well, I was being protective.”  Chastity looked down at her hands clasped in her lap, then back up at Rose and then back at her hands, finding them easier to look at. “A few days ago I actually talked to Dean, well on the computer anyway.”  She glanced up at Rose, seeing the shocked expression she’d expected there but not the anger she had feared.  "I had signed into Facebook and saw you logged in.  I messaged you of course and got a response that it wasn’t you.”

“He was in my account?” Rose asked in surprise.

Chastity nodded.  “He didn’t say who he was at first but I suspected and asked.  Actually, I think it might have been someone else originally.  They said “we’re” looking for her not "I."

“Charlie” Rose breathed.  She shook her head at Chastity's questioning look.  “She’s a friend of Dean’s.  She could have gotten into my account easily I’m sure.”  She shook her head.  “OK what did they say?”

Chastity pulled her phone from her pocket and opened the app and handed it to Rose.  “Read for yourself.”  Chastity watched as Rose read, seeing her eyes widen at some points and laugh at others.  Finishing she handed the phone back and rolled her eyes at Chastity.

“Geez, Chas flirt with my boyfriend why don’t you?”

“You going to lose your temper and prove me right?” Chastity asked mischievously.  Rose just shook her head and Chastity smiled.  “I did enjoy his comment about not doing submissive” Chastity murmured and grinned when Rose blushed and glared at her.  She waited a second then said “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you right away, Rose.”

“Why didn’t you?” Rose asked curiously.

“I wanted to make sure you weren’t running because of him.”  Rose looked surprised and Chastity hastened to explain.  “You’ve talked about Dean for years but in a very dreamy, fantasy world way.  Reality and fantasy are two very different things and if there’s anyone who sees that on a daily basis it’s me.  I guess I wanted to make sure you hadn’t gotten in over your head.  Maybe you got involved with him and realized he was a jerk, or he was controlling and you wanted out?  Obviously after talking last night I’m pretty sure that’s not the case.” 

Rose smiled.  “No, I can say that being with Dean is better than anything I could ever have imagined.”

“But you won’t go back” Chastity murmured and Rose shook her head.  “And you won’t tell me why.”  Another shake of Rose’s head.  “In all the years we've been friends have you ever told me anything that has shocked me?”  Rose thought a second and then finally shook her head again.

“But this is different” she said.

“What if I bribe you?” Chastity asked and Rose looked at her in surprise, not having expected that.  “I happen to know I’m scheduled to eat with two people today that you’d love to see.  If I am the best friend ever and take you with me you have to tell me what happened that made you leave when we get home tonight.”

“You’re kidding” Rose breathed, her face torn between excitement and fear.

Chastity shook her head.  “I’m not.  In fact we need to get going soon.  So do we have a deal?” she asked, getting to her feet and standing by the side of the bed.

Rose looked at her worriedly.  She wanted to tell Chastity so badly.  She wanted to tell someone who hadn’t been there, without editing, without leaving out details.  “It may freak you out” Rose hedged.

“Rose, I live in New Orleans.  We have voodoo shops on every corner and parades for funerals.  I see things at my job weekly that would send most people running.  I don’t freak easily.”  Chastity’s voice was strong and sure.

“You may hate me” Rose said, her voice soft and scared.

Chastity came to Rose’s side and leaned down and hugged her.  “I couldn’t hate you if you tried to make me, Kiddo.  Now get up and get dressed.  We’re going to do brunch outside so a sundress is in order and probably a sweater with that pale skin of yours” Chastity said, eyeing Rose’s arms.

“Hey you never did tell me any details about your love life last night” Rose called as Chastity walked to the door.  Despite their plans to talk more Rose had started to drift off on the couch and Chastity had shooed her into her own room.

Chastity smiled at her from the doorway.  “Well you’re getting to see the walking, talking examples in just awhile.  I promise to answer any and all questions you have afterwards.”


	18. I Love the Riddles That You Speak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prophecy, Brunch & Voodoo. Oh and some new characters too.

Charlie took a deep breath and got ready to share more prophecy from the website.  She was beginning to feel like Yoda or something.  If she was going to be in this roll she thought she definitely needed a befitting costume, robes or a cool hat or something.  Then again, that may be the lack of sleep talking.  Charlie had decided that one of life’s great disappointments was that dramatic moments so rarely came with costumes.  Her childhood books had sorely mislead her on this fact.

“So to start with there are a few mentions of the three of you” she said, looking at Lily. “And a fair warning guys, this is all pretty dark.”  She got reluctant head nods and a mutter of “Of course it fucking is” from Dean.  After taking another breath she started.

“It starts off saying there will be dark forces watching you all, um, malignant spirits hidden to the eye.”

“Demons” Sam clarified.

“Right” Charlie said and Dean swore softly.

**From the moment of their birth the three will be watched, though it’s the gifted one the malignant spirits will focus on, working their way into her life from early years.  They will leave death and destruction in their wake.**

“Wait, does that mean what I think it does?” Lily asked, leaning forward.  “That there have been demons-“

“Working their way into Rose’s life since she was a kid” Dean broke in.  “Oh that’s just fucking great.”

Lily looked stunned.  Sam moved his chair closer to hers, putting an arm around her shoulders, hoping to offer some comfort.  All the girls really treasured their group of friends and there was a big overlap between Lily and Rose's group.  He knew this couldn't be easy to hear.

“So OK not to sound callous here but why didn’t they just take Rose out?”  Sam asked, getting glares from both Dean and Lily.  He held his hands up.  “Sorry guys, just wondering.  I mean they would have obviously had a chance at some point.”

“They don’t want her dead” Charlie said flatly, drawing all eyes back to her.  Didn’t Yoda have some kind of staff?  A walking stick, ya that would work.  She could smack the next person who interrupted her over the head with it.  “Well one does but the majority doesn’t…just bear with me OK?”  More nods and Charlie continued on.

Or tried to.

“But wait..." Sam said, earning a death glare from Charlie.  “How did they know Rose was the gifted one?  I thought that was a secret.”

“Well if you’d let me continue I’d tell you” Charlie said, some of her irritation bleeding through into her voice.

“Sorry, sorry” Sam said apologetically, holding his hands up.

**While the identity of the gifted one was hidden to most, one dark force has always suspected who she is. Using her gift of sight she has foreseen who the gifted one was from an early age, thought it was not a certainty.  She kept it hidden from all others in order to protect the gifted one.**

“So are you telling me my sister has had a demon protecting her all these years?” Lily asked a note of disbelief in her voice.

Charlie nodded.  “I’m kind of guessing you all did to some extent since she wasn’t one hundred percent sure Rose was definitely it.  Think of it as hedging her bets.” 

“So all that talk about no one knowing which of us was the gifted one-“

“Was true” Charlie said “Aside from this one demon who apparently can really keep a secret.”

When Lily didn’t respond Charlie continued.

**Do not doubt that it is the forces of fire and vision who are behind the malignant forces haunting the gifted one’s life.  She is treasured above all others by them and they will stop at nothing to get her.**

“Forces of fire and vision?”  Sam said his voice eager for something to latch onto.  “Does it say anything else in there about who-” Sam stopped as Charlie raised a hand.

“Sam, I love you.  But I swear on all that is holy if you don’t stop interrupting me I am going to kick you out of the library and quite possible hit you with something.”  Sam’s eyed widened and Lily chuckled as his puppy dog eyes immediately went on display.

“This is nice, huh Lily?”  Dean asked, grinning at her and easing the tension between them.  "For once we’re the good students.”  Lily grinned back, laughing softly.

Sam blushed and apologized to Charlie.  “Sorry, Charlie, I’m just anxious.”

“I know and it’s partly my fault.  I’m tired and grouchy” Charlie said, giving Sam an apologetic smile.  “I was up all night getting this done and I just want to get this finished and go to bed.  I swear I’m seeing double.  It won’t take long, I promise, so the less interruptions the better, OK?”  Charlie started again, vowing to herself to throw something at the next person who interrupted her.

**Many dangers are there for the gifted ones but none so great as the sisters of fire and vision (deirfiúracha na tine agus fís).  They will seek to take down all that the three love.**

“So there’s three sisters but one is mentioned a lot less than the others.  Um, the sister of radiance, she’s the one who’s only mentioned occasionally.  No idea why.”  Charlie shook her head.  “The sisters are three demons who were actual sisters when they were alive.  There was some conflict between them, the websites kind of vague so you might want to look into that.  Apparently there’s still animosity between them now.”

Charlie looked up at them and Dean took this as permission to talk.  “So demons have family feuds?  Who knew?”

Sam shrugged.  “I guess when they’re actual family before they die it carries over.  Must have been some fight.  Does it say what it was about, Charlie?”

Charlie scanned the page in front of her quickly.  “ **A dearth of loyalty and love led to the ultimate betrayal.** ”  So hey, make of that what you will.  Apparently the one sister is destined to die because of Rose, either by her hand or because of her, I’m not sure which.  So this is where we get to the whole one sister wants Rose dead and two don’t.  So whatever happened when they were alive was big enough that two of the sisters don’t care if Rose kills the third so it must have been pretty serious.”  Charlie rubbed her head.  “This website was not only a nightmare to get into but reading it was like trying to decipher the mad hatter’s notebook.  There were a lot of “Maybe’s” and “As fortune sees.”  And then it would loop back and repeat itself.”

“Sounds fun” Lily said and Sam knew her well enough to hear the slight waver in her voice.  He rubbed her back soothingly.

“There’s lots of repeating what was said before on the other website too and then there is a mention of three names and a place.  I think this is where you guys want to start researching.  I’ve got a bit more to add but I think you guys need to know more before what I have will make sense.”  Charlie looked up to more nods.  She grinned inwardly.  Funny how well behaved they could all be when they were afraid of her freaking out.  “OK the names are Aideen, Ashling and Aine, all Irish names that I’m guessing are the sisters and the place is Lough Derg.”  She stood up, closing her laptop.  “Research away.  I emailed you all that guys and with that I am off to get some sleep."

* * *

Rose smoothed down the skirt of her green sundress nervously.  She had on adorable white lace sneakers and a pretty gold sunflower bracelet that matched her white floral purse.  She’d slipped gold sunglasses on when she'd seen how bright it was out and had brought a white cardigan with her as Chastity was right, she did burn easily.  She looked ready for brunch she decided, studying herself in the mirror.  And any other thoughts that tried to sneak in about what a certain bossy man would think about her outfit were firmly pushed aside.  She was actually looking forward to today and was trying to shut everything else out just for now.

She met Chastity at the front door and Chastity smiled at her outfit.  She reached out and fingered one of the sunflower barrettes Rose had scattered throughout her hair.

"Pretty.  But those aren't going to last very long once a certain someone catches sight of them."

Rose smiled but didn't comment.  She caught sight of Chastity studying herself nervously in the hallway mirror.  "You look gorgeous, Chas" she said, hugging her from behind.  In her strapless floral dress and gold heel sandals Chastity really did look lovely.  Her hair was down loose around her shoulders and there was only a hint of light make up on her face. 

Chastity returned her smile gratefully.  "Thanks.  It's been awhile since Ryan and I have spent much time together.  We've talked on the phone a lot but not much in person."  She grinned sheepishly.  "I admit I used you as bait to get him to meet today."

Rose smiled, stepping into the role of confidant now.  She linked arms with Chastity as they walked out to the car.  "You can use me as bait anytime."

They pulled up near a popular brunch spot with a bustling courtyard with both shady and sunny spots.  Chastity spoke to the maître d’ and they were quickly seated at a table in the shade.  Rose smiled at her gratefully and Chastity grinned back.

"You're not the only redhead in my life, Rose.  I'm pretty good at looking out for you pale people."

Rose looked up and said softly “And here come the other two.”

Entering the courtyard and headed their way was a handsome red haired bearded man.  He was dressed casually but neatly and while to Rose he didn’t look that tall (Spending time around the Winchesters tended to warp ones views of height.) he was definitely a striking figure, drawing appraising looks from many of the tables he passed on the way but he had eyes for their table alone.  Rose stood as he reached them and he immediately engulfed her in a warm hug which Rose returned enthusiastically.

“Rose!  What kind of magic did Chastity have to pull to get you down here?”  Ryan pulled back and smiled at her, his blue eyes shining.

“Oh just needed a change of scenery for a bit” Rose said easily.  “How’s our princess?”  If it was possible Ryan’s smile grew even bigger.  He leaned down and unbuckled a sweet redheaded baby girl in a pretty prink dress from the stroller he was pushing, picking her up and cuddling her before handing her to Rose

“She’s doing absolutely perfectly” he said.  Rose took the sweet little girl into her arms and felt her heart swell.

“Hi Miss Emma, it’s been much too long since we saw each other in person” Rose murmured, sitting down and holding the little girl close to her.  Emma looked up at her seriously, her big blue eyes studying Rose intently.  “The last time I saw you face to face you were teeny tiny” Rose said, smiling at the baby.   Emma was studying her hair and seeing the bright yellow sunflowers there she immediately reached for one.  Her chubby fingers grasped and pulled and Rose laughed and let her.  Emma immediately put it in her mouth and began chewing.

“They’re safe” Rose said, glancing up at Emma’s parents who were seated next to each other now (With Ryan’s arm draped around Chastity’s shoulders, Rose noted).  “I checked, nothing toxic and they’re big enough she can’t choke on them.”

Chastity laughed.  “Of course you did.  Are you trying to bribe my daughter with flowers, Rose?”

Rose grinned unrepentantly.  “Maybe?”

Ryan laughed.  “Well done, Sis.  She loves anything she can grab at this point and if she can chew on it all the better.”

Rose happily spent her brunch watching Emma and feeding her in her high chair.  Emma had decided the lady who had the chewable flowers in her hair was obviously nice enough to be allowed to help her eat some lunch much to Rose’s delight.  The fact that Rose had a dangly bracelet on her wrist that Emma could grab and tug on was an added bonus.  Rose watched Ryan and Chastity covertly, noticing all their interactions.  Rose was hoping that things were working out for them.  She liked Ryan, he wasn’t just handsome and funny he was kind and smart and seemed like a genuinely good man.  He adored Emma and was an excellent father to her and in Rose’ opinion he cared for Chastity a great deal.  Smiling down at Emma as she chewed on a piece of toast Rose thought back to the day Chastity had called her in a panic.  Chastity rarely called, preferring texting and messaging.  When she’d called Rose knew something was wrong.

_“I’m pregnant” Chastity had announced without fanfare._

_“Holy -” Rose took a second to think this over.  “And are we happy about this fact?”_

_Chastity took a deep breath.  “We are freaking out is what we’re doing.  Remember the architect I mentioned?”_

_“The one who came to design some new rooms at the club?  Oh the sexy pirate looking one!”_

_“That would be the one. Apparently sexy architect pirates are quite virile” Chastity mused. “What the hell am I going to do, Rose?  I’m not ready, this wasn’t planned.”_

Planned or not this baby turned out to be very much wanted by both her parents (Even if her mother did her fair share of freaking out along the way.)  When Chastity had asked her to be there when she gave birth nothing could have kept Rose away.  The only time Rose had gone away on her own in years had been for a work trip as far as her family was concerned.  In reality Rose had been in New Orleans with Chastity and Ryan, in the days just before and after and in the delivery room when she gave birth.  Rose had been the first one to hold Emma after her parents and had fallen in love on the spot.  She’d been touched beyond words when Chastity told her that Emma’s name was in respect to Rose’s own middle name of Emily.  “I didn’t want it to match exactly, but to be close to it.  There’s no one else I would name my daughter after.”  Rose had cried like a baby herself at that and found herself doing the same when both Chastity and Ryan asked her to be Emma’s Godmother.  Rose and Ryan had clicked immediately, each finding the other easy to talk to and laugh with.  In a perfect world Ryan and Chastity would be in love and sharing their lives with each other.  But in this reality they were sharing parenting, Emma going back and forth while her parents tried to figure out just what they had between them.

“So Rose” Ryan asked, drawing her attention back to the here and now.  Rose smiled when she saw how close he and Chastity were sitting.  The two just oozed chemistry.  “How do you like New Orleans?  You didn’t get much chance to look around last time.  We were too busy with this one being born.”  He reached out and tickled his daughter under her chin and Emma let out a delighted squeal.

“What I’ve seen I’ve liked.  I’ve only been here a day” Rose said, sipping at the mimosa Chastity had insisted she order, swearing that New Orleans made the best ones.

“We did lunch yesterday at Chateau” Chastity said, mentioning the country club she had taken Rose to.  “And did some window shopping.  I was thinking today maybe we could do a little sightseeing.”

“Oh that would be fun” Rose said, catching on to Chastity’s plan.  “You and Emma will come along won’t you?”

Ryan glanced between Chastity and Rose, obviously figuring out they were scheming together.  He grinned good-naturedly.  “We’d love to.”

* * *

“I don’t want to research” Lily said flatly.

Sam sighed.  “I know you hate it, Lil, but-”

“No look, I’m not being difficult here I’m just saying I’m not good at it and this is important” Lily said impatiently.  “So why don’t I run over to the hospital and swap with Bobby?  He can come back here and help you guys and I’ll stay with Daisy.”

Sam and Dean shared a look and Sam nodded slowly.  “That could work.”

“That’s what I thought.  So who’s going to loan me their car?”

“Don’t look at me” Dean muttered and Lily rolled her eyes.  Sam dug his keys out and handed them to Lily, studying her face as he did so.

“Thanks, Babe” Lily said, taking them from his hand.  “I’m gonna go put some shoes on and grab my purse.  Can one of you guys call Bobby and let him know the plan?”

“I’ll do it” Dean said, pulling his phone from his pocket.

Sam followed Lily to their room and leaned in the doorway as she pulled sneakers on.  “You OK?” Sam asked and Lily glanced up at him.

“Ya, just not exactly what I wanted to hear, that there’s a group of demons who want to take down everything me and my sisters love.  That’s just not happening.  Oh and some demon sister wants _my_ sister dead” Lily said, standing and putting her phone charger in her purse and grabbing a magazine off her bedside table.  She stopped in front of Sam by the doorway and he tugged her into his arms gently and stood there with his head resting on top of hers.

“You’re worried” Sam said and Lily pulled back to meet his eyes.

“Wouldn’t you be?  My sisters out there and it’s not like we haven’t had reason to be worried already but now we know for a fact that a demon wants her dead.”  Lily tugged on the ends of her hair nervously.  “I can’t take care of Rose because she won’t let me.  She’s too busy running.”  Sam caught the anger in her words and was reminded that there were things they needed to talk about.  Maybe tonight…“But I have another sister in a hospital bed and I _can_ be with her.”  Lily shrugged.  “So that’s what I’m gonna do.  And I’ll send the guy who’s actually good at research back when I do.”

Sam smiled at Lily, wishing there were words he could say to make this all better.  “Have I told you lately how much I love the fact that you’re such a protector?”

Lily looked at him in surprise then she smiled.  Lily had got more than her share of compliments from guys in her lifetime but she was certain no guy had ever complimented her on her protectiveness.  It wasn’t on the list of things most guys found attractive but Sam had never been like most guys.  “No, I’m pretty sure you haven’t.”

Sam brushed her hair back behind her ears and cupped her face in his hands gently.  “It’s a great part of who you are, Lil and it just makes me love you more.”  He leaned down and kissed her softly.  Pulling back he smiled at her again as he let her go.  “Call me if you need anything.”

“Will do” Lily said, leaning up to get one more quick kiss.  Sam watched her walk off, noticing her slower than normal walk and figured a chance to rest on the couch at the hospital wasn’t a bad thing and hopefully being able to at least be in a room with Daisy would make her feel like she was doing something.  Sam headed to the library to start researching, to see just what he could find out about these sisters.

* * *

Rose had enjoyed the tour they had taken on the streetcar with Ryan pointing out all sorts of local landmarks.  He knew a lot about local history and was a great guide.  Emma had fallen asleep in her mother’s arms not long after the cable car had gotten moving so they’d all sat back and enjoyed the ride.  Rose snuck a picture of Chastity and her sleeping daughter and jumped slightly when Ryan surprised her by sliding into the seat next to her and nudging her elbow.

“Hey Sis, send me a copy of that picture would you?” he asked with an easy grin.

Rose grinned back at him, smiling at the nickname.  He’d started it the day they’d met, joking that the two of them looked enough alike to be siblings.  It was true; from the similar shade of their hair, their easy smiles and almost identical color of blue eyes they did look like family.

“Only if you’ll take one with me” Rose countered and Ryan easily slipped an arm around her shoulders and smiled for a picture.  Rose grinned at him and sent him copies of both pictures.

Ryan smiled at the picture of Chastity and Emma on his phone.  “Damn, she is beautiful” he said softly and Rose smiled, hoping that these two people she cared about so much could find happiness together.

Rose glanced back at Chastity who had eyes only for Emma right now.  “So how are things going with you two?”

Ryan sighed.  “Ask me one day and I’ll say great.  Ask me another and I’ll tell you I haven’t a clue.”

Rose laughed softly.  “That sounds about right.”  She smiled at Ryan’s rueful grin. “She was excited about seeing you today” she added softly.

Ryan smiled and fidgeted with his watch, not meeting Rose’s eyes.  “Did she tell you we…uh…slept together again?”  Rose’s eyes got big and Ryan blushed.  “I guess not” he muttered.

“To be fair we were solely on the topic of me and my love life last night, Ryan.  And trust me when I say it’s enough of a mess to take a week just to discuss the basics.”  She rolled her eyes dramatically and Ryan chuckled.  “Do you want it to be more between you two?” Rose asked seriously and Ryan sobered.  “And if I’m being too nosy just tell me to shush” Rose added.

Ryan smiled at her.  “You’re fine.  Really, I know you care so it’s OK.  It’s just complicated.”  Ryan thought for a minute then said “Do I want it to be more?  Yes.  But it’s not that easy.  And honestly what we have isn’t bad either.  I mean, it’s not ideal for Emma switching back and forth but at least we’re not like some couples who are at each other’s throats.”

Rose nodded her look thoughtful.  The two did get along amazingly well.  “Have you guys thought about sharing a home?  Not necessarily moving in together as a couple but sharing a house at least?”

Ryan stared at her for a second.  “We have, yes.  Did Chas mention that to you?”

Rose shook her head.  “No, it just, well with as well as you two get on why not?  It would make it easier on Emma and give you two time together, maybe a chance to see what you want.”

“We’ll see” Ryan said thoughtfully.  “It’s a definite possibility.”  He grinned then.  “So about this love life of yours…when do I get details?”

Rose groaned but before she could answer Chastity was calling to them.  “Guys, there’s a nice ice cream shop at this stop.  Why don’t we get off here?”

The group happily followed Chastity’s suggestion and Rose was soon eating a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone, seated on the edge of a fountain, watching Ryan eat his chocolate and Chastity eat her strawberry cone while Emma slept soundly in her stroller.  Both Rose and Chastity took their shoes off and dipped their feet in the fountain, joining lots of others enjoying the cool water.  Ryan chuckled at the two of them and snapped their picture, ice cream cones in hand, feet in the fountain and laughing like schoolgirls.

“I’d heard rumors you two were supposed to be adults” he teased.

“Oh no, we only play them on TV” Chastity giggled and smiled at Ryan brightly.  Rose smiled to herself seeing the connection between the two and spotting a row of shops across the road she had an idea.  She finished her ice cream and dried her feet off, then slipped her shoes back on and announced she was going to wander over to the shops.  She left Ryan and Chastity smiling at each other and felt like a professional cupid.

The first shop Rose came to was a fancy boutique that had a pair of shoes in the window that Lily would go crazy over.  They were a pair of crystal encrusted sandals that were absolutely stunning and Rose was certain Lily didn’t have a pair like them.  She wavered for a moment, considered buying them but at the last minute didn’t go into the shop.  Instead she walked onto the next one and paused outside of it.

They had passed a lot of voodoo shops yesterday, that being a normal part of the New Orleans culture.  Most were mostly tourist stops, lots of trinkets and love potions, lots of flash without a lot of power.  This one felt different.  The sign outside read Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo and it looked a lot less touristy and a lot more authentic.  Rose glanced in the window and for just a second she swore she knew one of the faces there.  Something tugged at her memory, a name being whispered at the edge of her consciousness but when she looked again the face was gone and the name disappeared from her mind like a puff of smoke.  Shaking herself Rose reached out and pulled the door open, intrigued.  She wandered through the aisles, not seeing anything she hadn’t seen before though her instincts said that behind the show for the tourists there was a lot of real power here.

Rose felt someone’s eyes upon her and looking up her eyes lit on a young woman behind the counter and Rose stopped mid stride and just stared.  There was something about her...it was power Rose realized, thinking back to Heather and all the color she'd seen around her, so different than that demon.  That had been like a body outline around the possessed girls’ body.  This color was more like a halo, emanating out from the shop girls body, almost as if her body was shining with it.  Rose felt herself drawn to her and found herself moving towards her almost against her will.  When she reached the counter she just stared at the girl and the girl stared right back.  She was young, with long dark hair that fell straight down her back and light blue eyes that were studying Rose as intently as Rose was studying her.  Rose’s eyes kept being drawn back to the power emanating off of her.  It wasn’t nearly as strong as Heather’s was, Rose realized as she studied it.  Heather’s had been almost overwhelming.  But it was there, consistent and steady.

Rose closed her eyes for just a second absorbing the feel of the power and when she opened her eyes the salesgirl was frowning at her.  “There’s so much darkness around you” the girl said softly, her voice honey smooth. “There’s a strong light in you but all that darkness is pulling at you and trying so hard to seep in.”  She shook her head.  “You need all the strength you can get.”  She came out from behind the counter and pulled back a curtain that was hanging over a doorway.  “Come with me.”  And without waiting to see if Rose was following she disappeared.

Rose had been raised by overly cautious parents.  They didn't stop at stranger danger.  They pulled out all the stops for good reason.  So for just a second Rose wavered.  The logical sensible side of her brain pointed out she didn't know this woman.  The very idea that she saw darkness was a very good reason to stay far away from her.  But the other desperate side of her brain was louder and shushed the other side and she followed the girl through the curtain.

She found herself in a storage room not unlike those you would find behind any other shop.  The salesgirl was rummaging through a bag, obviously looking for something.  A minute later she turned to face Rose, a red stone on a chain in her hand.

"This isn't from this shop" she said, holding the stone out to Rose.  "It's incredibly strong and will anchor your life force to your physical body."  She shook it slightly.  "Take it.  Wear it."

Rose took it gingerly from the girl’s hand.  "Does that mean..."

"It means you're protected while you're wearing it.  You're soul won't leave your body and you won't be able to be killed."  She studied Rose adding “You can still be hurt.  You’ll need to be healed if you’re injured but something tells me you know someone who could do that.”

Rose looked at her in surprise.  How would she know that?  The girls face was impassive, giving nothing away.  For the first time since she’d been in New Orleans Rose felt her powers flare up.  The bag the girl had taken the stone from flew off the shelf to land at her feet.  Rose closed her eyes, trying to settle her breathing, to calm herself down.  She felt the pressure ease and hesitantly opened her eyes to see that things were thankfully not flying off shelves.  The girl was looking at her with a different expression now, somewhere between alarm and annoyance.  Rose gave her a weak smile.  “Sorry.”  The girl just shrugged, as if to say she’d seen weirder and more impressive displays.

Looking down Rose studied the stone.  It was an amber color, a simple stone wrapped in gold wire, nothing that would have stood out to Rose.  It didn't feel special but this girl definitely seemed to believe it was.  "And you're giving it to me why?"

"You're gonna need it" the girl said bluntly.

“How do you know who I am?” Rose demanded, finally getting her footing enough to ask.

The girl waved a hand around Rose.  “Your power.  It’s coming off you in waves.”

“You can see it?” Rose asked in surprise and the girls simply rolled her eyes at her.  Rose had the distinct impression that despite the fact this girl was giving her something to supposedly protect her she wasn’t her biggest fan.  Add that to the list of weirdness.

She ushered Rose out of the back room, refused to let her pay and then walked her to the door.  She paused, seeming to be weighing her next words, unsure if she should say them or not.  Obviously deciding to go for it she said "Oh one more thing?  Just a word of advice really - Just because ghosts from the past come back it doesn't mean they're supposed to fill the same role they did before."  She looked at Rose sagely.  "Remember that."  Then she all but pushed Rose out the door and shut it firmly behind her.

Rose stood there a moment trying to digest what just happened, the stone still in her hand.  The whole experience was surreal.

"There you are!" A cheerful voice called and Rose looked up to find Ryan & Chastity heading her way with Emma in tow.  "We couldn’t find you and thought you'd been kidnapped."  Ryan caught sight of the necklace in her hand.  "Oh no, you didn't get bamboozled into buying something from one of these places did you?" he asked motioning to the voodoo shop.  "Sis, these are all just tourist traps."

Rose gathered herself enough to shove the necklace down into her purse and give Ryan a weak grin.  "Yes, I guess I did, but nothing big, just a bauble."

As Ryan mentioned dinner Chastity put her arm through Rose's and whispered "Are you OK?  You've gone pale."

Rose smiled and squeezed her arm.  "I'm OK" she assured her.

Chastity smiled and suggested she make them all dinner at her place.  While she and Ryan worked out details Rose's mind was going a million miles a minute, trying to sort out what had just happened.  She glanced back over her shoulder, a strange uncomfortable feeling prickling up her spine, as if a set of eyes were watching her every move.


	19. You Got Your Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some prophecy, some romance and some revelations

Castiel was standing looking down at Daisy’s sleeping form intently.  She looked so comfortable on the lounge chair, dozing lazily in the sun.  Cas could feel her body healing, could sense her powers knitting together in all the right places; Daisy was getting stronger every hour that passed.  He honestly couldn’t wait to see what she could do when she was completely healed.

He took a deep breath, remembering Dean’s words.  If anyone could have seen him he was sure they would have been amused to see how nervous he was.  He had fought battles no mortal man could hope to survive, had gone deep into the pits of hell and pulled souls from the fires and had faced demons and arc-angels alike and never flinched.  Yet here he was, standing by the side of a sleeping girl and he was a nervous wreck.  He wanted to do this right.

Cas wasn’t sure if he had made a noise or Daisy had just sensed his presence but well before he was ready Daisy was blinking her eyes sleepily at him.

“Cas?” she said, her voice huskier than normal with the sounds of sleep.

Cas smiled nervously.  “Daisy, I was just checking on you.”

She smiled a sleepy, relaxed smile. “That’s sweet.”

Cas sat down next to Daisy on the lounge and running Dean’s advice through his mind again he leaned down and kissed Daisy, softly at first then a bit more passionately when she responded.  Daisy’s hands wound up around his neck and she sighed, a happy little sound that went straight to Cas’ heart.  Cas smiled and pulled back after a minute.  Daisy was smiling at him and he was happy to not any sense and panic or worry in her.

Cas brushed her hair back from her face.  “You’re healing very quickly, Daisy.”

Daisy nodded her head.  “I feel stronger, Cas.”

Cas studied her for a minute, trying to judge if she was ready.  Finally seeming to come to a decision Cas took one of her hands in his and squeezed it.  “Do you feel ready to learn a little bit about what you can do?”

Daisy nodded her head eagerly.  “Yes, please.”

“You must promise me though that if you start to feel weak or tired you’ll tell me immediately.”  Cas stroked the hand he was holding gently.  “The last thing I want to do is cause you any harm when you are healing so well.”

“I promise” Daisy said solemnly.

“All right then let’s begin” Cas said standing up.  He stopped then, frowning down at Daisy suddenly.  “We need to change that though” he said motioning at her swimsuit.  “It’s distracting.”  Daisy blinked and found herself in a t-shirt, shorts and flip- flops.

She was distracting in a swimsuit?  That idea gave her a happy warm feeling inside.  As Cas started to tell her where they were going to start Daisy smiled a happy little smile to herself.

* * *

Chastity whipped up a delicious pasta dinner along with some fresh bread.  She had a bottle of wine open before hand which Rose happily gulped down.  She was happy to feel the pressure of her power tamp down completely, no longer there in the back of her mind.

Chastity still refused to let her do anything but she happily accepted Ryan's help setting the table and filling everyone's wine glass.  He grinned at the t-shirt Rose had changed into when they'd gotten home.

"Cute twist on the original" he said, chuckling as he pointed it out to Chastity.

"I'm not a psychopath.  I'm a high-functioning fangirl.  Do your research."  "Oh isn't that perfect?" Chastity said with a knowing grin.  "Speaking of more comfortable clothes, Ryan if you can watch the sauce, please, make sure it doesn't burn, I'm going to follow Rose's lead."

Ryan took Chastity's place at the stove and glanced at Rose who was feeding Emma some creamed turkey.  "You OK, Sis?" he asked casually.

Rose glanced at him cautiously to find him smiling at her kindly.  "Is my messy life that obvious?" Rose asked with a rueful grin.

"Not at all" Ryan said stirring the sauce.  "But I know you getting down here was never easy and then you suddenly turn up out of the blue."  He paused then added "And every once in awhile you get a really sad look in your eyes."

Rose wiped Emma's face and offered the baby another spoonful.  "Stop being so observant" she groused at Ryan good-naturedly.

Ryan grinned. "So is it a guy?"

Rose paused then said carefully.  "There is a guy but he's the happy part." She saw Ryan start to speak and quickly said "And for the record, if you ask me why I'm not with him then I will throw this spoonful of mashed up turkey at you."

Ryan held his hands up in front of himself in a placating gesture.  "OK not asking that question.  But for the record if he's a jerk to you I'll go beat him up, OK?  So just know the offers there."

Rose smiled gratefully.  "Noted and appreciated."  She fed Emma a bit more then said "But no he's good, it's just a complicated situation and I needed a place to clear my head."

Before Ryan had a chance to answer Chastity swept back into the room.  "Tada" she said, modeling her t-shirt.  "Every fairytale needs a good old fashioned villain" it read.  "Now we have a theme."

"Except me" Ryan pointed out.

"We'll just have to get you a t-shirt" Chastity said.  "Thanks for stirring the sauce, darling."  She took the spoon back from him with a kiss to the cheek.

Ryan smiled at her and Rose had to avert her eyes when he put his hands gently on her waist.  Don't think about how he's touching her Rose commanded herself.  Don’t even think about what it reminds you of.  _Who_ it reminds you of.  You’re doing OK and going down that road will just hurt.

She concentrated on Emma, on the mashed turkey and the mess the baby was making.  "We'll have to get you a little Sherlock shirt, won't we?" she said, smiling at Emma.

* * *

Sam, Dean and Bobby were surrounded by books, laptops and cups of coffee.  They’d been reading and researching and sharing what they found as they went with Sam keeping detailed notes for a few hours now.

“You said Sisters of fire and vision, right?” Bobby asked, looking up from the large book spread open in front of him.  Both boys nodded and Bobby began to read.  Aideen & Ashling, sisters of fire and vision. It says they both had their hearts true loves taken from them, no details on how.  It was rumored that they had both died from a broken heart but that wasn’t the case.”  Bobby read silently for a minute then let out a disgusted “Balls!”

“Well that’s never good” Dean said dryly.

“You ain’t kidding” Bobby said.  “Turns out they didn’t actually die.  They became powerful witches, who offered their souls to dark forces in exchange for power.”

“And that always ends so well” Sam muttered as he scribbled furiously.

“When they were alive they were scarily powerful witches and when they died they were such angry spirits they became incredibly powerful demons.”

“So we’re not just talking any demons here, we’re talking demons who were strong witches when they were alive” Dean said.  “Oh this just keeps getting better and better.”

“You think it’s any coincidence Erin had such a strong spell cast on her?” Bobby asked wisely and Dean frowned while Sam continued to write.  There was one puzzle piece falling into place Dean thought.

“That’s all I got here” Bobby said, closing the book in front of him and pulling the next from the pile next to him.

“Hey Bobby, how’d Lily seem when you saw her?” Sam asked casually.

Bobby gave Sam a look that encompassed his neck and the marks there.  “I’m guessing you mean aside from marked up?” he asked and Dean laughed loudly, enjoying his brother’s discomfort while Sam turned several shades of red.

“Ya, I meant, well she was a bit on edge after the prophecy bits Charlie read.”  Sam left the part out about her being worried about Rose out there on her own, figuring Dean didn’t need the reminder.

“She seemed OK, I guess.  Erin is there with her so she’ll have someone to talk to.  Cas ain’t exactly chatty these days” Bobby said, earning a snort from Dean.

“He won’t shut up when I’m there” Dean muttered, earning an odd glance from Bobby but before the older hunter could ask Sam interrupted.

“Got something here.  “There were three sisters born to a family.  The oldest two had a tight bond, inseparable from birth but the third daughter’s bond was never as strong, never bonding entirely with the other two.  There was much jealousy and envy in the youngest sisters’ heart for the closeness the older two shared.  But she was very beautiful and could attract the attention of any man and so when her sisters fell in love and married she found the best way to return to them the rejection she had always felt at their lack of love for her.  She charmed and seduced both of her sisters’ husbands.  When they found out the older sisters shunned her completely, never once saying her name again.  It sounds like this is when they started with witchcraft, I guess to get revenge on her, though it doesn’t specifically say that.  The husbands were lost in battle not long after.”  Sam looked up, wide eyed.  “Whoa, that’s some heavy duty sibling rivalry.”

“Women aren’t known for being forgiving of cheaters.  You ask me the husbands got off pretty light, dying in battle” Bobby said.

“Or not” Dean said, leaning forward as his hand held a spot on the page.  “Though there were three sisters the bond was never as strong with the youngest and it was broken entirely when the youngest led her sisters’ husbands astray with her wiles and charms.  She stole their hearts true loves and they in turn turned to hate and anger against her.”  OK, we knew that…But apparently it was rumored that perhaps the husbands didn’t die in battle, that some warriors reported never seeing them in battle.  A lot of people believed that their wives took them out for cheating on them.”

“Makes your girlfriend bashing up some guys car pale in comparison, huh Dean?”  Sam grinned at his brother and Dean flipped him off.

“We don’t even know that story’s true” Dean muttered.

“What are you two jokers babbling about?” Bobby asked and Sam filled him on the story Lily had thrown Dean’s way about Rose wrecking some guys car because he cheated on her.  When Bobby just chuckled Dean looked at him surprise.

“You think this is funny?” Dean demanded.

Bobby just gave him an even look and said “I think any guy who cheated on one of the girls in that family would have to be an idiot.  Not just because I love them like family and think they’re as pretty as a girl can be but because the idiot who did wouldn’t just be facing the anger of the girl he cheated on but her sisters too.  You want to go up against all three of them?”  Bobby shook his head.  “Now that’s an idiot.  So ya, I do think it’s funny.  The guy deserved it.”  Bobby chuckled some more, then he paused and added “The bastards just lucky their daddy wasn’t alive when it happened.”

Dean just shook his own head (Not in disagreement but just to clear the image of anything happening to the Impala) and finally said “OK, moving on…I have more here.  Aine, she’s the youngest and our Glenn Close, apparently she was determined to be more powerful than her sisters and worked day and night to be a stronger witch.  She became quite powerful on her own, though never as strong her sister’s combined powers.  It says she used her powers to charm others to do her bidding.”  Dean paused then asked “And just what kind of names are these anyway?  Aideen, Ashling and Aine.  Sounds like some hipster’s kids.”

“They’re Irish” Sam said. “Which makes sense since the prophecy was written down by an Irish priest and nuns.”

Dean just rolled his eyes at his brother and Bobby thought to himself that the boys were getting a little stir crazy.  The really needed to work a job, to get out of the bunker for a bit and focus on something other than this but good luck getting either of them to do that.

They all read in silence for awhile, going through more and more books till finally Bobby found something.  It wasn’t something he liked.

“Shit” he swore, causing both boys to look up.

“Bobby?  You got something?” Dean asked and Bobby nodded.

“So it turns out that like you said Dean, Aideen and Ashling weren’t just normal average demons.  Because they were powerful witches and because they were so angry they became incredibly powerful demons, wreaking havoc and murder everywhere they touched.  They were so bad that even other demons were afraid of them and only the ones who were working for them didn’t want them stopped.”

Sam swallowed hard.  “That is impressive.”

Bobby nodded and continued.  “The two together were so fierce and powerful that it was eventually decided by the demons as a whole that they had to be separated and bound.  There’s believed to be an entrance to purgatory on Lough Derg, County Donegal in Ireland and that’s the spot the ritual was performed to bind Aideen so she was imprisoned in purgatory.”

Silence reigned for a second before Dean said “How bad do you have to be that other demons want you out of the picture?”

“Pretty fucking bad” Sam said.  “Does it say what happened to Ashling?”

Bobby looked back down.  “It just says she was weakened with her sister removed.  So I’m guessing she’s still on earth.  Doesn’t sound like she’s too powerful without her sister so she’s probably just keeping her head down, being a good little demon.”

“And Aine?”

Bobby shook his head.  “Once her sister was bound there’s no mention of her.”

“So what the hell has she been doing all this time?” Dean asked.

Bobby shrugged.  “No idea.”  He cleared his throat and then glanced Dean’s way.  “I’m guessing she’s the one Rose is destined to kill or bring about her death.  I can’t see her sisters caring if she’s gone since they hate her.”

“Ya that would make sense” Sam said when Dean didn’t respond, just stared at his coffee mug.  "So looks like we got all the info we can till Charlie wakes up and tells us the rest of what's on the website."

"Wanna stay for dinner?" Dean asked.  "I've got chili cooking on the stove."

"I won't say no to that" Bobby said.

Dean nodded then said casually "So once we've heard what Charlie has to add I'm thinking about heading down to Texas.  See if I can't find Rose."

"There may be some follow up research we need to do" Sam said quickly.  "You said you'd wait till we were done with that."

Bobby looked between the boys, seeing how anxious Dean was to be on the move and seeing how torn Sam was. He'd go with his brother there was no doubt about that but he really didn’t want to leave.  And Bobby knew why that was: Lily.  Anyone near them could see how wrapped up in each other they were and Bobby more than anyone was surprised to see it was serious.  When he'd caught onto the fact that Sam and Lily were involved (A lot earlier than Sam realized.  Bobby had contacts everywhere and always knew more than the boys realized, which as any good parent can tell you is the best way.) Bobby had been prepared for it to either stay a casual on and off thing or end in a big blow up.  It had come as a pleasant surprise to Bobby when he'd seen the real connection between the two.  Bobby had always known it would take some adjustment for the boys when one of them got in a serious relationship.  They were both used to being the most important relationship in the others life and at some point that was going to have to change or at least expand to allow another person in.  Seeing the anxious look on Sam's face now Bobby could see him trying to juggle Dean and Lily, wanting to please and be with both.  Lily wasn't going to make it easier because she wasn't going to demand Sam put her first and for his part Dean seemed to be willing to let his brother do what he felt he had to do.  In some ways it would have made it easier if one of them was demanding Sam choose them but Bobby couldn’t see that happening, at least not any time soon.  Despite his womanizing ways Bobby has always assumed Dean would be the one to settle down first.  Like everyone else Bobby had been aware of the connection between him and Rose and had figured it would happen sooner than later.  The boys had proved him wrong. 

Bobby reappraised his previous theory.  Maybe it was Dean who needed to get out some.  Perhaps the boys just needed some breathing room from each other. 

Dean was looking at his brother with a calm but determined look now.  "And I will, Sammy.  I'm just trying to get a plan in place." Dean's tone gentled a little.  "You don't have to come, Sam.  I'll be ok-"

"Of course I'm coming" Sam interrupted.  "I'm not having you out there on your own.  My place is by your side."

"Your place is with Lily" Dean said, some heat entering his voice and Sam's tone rose to match it. 

"Lily is an adult and-"

"Boys?" Both sets of eyes turned his way and Bobby had a sudden flashback to two much younger boys arguing and Uncle Bobby having to play mediator. "Just wanna point out that as Sam said Lily is an adult" Sam gave his older brother a triumphant smile that disappeared quickly at Bobby's next words.  "And she has an opinion in this matter.  She might want to go along with you boys or she might want to stay here but you might want to ask her.  And last I checked I was still mobile." He shrugged.  "No reason I can't go along.  As long as we have enough people here to help keep an eye on Daisy we have lots of options.  You idjits might want to calm down and remember that."

The boys glanced at each other and then Bobby, their faces calmer now, both seeing the wisdom in his words.

Bobby clapped his hands together.  "Now how about some of that chili?"

* * *

Emma fell asleep just as dinner was ready and Ryan put her down in her crib.  Dinner was fun with lots of laugher and good conversation.  The wine flowed freely and Rose found herself sinking into that boneless, relaxed state again.

Ryan laughed at her.  "She's a lightweight isn't she?" He asked Chastity and she nodded and grinned.

"Hey I don't usually drink wine" Rose protested.  "That's my excuse and you're my friend so you have to buy it."

Both Ryan and Chastity chuckled. 

"It's been years since I've gone this long without cooking" Rose mused, eating the last of her pasta. 

Ryan beamed proudly.  "My girl can cook" he boasted, winking at Chastity.

Rose froze as everything around her seemed to stop. Those words, how many times had Dean said them proudly about her?  She could distantly hear Chastity teasing Ryan about calling her a girl but it was all background noise.  Rose felt her heart beating loudly in her ears and glancing down she saw that her hands were shaking.  Damn it, she couldn't freak out here.  She stood up suddenly excusing herself and fled to the bathroom.

She gripped the sink and stared at her reflection, watching as a shampoo bottle rose in the background.  Calm down she said quietly.  You screwed up; you're the one with the problems who wrecked everything.  It's not Chastity or Ryan's problem.  Just get a grip on it and relax.  She closed her eyes taking a deep breath and finally opened her eyes to find things settled down.  Nothing floating and the panic sensation, the pressure had gone back down.  She splashed some water on her face, smoothed her hair back and went back to join dinner.  Two concerned faces greeted her.

"Sorry guys, I think I might have gotten a bit too much sun today" Rose said, the first excuse she could come up with.

Chastity refilled her wine glass, a sympathetic smile on her face.  They all chatted over dessert, more delicious pastries that Ryan had picked up on the way to the house and then Ryan decided it was time to head home.  He expertly gathered the sleeping Emma from her crib and Rose and Chastity both got in kisses before he got her in her car seat.  Then he came back to say his good-byes.  He hugged Rose warmly, whispering in her ear "Whatever's got that sad look on your face, you don't have to face it alone, just remember that, OK?"  He pulled back to make sure she was taking him seriously and she smiled gratefully at him, overcome with appreciation for this sweet man.  He kissed her cheek softly and said "Love you, Sis."

"Love you, Ryan" Rose said, hugging him again briefly then slipping back into the kitchen when she saw him turn to Chastity with a look in his eyes she knew all too well.  It was a similar look to the one Dean got when he was planning on kissing her.

A few minutes later Chastity joined her in the kitchen to find Rose drinking another glass of wine.  “Come on, the living room is more comfortable.  Chastity said, picking up another bottle of wine and Rose nodded and followed her.  “We can talk there.”

* * *

Bobby had swapped places with Lily and she'd driven back to the bunker with a cup of her newest addiction.  She'd brought Charlie, Sam and Dean coffee as well but found Charlie still soundly asleep.

"She's exhausted" Dean said.  "She'll probably sleep straight through till tomorrow."  Lily thought she knew how Charlie felt.   Between her and Sam’s late night activities and the less than good prophecy from this morning she felt worn out, like she could sleep for a week.

Lily ate a bowl of chili with Sam in the kitchen.  "Wanna hear what we found out?" He asked.

"Are you gonna have to tell it all to Charlie tomorrow?" She asked and Sam nodded.  "I'll wait till then.  I'm about prophecied out."

Sam nodded and studied Lily's face. "You look tired, Darling."

Lily made a face at him.  "Gee thanks, Sam.  Stop, you'll turn my head with all these compliments."

Sam smiled at her then winked.  "Pretty sure I already did that" and he was thrilled when he saw Lily get a faint blush on her cheeks.  Lily rarely blushed so that was a major accomplishment.  He'd planned on them talking about some stuff tonight but she looked so tired he didn't know if she was up for it.  As if to prove his point she leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes and sighed.  "I'd kill for a bath."

Now that Sam could do.  He stood and leaned down and kissed her forehead.  "Finish your dinner, Lil.  I'll be back."

Lily opened her eyes looking at him curiously.  "Where are you going?"

Sam just smiled mysteriously and left without another word.  He came back a little while later to find Lily's bowl empty and her browsing on her phone.

Sam took her bowl put it in the sink and offered her a hand.  She took it and he pulled her to her feet and gave her a soft kiss. 

"Sam where are we going?" Lily asked as he led her past their room.

"You'll see" he said, finally coming to stop by a room she hadn't been in.  He opened the door and led her into another bedroom and Lily frowned.  That was her nightshirt laid out on the bed.  The door to the attached bathroom was open with light spilling out and she could hear water running.  Sam led her to the door and she peaked inside seeing the bath filling with water and bubbles and the strong scent of lavender in the air.

"You want a bath, I give you a bath" Sam said, wrapping his arms around her from behind and kissing the top of her head. 

Lily felt a wave of warmth and emotion wash over her.  She turned and buried her head in Sam's chest.  "Hey, what?"

Lily just shook her head and Sam just gave her a second, running his hands down her back soothingly.  It took Lily a second to calm down enough to pull back and smile at Sam (even if it was a little watery around the edges.).  She wanted to say so much; that these were the things that Sam did that made her know he loved her, that he was amazing for being so strong and gentle too, that he was the brightest part of her life.  But she was too tired and too emotional.  So instead of any of that she simply said softly:

"Thank you."  And because Sam was well versed in Lily speak he heard everything she didn't say.

* * *

A few glasses of wine later both Rose and Chastity were both feeling loose and relaxed.  They'd talked about Emma and how big she'd gotten and a few other harmless topics but the more wine that was consumed the less filters they both had.

Rose finally leveled Chastity with a look.  "So in what world does not spending much time together somehow include sleeping together?"

Rose watched as a look she rarely saw Chastity wear splashed across her face: guilt.  "In the world where I don't know what I want."

Rose sighed and leaned back on the couch.  "Do you want Ryan in your life?"

"Yes" Chastity said immediately.  Then she added "I just don't know how I want him."  Rose gave her a wicked grin and Chastity threw a throw pillow at her.  "Pervert.  Though I do have preferences that way as well..." And Rose laughed.  Chastity drank some more wine then looked at Rose seriously.  "He wants me to be normal, lead a normal life."

"Leave the club?" Rose asked.  Chastity loved what she did, had built The Haven from the ground up and was extremely proud of it as well she should be.

Chastity shrugged.  "Not leave it necessarily but be a lot less hands on."  She toyed with her wine glass.  "He kept saying "You're a mom now."

Rose frowned.  “But he met you at the club so isn’t that kind of…"

"Hypocritical?”  Rose nodded. “Aw, but not as a client."  Chastity said.

"And what does you being a mom have to do with anything?" Rose asked her confusion evident in her voice.

Chastity smiled at Rose fondly.  "I love that about you, you honestly don't see any problem with what I do." Rose shrugged.  Why would she?  Chastity sighed.  "Mothers are apparently supposed to chaste and Madonna like and I'm not talking about the pop star.  Words about sex should never leave their mouths.  It's that whole Madonna whore complex thing I guess.  Personally I don't aspire to be either."

"But that makes no sense.  If you hadn't had sex you wouldn't be a mother."  Rose sipped her wine and added "I'm pretty sure my mother never got this memo by the way."  Chastity laughed. "And what you do has so much more to do with fantasy than actual sex..."

"You wanna explain that to Ryan?" Chastity asked dryly.  She bit her lip then and said "Really the biggest problem, well the two biggest problems?"  Rose nodded her head for her to continue.  "I love Ryan, I do.  But I don't think I'm necessarily _in_ love with him."

Rose nodded.  "And you want to be."

Chastity nodded.  "I do. If I'm going to settle down with someone then yes, I want to be in love, truly in love."  She paused.  "I know some people fall in love over time, I know that can happen and I'm not shutting the door on the possibility but until I feel like...." She searched for the words and Rose easily filled them in.

"Like a part of your soul is missing if you're apart, like you can't really breath right without them, like the happiest, brightest moments are always with them?"  She hastily gulped more wine, not having meant to be so effusive.

Chastity looked at her surprised.  "Yes all of that."

"What's the second problem?" Rose asked needing Chastity to stop looking at her that way. 

Chastity sighed.  "I don't want a normal life, Rose.  I mean my life's not nearly as exotic as I'm sure some people think it is."  Rose nodded, knowing from talking to Chastity how many regular things that running any business went into keeping The Haven going.  "But it's not boring; it's not typical and I like that."

"Then don't change it.  You worked hard for all this, Chas" Rose said, waving her hand to encompass Chastity’s world.  "If you're happy with it don't give it up.  If you and Ryan are meant to be together then things will work out."  She shrugged.  "I personally think given time he'll get better at accepting what you do, may even learn to see how amazing it is and how good you are at it.  Maybe you could get him to come hang out there for a bit.” Rose shrugged.  “But if he doesn't you still have a good relationship.  You're attracted to each other, you have sex occasionally and you're raising a beautiful little girl together and doing a great job of it.  That’s a lot more than a lot of people have."

Chastity smiled at her.  "OK you definitely need to come to visit more often. This is the sanest I've felt about all of this in ages."

Rose laughed, tucking her legs underneath herself.  "That's me, therapist to all."

Chastity was looking at her with a curious look then.  "So I was promised details tonight but you brought something else up that I just can't pass up asking about."

Rose looked surprised.  "I did?"

"Mmm hmm." She gave Rose a curious look.  "You're in love with Dean, aren't you?"

Rose stared at her wineglass, bit her lip and finally raised her eyes to meet Chastity's and nodded.  It was the first time she'd admitted it to anyone.

Chastity's face took on a confused look.  "OK next question.  Is he in love with you?"

"I don't know, I mean we haven't said as much-"

Chastity gave her a look and cut her off.  "Don't even try that bullshit with me, Rose.  You're a woman.  We know when men cheat and we know when they’re in love with us.  _We know_.  Is he in love with you?"

Chastity watched Rose go through all the same motions: Stare at wineglass, bite her lip then finally look up (tears in her eyes this time) and nod.  "He is" she said softly but assuredly.  She knew Dean.  She knew, as sure as she was that she loved him that he loved her back.

Chastity sat there stunned for a few seconds then she shook her head softly. "OK then I'm even more confused about what you're doing here."

Rose lost the battle with her tears and they slowly made their way down her face.  “I thought this was supposed to make me feel better” she said, lifting her wine glass.

Chastity smiled gently and moved over to sit next to Rose, putting both their wineglasses on the coffee table.  “It’s wine, not a magic elixir.” She rested a hand on Rose’s shoulder and stroked her back.   “Have you talked to him at all since you left?”

Rose shook her head.  “I talked to my mom and Bobby, he’s a family friend” she explained.  “But I haven’t talked to Dean.”

“Why not?” Chastity asked gently.

“A couple reasons.  He’ll trace the call if I do and be here faster than I can hang up to take me back home.”

Chastity looked amused.  “Does he have magical powers?”

Rose smiled thinly.  “Not quite.  But he has his ways.”  That drew a confused look from Chastity but Rose continued on before she could ask for an explanation.  “The biggest reason is if I talk to him, if he asks me to come back?  I don’t think I can say no to him.”

Chastity grinned at her, trying to bring some levity to the situation.  “Because you’re such a good girl?”

“Shut up” Rose said, smacking at Chastity playfully and giving her a small smile in gratitude for the distraction.  “No, because well-”

“Because you really don’t want to be away from him” Chastity supplied and Rose nodded.

“And he’s really good at talking people into stuff and I’m really bad at saying no to him” Rose admitted.

Thinking for a minute Chastity asked “I can’t help you with that part but I can help you with the call being traced.  If you want to talk to him we can go to the club.  There are things in place so calls going out can’t be traced at all.”  She stroked Rose’s hair softly.  “Sweetie, you’ve done a really good job of putting on a brave face but I know you’re miserable.”

Rose immediately protested.  “No, I’ve enjoyed being with you and seeing Emma and Ryan.  I really have.”

“I know that” Chastity said.  “But you’re unhappy.  I know you, Rose.  There’s nothing wrong with admitting that.”  She hugged her then leaned back and said “If you want to call him, just to talk, to see where things stand we can go to the club tomorrow.  You can use my office; have all the privacy you want.  Think it over, OK?”

Rose nodded and smiled at her friend.  “Thanks, Chas.  I will.”

Chastity leaned back then, studying Rose’s face.  “So OK, I’m ready.  Now I want the story of why you left in the first place.”


	20. So Many Things That I Wish You Knew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two conversations...

"I'm trying to decide if we need to sober up or need more alcohol to have this conversation" Rose said with a nervous laugh.

"In my experience alcohol is always the way to go" Chastity said, getting to her feet.  "I'll grab another bottle of wine; you get your story ready."

Rose watched Chastity walk away and felt panic wash over her.  She'd promised so she had to tell her now.  God, this could go so wrong.  Before she was ready Chastity was back, filling both their glasses, handing Rose’s glass back to her, grabbing her own and sitting back down on the couch across from Rose.

Taking a deep breath Rose said "The funny thing is I want exactly what you don't want; I want a normal life.  I want to be with Dean, be near the people I love. I want to cook and take care of Dean and let him take care of me and figure out every way possible to make him moan."  That got a chuckle from Chastity and Rose realized this was definitely the unfiltered version.  That was alcohol for you. Rose breathed deeply and took a big gulp of her wine.  "But that's not possible.  I'm going to have to ask you to believe some stuff here you might not normally.  Can you try?"

Chastity nodded her face intensely curious.

"You know I said I went to stay with Dean because I needed a place to stay?  Well there was a reason for that.  I um, oh God how do I even explain this.”  Rose took a big gulp of wine.  Well sometimes actions were the way to go.  Rose reached out with her power and carefully brought the wine bottle over to fill her glass.  She watched as Chastity’s eyes went wide and her mouth fell open.

“Holy shit” Chastity whispered.

Rose carefully floated the bottle back to the coffee table. "There’s more I can do but they aren’t exactly things I can show you.”

Chastity was just staring at her with big eyes.  Well she was in this far, might as well continue.  "There's a prophecy about me and once my powers manifested I had had some demons trying to grab me."

"Demons are real?" Chastity asked her voice quieter than normal and Rose nodded.  "So are vampires and most monsters that people think are made up."

Chastity seemed to be turning that over in her head.  "So you went with Dean so you'd be safe from demons?"  Rose nodded.  "OK why?  Why could he keep you safe?"

"Dean is a hunter" Rose said simply.

"I'm gonna guess you don't mean of Bambi" Chastity said.

"Oh God, no!  He'd never hurt a poor innocent deer."  Rose looked truly horrified by the idea, enough so that despite her shock Chastity gave a small smile.  "No, he hunts monsters, demons, anything supernatural that's hurting people."

"So you got these powers when?" Chastity asked, taking a big drink of wine.

"About a month ago."

"But you've known Dean your whole life.  Did you always know he chased monsters?"  Rose nodded her head.  "And that never seemed...I don't know…crazy to you?"  Rose shook her head.  "Why not?"

Rose took a deep breath.  Trust Chastity to go down a path she hadn't expected.  "Because my dad was a hunter too."

"Jesus, Rose" Chastity muttered, draining her glass and refilling it.  "OK so you have these powers....why?"

Rose shrugged.  "No idea."

"Well that's irritating" Chastity muttered.

"People were working on figuring that out but I left before they did."

Chastity nodded then she looked at Rose curiously.  "What else can you do?"

"I can control demons" Rose said softly.

"Wow, way to bury the lead, Rose" Chastity said.

"My sisters have powers too but lucky me I got the extra scary powerful one" Rose said.  She stared at her wineglass a second then put it down and got up suddenly.  "Give me a sec."

Chastity watched her disappear, turning Rose’s words over on her mind.  Living in New Orleans it wasn't hard to imagine that supernatural things were real.  But believing in the possibility and seeing it firsthand were two very different things.

Rose came back and sat down, her expression serious.  "Just before I left we were attacked.  My sisters were hurt along with some other people.  One of the demons told me there would be a target on them as long as I was with them.  It's why I left."

"But you said Dean hunts demons all the time anyway so isn't he always on their hit list?"

"Well ya but I didn't want to put him in any more danger."

"Well that just seems kind of dumb."  Rose gave her a surprised, hurt look and Chastity shrugged.  "I'm not trying to be mean, Rose but it just seems that being with someone who can actually fight monsters as opposed to being out on your own would make more sense.  Especially since you’ve only had these powers a month, right?  I mean, that’s not a lot of learning time."  Chastity paused.  "His brother, the one your sister was hooking up with, does he hunt monsters too?" Rose nodded.  "So you were with two people who know how to fight monsters?"

"Well actually Lily does too and the family friend I mentioned before..."

"Dear God, Rose why the hell did you leave?  This makes no sense what so ever!"  Chastity was in full on protective mode now, angry at Rose for putting herself in a dangerous situation.  “They could help you.”

"I'm a threat, don't you see that?" Rose asked desperate for Chastity to get how dangerous she was. "It's why I can't stay here long either."

Chastity looked at her in shock.  "Wait, you can't just leave.  You can't just drop this bombshell on me and walk away.  Where are you going to go?"

Rose shrugged praying she didn’t look as clueless as she felt.  She really didn’t have a plan.  "I don't know but I've gotten pretty good at figuring it out as I go."

Chastity put her wine glass down and got up and came over to sit beside Rose.  She took her hands in hers and looked her in the eye.  "OK I need you to listen to me and really hear what I'm saying.  I know absolutely nothing about powers.  But I do know something about running and believe me when I say it doesn't work.  The problems don't go away and all that happens is you get really good at being lonely.  You run and run and every time you think you’ve ran far enough that you can stop and catch your breath the problems are still there, as big and as scary as ever." She smiled at Rose, a soft, caring smile.  "You have a group of people who do know about powers and all this supernatural stuff who want to stand beside you.  Your place is with them."

Rose shook her head, pulling her hands away from Chastity.  "I can't.  Someone died because of me, Chas.  Right in front of me."

"Something tells me in the life those people lead that's not uncommon" Chastity said.

"I refuse to be the reason they get hurt" Rose said crossing her arms, her jaw set stubbornly.

"Oh Dear God" Chastity said with a roll of her eyes.  "I swear if Dean wasn't spanking you I would!  You are the most stubborn person with the biggest martyr complex I’ve ever known."  She glared at Rose.  "You can tell Dean when you talk to him that when you do go home I'll send a care package with you of all kinds of toys he can spank you with.  You deserve every one!"

"When I talk to him?" Rose asked with a raised eyebrow.  "What happened to it being my choice?"

"Oh that went out the window when I realized how much danger you're putting yourself in" Chastity said.  "Call him and tell him you're thinking about coming back but you need a few days.  You can stay here till you're ready.  But either you call him or I'll call him and tell him right where you are."  Chastity's gaze softened then.  "Certain things in life you really can't do alone, sweetie.  This would be one of them."

Rose sank back against the couch and pouted at her.  "This is blackmail."

Chastity shrugged.  "Call it what you like.  I prefer to call it being a good friend, taking care of someone I love."  Chastity stared at her, seeing she still didn’t look convinced.  “OK let me ask you something.  I’m going to guess there’s a lot of pretty evil-” Chastity floundered for the right word, settling on “things that want to take Dean out.”  Rose nodded her head.  “So if you didn’t have any of these powers, if you were just normal Rose and Dean said “Hey, sorry I know we've been happy together but I can’t be with you because I don’t want to risk you being hurt.”  You’d be OK with that?”

Rose was staring at Chastity with an expression somewhere between irritation and wonder.  “No” she finally answered.

Chastity nodded.  “You’d rather he gave you the choice, laid out the dangers and let you make the decision for yourself, right?”  Rose reluctantly nodded her head.  “And something tells me you would take the risk, chance it just to be with him."  Rose nodded reluctantly.  "You can’t decide for him, Rose.  That’s not fair.  Not to him or any of the other people who care about you and want to help.”  She could see from Rose’s face that her words had gotten through.  Finally Rose looked at her amazement on her face. 

“How do you do that?”  Chastity gave her a questioning look.  “Do you know how long I’ve agonized over this and you sort it all out in twenty minutes?”  Chastity smiled.

“You solve my problems, I’ll solve yours and we’ll be golden.”  Chastity thought of something suddenly.  "So does this mean all the voodoo shops around here are legit?"

"Na, most are tourist traps.  A few are real.  Which reminds me...." Rose dug something out of her jeans pocket.  "I want you to wear this.  Especially if you want me to stay a few more days..." She hesitated.  "Are you sure you want me here? If something happened to you or Emma or Ryan I couldn't forgive myself."

"Rose, life is risky.  It's not like we're going out all that much and I'm pretty sure my house isn't a stop on the demons guide to New Orleans."  She smiled at Rose.  "Yes, I want you to stay till you're ready to go back to Dean."

Rose smiled back at her. "Then I definitely want you to wear this."  She held up the red stone necklace.  "It will keep you safe from demons.  Don't take it off, Chas."

Chastity took it from her and studied it.  "Hmm not my usual style but OK."  She fastened it around her neck. "So do we have a deal?"

Rose stared at her friend for a few minutes.  "You really think it's the right thing to do?"  Chastity nodded her head firmly.  "OK then" she says softly.  Then she reached out and hugged Chastity.  "Thanks, Chas."

Chastity hugged her back.  "Anytime, Rose."

Pulling back Rose looked at her.  "You're not freaked out?"

"About you being able to do some supernaturally freaky stuff?  Eh." She shrugged.  "You're still Rose."  She paused and added “The demon stuff is a bit creepy but since you can actually control them I figure that’s a good thing.” She looked at Rose wisely. “Just don’t get any ideas about keeping any as pets like some of those people on The Walking Dead did with zombies.”

Rose laughed.  “I don’t have any plans for that.  Thanks, Chas" she repeated.

Chastity grinned.  "I'm still sending you home with lots of evil things for Dean to spank you with."

Rose rolled her eyes.  "He already spanked me with the hairbrush you gave me" she admitted. "That thing is wicked."

"And just think..." Chastity murmured. "That was just a playful spanking.  Imagine the damage it could do in the hands of a truly angry boyfriend."

"You are so not allowed to talk to Dean" Rose said firmly.

Chastity laughed.  "Afraid of the ideas I'll give him?"

"He doesn’t need the help, trust me.  That's all I need...the two bossiest people in my life joining forces."  But the comment was made with a small grin and lots of love and affection behind it.

Chastity laughed and hugged her and Rose hugged her back, thinking that she really would be lost without the people in her life.

* * *

Lily woke the next morning to the wonderful aroma of fresh coffee.  They’d gotten into habit of whoever woke first would go and get coffee and bring it back to their room.  More often than not it was Sam.

Lily smiled softly, remembering how sweet Sam had been last night.  She’d been so relaxed after soaking in the bath that she’d barely had the energy to slip into the shirt he’d left out for her.  Seeing how drowsy she was Sam had picked her up and carried her bridal style to their room.  She’d smiled at him and said softly “This makes my list…you take care of me.”  Sam had smiled at her and kissed her forehead.  “Always.”  He’d tucked her in their bed and held her as she’d drifted off.

Lily stretched a little now, feeling the aches still there from yesterday but much less now.  Thank God.  The activity had been fun, the after effects not so much.  She rolled on her back and opened her eyes to find Sam smiling down at her.

“Morning gorgeous” he said smiling at her.

“Morning” she said, sitting up and kissing him.  She reached for her coffee and sat back against the headboard.  As she settled back Sam set the newspaper he’d been reading aside.  He glanced at Lily in a way that let Lily knew time was up.  She sighed.  She knew there were a few things they needed to talk about…

Sam didn’t say anything right away, drinking his own coffee and teasing Lily about her nightshirt (“Namaste in bed?  What is that like Zen meets lazy?”).  Finally when she’d had a chance to drink her entire cup Lily sat the mug aside and turned to look at Sam.  He’d sat his mug aside a few minutes before and just smiled at her now.  He took one of her hands in his and intertwined their fingers.

In Sam’s mind he had a list of three things they needed to talk about.  He wasn’t sure they’d get to them all this morning so where to start, what did they need to cover?

Deciding to start with what he hoped was the easiest (Though none of these were easy) Sam dove in.

“How are you doing with the Rose situation, Babe?”  Lily frowned, staring down at their fingers.  “You haven’t said much in the past few days and I’m getting a lot of angry vibes off you.  Are you?  Angry, I mean?”  Lily shrugged.  “It makes sense if you are, Lil.  I know Dean is and I’m upset with her myself.”  Lily glanced up at him quickly and Sam had the feeling she was about to tell him not to be mad at her sister but stopped herself.  “Come on Lil, talk to me.”

Lily sighed and leaned her head against the headboard.  “I _am_ angry at her.  She left and she didn’t come back and that’s…OK I’m not going to sound nice but I can’t help it.  I love Dean and I know he’s in pain and I’m really sorry she left and hurt him.  But she left me, Sam.  _Me_.  I’m her sister.  We’re supposed to be each other’s rocks, to have each other’s backs.”  Lily shook her head.  “I’m just really, really pissed at her.  And I’m not used to it.”

Sam nodded his head knowing the two rarely fought.  He weighed his words, knowing he needed to tread carefully here.  This was very sensitive ground.  “I don’t think she was thinking clearly when she left-”

“I know that, Sam” Lily cut in.  “But she’s had time.  She should have come to her senses by now.  Or called me at least.”  Lily bit her lip then said “Then there’s the fact that she knew something about the whole Cas and Daisy thing which I don't like but I can understand that.  I can forgive that.  But she has some secret friend I didn't even know existed.  What the hell is that about? That wasn't spur of the moment.  Who knows how long she’s been keeping that a secret.  And why?  Did she think I'd be freaked out because of what she does?  Because if that's the case I'm even madder.  Like I would be that narrow minded" Lily said huffily. 

Sam had to fight to hide his grin.  Leave it to Lily to be offended at the idea of her being freaked out by her sister’s friend being a dominatrix. 

“I know, Lil.  I wish I could make it better.”  Sam really did.  He hated being unable to help people he loved.  It made him feel helpless and that was one thing Sam really hated.  “But it’s fine to be angry you know.  I think Rose was trying to do the right thing, not that I think what she did was right” he hastened to add at her disbelieving look.  “But I think she was trying to protect people and she wound up hurting them.”

“I’m supposed to protect her.  I always have and now when she really needs it she won’t let me.” Lily finally said.  And that Sam realized was the biggest issue here.  Lily believed with every fiber of her being that she was supposed to protect her sisters and now one of them wasn't letting her and that cut deep.

“I don’t think she’s consciously not letting you protect her, Lil” Sam said slowly, wondering why he always seemed to wind up in a position where he felt he had to defend Rose.  “From what she wrote to Dean and what she left on your voice mail I just think she views herself as too dangerous to be around us all right now.”

“That’s just such crap.”  She shook her head.  “She’s not dangerous.  She’s Rose.”  Sam gave her a look.  Like it or not technically Rose was fairly dangerous.  It didn’t mean Sam didn’t want her back home though.  Lily just dismissed his look away with a wave of her hand.  “It just feels all wrong and I don’t like being mad at her

“I know” Sam said understanding what she meant.  He and Dean bickered and irritated the hell out of each other but he’d hated the times he and Dean had really been mad at each other.  Everything had felt wrong.  "But you have a valid reason so don’t beat yourself up over it.”

Lily nodded.  “OK what’s next?  Wait actually how many things are on this list?”

Sam raised an eyebrow at her, wondering how she knew he had a list.  “Three, well two now.”

“OK, not too bad” Lily commented.  Of course Sam had a list.  Sam was the king of lists. "Carry on.”

“So when I was in Kansas City you seemed to think there was a problem with you asking when I was going to be home” Sam said, watching Lily’s face closely.  “You seemed really concerned that you were being needy and what else was it?”

“Weepy” Lily offered, knowing the exact phrase by heart.

“Right, needy and weepy.”  Sam brushed Lily’s hair back gently, his face full of concern and affection.  “It seemed like you’d heard that from someone and I know it wasn’t from me.  So where’d that come from, Lil?”

Lily stared down at their joined hands, their fingers so intertwined it was hard to tell where Sam’s fingers began and hers ended.  Together, she reminded herself.  They were doing things together so sharing was good.  But for a little perspective she needed to bring up a topic with Sam that they rarely talked about: his dad.

Lily glanced up into Sam’s eyes, seeing the caring there and took a breath.  “This is going to seem like a change of topic but I swear it’s not.  Just bear with me, k?”  Sam nodded, his eyes intent on her face.  “Your dad, you don’t talk about him much.”  She felt Sam stiffen as soon as the words left her mouth and she winced, knowing this wasn’t easy for him.  “I know he wasn’t, I mean you and him, ugh I hate this.  I don’t want to say something to piss you off or upset you, Sam.” She looked at him praying he could see the sincerity in her eyes and thankfully he smiled at her though she could see the pain around the edges.

“Just say it, Lil." He squeezed her hand supportively.  "You’re not gonna upset me” Sam said.  Lily wasn’t so sure about that but she went ahead.

“OK.”  Lily squeezed her eyes shut and let the stream of thoughts flow out of her mouth.  “I know you loved your dad but he was kind of a jerk especially to you guys.  I know he had reasons but still you were his kids so that was pretty shitty.  But he was your dad so you don’t say that or if you do you and Dean only say it to each other.  But not to anyone else, right?  Because of loyalty and blood and ya, OK that was what I was getting at.  You don’t admit how screwed up certain members of our family are to anyone but your family.”  Lily opened her eyes, running over what she said.  A lot more blunt than she'd planned but she’d said it.

She glanced at Sam and he looked a little surprised, a little winded from trying to keep up with her runaway train of thought but not upset with her.  Slowly after running all she'd said through his brain he nodded.  “OK I get your point.”

Lily breathed a sigh of relief.  OK first hurdle out of the way.  “So just keep that in mind because this isn’t something I share or tell people, OK?”  Sam nodded.  "It stays between us?"  Sam nodded again and Lily continued. "Do you remember my grandparents?  You met them a time or two, but you were pretty young.”

Sam nodded.  “I vaguely remember them.  Your mom’s parents right?”

Lily nodded.  “They’re both hunters and not just hunters but totally absorbed into the life.  There is almost nothing in their life that doesn’t have to do with hunting or the supernatural of some kind.  No hobbies, no distractions.”  She took a breath and met Sam’s eyes and he could see the sadness there now.  “They raised my mom that way too.  She was allowed to go to school but anything else, anything that would take away from her hunting or learning lore or spells was forbidden.  She was brought up completely immersed in the life and she hated it.  She swore once she was an adult her life would be different."  Lily laughed softly.  “You can imagine how unhappy she was when she fell in love with a hunter.  That was not in her plans.  She’d wanted away from the life, as far from it as possible.”  Lily fidgeted with the bedspread for a second then continued on.  “My mom was told when she was a teenager that one day she would have children who would be very special.  They didn’t tell her details, didn’t tell her anything else, just that it was foreseen by a powerful witch with second sight.”  Lily swallowed and Sam could see how upset this was making her and he reached out and lifted her so she was sitting sideways on his lap, leaning against his chest.  Physical contact comforted Lily and this was obviously hard for her.  She smiled at him gratefully and continued.  “One thing they purposely left out was the fact that she would only have these special children if she was with another hunter."  Sam sucked in his breath sharply.  “Ya, nice twist, huh?  They didn’t tell her that till after my parents were married for a few years and I was already born.”

“If she’d known” Sam said, unable to stop himself.  His voice came out way more emotional than he thought it would.  He cleared his throat and tried again.  “If she’d known that marrying your dad would produce you three with all the powers of the prophecy would she have changed things?”

Lily smiled.  “I asked her that.  She said she’d asked herself the same question.”  Lily shook her head.  “No, even if she’d known she would have still married him.  She said she loved him too much, that without my dad, without the love they had that life would just be one long stretch of black and white.”  Lily reached up and caressed Sam’s cheek.  “Those are her words, not mine but I know what she means now.  It’s funny how you don’t realize all the color you’re missing till someone comes along and paints your world for you.”

Sam smiled at her, leaning into her hand.  “I would have said music - that my world was way too quiet and had no melody till you.”

Lily leaned up and kissed him gently and all the love and emotion behind the kiss made Sam feel like his heart was overflowing.  Lily drew back slowly took a breath and continued.

“My grandparents were angry at my mom for not hunting, for, in their words, “turning her back on all they had taught her.”  But the fact that she had us and was married to a hunter appeased them a bit. I think my dad confused them really.  I mean he was a hunter but we came first.  I mean ya, obviously my mom had to pick up the slack because of him hunting but he was there as much as possible and I don’t remember one big event he wasn’t there for.  And he laughed and enjoyed life and things outside of hunting which my grandparents don’t get.  But still, he was a hunter so got their seal of approval.  They came around to see us whenever they were in the area.”  Lily snuggled against Sam, needing to feel the strength and safety of him.  He wrapped his arms around her tighter, leaning his head against her hair.  “I don’t know how old I was but you guys were there and Daisy was born so maybe eleven?  Anyway, my dad was on a hunt, I think maybe with your dad.  I’m sure we were all acting up and making my mom nuts and I know now it was a really dangerous hunt so my mom was worried.  My grandmother was there without my grandfather and my mom was in the kitchen with her, saying how worried she was, how hard it was with my dad being gone.  I was sitting in the living room doing homework and I guess they thought I couldn’t hear them.  I wasn’t paying much attention because it all sounded boring till I heard how upset my mom sounded.  I was waiting for my grandmother to I don’t know hug her or say something comforting.  I mean that’s what moms do, right?”  Sam nodded, having a feeling that was not how this was going to turn out.  “Instead she told her to quit whining, that if she had done what she was supposed to have done with her life then she could have been out there hunting with my father and having his back.  And then she said “And don’t you dare call him and fall apart on him.  He’s doing his job.  He doesn’t need you being all needy and weepy.”  She looked down at her hands, fidgeting with the sleeve of Sam’s shirt.  “She was so mean to her, Sam.  She told her she was weak and that she was raising us all to be weak too.”

“Ya, well she’s obviously never spent any time with you girls” Sam said gruffly.  “You three are the strongest women I know.”

Lily smiled at that.  “I'm pretty sure you boys were included in that too so she'd be pretty surprised at how you guys turned out, huh?"  Lily shook her head then. "She didn’t spend much time with us after that.  My dad, oh he was angry.  He didn’t lose his temper easily but when he did he was scary.”  Like Rose, Sam added silently.  “My parents stopped asking them over for holidays, not that they came to those much anyway, and they just gradually stopped coming by much at all.”

“She sounds awful, Lil” Sam said sympathetically.  “Was your grandfather as bad?”

“He wasn’t as blunt about it, he would say it nicer but the message was the same.”  Lily paused.  “At least he laughed though and would hug my mom and us.  My grandmother isn’t exactly a warm person.”  Lily shook her head.  “My mom was determined that we were going to have as normal a childhood as we possibly could and she did a damn fine job of it too.  Her parents were horrified by the whole thing.”

“Your parents gave me and Dean as much of a normal childhood as we could have” Sam said with a grateful smile.  “I’d love them for that if nothing else.”  Sam hugged her.  “I’m sorry, Babe.  Your mom didn’t deserve that.”  He stroked her arms for a minute then asked “So where’d that come from, why’d her words stay with you?”

Lily frowned.  “I’ve been wondering that too.  I mean she said them to my mom not me and not long after that they stopped coming around much so it was pretty clear my parents didn’t agree with them.”  Lily tugged at her hair and finally said “I think, well I’ve never been the one at home before. I’m usually the one out there and all of the sudden I was here and you were out there and I was trying to do what I thought was supportive to make it easier on you and suddenly those words were in my head.”  Lily shivered.  “That’s pretty creepy actually.”

Sam hugged her again.  “Well since I’m the one who was out there on the front lines with my little woman here at home minding the home fires - oof” Sam sucked in a sharp breath as Lily elbowed him in the ribs, but couldn’t stop his grin.  He’d known that would get a reaction, get that sad look off her face.  “As I was saying…assuming this comes up again which it probably will since there are going to be times one of us is out there and the other is here…you want to know what would be supportive for me?”  Lily nodded, loving that it was just a given that she would be here, that they would be together.  “Just be you, Baby.  Be sad or happy or whatever you’re really feeling.  I missed you when I was gone, not some fake, happy version of you. You don’t have to fake it that things are great if they aren’t.  If you want to be needy and weepy on me feel free.”  He lowered his voice, pressing his lips close to her ear “If you want to be weak well that’s one of the benefits of having someone that loves you.  Being weak or needy is never held against you.  In fact I think of it as a privilege that I get to see the side of you that doesn’t always have an attitude, that doesn’t always know the answer and is even OK with leaning on me sometimes.  It means I can lean on you too and it means you trust me, Lily and that means more than anything.”

Lily was sniffling now, struggling to keep her emotional tears at bay.  “You don’t use it against me though; you still look at me the same as before you saw me fall apart.”

“I’d never use anything against you, Lil.  Not ever.”  Sam looked at her seriously, needing her to hear this and believe him.

Lily looked up at him and said just as seriously.  “Me either, Sam.”

Sam held Lily against him then and kissed the top of her head.  “I’m sorry your mom had such a terrible mother.  Your moms so nice, how could she have come from someone so cold?”

Lily shrugged.  “Crazy, huh?  You would think my mom would have been just as mean.”  Lily was quiet for a second then said “We haven't seen them in a few years now.  They call mom occasionally and email us sometimes and every few years we'll go see them but it's just weird.  And God, now that Rose and Daisy's powers have manifested they'll be all over that."  Lily frowned.  "They look at us like we're weapons, not like we're humans.  It's horrible."  Sam hugged her fiercely, hoping he never had to spend time with them.  Lily shook her head and with a small grin said "But yes my mom with my dad of course, obviously did a great job with us.”

Sam smiled against the top of her head.  “They did a wonderful job raising strong, intelligent, kind, caring women.”

Lily poked Sam gently in the belly.  “Stop making my list longer.”

“Aw, but see that’s my plan…keep doing good things, make the list longer and longer and keep you here.”

“Just try and get rid of me” Lily said softly and Sam smiled.

“Not on your life” he said just as softly.  Then Sam cleared his throat and said:

“So tell me what all you’ve added to the list today.  Obviously my sense of humor...”

Lily laughed and said “Well there’s the coffee, and the fact that you know when I need you to hold me usually even before I know it…”

The list went on and on and Sam and Lily never did discuss that third thing on Sam’s list.  But that was OK, Sam thought as he cuddled Lily.  There was time.

* * *

Rose woke up the next morning to Chastity once again knocking on the door and then coming in.

“Good Morning” she said putting a glass of water on the table with some Tylenol.  This was becoming a habit.

“Morning” Rose said, sitting up and swallowing the pills.  “The wine helps, by the way” Rose explained.  “With my powers.  I was having trouble controlling them before I got here.”

Chastity took a seat on the bed and nodded her head wisely.  “I’ve always secretly figured wine was the solution to most problems in life.” 

Rose grinned.  "And not so secretly."

"Well I was obviously right.  Oh before I forget, Ryan called.  He wants to take us out for dinner some place special tomorrow night.  So keep that in mind when you're making plans.  We want to hang onto you at least till then."  Rose nodded and Chastity asked “Ready to talk to Dean?”

Rose shook her head.  “Honestly?  No.”  She fidgeted with the blanket.  “I’m scared, Chas.  What if he’s so mad at me he doesn’t want me to come back?”

“Then I’ll have a new roommate” Chastity said with a wink.  Then she sobered.  "He’ll forgive you, Rose.”

“How can you be so sure?” Rose demanded.

“Because I’ve talked to him and I can tell you he wanted you back.  Now quit stalling.  Get up, get dressed.  We’ll grab breakfast along the way.”

“Mimosas?" Rose asked eagerly and Chastity smiled.

"I'll send you back to Dean a lush.  But yes, I think mimosas can be arranged."

"And just how am I supposed to dress today, oh fashion guru?” Rose asked with a smirk.  She took in Chastity’s outfit of black leather leggings, black blouse, black blazer and black high heels.  So lots of black…Her hair was pulled back and she had on makeup today, definitely back in her public face.

“Jeans and a shirt are fine.  Just no t-shirts OK?”  Chastity grinned at Rose.  “We’re pretending to be grown ups today.”

Rose smiled back.  “Gotcha.  I have a black and white striped top, will that work?”

"Mmm hmm" Chastity said, wandering out and leaving Rose to get dressed.  Rose slipped on a pair of black jeans and the aforementioned black and white top.  Then she slipped red loafers on and pulled her hair back in a ponytail with a red flower and pearl hair tie.  Spraying on her normal perfume she was good to go.

Rose felt her stomach knotting up as she walked out to meet Chastity.  She was so nervous about making this call.

They stopped at a local cafe and ate breakfast and the promised mimosas and then it was back into the car.

When they pulled up at a beautiful, palatial home located on a large plot of land Rose just looked at it with awe.

“I know you sent me pictures, Chas but to see it in person is really impressive.”

Chastity smiled, her face flushed with pleasure.  She’d bought the property on the outskirts of New Orleans when it was not much more than a crumbling pile of old brick.  She’d sank every penny her parents had left her and every bit she herself had earned into renovating the property, bringing it to finally surpass its previous glory.

“She did turn out lovely, didn’t she?” Chastity asked a pleased smile on her lips.  From the grand entrance with its large pillars and sweeping staircase to the wraparound porch that covered the whole upper floor on the front of the house it was an impressive sight.  Taking in Rose’s awe struck expression Chastity smiled proudly again.  Then she pulled the car around to the back and got out and looped her arm through Rose's.

“Come on, you have a phone call to make.”


	21. Baby, There's Nothing I Wouldn't Do

Dean was asleep when his phone started ringing.  He’d been up later than everyone else at the bunker the night before, seeing what else he could find out about the sisters in the prophecy.  Eventually he’d ran out of things to look for (Or at least his whiskey addled brain had stopped coming up with ideas) and he had stumbled his way to his room and fallen asleep still in his clothes.  The ringing of his phone broke through his sleep and he woke up to find a pair of feline eyes blinking at him as he fumbled to grab his phone.  Sookie stared at him curiously as he finally got a hold of his phone and picked it up.

“Hello?” he said his voice rough with sleep.

“Hi” a soft, hesitant voice said on the other end of the line and Dean’s world stopped.

* * *

Chastity hadn’t given Rose a chance to explore or look around.  Her office was near the back so there wasn’t much to see actually, just a long hallway with a lot of doors.  She had ushered Rose into her office and pointed to the chair behind the desk, indicating for Rose to take a seat there.

Rose sat in the red leather chair and looked around at the room, taking in the red gilded wallpaper and antique furnishings including an antique French empire desk.  It was as ornate and decadent as she would have expected.

“OK the number’s here,” Chastity said, pointing to a piece of paper on the desk.  She caught Rose’s surprised look and smiled.  “Come on, who memorizes phone numbers anymore?  I wasn’t going to let you use that excuse.”  Rose grinned guiltily and Chastity just laughed.  “I’m going to leave you to it.  No one will bother you so take as long as you want.  I have some things to check up on anyway so just text me when you’re done.”  She squeezed Rose’s shoulder comfortingly before walking to the door, where she turned and said “Just talk to him, Rose.”  Then with one more supportive smile thrown Rose’s way she walked out, closing the door behind her.

Rose stared at the phone for several long minutes, trying to work her courage up.  She hated people being mad at her, didn’t like feeling like she’d messed up and despised the fact that even though she’d tried to do the right thing she had in fact done everything wrong.  She’d thought over what Chastity had said last night and what she’d said had rang true.  If the situations were reversed she would easily take the chance to be with Dean and would be angry if he had decided for her and yet that’s what she’d done to him.  She was certain he was furious with her.  Finally, figuring she was never going to feel any braver she lifted the handle and dialed.

* * *

“Hello?”

“Hi”

Dean closed his eyes and fell back against the pillows, earning a curious look from Sookie. Dean felt his shoulders relax for the first time since early Sunday evening.  Hearing Rose’s voice was contact with her he desperately needed.

“Rose, thank God.  Are you OK?” he asked anxiously.

Rose pulled her feet up on the chair, hugging her knees to her chest and twisting a finger in her hair.  She closed her eyes for a second, letting the sound of his voice just wash over her.  How was it possible to miss just the sound of someone’s voice so much?

“I’m OK.  I’m safe,” Rose said finally.

“That’s good,” Dean said gently.  Go slow, he warned himself.  No yelling, no telling her off, no demanding she come home right now.  He didn’t want to scare her off, didn’t want to say anything that would make her hang up. "That's really good to hear, sweetheart."  He paused then asked "You weren't hurt in Kansas City were you?"

Rose was surprised then shook her head.  Of course he knew she'd been there.  She's used a credit card at the store and at the bed and breakfast.  Dean and Sam would have been able to track her easily.

"No, no I'm fine.  Is the girl OK?  The one who-"

"You mean the one you pulled the demon out of?" Dean asked and Rose wasn't sure what that was she heard in his voice.  Pride? Concern? Before she could figure it out Dean was continuing.  "Sam checked on her.  She wasn't even kept overnight, released and doing fine thanks to you.  I heard you handled yourself real well with that idiot hunter too, taking his gun and all."

OK that was definitely pride in his voice and Rose couldn't stop the blush of pleasure that spread across her face.

"Well I had a good teacher," she said softly.  Then she cleared her throat and asked, "Are you OK?  Is everyone there all right?"

“Yep, we’re all good.  We all miss you though.” He lowered his voice before adding “I miss you, Rosie.”

Rose winced.  That was the voice she couldn’t see no to.  “I miss you too, Dean.”  Rose paused, trying to gather her words, to say the right ones.  “I, uh I wanted to say I was sorry.  I tried to do the right thing, to make sure no one else got hurt because of me and I think instead I just did everything wrong.” She paused and when Dean was silent she continued.  “Obviously I just suck at making decisions in these situations.  I just didn’t want any of you all to get hurt because of me," Rose said, brushing aside a tear that was sneaking its way down her face.  She brushed it aside, so sick of crying.

“Baby, this is a dangerous life,” Dean said on a sigh.  “You’ve seen the injuries I’ve had.  Sam’s had just as bad and Bobby too.  Whatever happened, whatever happens, it’s not your fault.”

“But it feels that way,” Rose said. “It feels like if I’m with all of you I’m just putting you all in even more danger.  I came to in that hotel room and there was so much blood and so many people hurt and I looked at you, Dean and I thought if you got hurt because of me I just couldn’t stand it.”  Dean closed his eyes at her words, hearing what she was saying and more importantly the real emotion behind it.  "People in relationships are supposed to make things better for each other, not worse.”

Dean's eyes snapped open at her words. "Sweetheart, you think bringing some demons to my door is making my life worse?  That’s a normal Wednesday in my life." The incredulity in Dean’s voice carried clearly over the phone line and Rose bit her lip.  That was the tone that usually meant a heated rant was to follow directed at whoever had pissed Dean off and this time Rose knew that someone was her.  He surprised her though, his voice softer and quieter than she had been expecting when he spoke next.  "You really have no idea, do you?  Of what you give me?  How you make me-" Dean cut himself off.  This wasn't a conversation to have over the phone.  Instead he said "People in relationships are supposed to take care of each other too you know, but you ran off and didn’t give me the chance.”  Rose winced, hearing the hurt in Dean’s voice whether he meant her to or not.  He continued before she could respond.  “Rose, all of us are targets for one reason or another but if we’re together we’re stronger.  We take care of each other, you know that.”

“I know,” Rose said softly.  It was true.  They always had.

“This is where you need to be," Dean said, his emotions bleeding into his voice.  He was trying to stay calm and cool but he needed her to get that she needed to come back.  She had to.

“But I’m a risk,” Rose couldn’t help but point out.  “I know you said we’re all targets but Dean I seem to have just about every demon out there either wanting to kill me or kidnap me.  That’s a huge risk.”

“I’ll take it,” Dean growled immediately, his voice leaving no room for argument and Rose closed her eyes, resting her head against her knees.  Well there was her answer.  There was no stopping the tears now and of course Dean was able to hear she was crying.

“Shhh, don’t cry, Rosie.  It’s OK," Dean said, soothingly.  “Just come home please, or tell me where you are and I’ll come get you.”

“I miss you, I miss you so much," Rose sobbed, the tears hard to stop once they had started.  She'd only gotten through this time away from Dean by refusing to really let herself think about how much she missed him.  The floodgates were open now.

“I miss you too, Sweetheart,” Dean said, taking a deep breath, trying to keep his own voice steady.  “Calm down though, Baby.  I need you to stop crying.  I can’t stand you crying and me not being able to hold you.”

Rose’s tears fell for a few more minutes then she took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down like Dean had told her to.  The last thing she needed was for things to go flying around Chastity’s office.  “There you go," Dean said encouragingly, when he heard her breathing get more steady.  “That’s my girl.”  Even miles away Rose couldn’t help but smile upon hearing those words.

Rose wiped her face and then asked haltingly “I know you…I mean obviously you’re angry with me, I know I deserve that.  I mean, I understand that but do you, you don’t hate me, right?”

Dean’s voice softened and Rose could picture the sweet, gentle smile he had on his face.  “Baby, I couldn’t hate you if I tried.  No, I don’t hate you, not even close.”

Rose breathed a big sigh of relief.  “If I wanted to come back would you be all right with that?”

“Absolutely,” Dean said, without a second’s hesitation.  “This is where you’re supposed to be, Sweetheart.  We can fix things, we can deal with all of this, but you have to be here.”

“I need a little time,” Rose said, knowing Dean wasn’t going to like that.

“You haven’t had enough time already?”  Dean asked and Rose could hear the irritation in his voice.

“I have some things I need to finish up here,” Rose said.  “I didn’t think I’d be able to come home so just let me take a day or so to get my head right.  Please.”

Rose had unwittingly said the right thing to get to Dean.  She’d called the bunker home.  He needed to hear that.

“How long?” Dean rubbed the back of his neck, hating the idea of waiting any longer to see Rose.  He wanted her here with him now, where he could touch her and see her and keep her safe.

“Um, I could leave here Wednesday morning,” she said.  That was forty eight hours from now, enough time to get some quality time in with Chas, Ryan and Emma, to go to the special dinner Ryan wanted to take her to and to get herself prepared for being back with her family.  She was sure that aside from Dean she had some very other unhappy people to face.  “That’s forty eight hours, give or take.”

“Here’s my counter offer,” Dean said and Rose had to smile at that.  Dean had held back throughout the call, trying not to push too much but she knew he couldn’t just let her run things entirely.  It just wasn’t him.  “You can have your forty eight hours but when the time comes and you’re ready to leave I want you to call me and tell me where you are.  Then Cas can bring me there and we’ll drive back together.”

Rose thought that over.  That could work.  She’d have no reason to hide where she was at that point and on the drive back they could talk without an audience, hopefully work it all out before they got back.  That might be a good thing.

“OK I can do that,” Rose said and she swore she heard Dean give a sigh of relief.

“Promise?” Dean asked, trying not to let his anxiety bleed into his voice.  He was so close to seeing Rose the idea of waiting any longer was killing him.

“I promise,” Rose said.

"OK'" Dean said.  “OK," Rose knew him well enough to know he was trying so hard not to demand she come home right now.  He was giving her time and space that he didn’t want to give her and she appreciated it.

"Can you promise not to yell at me till it's just us?" Rose asked softly, having no desire for Dean to tell her off in front of other people. "I mean, I figure you're gonna yell at me..."

Dean gave a soft laugh that really didn't hold any mirth.  "Oh I'll wait till it's just us, Baby."  He paused then said "But if you don’t call, Rosie…" His voice was rough, holding both a threat and a promise of what was to come.  Rose couldn’t help the shiver that sent through her.

“I’ll call,” Rose promised firmly.  “So, I guess I’ll talk to you Wednesday morning.” she said a smile on her face now at the thought.  “And Dean I…I really do miss you.”

“I really miss you too, Sweetheart,” Dean said with a smile on his face.  “Now get to doing whatever you have to do so we can get that pretty little ass of yours home where it belongs."

Dean smiled as they said goodbye then he just lay for a minute after they hung up with his phone in his hands, feeling like he could breathe properly for the first time in days.  Forty eight hours.  That’s all he had to wait to see Rose again.  He could do that.

* * *

Rose hung the phone up and sat there smiling.  Forty eight hours and she’d be with him again.  Pulling her phone out she texted Chastity who appeared a few minutes later.

“So no tears now, though you’ve obviously been crying,” Chastity said.  “How did things go?”

“Good.  I think considering how upset he must be with me things went really well.”  She smiled at Chastity.  “You get me till Wednesday morning.”

Chastity raised an eyebrow at her and took a seat in one of the chairs in front of her desk.  "Didn't waste any time, huh?"

Rose smiled.  "Well I miss him and someone's words got through to me."

"Must have been a very wise person," Chastity said with a modest look.  "So if your family doesn't know about me why does Dean?"

Rose looked uncomfortable.  "It's not like I set out to not tell them about you, you know.  It just kind of happened."

"Ya I've never really understood that," Chastity admitted.  "If it was anyone else I'd assume they were ashamed of me."

"God no," Rose looked horrified at the very idea. "And trust me my family wouldn't be either.  Actually my mother would be thrilled with what you do.  She'd applaud you on not letting our patriarchal society hold you down and define you."

Chastity blinked.  "Seriously?"

"Oh yes and if you’re really lucky she’ll want to discuss the most common sexual fantasies you come across and what they represent in our society.”  Rose rolled her eyes.  “And Lily would love what you do.  My family isn't exactly shy about sex but Lily takes that to a whole other level."  Rose thought for a second.  "Daisy would be shy with you at first.  But once she figured out there were sometimes costumes involved in what you do she'd be thrilled."

"Your family always sounds so interesting," Chastity said a note of envy in her voice.  Chastity's parents were both gone and she didn't have any brothers and sisters.  Her elderly aunt was her last remaining relative, till she met Rose.

"Interesting is one way to describe them," Rose said dryly.  She sighed.  "Don't get me wrong, I love them.  But boundaries are kind of unheard of, especially with Lily.  Most of our friends are shared, we do most things together.  You became my friend who was completely separate from them and I liked that."  Rose smiled shyly.  "Every once in awhile not having to share is nice."

"When you put it that way I kinda like that you didn't want to share me," Chastity said with a smile.

Rose hugged her knees and said "Dean found out about you because he's nosy."  Chastity laughed and Rose couldn't help but grin.  "Well it's true.  I was reading your message with the picture of the guy in your new ad-"

"Oh Ethan," Chastity said dreamily.  "Isn't he luscious?  He's turned out to be quite popular.  His schedule is almost always full."

"He works here?" Rose asked in surprise.  "I thought he was just a model."

"Mm he's both," Chastity said.  "He started working here, did very well right from the start and since he’s so temptingly attractive I asked if he wouldn’t mind posing for a few pictures.  You saw how well they came out.”  Rose nodded.  The pictures might not be to her taste but there was no denying his attractiveness.  “He’s even more in demand now than he was before.  It’s nice when that happens."  Chastity looked at Rose knowingly.  "Of course he's not your type, much too submissive."

Rose nodded her head in agreement.  "Is he yours?"

"I don't mix business and pleasure," Chastity said firmly.  "Too messy.  But he is nice to look at....now back to Dean finding out.  Him seeing the picture led to him knowing about me how?"

"Well he asked me your name, the irony of which amused him to no end by the way." Chastity grinned at that; it amused her as well, especially since it was the name on her birth certificate.  "And then out of nowhere he asked about you.  I asked what he wanted to talk about one day in the car and he said you."

"He obviously has wonderful taste," Chastity said with a grin.

"He caught onto the fact that I was hesitant to talk about you I guess.”  Rose frowned.  “He does that, he's way too perceptive."

"Oh you mean you can't just breeze right by him like you do everyone else?  And don't try that innocent look on me, Rose,” Chastity said with a dismissive wave of her hand.  “I've seen you do it.  You’re an expert in getting around people.  You don't want to answer something so you either distract them or you just don't completely answer the question.  I think I like Dean the more you tell me about him." She gave Rose an appraising look.  "He might just be able to handle you."

"Gee thanks" Rose said dryly. “You make me sound like a sports car.”

“No, just a highly intelligent woman who people underestimate and you use that to your advantage.” Chastity shrugged.  “There’s nothing wrong with that but it’s just nice to hear that Dean sees through it.”  From the blush staining Rose’s cheeks Chastity knew she was right.  "So did he freak when he found out what I do?" she asked curiously.

"I would say he was very surprised, borderline shocked," Rose said. "Apparently our friendship doesn't mesh with my sainthood." Chastity laughed at that, well aware of Lily's nickname for her.

"You are an odd mix, I'll give you that," Chastity said.

Rose smiled.  "Dean says I'm a contradiction."

"Oh yes that fits," Chastity said, an amused smile on her lips.

"Oh and I'd made a comment about a friend of mine loving the dungeon and he figured out that was you," Rose said.

"Wait, the dungeon you mentioned is at their house?" Chastity definitely looked intrigued.

"Well it's not so much a house as a complex I guess.  But yes, it's there."

"Can I ask why?"

"For demons, monsters, ect." Rose watched as Chastity mulled that over.

"I could work with that.  You'll have to invite me to visit sometime." Chastity grinned at her mischievously.

Rose just smiled then cleared her throat knowing there was something she needed to tell Chastity before Wednesday.  Might as well get it out of the way now.

"So Wednesday morning Dean is gonna meet me here so we can drive back together."  She wondered suddenly if he was going to want to drive.  That so wasn't happening.

"Oh protective isn't he?" Chastity said with a knowing grin.

"You have no idea," Rose said with an eye roll but she couldn't hide her smile and Chastity knew she was secretly pleased.

Chastity frowned.  "Wait, you told him where you are?"

Rose shook her head.  "No, but I promised I would call him Wednesday morning and tell him then."

"And he's getting here via what?  Time travel?  Does he have a Tardis stashed away somewhere?" Chastity teased.

Rose smiled.  "No but he's got an angel that can get him here just as quickly and probably more reliably."

Chastity blinked at her.  "An angel?  Like a winged, haloed angel?"

"Well apparently they don't really have halos but the wings are real."  Rose frowned thoughtfully.  "Though I've never actually seen Cas' wings."

Chastity rubbed her forehead then got up abruptly and headed over to a tastefully disguised mini bar.  She pulled out a bottle of Glenlivet poured some in a glass and tossed it back, they poured herself another.

"So demons and girls who can control them you accept with barely the blink of an eye but angels have you reaching for the scotch?" Rose asked with an amused grin.

Chastity came over and slumped against the desk, glass in hand.  "Demons seem easier to believe for some reason.  Angels just...." She paused a second, thinking. "So is he blonde?  Does he glow?  Play a harp?"

"No, he's got dark hair, wears a trench coat and has some weird connection with my younger sister."

"Huh.  Well there go all the stereotypes out the window," Chastity said with a small grin.  She downed her drink then looked down at Rose to find her frowning.  "What?" She asked, nudging Rose with her leg.

"It's weird but Castiel, that's his name, he just, he makes me really uncomfortable.  That seems bad, right?" Rose asked a concerned look on her face. "I mean he's an angel.  That probably says something really bad about me."

"Well I don't know.  Is there a reason you feel that way?  Did something happen?" Chastity asked.

"Well Cas is pretty strange and he does stare at me pretty intensely.  Apparently I have an amazing aura or something."  Rose bit her lip. "I don't know, it's probably just me being worried over nothing."  She took a breath then smiled at Chastity.  "So can I have a tour?"

"Of course," Chastity said setting her empty glass aside, reaching out a hand and pulling Rose to her feet.  "Where do you want to go first?  The schoolroom?  The dungeon?  The Victorian boudoir?"

Rose's eyes were wide as they stepped out it in the hallway and Chastity locked her office behind them.

"You choose," Rose said finally.  "I want to see it all."

* * *

Cas smiled as a giggle left Daisy’s mouth.  She was seated cross legged on the lounge chair focusing on the table next to her and the obvious delight on her face was absolutely breathtaking.  Cas remembered Dean once saying that Rose took his breath away.  At the time he'd been confused, unsure how Rose affected Dean's breathing but now, watching Daisy he understood. Cas had started showing Daisy how to use her powers and she had grasped it quickly and easily and was enjoying it immensely if her reaction was anything to go buy.  He watched as her fingers fluttered and her smile grew, obviously pleased with the results.  All the thoughts coming from her were ones of delight, happiness and satisfaction.  Daisy was good at this and she liked that.

Cas had known she was strong, knew her powers were impressive but she had taken to it even better and quicker than he had dared hope.  Even better he could feel her growing stronger the more she practiced.  She was healing quickly and strengthening all the time.  Everything was progressing well.

He smiled again as she glanced his way with a happy smile on her face.  She really was extraordinary.

* * *

Sam, Dean and Bobby were gathered in the library waiting on Charlie.  Currently Lily was in the kitchen with her, dosing her up with cold medicine for the horrible head cold she had come down with.  It explained why she'd slept so long the day before.

“So no idea where she's at?” Sam asked his brother.  Dean had told him as soon as he’d seen him about Rose’s call.  Sam was happy to see his brother looking better than he had since Rose had left.  He still looked worried (And Sam was pretty sure he would continue to until Rose was actually back safe and sound.) but he looked hopeful now.  Sam had watched Lily’s face closely when she’d heard Rose had called.  She was happy but Sam was fairly certain she was hurt too.

“She didn’t give me any clues and the number was completely blocked, no way to trace it.  I had Charlie try and even she couldn’t get anything,” Dean said looking thoughtful.  “If I had to guess though I’d say someone had been giving her some sensible advice.”

“Someone she trusts?” Sam asked and Dean nodded.  “So you’re thinking she’s in New Orleans.”

“With Chastity,” Dean affirmed.

“She trusts her that much?” Bobby asked, having learned who Chastity was from the boys.

Dean nodded.  “I would guess that aside from us, aside from her family, Chastity is the only other person Rose really trusts.”

“She told you that?” Sam asked and Dean shook his head.

“No but there are things Chastity knows that Rose wouldn’t share with just anyone.  She knows her, really knows her and that says trust to me,” Dean said and Sam realized whatever it was that Chastity knew about Rose his brother wasn’t going to share.

“So Wednesday morning she’s gonna call you and you’ll get Cas to get you there?” Bobby asked.

“That’s the plan,” Dean said.

“Good” Bobby said with a nod of his head.  This business of Rose being on the run had gone on long enough.

Lily and Charlie came in just then; Charlie wrapped in a big yellow blanket and armed with a box of Kleenex and Lily hovering around her like a mother hen.

“Sorry guys” Charlie said, looking and sounding miserable.  She took her place in front of her laptop while Lily sat next to Sam.

Dean smiled at her.  “Hey no apologies needed here, Charlie.  You worked yourself too hard.  Tell us what you have and then go back to bed and rest up.”

Charlie pulled her laptop close to her and asked Sam to give her a summary of what they had found the day before.  Once Sam had summed it all up Charlie nodded.

“Sounds like you guys did a good job and came up with a lot.”  Charlie’s eyes scanned over the screen in front of her, sorting out the details they needed to know from the repeated bits the priest seemed to love to say.

“So Aine means brilliance or radiance which makes sense if you consider she’s supposed to be so beautiful and charming.  She charms others to do her bidding ,” Charlie said filling in some details before she got to the important stuff.  “Ashling means vision so it seems likely she’s the one with the visions and Aideen means fire.”  She frowned.  “I’m not sure if that’s literal or not.  It could mean power; it could mean she actually controls fire.  Father Docherty didn’t seem to think that was important enough to mention.  Maybe you guys can find out more.”  Sam nodded and made a note in his ever present journal.  Charlie sneezed into a tissue then continued.  “So you figured out that it’s Aine that Rose is destined to kill or bring about her death in some way.  Well it sounds like she’s going to do her best to get Rose before she gets her.”  Charlie cleared her throat and began to read:

**The sister of radiance will do everything in her power to remove the gifted one from this earth. She has been hidden from her all these years but once the knowledge is hers she will seek to kill and destroy her and no one in her path will be spared.  The gifted one must be protected from her at all costs.**

Everyone was quite for a second (Save Charlie who was blowing her nose) and Sam saw Lily out of the corner of his eye draw her legs up and wrap her arms around her knees.  Sam reached over and rubbed her back and she shot him a grateful look.  It really didn’t matter how many times you heard it or how many different ways; it still was terrifying to hear that a demon was intent on killing someone they all loved.

“When this is all done and we’re all living happily ever after I’m coming over and reading you all the fluffiest, silliest bit of fan fiction I can find,” Charlie said.  “I’m sick of being the voice of gloom and doom.”

This got a few chuckles and at least a smile from Lily.  Bobby was just happy to hear someone still believed in happily ever after.

“You’re just the reader, Charlie,” Sam said soothingly.  “We all really appreciate all the work you’ve done.”  Everyone else chimed in as well and Charlie blushed and smiled.

“You’ll find this bit interesting,” Charlie said, nodding at Dean. “ **Once their power is restored the sisters will seek to take the throne of hell back and overthrow anyone in power.** ”

“Aw, so that’s why our pal Crowley was so agitated,” Dean said with a smirk.  “Some demon sisters are after his throne.”

“Sounds like they had it before and liked the feel of it,” Bobby pointed out with a grin. 

“Crowley up against two demons bad enough to scare their own kind” Sam mused.  “I have to admit it would be worth watching.”

Lily was giving all three men weird looks.  “You guys have some weird relationship with this guy considering he’s a demon, oh no sorry, king of hell.”  All three men squirmed under her gaze and kept quiet till Lily turned her eyes back to Charlie.

“This is the last of what I’ve got.  Just remember how much you all love me after this next bit,” Charlie warned with a nervous smile.  “It’s gonna send you guys on a whole other research binge and it’s so not happy happy.”

**When the stars dance brightly, when the moon sings her story and the sun sleeps for the day then the time will be right.  Then the sister of vision will seek the blood of one of the precious ones to destroy the veil that divides this world from the purgatory her sister is locked in.  The intent, the purpose will be clear and will strengthen the blood to give it the power to release the sister of fire and to restore both sisters powers to their fullest.**

**Now the gifted one has a choice to make and she is the only one who can make it.  Her choice will set the future into motion, either sending all down a path of ease or one filled with danger.  The choice made because of love will bring about physical pain and a hard path full of danger but will keep her heart intact.  The selfless choice will bring about suffering for herself and others she loves but will ensure a safe future for all.  One life should not outweigh the many.**

“So the demon with the visions is going to come after one of us to get our blood and then Rose has to make some kind of choice,” Lily summed up. "That’s just great.”  She stood up and looked at Sam.  “I’m going to the hospital to keep my mom company.  Have fun researching and make sure she stays in bed,” she said pointing a finger at Charlie.

“Yes Mom” Charlie said sarcastically, but she shuffled off a minute later in the direction of her room.  Lily went that direction as well to get her purse and to see if Charlie needed anything, then with a kiss to Sam and a wave to Dean and Bobby she was gone, as far away from the prophecy as she could get.

Lily was in the Starbucks drive thru when her phone buzzed.  She was completely hooked on the evil cinnamon coffee drink Charlie had got her and she had lost count of how many she had drank in the past few days.  She was convinced there was some kind of drug in it to get her hooked so quickly.  Coming to the hospital was a good excuse to pick up another one.  Apparently everyone else was stopping at Starbucks today too from the look of drive thru line.  She’d thought about going inside but it looked to be just as crowded and she was in yoga pants, sneakers and a sweatshirt again today without a trace of makeup so the drive thru was it.  While she waited she picked her phone up and read the text from Sam.

_So you really want to know?_

Lily frowned at her phone.  She’d asked him after their talk this morning what this punishment he had planned was.  He’d just grinned, kissed her and murmured that she needed to be feeling perfect before they got to that and then refused to say anything else.  She figured she wouldn’t get anything else out of him today at least.  It was true that Lily was still a little sore and achy but much less so than yesterday and Sam knew how much she hated to not know something.  Curiosity was definitely her Achilles heel.  Before Lily could respond Sam sent another text.

Sam _hadn’t_ planned on telling Lily anything today but he figured she could use something to think about after the latest revelations about the prophecy.

_‘Cause you’ll still have to wait till you’re 100% before it happens and you’re almost as bad at being patient as you are about not knowing things._

Lily made a face at her phone and pulled the car forward a little before answering.

_You know I want to know.  And I’m much better already._

_Gotta be100% no less is acceptable._

_What exactly does this involve?_

_Pleasure….Well for me at least_

Lily frowned at her phone and then set it aside as she pulled up and ordered her coffee as well as tea for her mom.  Picking her phone back up she texted back.

_And just what am I doing during all this?_

Lily could actually picture the grin on Sam’s face when she read his reply.

_Oh you’re the one doing the pleasing_

Lily felt a little wave of heat go through her as she stared at her phone for a minute, her mind turning Sam’s words over till a car honking its horn startled her.  She looked up to find it was her turn at the window and she pulled up and got her drinks before pulling the car into a parking spot.  Sam had texted her again while she’d been getting her drinks.

_I figure you owe me for every single time you got to come before I did._

Lily felt her eyes go wide _.  Seriously?_

_And until you pay up I won’t be returning the favor.  Which shouldn’t be a problem because you don’t want an orgasm for a million years, right?_

Lily dropped her phone on the seat and groaned as she leaned her head back against the head rest.  Her and her big mouth.  She took a sip of her coffee then picked her phone back up and replied.

_So let me get this straight.  I have to make you come seven times before I even get one orgasm from you in return?_

_You got it._

Lily sat there thinking.  She couldn’t decide if she was pissed or impressed.  Maybe a little of both.

_You’re evil._

_Mmm, says the girl who tied me up and turned me into her personal sex toy for hours._

Lily grinned. _You say that like it’s a bad thing._

 _Oh I never said that._   Lily’s grin grew at Sam’s reply but his next text had her tugging on her hair.

_Tell me you hate the idea completely…tell me you aren’t just a little turned on by it…_

Lily closed her eyes.  She could say she wasn’t but that would be a lie.  The idea of her getting Sam off without him reciprocating was like a sweet torture that had immediately sent a bolt of lust through her.  If it wasn’t for the fact that Dean and Bobby were at the bunker researching with Sam she would have driven straight back and drug him to their room to get started.  The truth was she liked giving Sam pleasure.  She loved seeing his face when she touched him and watching him come apart because of her was something she would never get tired of.  And this, this was a challenge and Lily loved a challenge.  And he’d never said she couldn’t come exactly, just that he wasn’t going to help her do it.  That was a loophole she was pretty sure Sam had left open on purpose.

_Ya, I can’t because that would be a lie._

_That’s what I figured._

_You better be ready when I get home tonight then.  Gotta get started!_

_Nope, not till tomorrow at least, Lil.  You were still hurting this morning._

_You sure you don’t want to wear my sweatshirt, Sam?_   Dean had made a snarky comment about the saying on her shirt this morning – “I’m not bossy.  I have leadership skills.” -but Sam had just winked at her.

_Funny, Lil.  Tell your mom I said hi._

_Will do.  Love you_

_Love you too, Lil._

Lily sat there for a minute her phone in her hand staring at the words on it.  She realized to anyone else they wouldn’t probably look that important, just two people sending each other naughty texts.  But there was so much more there.  Sam knew she was shaken up over the prophecy, knew she was hurt that Rose hadn’t called her even if she hadn’t said as much.  But Sam knew her.  He read her better than anyone else ever had.  He’d known she was upset and he’d given her this little slice of happy, sexy teasing to take her mind off things.  Before she pulled out of the parking lot she sent him one more quick text before tossing her phone in her purse.

_You know me and what I need.  That definitely makes my list._

* * *

 


	22. I Make the Moves Up As I Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People are full of surprises and Chastity can spin a tale

Bobby, Sam and Dean were all settled into the library, cups of coffee and books spread out on the tables, laptops and journals in the mix.

"That one line, uh," Bobby drug his finger down the screen in front of him.  "One life should not outweigh the many.” That's been mentioned more than once now."

Sam and Dean's eyes met but Sam was the one to ask.  "You think that's on purpose?  This priest does seem to like to repeat things."

"True.  But one line repeated in different bits of prophecy?" Bobby shook his head.  "That seems purposeful to me."

"So what's he getting at that's so important?" Dean asked, taking a drink of coffee.

Bobby read over the lines before and after the one that was sticking with him so much and then slowly looked back up at both boys. "I'm guessing it's something to do with the choice Rose has to make."  Sam and Dean both looked at him, alarm evident in their eyes as he expounded on his theory.  “If Rose had to let someone she loved be hurt for the sake of the greater good-”

“Ya that’s never gonna happen,” Sam cut in and Dean nodded in agreement.

“If that’s the case then we are all royally screwed,” Dean said.

* * *

Lily handed her mom her cup of tea and made herself comfortable next to her on the couch.  Her mother was knitting, a new hobby she'd taken up in the last few weeks which Lily found odd.  It really didn't seem like her moms kind of thing. Herbs and reading those were more her style.  Knitting not so much.

"Any change?" she asked nodding towards Daisy.

Her mom smiled at her. "Cas said she's doing well, getting stronger."

Lily frowned.  She didn't disbelieve that Cas could communicate with Daisy in some dream world.  She'd seen and been in Daisy's dreams more than once and that was enough to convince her.  But Lily wanted her sister physically better.  She wanted her talking and conscious.  In Lily's opinion that seemed to be something everyone else wasn't focused on enough.

"Stop the negative thoughts, Lily" her mother chided her.  "You'll affect your sisters healing with all that negativity."

Lily just rolled her eyes.  She glanced at Cas.  "Can he hear us?" she asked.

Her mother nodded. "Mmm hmm but he tends to tune most things out and focus on Daisy."

Lily said nothing to that and just studied Cas. "Do you like the rings I picked out?" she asked her mother suddenly.

"I do" Erin said, glancing at the jewelry in question. "I knew you'd choose well, Lily.  You know your sisters tastes."

“Does Daisy know she’s married?” Lily asked her eyes still on Cas and she almost thought she saw him twitch when she asked that.

Erin shook her head.  “No, he’ll tell her when the time is right,” she said and Lily rolled her eyes.  Ya, why would Daisy need to know she was married?  It wasn’t like it concerned her or anything.  This was a perfect example of how her mother made her crazy.

"You heard Rose called Dean?" Lily asked and Erin just nodded.  Lily sipped her coffee and folded her legs up underneath her, a pensive expression on her face.

For a few minutes the room was quite, the clicking of Erin's knitting needles the only sound.  She was surreptitiously studying Lily trying to guess the cause of her obvious upset.  She was fairly certain she knew the reason but wanted to be sure.

"How's Sam?" she asked casually and watched as Lily smiled and unconsciously reached up to stroke her neck.

"Sam's awesome" she said and Erin heard the genuine happiness in her voice and was pleased to hear it.  She was proud of her daughters, how strong they were and all they had done, all they would do.  But more than anything she wanted them all to be happy.  Lily had always gotten bored easily.  From the moment she started school her parents were constantly getting report cards with notes attached that read "Lily is very bright and would excel if we could keep her interested or get her to sit still."  She was even worse when it came to dating.  A steady stream of boys and then men had come and gone without a single one interesting Lily for more than a few dates.  When Lily and Sam had gotten involved Erin and Bobby had discussed the possible outcomes.  There were a lot of reasons on paper it shouldn't work out - Lily was older than Sam and had intimidated men much older than him, neither were people who you could push around and both had tempers and their families were deeply intertwined so if it blew up it could be bad for a lot of people. 

Where Daisy had always been her go with the flow child, the one who just took things as they came both Erin’s other daughters had always been restless but in vastly different ways.  Rose had always wanted more out of life, something other than the life she had in Hastings.  She wasn’t unhappy, but she wasn’t fulfilled either, always seeming to be looking for more.  But when it came to relationships despite her active dating life there had never been a question in Erin’s mind what Rose wanted, or rather who.  From an early age she’d made her mind up that Dean was it for her and that hadn’t changed.  He was who she wanted.  Conversely Lily had always been content with her life.  She liked living at home, liked the jobs she did and the time she spent with friends.  Her involvement in the hunting world kept her occupied and she liked the unconfined life she led.  But when it came to relationships (If you could even call any of what Lily had relationships.) Lily had been restless and unsettled.  Nobody interested her for long or held her attention and she grew bored sooner rather than later.  While Erin wasn’t the type of woman to believe a person needed a relationship to be fulfilled and she didn’t think Lily had been unhappy she did feel Lily was looking for something.  When she’d gotten involved with Sam even when it was just casual Erin had started to see a change in her.  Slowly, subtly at first she'd seen a peacefulness in Lily that had never been there before.  She wasn't sure anyone but a mother would pick up on it.  To her it made sense really.  Sam always had always been mature for his age and wasn’t intimidated by much.  And Lily needed someone who could keep up with her, someone who she couldn’t walk all over but who wouldn’t try to dampen her spirit either.  While Erin couldn't say she had seen this coming once it did it made sense to her.  Watching the two of them together, the little chance she had gotten since all the chaos had started they looked right together.  Sam looked genuinely happy and Erin had never seen him so confident and she was sure Lily played a part in that.  And Lily seemed calmer, more settled in herself.  The two seemed to balance each other out.

Erin set her knitting needles aside and reached out to rub Lily's back.  "You look tired, sweetie."

"I am a little" Lily admitted.

Erin tugged gently on her arm and Lily lay down on the couch, resting her head in her mother’s lap.  Erin stroked her daughters’ hair.  "You and Sam might need to spend a little more time sleeping and a little less time being so passionate."

"Mom!" Lily said, covering her face.  "God, you're embarrassing me."

"Hmm well you might want to leave a few less marks on each other if you don't intend to get it commented on," Erin said grinning at her oldest daughters discomfort.  She may be one of the only people on earth who could actually embarrass Lily and she would never do it with an audience.  But with just the two of them here paying any attention Erin couldn't resist the chance to tease her.

"Ya well tell Sam that too" Lily muttered and Erin laughed.

"I'm just teasing you, sweetie.  I'm glad you two are happy."  She stroked her oldest daughters’ hair and waited a minute before saying, "You're upset about Rose."  It wasn't a question.

Lily frowned.  "Aren't you?" The one thing Lily had never understood was how her mother could be so casual about things that to Lily were things worth worrying over.

"I was,” Erin acknowledged. "But she’s coming home now and everything can be set to rights."

Lily’s voice was harsh and bitter when she said, "Oh yes, she's coming home.  She called Dean.  She'll come back and things will be fucking fantastic."

"Lily" her mother said, her tone turning her very name into a chastisement.  Lily said nothing in return knowing the lecture about language all too well.  Despite their differences Rose was their mothers’ darling when it came to language; she rarely if ever cursed.  Why this was such a big deal to her mom Lily had no idea but it always had been.  Erin frowned. "You really are grouchy when you're not getting enough sleep."

"Yep, that's it completely," Lily said sarcastically.  “That’s the problem in a nutshell.  Not the fact that my sister called Dean instead of me, not the fact that she’s been off who knows where, it’s not that she’s been keeping secret friends and lying to me for God knows how long.  Nope, it’s my lack of sleep.”

Erin sighed and continued stroking Lily’s hair.  She’d always known this was going to be hard on Lily.  Lily was had always been prone to jealousy, had always guarded those she loved ferociously and despite the fact that she trusted and loved Dean she still on some level saw him as a threat for her sister’s affection.  And now that she’d run off and some things had come to light that they hadn’t known before it made sense to Erin that Lily was feeling slighted and out of sorts.  She was used to always being first with Rose, to knowing all her secrets.  There was no doubt in Erin’s mind that Lily was going to take all this badly.

“Lily, she didn’t do any of this to hurt you.”  That got her a derisive snort in response.  “If Rose had called you how would you have reacted?”

Lily was quite for a few seconds and then she replied, “I would have told her I missed her and I loved her.”  Now it was Erin’s turn to snort.

“You would have yelled at her and read her the riot act,” Erin said and Lily just scowled and said nothing.  “You would have lost your temper because you’re upset with her and Rose knows you well enough to know that.”  Erin stroked her hair softly.  “Rose loves you and her calling Dean doesn’t mean she loves you any less.  Would you like it if she was jealous of you and Sam?”

“Maybe a little?” Lily admitted and Erin laughed.  Lily was nothing if not honest.

“When Rosie gets back you two can sit down and have a good long talk.  You’ll sort things out,” Erin said confidently.  The two sisters would work it out, they always did.  Lily frowned but didn’t argue.  Erin patted her on the back and went back to stroking her hair.  “Now close your eyes and rest for a bit.  A nap will do you good.”

* * *

"You made a big mistake coming here.  Did you really think we wouldn’t take precautions?”

“I could really be a big help to you.  Get that daughter you want home so badly back here.  Something tells me she’d come running if she thought the little blond was in danger.”  A ruffling noise followed this.

“Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus -”

Angry voices cut into Lily’s nap.  It took her a second to realize it was another woman and her mother talking.  Her mother’s voice had the short clipped tone it only got when she was really and truly angry.

“infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica.”

A cry of pain went up and Lily’s eyes snapped open to find a woman- oh no black eyes that was a demon- standing a few feet from Daisy’s bed, seemingly frozen to the spot.  Cas was on his feet hovering protectively near Daisy (And looking pretty scary Lily couldn’t help but notice.) but it wasn’t the angel who the demon had their eyes on.  Lily sat up cautiously and followed the demon’s eyes to find it was her mother that the demon obviously saw as the threat.  And as more Latin flowed out of her mother’s mouth Lily realized why.  She was exorcising the demon as calmly as if she were discussing the weather.

“Humiliare sub potenti manu dei, contremisce et effuge, invocato a-”

“AAHHHHH!” The demon in a nurse’s body shook her head, obviously in pain. “And here I thought she would be the problem,” she said jerking her head in Lily’s direction. “Who knew mommy would step up to the plate?”

As the rest of the words spewed out of Erin’s mouth Lily could just look on in shock.  Her mother looked calm but her eyes were flashing; she looked fierce and immovable.  Lily couldn’t ever remember her mother looking like such a force to be reckoned with.  Erin finished the exorcism and watched with a satisfied look on her face as the demon was expelled and the nurse’s body slumped to the ground.

“Don’t mess with my children,” she said softly then stood, smoothed her skirt and went to the nurses’ side.

“Oh dear,” she said in a soothing tone. “Are you OK?” she asked, helping the shaken woman to her feet.

“W-what happened?” the young woman was trembling, looking confused, shell shocked.

“My dear you passed right out,” Erin soothed as she calmly ushered her out of the room.  “Do you have low blood sugar?  No?  Maybe-”

Their voiced drifted off as they moved down the hall and both Lily and Cas stared after them.  Finally Cas turned to Lily, a smile on his face.

“I think Dean would describe what your mother just did as bad ass.”

And Lily found herself sharing a smile with Cas for the first time.

* * *

Rose and Chastity had grabbed a quick lunch and done some shopping.  Rose had decided to get gifts for everybody, preferring to think of them as “I missed you” gifts as opposed to “I ran away and am now trying to buy my way back into your good graces” gifts as Chastity was calling them.  She’d picked up a book for Sam about a serial killer in New Orleans (To feed his love of true crime), a book about by a local voodoo expert for Bobby and a book about Marie Leveau for her mother.  She’d found a beautiful daisy bracelet for Daisy that Rose knew she’d love.  Daisy was the only one of the sisters who liked things with her namesake on them and was always delighted when she found a new piece of jewelry or clothing with them on it.  This bracelet was perfect, delicate but the gold in the daisies was bright and shining.  Chastity raised an eyebrow at her.

“What?” Rose asked, slipping the bag into her purse as they exited the boutique.

“Someday you’re going to have to explain to me how a girl who works at a flower shop has as much shopping money as you do,” Chastity said and Rose blushed.  She didn’t answer the question but instead said:

“Well I think it’s safe to say I don’t work there anymore.”  She stopped and peered into the window of a shop that seemed to specialize in spices.  She frowned as she said, “I guess that’s a trip I’ll have to make at some point to tell Maggie I won’t be coming back.”

Wanting to distract Rose from something that obviously made her unhappy Chastity steered the conversation back to shopping.  “So who’s left on your list?”

“Lily and Dean.  Oh and I should get Charlie something,” Rose murmured.

“Charlie is the hacker girl?”  Rose nodded and Chastity took her arm and steered her towards another shop.  “You should be able to find something she’ll like in here,” she said.

Rose’s eyes got wide when she saw all the t-shirts and books and other fangirl delights the shop held.  “Is this some kind of heaven?” she asked wonderingly and Chastity laughed.

“It’s where I got part of your Christmas present last year,” she said.

“My Sherlock angel shirt?” Rose asked and Chastity nodded.  “Oh I love that shirt.”  Rose was off and wandering.  “Oh God, they have Doctor Who shirts.  Daisy would love this one.”  She held one up that had her laughing.

“One may tolerate a world of demons for the sake of an angel,” Chastity read aloud.  “Well that’s fitting.”

“I’m getting it,” Rose said decisively, moving onto the next aisle.  “Oh God, there’s more!”

Eventually Chastity managed to drag Rose out of the store.  It had been successful though; Rose had found an Orphan Black t-shirt for Charlie, The Walking Dead shirt for Lily and a gift for Chastity (though she’d snuck that one in without her friend seeing it.)  She’d even gotten a Sherlock shirt for Emma and Chastity had gotten one for Ryan as promised.

“I still need to get the shoes I saw for Lily and I’m still stuck on what to get Dean,” Rose said.  She’d picked up a praline pie mix earlier she thought he would like but she needed something bigger than that.

“We can get Lily’s shoes tomorrow.  Ryan’s mom will be dropping Emma off soon.”  Ryan had a dinner meeting so they wouldn’t be seeing him till early tomorrow evening but Emma was spending the night at Chastity’s tonight.  “And I told you I’ve got you covered with a present for Dean,” Chastity said with a wink.

Rose rolled her eyes at her as they headed back to Chastity’s car.  “Ya, thanks but no thanks.”

Chastity opened the trunk so they could put the shopping bags in.  “But it’s perfect,” she wheedled.  “Nothing says I’m sorry like a riding crop.”  Rose laughed, her cheeks flushed, looking around them quickly to make sure no one else could hear this conversation.  “Unless it’s a paddle,” Chastity said thoughtfully.  “If I’d had time I could have gotten one monogrammed with both your initials.” She shrugged.  “Oh well, I’ll keep that idea for a wedding present.”

“Are you enjoying tormenting me?” Rose asked as they got in the car.  Chastity grinned at her widely.

“Oh absolutely.”

* * *

Erin had returned to the room a few minutes after she left with the nurse, saying the woman was shaken but unharmed.

“Is Daisy all right?” she asked Cas when she returned and he had nodded his head, a new found look of respect in his eyes.

“She didn’t even feel the slightest disturbance,” he murmured.

“Are you all right, Lily?” her mother asked, turning to her daughter who was openly gaping at her.

Lily nodded her head then said, “You were so calm, Mom.”

Erin smiled and came over and hugged Lily.  “Yes well I was a little better prepared this time than the last time we were attacked.”  From the slightly guilty look in her eye Lily could tell the way things had happened in Hastings with Mark bothered her.  “I memorized that when I was seven and have recited it countless times since then.  It’s amazing what we remember.”

Very quickly Daisy’s hospital room was full again with Bobby and the boys descending upon it once Lily had called Sam to tell him what had happened.  He’d immediately come to her side, pulling her into his arms and checking she was OK.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, running his hands over her.  “Did the demon get anywhere near you?”

“Nope, thanks to my mom,” Lily said, looking at her proudly.

“Come again?” Dean asked from his spot by Cas.  After checking Daisy over he’d been talking to Cas quietly till he’d heard what Lily said.

“She exorcised the demon while I was napping with my head on her lap,” Lily said, her pride obvious in her voice.

Sam and Dean both looked impressed as well while Bobby just grinned.

“You always were a hell of a lot tougher than you look,” he said gruffly taking a seat on the couch next to her and Erin blushed.

“It’s just like riding a bike,” she said modestly.

“What did you mean about taking precautions?” Lily asked her mother from her spot on Sam’s lap.  He’d taken the seat near Daisy’s bedside and pulled Lily down on his lap.  Despite the fact she hadn’t been hurt he seemed anxious to keep her near him, to reassure himself that she was all right.

Erin and Bobby exchanged glances and Bobby cleared his throat and said, “Invisible black light paint.”

It took a second but then realization dawned on Sam’s face.  “You didn’t.”  At Lily’s blank look he said, “He painted a devil’s trap by the door.  The demon could get in the room but then couldn’t get to Daisy, couldn’t use their powers or get out.”

Bobby nodded.  “It was Erin’s idea actually.”  And again the boys found themselves looking impressed, this time at Erin’s cunning.  “Figured this way even if for some reason a demon got in here when Daisy was on her own she’d be protected.”

“That’s fucking brilliant,” Dean said.  “Sorry,” he said quickly when he saw Erin’s disapproving look.  He was as well acquainted as Lily was with Erin’s lecture on language.  “But it’s smart, really smart.” That earned him a smile from Erin.

“Something tells me these demons didn’t do their homework,” Bobby said thoughtfully.  “They must not have known you were a hunter’s daughter too and could hold your own.”  They weren’t the only ones, Dean thought to himself.  He’d known Erin had been raised by hunters and was a good researcher and knew way around a spell but before today he would have sworn she wouldn’t have been much use in a fight.  True she had panicked back in Hastings when the hunter friend of theirs was possessed but it was always harder when it was someone you knew.  And thinking back to what Bobby had said about the wards and sigils around their property they probably hadn’t dealt with a threat at their house in God knew how long.  It looked like since then Erin had gotten prepared, got her game face on so to speak.  Now Dean was reevaluating Erin and realizing he’d greatly underestimated her.

“Well it’s not like I hunt, Bobby,” Erin said.

“Ya, but honestly you could if you wanted to,” Bobby said and Dean heard the note of pride in his voice. “You’re a damn sight smarter than a lot of hunters I know.”

Erin smiled gratefully and Dean was fairly sure she was blushing from Bobby’s praise. 

“I’m no hunter,” Erin said and something told Dean this conversation had been had before.  “But I’m not going to sit by and watch a demon threaten my girls either and not lift a finger.”

Sam hugged Lily and whispered in her ear “Your mom is fucking awesome.”

“Watch your language, Sammy,” Lily whispered back with a mischievous smile.  “Don’t make me tell on you.”  Sam sneakily pinched her bottom and Lily let out a little shriek drawing everyone’s eyes their way.

Dean rolled his eyes.  “Seriously you two, control yourselves for a few minutes, OK?”  He turned to Erin then, ignoring Lily sticking her tongue out at him.  “What did the demon say?”

“She tried to tell me she could help us get Rose back.  She said if Daisy was in real danger she was sure Rose would come running.”  Erin shook her head.  “As if I’d be dumb enough to accept help from a demon.”

Dean was pacing now, turning that over in his mind.  “So she was working for the other two sisters,” he muttered.

“What was that?” Bobby asked and Dean repeated it.

“I mean obviously if she were working for Aine she would want Rose to stay out there on her own, right?  She’s a lot more vulnerable that way.”

Sam nodded his head the same time as Bobby said, “Makes sense.”

“Less than forty eight hours to go,” he muttered to himself.  He was literally counting down the hours till Rose was safe with him again.

After they had re-hashed everything that had happened Erin pulled Sam aside for a second while Lily kissed Daisy good-bye, whispering things to her as had become her habit since she’d been in the hospital.

“I think Lily may be coming down with something,” she said keeping her voice low so Lily couldn’t hear her.  “She could just be overly tired.  But either way, keep an eye on her please and don’t let her over do it.”

Sam nodded.  “I’ll make her take it easy even if I have to-” and Sam cut himself off before he could finish his sentence which was going to end with “tie her down to keep her still” which brought many things to mind, none of which had anything to do with Lily resting.  From the knowing look Erin was giving him that lingered just a moment on the marks on his neck, Sam knew that she knew all too well the direction his statement had been going.  Sam flushed a deep red, cleared his throat and said, “I’ll uh, make her rest.”

Erin gave him a warm hug.  “Thank you, Sam.  I know you will.”

Bobby was out in the hallway with Dean while Erin and Sam were finishing up talking.  Dean gave Bobby a curious look.

“Did you know?”

“Know what?” Bobby asked, though he was fairly sure what Dean was getting at.

“That Erin was so capable, so bad ass?”

Bobby gave him a look that made Dean feel like a grade A idiot.

“Erin was raised by two of the most focused hunters I ever met.  You think your dad raised you boys to be soldiers?  Her parents raised her to be a one woman army.”  Bobby shook his head.  “You think your daddy would have left you and Sam alone as kids with someone who couldn’t protect you?  You think I would have?  Don’t be an idjit.”  And he turned and walked back into the hospital room leaving Dean to wonder just what else he’d missed about the people he thought he knew best.

* * *

Rose got her bags semi packed when they got back to the house, fitting in the presents she’d bought.  She was still trying to figure out what to get to Dean and coming up blank.  She made her way to the kitchen where Chastity was starting dinner.

“I got you a present,” she said, holding it behind her back.

Chastity turned from the stove, a smile on her face.  “Funny, I got you one too.  It’s on the table.”  Rose glanced over to see a purple gift bag sitting there.  Rose smiled and Chastity took a seat at the table, motioning her over.

Rose reached into the bag and drew out a bracelet with pearls and Fleur de Lis alternating all the way around.

“Oh Chas, it’s beautiful,” Rose said, putting it on immediately.

“I thought you could use the bracelet to match the earrings,” Chastity said and Rose smiled.  After Emma’s birth and the week Rose spent with them helping out Chastity had given her a beautiful pair of earrings that did indeed match this bracelet.

“It’s still one of the best days of my life you know, the day Emma was born,” Rose said softly.  “It meant so much to me that you let me be a part of it.”

“You’re my best friend, Rose, my family.  I couldn’t imagine you _not_ being there.” Chastity’s voice was slightly choked sounding, the emotion evident there and Rose reached over and squeezed her hand.

“Well I’ll warn you, now that you’re no longer my secret I have a feeling you’re going to have gained a much larger family,” Rose said.  “Just remember you were my friend first.”

“That sounds fun, though maybe a bit daunting,” Chastity admitted and Rose laughed.  She could only imagine how overwhelming her family including the boys would seem to Chas after being on her own for so long.  “But don’t worry, we have history Kiddo.  No one gets to take your place.  Now open the rest of your present.  You take too damn long to open things,” she said with a grin that Rose easily returned.

Rose looked down into the bag seeing there was something else in it and pulled out a t-shirt laughing.  In her hand was an Orphan Black t-shirt with a picture of Felix asking “Who wants mimosas?”  It was perfectly fitting after the many they had drank these past few days but that wasn’t why Rose was laughing.

“Open yours,” Rose said with a grin and once Chastity had opened her bag (Just a store bag, Rose hadn’t thought to get a gift bag.) she was laughing too.  There in her hand was a duplicate of the shirt she’d gotten Rose.

“Great minds, right?” Chastity asked with a grin and Rose nodded.  “I’m gonna change before Emma gets here and now I know just what to wear.”

A few hours later both Rose and Chastity were wearing their new shirts and watching Emma, who was wearing the adorable Sherlock shirt Rose had gotten her.  (Way too many pictures had been taken of the three of them in their shirts and much squealing over how cute Emma looked in hers had been heard.) They’d eaten, fed Emma and were watching her crawl around on a blanket in the living room, an army of toys surrounding her with Rose and Chastity sitting on either side of her.

“I can’t believe she’s crawling,” Rose said.  “She’s getting so big so fast.”

“Another reason you need to come visit more often,” Chastity pointed out.  “She’s already saying dada and mama.  Should we show her what we’ve been working on, sweet girl?”

Emma sat up, waving a pink bear in her hand and smiling at the adults who were so enraptured with her.  After a bit of coaxing from her mother some sounds left her mouth that sounded close enough to Rose to bring tears to Rose’s eyes.  Rose immediately picked Emma up and snuggled her.

“Who’s the smartest baby in the world?” she cooed and Emma smiled at her, loving the attention.  Rose hugged her once more and then sat her back down when she started to squirm.  Rose picked up a purple giraffe and held it out to her and Emma immediately latched onto that and beginning chewing on it.

Chastity sighed.  “I’m fairly certain she’s going to start teething soon and I’ve read enough to know I’m not looking forward to that.”  Chastity watched Rose who was looking at Emma with an enraptured look on her face.

“You would never have left, would you?” Rose looked up at her questioningly and Chastity clarified.  “If you had been pregnant, that’s not something that would have made you run.”  Rose just smiled softly and shook her head.  “Are you telling me you want a baby, Rose?”

“This would definitely qualify as a conversation that requires alcohol,” Rose said.

“Well its Miss Emma’s bath time so if you want a glass please feel free.”  Chastity stood up, gathering Emma up in her arms.  “And don’t touch the dishes and Dean or no Dean I’ll smack you,” she called over her shoulder.

“Bossy,” Rose called after her and a second later Chastity’s retort of “You know it,” floated back to her drawing a chuckle from Rose.

Chastity came out a short while later with a freshly bathed Emma in her arms.  “I figured you would want to get a good night kiss,” she said, handing Rose an armful of pink pajama clothed sleepy baby. Rose snuggled her and kissed the top of her head.  “God, you’re precious,” she whispered.  She snuggled her for a few more minutes before Chastity whisked her off to her crib and returned a few minutes later with a baby monitor in hand.

She put her hands on her hips when she noticed the toys and blankets had been tidied up.  “I thought I told you not to clean up,” she demanded.

“Aw no, you said not to touch the dishes,” Rose pointed out.  “You never said anything about tidying up in here.”

Chastity grinned.  “Spoken like a true brat,” she said affectionately, “Who’s good at finding loopholes,” and Rose just grinned back at her.  “Come on, you can come keep my company in the kitchen and I’ll get you some wine.”

Rose curled up on one of the kitchen chairs and sipped at her glass while Chastity loaded the dishwasher.

“So spill,” Chastity said.  “Are we bassinet shopping soon?”

“Oh this is so not an easy answer,” Rose groaned.

“Sure it is,” Chastity said.  “Do you want a baby?”

“When I look at Emma I want a baby so bad it hurts,” Rose admitted.

“OK, so the but is…”

“Well there’s a few,” Rose said with a sigh.

“List them out and I’ll shoot them down,” Chastity said and Rose laughed.

“Are you that desperate for me to have a baby?  Or do you just want another?” Rose teased.

Chastity shook a finger at her.  “Don’t even.”

Rose shrugged and said teasingly “Well you did repeat the same behavior that led to the creation of Miss Emma…”

“Several different types of birth control were used this time,” Chastity said.  “I wasn’t trusting just one after our last little surprise.”  Rose laughed and Chastity waved a hand at her.  “Quit getting off topic.  Back to you…your first reason is…”

Rose stopped laughing and took a sip of wine before answering.  “Well first off me and Dean haven’t been together all that long.  It might be a good idea for us to be together for awhile before we go adding a baby to the mix.”

“Well that just sounds way too sensible, Rose.  I say you get Dean to knock you up the day you get back home.” Chastity grinned at her over her shoulder then said, “OK, that's a good point actually.  So take some time, get your relationship all settled down and then go for it.”

Rose rolled her eyes and said, “And then there’s the really big obstacle to a baby.  My powers.”  Rose toyed with her wine glass a minute then admitted, “I don’t know my body anymore.  Up till a month ago I did but now, well I just hope every day some new power doesn’t crop up.  I can’t see myself being pregnant when my body feels out of control.  Plus there’s the whole demons-who-are-trying-to-kill-me thing.  Not really the ideal situation to bring a baby into."

Chastity finished loading the dishwasher and came over and poured herself a glass of wine.  “OK all good valid reasons.  So here’s my solution: Wait.  Just a little bit.  A few months, a year, two years.  Whatever.   Who knows what things will look like then?  You’re young, there’s no rush.   Just don’t shut the door on the idea, Rose.”  Chastity grabbed the baby monitor and her wine glass and motioned to Rose to grab the wine bottle and follow her back into the living room.  Once they’d both settled down on a couch she looked at Rose curiously.  “So does Dean want kids?”

Rose blinked.  “I have no idea.  It’s not something we’ve ever discussed.  God, he’s great with them though.”  She smiled and it was the dreamy smile Chastity was used to seeing when she talked about Dean.  “They love him and he’s so good with them.”

“Well see that’s a start,” Chastity said.

“You don’t know Dean yet so I know you can’t picture it but Dean can be awfully intimidating when he wants to be.  But put him around a kid and the whole tough guy who can kick your ass fifty different ways without trying disappears completely.” Rose smiled and Chastity couldn’t help but grin at how smitten Rose looked.  “He’s funny and gentle and gets down on their level and they just love him.”  Rose sighed.  “It kills me every time.”

“So I see,” Chastity said. 

Rose looked thoughtfully at her wine glass before saying, “The thing is we haven’t really been a couple that long but we’ve known each other forever and then things kind of fast forwarded when all this craziness happened.  We went from talking on the phone to living together and so it feels like we’ve been together longer than we have.”  Rose shook her head.  “So I know Dean because well I always have.  But I don’t know Dean as my boyfriend all that well really.  We had this great weekend of mind blowing sex, came back and spent one night together and the next day all hell broke loose.” She shrugged.  “I left the day after that.  So it’s weird.”

“So when you get back with him you pick up where you left off, learning all the fun things,” Chastity said.  “And then later you two can come back and visit and come to the club and play.  Which room did you like best anyway?  You never said.”

“How come I never got an invite to come play on my own?” Rose asked an indignant look on her face.

“Because your fantasy happens to involve someone I can’t hire – Dean,” Chastity said dryly.  Seeing that Rose was going to argue Chastity cut her off before she could start. “OK, close your eyes and picture the room you liked best, which one was it?”

“The schoolroom” Rose said without hesitation, her eyes shut tightly.  “Thought the Victorian bedroom was nice too.”

“OK we’ll go with the schoolroom.  So picture yourself there with the hottest guy you know – aside from Dean.”

Rose scrunched her nose up, trying to think of who that was.  Oh there had been a really good looking guy who worked at the college library in Hastings.  Dark curly hair, pretty brown eyes, great smile, nice arms.  Yep, he’d do.

“Got him pictured?” Rose nodded and Chastity continued, dropping her voice a little.  “OK so I want you to picture yourself in that schoolroom, dressed in a sexy schoolgirl outfit and your sexy guy is there to punish you for being such a naughty girl.”

Rose pictured herself as Chastity described, short plaid skirt, white button down top with knee socks and Mary Jane shoes, her hair in pigtails and hot Library guy was standing in front of her in a dark, beautifully cut suit.

Chastity’s voice was a low purr now, her words bringing up detailed images to Rose’s mind.  “He’s looking down at you with a disapproving frown, arms crossed over his chest and you know that look, the one that means you’re in so much trouble.  Are you picturing it, Rose?”

Rose nodded.  She definitely was, her eyes dragging up the body in front of her in the classic suit, over the crossed arms, up to his face where a pair of stern but sparkling green eyes were looking at her in that knowing way that made her stomach clench.  No, wait that was wrong.  Library guy had brown eyes.  Not green.  OK I have to concentrate.  I can do this, Rose thought.

Chastity saw Rose frown and figured she was running into trouble just like Chastity thought she would.  She pushed further wanting to make her point.

“In this setting naughty girls always get spankings of some kind so your sexy teacher leans you over the teacher’s desk, a perfect position for a spanking.”  Remembering what Rose had said about Dean saying all the right things when he spanked her Chastity added, “He’s leaning over you speaking softly, telling you what a naughty, naughty girl you’ve been. But fortunately he knows just how to deal with girls who misbehave.  In his classroom naughty girls always get good, hard spankings.”

Rose squirmed a little, her cheeks flushed and opened one eye and peaked at Chastity.  “You’re very good at this,” she murmured and Chastity smiled.

“Thanks, it’s what I do.  Now close your eyes and get back with your hot teacher.”  Rose closed her eye quickly and Chastity grinned and went back to spinning her tale.  “So your teacher is smoothing his hand over your skirt, giving your bottom a few warm up smacks….”

Rose pictured it, could practically feel the large hands that already seemed to know her body so well sliding over her, making her skin tingle.  But every time she pictured the teacher the fantasy slipped away.  Because the only guy she could picture was Dean…and if she was honest even the hands touching her in this fantasy felt like Dean’s.

She opened her eyes and found Chastity looking at her knowingly.  “Didn’t work, did it?”  Rose shook her head ruefully.  “You kept picturing Dean, didn’t you?”  Rose nodded and Chastity smiled.  “That’s why I never asked you to the club before.  You would have gone and tried to relax and enjoy it and you wouldn’t have.”

“How’d you know that if I didn’t?” Rose demanded.

“First off it’s kind of what I do,” Chastity said.  “Clubs like mine are a sanctuary for some people, fulfilling fantasies and giving them what they can’t get elsewhere.  But they aren’t for everyone.”  Chastity smiled at her and Rose almost thought she saw a touch of envy there.  “Some people just want someone, anyone who’s good at it to dominate them, spank them and make their minds shut up for a little while.”  Rose nodded; the mind shutting up part at least rang true to her.  Her mind was constantly going and one of the few times it ever shut up was when Dean was spanking her.  That had been a pleasant surprise. "But other people to really feel fulfilled they need a connection, to trust the person they’re with not just on a physical level but on an emotional one as well.  That’s always what you wanted, what you needed.  I could tell it from the way you talked about Dean and even from the parts of the Random Point books you liked the most.” Chastity took a sip of her wine and continued.  “The first thing you said to me the other night about Dean spanking you was that he said all the right things and that he owned you.  A guy at my club can say the right things if you tell him ahead of time or if he reads you really well, which granted some of them can.  I have some great people working there.  But Dean can say the right things to you because he knows you. And just imagine how good he’ll be at that once you guys have been together longer and he knows you even better.”  Chastity grinned at the look that idea had put in Rose’s eyes.  “A guy at my club might be able to give you that feeling that he owns you while he’s spanking you but it would be gone as soon as your session was over.  That nice little buzz that stays with you, that secret between you two, that connection you feel with Dean?” Chastity shook her head.  “Try as I might I can’t replicate that.  You wanted the whole package and it’s what you held out for and got.”  Chastity smiled at her and Rose felt herself warmed by the fact that Chastity looked genuinely happy for her.  Chastity’s smile turned impish suddenly.  “Oh I’ve just thought of the perfect present to send home with you!”

“Chas…” Rose started warningly.

“No no, don’t worry about it.  I’ll just slip it into one of your bags and you can find it as a surprise later.” Chastity took a sip of her wine and then said, “Now what about what you’re getting him.  Any ideas yet?"  Rose shook her head. "What about lingerie?  I know a great place we can stop at tomorrow.”

“Maybe?” Rose said unsure if that was the best way to go or not.  What exactly did you get your boyfriend to apologize for running away?

“Don’t worry, we’ll think of something,” Chastity said.  “Though personally I still say a riding crop is the way to go.”


	23. Where Do You Go When the Party Ends?

Rose woke up the next morning to Chastity shaking her shoulder gently.  "Rose, I need to go to the club."

Rose sat up, looking around in confusion for a minute.  She shook her head, clearing the sleep away.  "Say that again?"

Chastity grinned, knowing Rose was really not a morning person.  "I need to go into work to deal with an issue.  There’s been some kind of problem and I have to go in."

"What about Emma?" Rose asked.

"I'm dropping her off at Ryan's moms on the way," Chastity said, checking her reflection in the mirror.  She smoothed her shirt down and frowned at her reflection seeing flaws where Rose saw none.

"Want me to drop her off?" Rose offered.  “You seem like you’re in a rush.”

"You wouldn't mind?" Chastity asked.

Rose shook her head.  "Nope, not at all. I could even keep her with me while I'll shop if you like."

"Oh that would be nice," Chastity said.  "Ryan's mom watches Emma a lot and I hate to make her change her plans if she doesn’t have to.  Are you sure though?  Shopping with a baby can be an experience."

"Absolutely," Rose said firmly, sticking her hand out for the baby monitor Chastity was holding onto.  Chastity handed it over to her with a smile. "It’ll be fun.  Just put the car seat in the car for me and leave me an address."

“Let me run and do that now.  Keys?” Chastity asked and Rose motioned to her purse.  Chastity hustled over and grabbed them and was gone and back in less than five minutes.

“God it’s warm out, feels more like June than September,” Chastity said, wiping her brow as she came back in.  “I'll call Beverly to let her know you'll drop Emma off after lunch, say around three?"  Rose nodded agreeably. "I'll try and get back to meet you for lunch downtown otherwise we'll just meet back here."

"Sounds good.  Oh and the address for the lingerie shop?"

"I've got their business card out and I'll call to tell them to expect you.  Now Emma's already eaten breakfast and is down for her morning nap. She should be waking up pretty soon.  There's food in the fridge, eat anything you want.  Her diaper bag is good to go and I put her stroller in your car too and well you know where all her clothes are.  I'll text you Bev's number in case you need anything and her address so you know where to take Emma," Chastity said and Rose nodded.  She'd met Ryan's mom when Emma was born.  She'd seemed nice and friendly.  "And you have Ryan's number.  He's at work but he's always got his cell with him so you can always call him and I'll let him know you have Emma.  I’ll have my phone with me too if you have any questions."

"We'll be fine, Chas," Rose said confidently.

“Send me pictures of your choices in lingerie.  I can help via text.” Chastity leaned down and hugged her.  "Thanks so much, Rose."

"Anytime, you know you are currently giving me shelter while I’m on the run.”

Chastity paused in the doorway.  “That sounds so dramatic when you put it like that.”

Rose waved her hand.  “I come from a long line of dramatic women.  Now go deal with the issue hot shot business lady.  Oh or should I call you Mistress?  I mean you are wearing leather and looking the part." She grinned as Chastity rolled her eyes.

"Brat," Chastity said affectionately.  "Be good, Rose or I'll warn Dean just what he's gotten himself into."  Rose just kept grinning and Chastity walked out then called over her shoulder "And for the record I prefer Ma’am."

She left the house with Rose laughing.

* * *

Rose got out of bed after Chastity left, slipping on a short black skirt and a lacy pink tank top remembering what Chastity had said about it being hot out.  Pink socks and a pair of pink floral sneakers were added and she grabbed a sweater to take with her just in case it cooled down, then she pulled her hair back into a braid, adding some small pink flower clips.  Ready for the day she headed to the kitchen, baby monitor and phone in hand and made some toast.  Chastity had left a spare house key next to the business card for the lingerie shop and it wasn’t too far from the shop she needed to go to get Lily’s shoes.  “Adore Me” was written in an elegant black font on a dark red background and in smaller letters beneath it said “For the woman who knows she’s worthy of worship and the man who agrees.”  Rose choked on her toast and had to take a quick sip of juice.  “Where exactly are you sending me, Chastity?” she muttered.  A noise from the baby monitor distracted her and she quickly swallowed the last bite of her toast and hurried to Emma’s room.

“Hey beautiful,” she said softly looking over the rail of the crib and finding Emma laying there happily playing with her toes.  “We’re going to have a fun shopping day today, beautiful, just you and me out on the town.”  Emma laughed and Rose smiled at her, picking her up in her arms.  “Let’s get you dressed in something in pink.  We can match.”  Rose kept up a steady stream of chatter while she got Emma’s diaper changed and dressed her in a cute pink dress with a matching headband both adorned with a flower.  Emma babbled right back at her, occasionally adding in sounds that could be taken for distinguishable words and Rose smiled anytime anything close to her name was heard.  “All right cutie pie, we’re ready to go here I think.”  She carried the baby out into the house, diaper bag on her shoulder and grabbed her purse and sweater and put the business card into her purse.  Then she smiled at Emma.

“Come on cutie, let’s hit the road.”

* * *

After wrestling with the car seat straps Rose finally got Emma in the car and they were on their way.  She found the lingerie shop easily and parked in a spot right in front.  Her phone buzzed just as she pulled up.  She glanced at Emma in the backseat, happily watching out the window and Rose picked her phone up.  It was Chastity giving her advice already.

_Now don’t go for anything too classy.  I mean class is fine normally but this is supposed to be a gift for Dean, don’t forget that. Guys don’t look for class when it comes to lingerie.  They want skin._

_Then why am I buying lingerie in the first place?_

_Packaging, Rose, packaging._

Rose rolled her eyes and responded.

_So what is this, operation Tart Up Rose?_

_That has a nice ring to it, but no.  I’m just reminding you that you don’t always have to be a saint._

Rose glanced back at Emma again.  “Your mom is crazy, Emma.  I hate to break this to you but I had to come to that realization about my mom at an early age so the earlier you get used to it the better.”  Emma just waved her hands excitedly and Rose turned back to her phone.

_We’re here and I’ll send you pictures for your opinion._

Rose got a thumbs up in response and stopped and looked up at the store front.  It looked nice, a tasteful display of lingerie in the window, nothing tacky.  Rose couldn’t decide if she was relieved or disappointed Chastity wasn’t here.  Chastity could be pushy and bossy but she would have served as a buffer too.  The whole idea of a lingerie store brought out the shy twelve year old in Rose.  She loved sex, especially with Dean and pretty clothes of any sort were always a good thing but these shops with people poking and prodding at you made Rose uncomfortable.  Rose knew she was pretty, she'd been told it enough to believe it and she wasn't blind.  But growing up with a sister who looked like Lily, who was unarguably beautiful, who got stares everywhere they went and was thin without even trying was enough to make anyone aware of their flaws.  Rose could still vividly remember going through puberty and it becoming very evident that she and Lily were going to have very different figures.  While Lily got told she was sexy and stunning, Rose got called pretty and sweet. Rose liked who she was, she liked how she looked for the most part but she had insecurities like everyone and stores like this with people staring at her brought those to the fore front.  Rose took a deep breath and reminded herself why she was here, that like Chastity had said this was a gift for Dean.  She could do this.  Rose straightened her shoulders and got out of the car, pulling out Emma’s stroller and popping her in it and finally entering the shop.

She was immediately greeted by a woman not all that much older than herself, smiling warmly at her.  “You must be Rose.”

Rose was startled.  She knew Chastity had called ahead but she hadn’t expected them to recognize her on sight.  The sales woman must have realized this and added, “She said to look for a redhead with a redheaded baby.  I figured you were a safe bet.”

The next hour was a whirlwind of fabrics –silk, satin, lace- and opinions.  The texts with Chastity flew back and forth swiftly while one of the sales girls entertained Emma.

_What the hell is with you and white?  This isn’t a wedding, Rose._

_I like white.  And it has lace._

_No…keep looking.  And no more white._

_But it’s sheer, that’s kind of tarty right?_

_Not nearly enough._

In the end Rose wound up spending a ridiculous amount of money on a red satin slip with matching satin panties (Her choice), a pink and black sheer babydoll nightgown with the tiniest pair of panties she’d ever seen that laced on the side (The one she actually figured Dean would love) and a corset and g-string in white with matching stockings that was way out of Rose’s comfort zone (Chastity’s choice even if it was white.  Rose had refused the red and black version saying it looked tacky and Chastity had given in, saying it was sexy enough that it outweighed the color.)

_If he doesn’t forgive you after he sees you in that I’ll date you.  OK I’m almost there.  Thank God for voice to text and a lot of stop lights.  See you guys later.  Take care of my baby._

Rose somehow wound up also getting a set of black satin sleep shorts and a matching top.  Dean would like that set she reasoned with herself.  He always said he liked her legs and they looked good in these.  And Chastity had said she really should get a pair of heels to wear with the corset.  _"If you do it right you don't even have to walk, Rose.  Just sit there and show your legs off.  And they'll look awesome; make your legs look even longer than they are."_   And that had sealed the deal. The shop sold heels that worked perfectly so Rose added those to her pile of purchases.  And then another bra and panty set somehow made its way onto the pile too.  This is why she didn’t shop for clothes more often.  She always got carried away and was a sales clerks dream.  This had to go on a credit card, there was no way she had enough cash for this.  Good thing she was going home tomorrow.  That thought stopped her for a minute.  She was going home, was going to see Dean in less than twenty four hours.  That brought a smile to her face and a warm feeling throughout her entire body.

“He’s a lucky guy,” Marty, the sales girl who had greeted her said as she helped Rose out to the car with her bags.  Shopping with a baby made it hard to carry her bags Rose was quickly learning.  Rose saw Marty casually checking her hand for a wedding ring.  Seeing none she settled on “Your boyfriend, I mean.”

Rose smiled at her gratefully and thanked her for her help then was off to the next stop on her list: The boutique for Lily’s shoes.

Before going straight to the boutique though Rose took Emma for a stroll down the street and there was Rose's favorite kind of store: a book shop.

"We'll just pop in for a minute," Rose promised Emma, who just looked back at her, enjoying her ride in the stroller.

They left an hour later with several baby books and a stuffed puppy that Emma had squealed with delight over.  Rose had also thought of another gift for Dean - A box set of The Hunger Games books and DVDs.  She figured they could watch the movies together after he read the books.  She was willing to bet he'd enjoy them.  She did crack at the last and slipped in a new book for herself but all things considered she didn't think that was so bad.

Rose stopped in the boutique and got the shoes for Lily, making yet another sales girls day.  It was easily the most she had ever spent on a single pair of shoes.  There had been no word from Chastity so they headed to lunch at a local cafe they had passed the other day that Ryan had mentioned was good.  Emma ate a jar of peaches and some cheerios then fell asleep in her stroller, her new puppy clutched in her arms.  Rose pulled out her new book and ate a quite lunch, enjoying the sun and the pleasant day.

* * *

Sam's phone buzzed and he looked up from the book he was reading to check it.

_One down, Six to go.  Having fun?_

Sam grinned at Lily’s text and replied quickly.

_I couldn’t think of a better way to wake up._

Dean glanced up at him and gave him a smirk.  Sam swore Dean was some kind of psychic.  He seemed to always know when Lily was texting him about anything even remotely sexy.  What Sam didn’t realize was that he blushed a lot easier than he thought he did and his older brother knew that.  After all these years Dean could read his brother like a book.

Sam went back to reading before Dean could say anything and Dean surprised him by letting it go, something he rarely did.  After a few minutes had passed Sam looked back up and glanced at his brother out of the corner of his eye.  They were the only ones in the library doing the research that got pushed aside yesterday when the demon appeared at the hospital.  Bobby had opted to stay at the hospital today and Lily had left just a little bit ago to visit.  Dean had been fairly quiet today and Sam figured he had to be even more anxious to see Rose after yesterday.

“So Cas is ready to go in the morning?” he asked.

Dean looked up and nodded.  “Yep, as soon as Rose calls we’re there.”

"How'd she sound?" Sam asked, curious as to how Rose was holding up. This couldn't be easy on her and she wasn't used to dealing with a lot on her own.   That thought made Sam pause.  Something about that rang a bell with him but he couldn’t think why.

Dean thought about Sam’s question a minute before answering.  "OK considering what's happened.  Probably better than most people would expect but you know Rose." Sam nodded.  Rose was a lot more capable than most people gave her credit for.  "She was still really worried about putting us all in danger.  The idea of me getting hurt sounded catastrophic to her."

Sam chuckled softly and Dean looked at him.  "Something funny?"

"She's still your very own personal defender,” Sam said with a grin.  “Don't you remember how she was when we were growing up?"

Dean grinned slowly.  "God, I hadn't thought about that in ages."  He leaned back in his chair and chuckled.  "Remember Mikey Brickman?  The loud blond kid that lived on Rose's street?"

"Oh the bully," Sam said, realization dawning.  "I was what, five when that happened?"

"When what happened?  What are you guys laughing about?" Charlie asked, shuffling into the room and taking a seat at the table.  The yellow blanket was still wrapped around her shoulders, her nose was red and her eyes were puffy but she looked more with it than she had the last time the boys had seen her.

"Oh stories about us as kids," Sam said.  "How are you feeling, Charlie?"

"Like somebody killed me, buried me and then dug me back up."  She looked at the boys suspiciously.  "You guys didn't do that right?  'Cause with you two I don't rule anything out."

"Funny," Dean said, giving her a smirk while Sam laughed.  "You want some soup? Tea? Cold medicine?"

Charlie winced.  “No more medicine please.  Lily had dosed me up with so much of it I’m pretty sure I was floating on my ceiling last night.  Tea would be nice though," Charlie said and Dean headed to the kitchen.  As soon as he was gone Charlie turned to Sam.

"She's still calling in the morning? Nothing's changed?"

Sam nodded. "Yep, the plans the same."

Charlie breathed a sigh of relief.  She wanted Rose back if for no other reason than that she couldn't take seeing Dean so on edge.

Charlie nodded then smiled shyly at Sam.  "I want to hear the kid story that made you laugh."

Sam smiled at Charlie.  "Well since you're sick....." Sam paused, drawing the suspense out.  Then with a grin he gave in.  "When Dean comes back we'll tell you."

"Hey I never agreed to that," Dean said, coming back into the library with a large mug of tea.  He placed it in front of Charlie and dropped a kiss on the top of her head before sitting in his chair.  "But since you're sick..."  He grinned and Charlie smiled at him gratefully.  She had the best adopted brothers in the world. "Set the story up, Sammy."

"Right, so when we were kids Rose was Dean's self appointed guardian.  Think of the most over protective mother hen you can picture.  That's what we're talking here.  If Dean stubbed his toe Rose was there with a band aid.  If one of the adults scolded him Rose would defend him.  Aw, wait visual aid needed."  Dean and Charlie stared at him in confusion while Sam dug his wallet out of his pocket and then withdrew an old, worn picture.  "I did promise you pictures," he said to Charlie, sliding the picture across the table to her.

"Yes, you did," Charlie murmured, picking up the picture.  "This will at least partially pay that debt."

"This was in that time frame, right Dean?" Sam asked and Dean looked over Charlie's shoulder.

"That looks about right," he said.

The picture had been taken at Christmas with all five kids sitting in front of a large, brightly decorated Christmas tree.  (That had been one of the deals Erin had gotten John to agree to – The boys came to their house for Christmas and birthdays.  She and Brendan both tried to get John to stay too though that didn’t always happen.) Daisy was a curly headed toddler holding a stuffed monkey, staring in wonder at all that was going on around her.  Next to her was Sam smiling hugely, all messy hair and dimples, clutching a toy dinosaur.  Lily was showing off a new pair of roller skates, her already long legs stretched out in front of her, a happy smile on her face.  And Dean and Rose were predictably seated right up against each other, both grinning and showing off their new light sabers.

"God, we wreaked havoc with those things," Dean said happily.

"You guys were adorable," Charlie said.

"Some things don't change," Dean said and Charlie swatted him playfully.

"So see how sweet and delicate Rose looks?" Sam asked and Charlie nodded.  "So imagine that sweet little girl throwing herself in harm’s way for that little hooligan."  He nodded his head towards Dean.

"Hey!" Dean said.  "I wasn't a hooligan.  And I was trying to be a hero."

"OK guys, tell the story," Charlie said cutting off the bickering before it could start.

Dean cleared his throat and took over.  "So there was this kid that lived on the girls’ street.  Mikey Brickman.  Total bully, loved to push the littler kids around.  So one day I'm out riding my bike and I come across him picking on this little kid so I got in the middle of it."  Charlie smiled at the easy way he said it, like it was the only possible option.  Some things really didn't change.  "He let the little kid go and turns on me instead.  And this kid was big, really big.  He was only like a year or two older than me but he was easily as big as some high schoolers.  I don't know what his parents were feeding him but this kid was the size of a linebacker."

"Ya but you know, Winchester DNA," Sam threw in.  "He couldn't back down." Charlie laughed at the truth of that statement and Dean just grinned, not denying it.

"So he has a hold of the front of my shirt and I'm figuring I can get in some good punches but I'm resigned to the fact this guy is gonna murder me."  Dean leaned forward, his eyes dancing, really getting into the story now.  "He's just pulling his fist back to punch me and out of nowhere there comes this shriek.  I mean, we're talking a blood curdling scream like someone is being murdered and the next thing I know 'ol Mikey is on the ground."  Dean was laughing and Sam stepped in.

"It was Rose," he explained to Charlie.  "We'd been playing out by the side of the house and she'd seen what was going on and ran like a bullet full speed into Mikey, knocking him flat on his butt.  Then she started yelling at him, telling him off like she wasn't half his size-"

"More like a quarter," Dean cut in.  "Then the idiot made the worst mistake of his life."

"He touched Rose," Sam explained.  "He got back up and he pushed her."

"Holy shit," Charlie said, completely transfixed.  "What happened?"

"I uh, kinda went nuts," Dean admitted with a rueful grin.  "I jumped on him and just started punching.  I got some good licks in too but he was getting his footing back and I knew he was gonna start really pounding me any second.  He’d already punched me a few times, my nose was bleeding and I was expecting imminent death."  Dean paused dramatically then said, "And then a real giant showed up".

"Rose's dad," Sam explained.  "He’d seen Mikey push Rose and started over to intervene and saw Dean jump him.  He came over and lifted Mikey up with one hand and that kid turned white as a sheet.”

“I take it he was a big guy?” Charlie asked.

“Big enough to make Sasquatch here look small,” Dean said, waving at Sam who just rolled his eyes.  “Super nice guy but if he lost his temper, which he didn’t do easily, then watch out.  And this stupid kid had knocked his daughter down.  Bad move.”  Dean shook his head. 

"Not just any daughter but his favorite," Sam added.

"I thought parents weren't supposed to have favorites," Charlie said.

"That's what they all say," Sam said.  "But they do.  Ask any of the girls, they'll tell you.  Rose was her dad's favorite."

Dean picked the story back up then.  "So Rose's dad gives this kid a shake, tells him not to move, turns and picks Rosie up off the ground, checks that I’m OK and then tells this kid to lead the way, we’re going to talk to his parents.”

“Long story short, Mikey was no longer the bully of the street after that,” Sam said.  “And it was yet another case of Rose defending Dean, jumping in between him and the big bully.”  Sam laughed.  “If I remember right you actually tried to be mad at her for that.  Tried, being the operative word,” he said with a grin at Charlie.

“Well come on man,” Dean said, looking sheepish.  “I was trying to be tough and here comes this tiny little girl jumping in front of me and knocking the guy down.  That didn’t help my ego much.”

Sam held up a finger.  “One tear,” he said, looking at Charlie. “Rose let just one tear slide down her cheek and that’s all it took.  Dean hugged her and forgave her.” Sam shook his head with a grin.  “You never could stay mad at Rose.”  Charlie noticed Dean wasn’t refuting Sam’s words.  “Plus Rose waited on you hand and foot after because you’d gotten punched.  All in all that worked out pretty well for you.”  Sam paused and then added “And if I remember right her dad did a good job of building your ego back up anyway.”

“Ya, he was pretty proud of me for jumping in there even though Mikey was bigger than me,” Dean said and it was evident to Charlie from the look on his face how much that meant to him.

Dean would never forget how proud Rose’s dad had been of him that day.  He’d patted him on the back and called him strong and brave, words Dean had rarely if ever heard from his own father.  He’d made a point of telling him that it wasn’t just for defending Rose that he was proud of him but for sticking up for the younger boy Mikey had been picking on to begin with.  “It’s not always easy to do the right thing, Dean.  You might go into a fight knowing you’re outmanned, knowing you’ll most likely lose.  But if you’re fighting for the right reason, to defend someone weaker than you or to stand up for someone you love, then the risk is worth it.  You did really good today, Dean, really good.”  And he’d smiled at him and said, “Plus you defended Rose.  That’s what we do, Son.  We take care of each other.”

“Some things never change, huh Dean?” Sam asked with a grin, drawing Dean out of his thoughts.

“What was that?” Dean asked.

“I said some things never change,” Sam repeated.  “Rose still can’t help but want to protect you now.”

“Ya, well she’s as stubborn now as she was then.”  Dean took a sip of his coffee.  “Maybe even more so.”

The last few words Rose’s dad had said to him that day played through Dean’s mind then.  Brendan Sullivan had obviously known it rankled with Dean to be defended by a little girl.  He knew as well that trying to explain why Rose did it wouldn’t mean much to a nine year old.  So instead he simply smiled and said, “Just remember there’s no shame in being defended by a woman, Dean.  Someday you’ll understand why Rose does that and you’ll know how lucky you are.  You'll also understand that we are by no means the stronger sex.”  Then with one more pat on the back he’d smiled at him and walked away.

At the time his words hadn’t made sense to Dean but now, all these years later he understood all too well what he meant.

* * *

Rose had dropped Emma off at Ryan’s moms’ house and she was just as sweet and friendly as Rose remembered her.  Rose gave Emma extra hugs and kisses since she wouldn’t be seeing her again before she left.  She was glad she’d had this day with her.  It had felt a little like playing house, strolling through shops with Emma and realizing people most likely thought she was her mom.  She definitely needed to come back to visit more often.  That was one plus of her family knowing about Chastity, visiting should be much easier.

Rose pulled up at Chastity’s house and didn’t see her car in the drive.  Traffic had been pretty heavy coming back so most likely Chastity was stuck in that.  Rose got out and lugged all her bags into the house.  How on earth did she buy so much?  She stopped in the entry way, an odd smell tickling her nose.  It smelt strange but somehow familiar though Rose couldn’t place it.  She walked through the main part of the house and couldn’t tell where the smell was coming from though by the time she got to the kitchen the smell has lessened.  Chastity had mentioned a housecleaner came in a few times a week so maybe it was just a cleaner of some sort.  Shrugging it off Rose headed for her room.  She was able to get all her presents packed away neatly in her bags.  She’d left out a dress for tonight and clothes for tomorrow and a few toiletries but everything else was packed up.  This was it; she was really going home tomorrow.  Rose felt a shiver of excitement go through her at the thought.  As much fun as she was having with Chastity she was ready to be home.  Angry with her or not she was desperate to be with Dean again.

Rose glanced at the clock and seeing it was just after four she decided she had time for a quick shower.  She shrugged out of her clothes and headed for the bathroom, washing off quickly.  She blow dried her hair knowing it would never dry in time otherwise and threw on a pair of shorts and a tank top she planned to sleep in that night.  It really did feel like summer at the moment.  She was hoping Chas was home as she wanted to make sure the dress she had laid out was appropriate for tonight.  Ryan was supposed to be here by six so she had time but if she had to pick something else out it was pushing it.  Oh and she needed to make sure she had some wine in her system.  She’d downed a mimosa at lunch but only one as she was driving and was with Emma.  She had been fine all day but could feel the pressure building.  She wanted tonight to be enjoyable, didn’t want to have to worry about flying plates.

She padded barefoot out into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine.  She’d just finished it when she turned to see Chastity walking into the kitchen.  Her head swam for a minute as she turned and she wondered if she’d drank the glass too quickly.

“Chas!” she said, “Thank God you’re home.  I need you to look at my dress, see if it’s right for tonight.”

Chastity looked at her for a second, an odd smile flitting across her face.  Then she nodded and said, “Sure, lead the way.”

Rose turned to head back to her room and was just opening her mouth to tell her how well Emma had done today when something heavy hit her across the back of her head, pain exploded throughout her skull and blackness swallowed her whole.

* * *

Horrible pain.

That’s the first thing Rose was aware of when she came to, pain radiating all through her head like a million knives stabbing her at once.  She tried to lift her hand to her head but found she couldn’t move it.  With a moan she opened her eyes, the light hurting them and making the pain in her head even worse.

She blinked and a face appeared directly in front of hers.

Chastity.

Or not.

A wide grin spread across Chastity’s face before she spoke.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Rose.  My name’s Aine.”


	24. I've Never Been Anywhere Cold As You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just giving a warning that there is some violence and torture in this chapter and next. It's not gratuitous but it's there.  
> It's a short chapter but it made sense to end it where I did.

Rose had known about demons longer than most people.  She'd known not only her dad but her sister fought and killed them when she was a teenager, not to mention Sam and Dean and countless other friends of her family.  But knowing and seeing them were two very different things.  Despite the fact that she'd known demons possessed humans and looked like whoever they took over a small part of her brain still pictured a cartoon version of an ugly, scaly devil when she thought of a demon.  In the past month she'd been confronted by more than her fair share of demons in human disguise, even once as a hunter they knew.

But this, she thought taking in the figure standing in front of her looking oh so pleased to see her, this was something else entirely.  This was Chastity, someone she loved and trusted, someone who knew her secrets.  But the being staring out from behind those eyes was a stranger.

Aine - whoever she was - had her head cocked to the side studying her.  "Really Rose, I thought you'd have better manners.  I'm assuming you've been anxious to meet me too.  I mean, obviously you haven't been waiting as long as I have but still, this is a pretty big moment for you too."

Rose just stared at her.  Aine obviously thought she should know who she was.  Rose felt like she'd walked on stage halfway through a play and was expected to know her lines, having never seen the script.  Add in the fact that her co-star was a demon and things weren't looking so good.

Aine was walking around the room they were in, studying it, taking in the details, dragging her fingers lightly over everything she came across and murmuring to herself as she did.  There was a small breakfast nook at the back of the house that Chastity had said she'd rarely used and that's where Rose had found herself upon coming to. The small kitchen table that was there had been pushed back against the wall and all but one chair had been pushed out of the way as well.  It was the lone chair in the center of the room that Rose was seated on, her wrists and ankles duct taped to the chair legs.  She tugged at them but there was no real give.  With nothing sharp to help her she had no way of getting loose.  Rose dug down deep, trying to grasp her powers and pull them up so she could get free or fight back.

“That won’t work,” Aine said her back still to her and Rose assumed she meant trying to get loose from the tape.  "So?" she asked, spinning around to look at Rose expectantly." Come on, I'm sure you have questions for me."

"I don't know who you are," Rose admitted, her voice sounding shaky.

Aine was very obviously surprised by this.  "Seriously?  You don't- how's that possible?" She scratched her head in confusion, her fingers tangling in the clip Chastity had pulled it back in this morning.  Aine grabbed it impatiently and flung it across the room.  “I mean you're obviously the one...so why don't you-" she stopped and looked at Rose suspiciously.  "Is this some kind of trick?"

Rose shook her head.  Aine continued to stare at her warily then finally a smile started to grow on her face.  "So you're telling me you really don't know anything?  About me, my sisters…nothing?"

Rose shook her head, suddenly wishing she'd hung around long enough to hear what Charlie had found out.  She could really use some information right about now.

Aine was overjoyed at this news.  She clapped her hands and hopped up on the table, her smile big and her eyes bright.  "Oh I never get to tell anyone the story!  Ever.  Either they've already heard it or one of my evil bitch sisters gets to tell it."  Aine rolled her eyes dramatically and for just a second Rose was reminded of Daisy.  "It's one of the worst parts of being the youngest," Aine continued, leaning forward conspiratorially, as if she and Rose were close friends confiding in each other.  "I'm never there first; I never get the big moments to myself.  I'm always second, or third.”  She mused on that a second then decided, “Usually third.  But this time I’m here first and this is just the best day ever."  She gave Rose an appraising look. “I might just like you a little bit more than I thought I would, dumb Rose.”

Aine was unlike any of the other demons Rose had encountered and she was beginning to wonder if she might just be a little bit crazy.  A crazy demon seemed like an even worse thing than a sane one, in Rose’s limited experience.  She tried again to bring her powers up.  She could feel them there, but like a sleeping dragon they refused to move.  Rose inwardly gave a frustrated groan.  All the times she didn’t want her powers they wouldn't go away and the one time she needed them, could really use them they wouldn’t work.  Typical.

Aine took a deep breath and began, telling her story in a happy, sing song voice.  "Once upon a time in the far of land of Ireland there were three sisters.  One was loud and bossy, wanting everything her own way all the time.  It was her way or the highway.  She was nothing more than a loud bully.  The second sister was spoiled and selfish with horrible hair just like yours,” she said, waving a hand at Rose's hair. “She always got lots of attention and never thought that maybe someone else would like to be the favorite once in awhile.”  Aine gave a big dramatic sigh. "And the third was a beautiful, sweet, charming lass who was neglected and wanted nothing more than to be loved.  But of course her evil sisters didn't love her."  She shook her head sorrowfully.  "Not at all.  They were jealous of her beauty and her talents and were horribly mean and cruel to her.”

What followed was a very one sided telling of the basic history of Aine and her sisters, in which Aine was the victim of her sisters cruelty, thus justifying all her actions, including sleeping with their husbands and killing a lot of people along the way.  Rose learned that they were witches, then demons and she learned a few other things that even Sam and Dean didn’t know.

“So you see, Rose,” Aine finished up, “I’ve been waiting to meet you for a very long time.”

Rose looked at her in confusion.  In that whole long, rambling tale she didn’t see where she fit in.  Had she missed something?  "Why me?  What do I have to do with any of that?” She made another mental grab for her powers, willing them to come up and knock Aine out.

Aine rolled her eyes.  “I never realized it would be so annoying to have to answer all these stupid questions.  We’ll get back to that later.” She jumped off of the table and walked towards Rose and for the first time Rose noticed something in her hand, something small and yellow.  “And I told you before your powers aren’t going to work.” She cocked her head to the side again thoughtfully.  “I’m not sure if they would anyway, ya know since we’re so connected,” she gave a scary impression of a little girl’s giggle that sent a chill up Rose's spine.  “But either way I took care of it before you woke up.”  She held up a syringe full of a yellow liquid.  “This will keep those nasty powers out of the way for quite some time.”  She plunged the needle into Rose’s arm without warning and Rose let out a soft cry.  “Oh don’t be such a baby.  This is nothing.” Aine slapped Rose’s arm in a toughen-up gesture.  “I only gave you a small dose before.”  She grinned at Rose, her eyes staring at her face intently.  “I wanted to give you the full dose when you were awake.  It’s always so much fun to see someone who’s trapped and afraid suddenly realize there’s nothing they can do about it.”  She stroked a hand down Rose’s face, dragging her nails down as she went and Rose flinched back from her.  “You’re special, Rose, just like me.  Just like my disgusting sisters.  But see our destinies, yours and mine are connected and that doesn’t mean good things for you.” She withdrew the needle and threw it across the room and walked back to the table, a happy bounce in her step.  Rose felt the potion kick in, a broad heavy blanket smothering her powers so Rose couldn't even feel them anymore.

Rose felt the panic welling up now full force.  She’d been scared before but she had figured that she would be able to use her powers to get out of this.  She had looked for the necklace she’d given Chastity on her neck as soon as she’d realized she was possessed and was reassured knowing she’d be all right.  That had been her first concern since she was the reason Chastity was in danger in the first place.  But now she was realizing how bad this really was and that she had no way out.  This crazy demon could really kill her.

Aine hopped back up on the table and swung her legs while she studied Rose.  “So let’s chat, get to know each other better.  You have sisters, are they are evil as mine?”

Rose licked her suddenly dry lips.  “No they’re nice.”

Aine laughed.  “Sure they are.  That’s why you’re not with them, right?”  She was still for a second then smiled.  “Aw, so your sisters were hurt because of you.  Of course my sisters sent demons after you and damaged yours in the process.  They do that, they ruin things.” She looked at Rose expectantly a jubilant smile on her face.  “Was it wonderful watching your sisters bleed?”

Rose looked at her in horror.  “No, it was one of the worst moments of my life.”  She shook her head.  “I get you have some horrible relationship with your sisters but I love mine.”

Aine’s expression turned to one of pure disgust.  “Ugh, you do don’t you?  Especially the pushy one.”  It dawned on Rose that Aine was sifting through Chastity’s memories; anything she knew from Rose was up for grabs for Aine to see.  She was suddenly very glad that she’d never told Chastity where she’d been staying with Dean.  Aine was looking at her with an irritated expression.  "I was kind of hoping all that prophecy about you being so good and true was just I don't know...propaganda or something," she said with a wave of her hand.

"There's a prophecy saying I'm good and true?" Rose asked, curious despite the situation.

"Oh ya...." **And the one who holds the key will be of a good and true heart.  But even the purest heart can be lead astray by the darkness** ," Aine recited then shrugged.  "Sounds boring to me but I did like the part about the darkness."

"It makes me sound like a Disney princess," Rose muttered.

“You’re not all goodness though are you?  I mean this one for instance.”  Aine waved a hand over Chastity.  “She surprised me.  Your friendship surprised me,” Aine clarified.  “In my day good girls didn’t drink and they didn’t sleep with anyone other than the boring man they married.  I always hated those girls but their lives were just too pathetic to bother ruining.”  She waved a hand dismissively then looked at Rose appraisingly.  “They most certainly didn’t have friends who ran sex clubs.”

Rose just shrugged and Aine returned to her original topic of Lily.

"See now I get it, why you're such a threat to your older sister," Aine mused.  "Her and that hunter." She spat the last word out like it left a bad taste in her mouth.

"What? Why am I such a threat to them?" Rose asked. 

"Oh they’ll mess things up,” she said simply, causing Rose to furrow her brows in confusion. She glanced at the clock on the wall and it occurred to Rose suddenly that she seemed to be waiting for something.  Catching her glance Aine smiled and hopped down from the table again.

Rose watched her as she walked towards her.  She looked like Chastity, she even sounded like Chastity for the most part (Her accent was a little less soft and relaxed, her words getting cut off a bit shorter than the way Chastity normally spoke.) but she moved entirely differently.  Chastity walked smoothly, she moved sensually no matter what she was doing, whereas this demon moved sharper, edgier with nothing soft or relaxed about her movements.  And her eyes…even when Chastity was in her most professional clothes, which granted could be harsh looking at times, even when she was angry Rose could always find the warmth and softness in her eyes.  She wasn’t sure if everyone could, maybe it was just something Rose could see because she knew the woman behind the professional shell so well.  But now those eyes were cold, with no trace of warmth or compassion anywhere and they sent a chill down Rose’s spine.  They were the coldest things Rose thought she had ever seen.

Aine stopped just in front of her and her smile grew.  “She’s awake in here you know, watching all of this.”  Aine closed her eyes for a second, seeming to savor this moment.  She opened her eyes again slowly.  “She loves you an awful lot.  You know that, right?”

Rose nodded.  “I love her too,” Rose said, her voice strangled with a mixture of fear and emotion.

Aine chuckled softly, the sound like ice breaking.  “I’ll give you this, little clueless Rose.  You screwed up one part of my plan."  She drug her hands down Chastity's body.  "I had planned to kill this one, to damage her body so badly that there was no saving her.”  She fingered the necklace hanging around Chastity’s neck then.  “Imagine how I felt when I saw her wearing this.”  She started circling around Rose.  "I was in one of the bodyguard’s at her club you know, was in him when he called her this morning to say there was an upset customer.”  She shrugged.  “He was useless, stupid, not worth my time or effort so I let him live.  But he made it easy to get close to this one and she’s important, all because she's so very important to you."  Rose flinched as that statement drove home the fact that this was all her fault.  A huge well of guilt bubbled up in her stomach. "I’ll give you this, you did good.”  Aine said and fingered the necklace again, the look on her face a mixture of respect and disgust.  “I can’t take this off, so this one is protected.  A smarter woman would have worn it herself, not put it on her whore friend.”  Aine grinned.  “Oh that upset her…hmm, not the whore comment but the fact you didn’t protect yourself.  Interesting threats your friends throw at you.”  She grabbed Rose by the throat suddenly, her nails digging into the flesh there, cutting through her skin and bringing blood welling up around her fingernails. "I don’t like not getting my way, Rose.  I. Liked. My. Plan.”  She squeezed harder and Rose felt her chest tightening, saw spots start to dance in front of her eyes.  Just when Rose thought for sure she would pass out Aine released her and Rose sucked in a desperate breath, coughing as air refilled her lungs.  She felt a slow trickle of blood dripping down her neck as she worked on catching her breath.

Aine walked away, back to the table where she picked up something from it.  It was a knife, reminding Rose of a scalpel, small and sharp.  As Rose was working on getting her breathing back to normal Aine started talking again.  "While you were out shopping and filling the coffers of the local merchants I was here putting symbols on these walls to protect against angels.  Once I found out you were the one I had been looking for and found out who the hunter you were sleeping with was I knew that was needed.”  She stared at the walls, seeing symbols Rose couldn’t.  “I’ve got ones up to protect against witches too.  I put a lot of effort into getting you.  I wasn’t taking any chances.”  She moved her eyes from the walls back to the knife in her hand.  “You see I believe in being prepared, always having a backup plan.”  Aine turned the knife over in her hand, watching it glint in the light.  She grinned maliciously.  “So since I can’t kill this one I figured I would take out the next best thing, someone whose death would hurt both you and her.”  She glanced at the clock and Rose’s eyes flew to it as realization sank in.

“Ryan,” Rose breathed her voice a plea that she was wrong.

“Ryan,” Aine confirmed dashing Rose's hope with a satisfied smile.

“She isn’t in love with him,” Rose said desperately, trying for any argument to save her friend.

“Oh she might not be in love with him, though let’s be honest, that’s kind of a complicated thing with this one.  But she does love him.  She trusts him and depends on him and you love him too.  Killing him will do all sorts of damage to the both of you.”  Aine rubbed her hands together gleefully.  “And killing him will mean that fat little baby you love so much won’t have a daddy anymore and we both know how much that hurt you when you lost yours, Rose.”

Rose’s eyes sparked dangerously and Aine frowned.  “You’re stronger than I thought you would be,” she muttered and put the knife down before picking up another syringe and marching over determinedly and giving Rose another dose of the yellow potion.  “There now, that should keep that down for awhile.”  Rose felt the heavy blanket on her powers get even heavier, effectively smothering them.

Just then the sound of the front door opening rang in both their ears and their eyes met; Rose’s terrified and Aine’s ecstatic.  Aine reached up and slapped a strip of duct tape across her mouth at the last second.  “Don’t want you ruining the surprise,” Aine hissed excitedly.

“Hey Chas, you girls ready?” Ryan called out and Aine cleared her throat and walked out of the room, calling:

“We’re back here, Ryan.  Come see my surprise.”

Rose closed her eyes, praying for a miracle.  Praying for a way to stop this.  When she heard Ryan’s footsteps coming closer she knew there was nothing she could do.  Tears filled her eyes as an overwhelming feeling of frustration washed over her.  She couldn’t even call out to warn him, not that it would do any good.

“What kind of surprise?” Ryan asked. His voice sounded confused when he asked, "Is that what you're wearing? It's a bit casual, Chas."

Rose watched him come into her view, his forehead wrinkled in confusion.  He saw her then and walked towards her, coming into the room. She watched as confusion spread across his face as he took in the image of her tied to a chair, tape across her mouth.  “Chas, what’s going on?”

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Aine said, following behind him, a big smile stretched across her face.  Rose watched Ryan’s face, taking in his eyes that smiled at Rose so kindly, which twinkled flirtatiously at Chastity, the eyes that laughed and danced when they looked at Emma.  The eyes that would never see his baby daughter grow up.

Without even blinking Aine reached up and grasped Ryan’s head in her hands.  Before he even had a chance to fight back Aine broke his neck in one smooth movement and then dropped his body to the ground.  At that instant the tears Rose had held back spilled over, coursing down her cheeks.

Aine brushed her hands off and stepped over Ryan's lifeless body.  “Well, not my first choice but definitely not a bad back up.”  She walked back to the table and picked up the knife she’d laid aside earlier.

“Now, let’s get back to you and me,” Aine said, an insanely happy glow in her eyes as she turned to look at Rose, who could do nothing but stare back at her in  pain and shock.


	25. All the News is Bad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, violence and torture ahead people.

As Rose sat tied to the chair with tears streaming down her face, Ryan’s body still lying near the door, she could see Aine watching her, twirling the knife in her hand.  She got up suddenly, came over and ripped the tape off of Rose’s mouth.  “Here you idiot, you’re going to suffocate before I can even kill you.”

The skin on Rose’s face burned where Aine had ripped the tape off and she sucked in air now that she could breathe better.  “You didn’t have to kill him,” she rasped out finally.

“Of course I didn’t,” Aine agreed.  “But I wanted to. I got all these wonderful tears from you and she’s just freaking out inside here,” she said, motioning to her head.  She circled Rose again, drawing the knife lightly over her bare shoulders as she moved.  “I thought she’d be easier to manage,” she admitted, coming around to stand in front of Rose.  She crouched down in front of Rose, dragging the knife up her legs, not deep enough to cut her but hard enough to scratch.  “I can usually charm people into doing most anything I want.”  She smiled, dragging the knife around one of Rose’s knees, digging the tip in just enough to make Rose wince.  “I had changed into such a pretty customer too by the time she got to the club.  All curvy and soft with long blond hair.  Maybe I should have gone for someone less curvy," she said with a frown.  "And obviously she has a thing for redheads but I just couldn’t.”  She shivered in distaste and moved the knife to the other knee, leaving a small trail of blood in her wake.  “I tried to talk her into letting me in.  I mean, I don’t have to, I can take over either way but it makes it much more pleasant, a little smoother and it’s a bit of a point of pride for me.  Hardly anyone says no to me.”  Aine dug the knife in hard suddenly and Rose screamed as the knife dug into her flesh.  “She said no,” Aine said, twisting the knife and Rose felt a wave of nausea hit her at the pain went through her.  “She didn't want to hurt you." Aine gave a laugh at that, pulled the knife out and stabbed Rose's other knee viciously, the pain shooting through Rose so sharp her vision blurred. "Who does she think she is, saying no to me?  So I decided she could just stay awake in here and watch it all.  Watch me kill her boyfriend, watch me hurt you and eventually…” Aine trailed off with a cruel smile and stood to her feet, pulling the knife out and getting another scream from Rose.  “I may not be able to kill her but I can certainly make her wish she was dead.”

Rose tried to breathe through the pain as Aine stalked back to the table.  She took a seat there again and studied Rose.  “See here’s the deal.  There’s a prophecy that says you’re either destined to kill me or bring about my death somehow.  And while looking at you all weak and pitiful it’s hard to imagine you being any kind of threat, well I don’t take chances with prophecies.” She studied Rose then added, “That and you’re stronger than you look.  As soon as my potion wears off your powers flare up like a flame.  And even when you’re dosed up you’ve got a hazy glow about you.  So you can see why I can’t take a chance.”

And there it was in black and white, Rose thought.  This demon was going to kill her.  She felt her heart freeze in her chest and then start to beat so hard and so fast that she thought it might explode from her chest.  Her knees were on fire, throbbing with pain as twin trails of blood dripped down her legs and she had the crazy thought that she hoped she didn’t mess up Chastity’s floors.  When Rose didn’t say anything in response Aine went on.

“I would have thought since your boyfriend is a hunter that you would be a bit better at getting out of this.”  She motioned to the tape on Rose’s wrists and ankles.  “In my experience they’re annoyingly good at getting out of situations like this.  But here you sit, all helpless and weak without your powers.”  She gave Rose a taunting look.  “You sure he isn’t just fucking you?  It seems to me he doesn’t care about you enough to teach you the tips that might help you.”  Rose just stared at her blankly, not rising to the bait.  If anyone was to blame for her not being prepared it was her and she knew it.  “You know you could tell me where they are…the Winchesters I mean.  They aren’t at the top of my hit list but there are a lot of demons who would love to know and it’s always nice to have someone owe you a favor.  I could make things go a lot easier for you.”  Rose just glared at her not even bothering to reply and Aine pursed her lips angrily.  “I didn’t think so but I figured it was worth a try.”

Aine stared at her bleeding knees for a minute then said, “The bond you have with your older sister and the feelings you have for that hunter,” she wrinkled her nose in distaste then continued. “They’ll both get in the way of the plans my sisters have for you.  They have the potential to screw things up pretty badly.  That makes them top of the Most Wanted list in my sisters’ books.”  She looked at Rose, a cunning look on her face.  “So really, if you cared about them as much as you claim to do you’d be grateful I want to take you out of the equation.  Hell, you should be begging me to kill you.”  Aine stood up and walked around the room, stopping near the windows.  “I know my sisters.  Once they figure out that they’re the two that can throw their plans off course they won’t stop coming after them until they're dead.  So unless you have some way to stop them from loving you, caring about you, whatever, the smart thing, the good thing-” Aine put her hand over her heart sincerely, as if proving she was thinking of Rose, “-would be to be grateful I’m going to have to kill you.”

Rose looked at her curiously.  She actually wanted Rose to be grateful?  Rose’s temper flared at the thought.  Oh she really was crazy.

“So you killed one of my friends and possessed the other.  You cut me, choked me, you plan on killing me and you want me to be grateful?”  Rose shook her head.  “Ya, I don’t see that happening.”

Aine gave her an evil smile.  “Well let’s see what I can do to change your mind.  I’m very talented with this knife.”  She walked toward Rose, twirling the knife in her hands.  With a smug grin she drove the knife into Rose’s shoulder, her smile growing as Rose screamed. She leaned down close to Rose’s ear and whispered “I’m pretty confident I can have you begging for death sooner rather than later.”

* * *

Hours passed.

Hours that felt like a lifetime.

Rose cursed her stubbornness, wishing she could beg Aine to kill her but she just couldn’t.  She’d screamed, cried, even passed out a few times.  Nothing stopped the pain for long.  Aine wanted Rose to beg for death and she was determined to get that.  She seemed to take Rose’s stubbornness as a personal challenge, getting more vicious as time went by.  Rose knew Dean and Sam had both been tortured and she wondered now how they stood it.  It was like being suspended in time, the pain never ending, just changing shape and destination.  There was blood, so much blood now.  One of Rose’s eyes was swollen shut, her shirt was in tatters and she was in so much pain she could feel unconsciousness creeping at the edges of her mind again, threatening to roll in like a fog.

Aine walked away from her for a second, back to the table and Rose assumed she was going to dose her with the potion again.  She had no idea how long it had been since she last injected her with it but she’d done so several times throughout the course of the night.  Anytime she seemed to think Rose’s powers might be coming up she injected Rose again.  Instead of picking up a syringe though Aine paused and turned to face her.  She had a triumphant look on her face that made Rose's stomach lurch in fear.  Easily as bad as the physical damage Aine had given her were the wounds she had inflicted with her words.  She'd told Rose things that she wished she had never heard, things she would never be able to forget. 

Aine walked back over, the knife still in her hand but her focus wasn’t on that anymore.  She was smiling and looking pleased with herself.  That didn’t bode well.

“So physical pain, that isn’t the button to push with you is it?” she asked, circling her again.  She drew her hand through the blood on Rose’s shoulder and smiled again at the hiss of pain Rose let out.  “Though it’s been loads of fun.  You may be one of my favorite people I’ve ever tortured, Rose.  You should be proud of that. You react so beautifully, with such sweet little sounds and you can take a whole lot more than I expected.  Who knew a delicate little flower like yourself could be so stubborn.”  Aine circled around in front of Rose and stopped, staring at her.  “But it’s obviously that heart of yours is the way to get to you.  That’s your weak spot.”  Aine drug her knife over Rose’s neck, leaving shallow cuts along her skin, blending in with the deeper ones she’d already put there.  She looked Rose in the eye and said, “So if I said that I have the address where that sweet little baby girl you love so much is…if I said that I was thinking of going on over there for a visit, to kill her grandmommy and then sweet little Emma….” She smiled as she saw every muscle in Rose’s body freeze.  “Imagine what that would do to Chast-”

“Kill me,” Rose said, not even giving Aine a chance to finish, her voice steady and strong, not once wavering.  “Kill me now.”

Aine grinned, her triumph written all over her face.  She pulled the knife away from Rose’s neck and danced a strange little dance in front of Rose, clapping her hands in glee.  “Oh that’s good.  But I think you can beg a little more convincingly than tha-” she stopped talking abruptly, her face taking on an odd expression.  Then she was suddenly furious.  “Oh no, don’t even think you can take control,” she said, stalking across the room again, pacing in front of Rose.  “You’re not strong enough.”

Her body went rigid for a minute and Rose could see the struggle on her face.  She turned her head suddenly and Rose felt hope flair in her.  She knew those eyes. “Rose…I’m trying.  She’s strong but I’m fighting her.  Don’t give up.”

Her head snapped back suddenly, her eyes changing back to the ice cold ones Rose had been looking at all night.  “Oh yes, she should give up, you stupid whore.  If she doesn’t I will go over to that address that’s clear as day in your head and I will butcher your baby.”  Rose felt a shiver go through her at Aine’s words.

“You can do it, Chas,” she said, hoping her words would help Chastity fight.  But in case they didn’t she added, “If she kills me call Dean.  He’ll get here and he can protect you and Emma.  Call Dean.”  Aine stalked towards her, her mouth an angry line, her eyes cold and livid.

“Shut your mouth! You begged me.  I won!  I got what I wanted from you so I have no reason not to kill you now.  Bye-Bye Rose.”  She raised her arm with the knife in it and Rose had a surprisingly calm thought that this was probably her last moment alive.  So many thoughts flashed through her mind- The things that she was happy she had gotten the chance to do – To love Dean and all that entailed, to be there for Emma’s birth, to see Lily happy with Sam.  And the things she wished she had gotten to do – See Emma grow up, Spend countless years with Dean and the one thing she truly wished she had done - Tell Dean she loved him.  She wished she’d said the words.

“I should have told him,” she whispered. 

Then she blinked.

Because as Aine brought the knife down towards her neck Rose’s eyes saw a sight she never would have imagined in a million years.

“Danny?  What are you doing here?”

Her high school boyfriend winked at her and said, “Saving you, of course.” And just as Aine started to turn Danny brought down his knife into her back and Rose watched in shock as Chastity’s body glowed a bright orange and then collapsed in a heap at her feet.

* * *

Rose panicked at the sight of Chastity lying motionless near her feet.  “Is she OK?” she asked, tugging at her bonds, trying to get free.

Danny rolled his eyes and walked towards Rose.  “She’s covered in blood and she’s worrying about the lady who’s passed out,” he muttered. "Of course she’s OK, Rosalie. She’s wearing that necklace, ain’t she?” He squatted down to cut through the tape and looked at her wounds.  “Aw, Jesus, love you’re…no wait, hey stay with me.”  Danny grabbed her by the shoulder as she started to black out.  “Where’s your phone…I need to call your angel.  Rose, that angel your hunter has.  We need to call him, love or I’ll be failing at my job here.”

Rose was drifting in and out of consciousness now and it occurred to her that maybe her dying wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen.  _Think of Dean and Lily_ a voice soothed in her head.  _They’ll be safe if you’re gone._

“No, don’t call, Danny,” she mumbled.  “It’s OK.  You don’t have to save me.”

“Oh the hell I don’t,” Danny said, cutting through the tape quickly and catching her before she could collapse to the ground.  She cried out weakly when his arms wrapped around her back. "Sorry, love, I'm being as gentle as I can." Rose gave him a weak smile and then passed out.  "I was hoping you would have outgrown your stubbornness," he added, even though he knew she couldn’t hear him.  He looked over his shoulder at the young man who had come in after him.  He was kneeling over Chastity, checking her pulse.  “Micah, is she OK?”  At his nod Danny said “Good, go to the bedroom in the back.  Grab Rose’s purse and bring it out.  We need to call.”  He felt Rose’s pulse which was very faint.  “Now.  Go.”  As Micah ran off Danny picked Rose up and carried her out the back door into the backyard.  He sat on a chair there and cradled Rose in his lap.

“You listen to me, Rosalie. I did not do all this or go to all this trouble just so you could die in my arms.  You stay with me."  He shook her gently and she opened her eyes and stared at him dazedly.

“Danny," she murmured a sleepy smile on her face. "I can’t believe you came for me." She shook her head.  “Don't, don't call anyone.  I'm...it's all OK.  You can just let me go and everyone else will be safer."

Danny shook his head at her.  "Can't do that, love, you know that.  Besides when did I ever succeed at letting you go?" And he gave her the charming smile Rose remembered so well.

Micah appeared then and stood there staring stupidly till Danny yelled at him.  “Get the phone out you idiot.  No, not the disposable ones.  The i-phone.  Turn it on.”

“No, no don’t,” Rose murmured but Danny ignored her.  Micah finally produced the phone and handed it to Danny.  Danny grabbed it and barked at Micah to go back inside and bring Chastity out.  Glancing at Rose Danny saw she'd passed out again.

Wincing at the pool of blood growing underneath them Danny went to the first contact he knew and called, praying they would pick up quickly and the angel would get here in time.  Rose was fading fast.


	26. Ghosts From Your Past Gonna Jump Out At Me

Lily was sitting in the library, chatting with Charlie and sipping on the coffee she had brought back with her.  They knew her at the Starbucks in town now and starting getting her order ready as soon as she walked through the door.  She had become one of their most frequent customers in a short time.  She jumped slightly when her phone rang, a Miranda Lambert song blaring out the lyrics “’Cause I heard Jesus He drank wine And I bet we'd get along just fine.”  Only one person had that ring tone on her phone.  (Sam knew that too and smiled.) Lily stared for just a second and then she snatched it up frantically.

“Rose!?”

“Aw, sorry no, Lily.  It’s Danny.  Rose is-“

“Danny?” Lily said loudly, her mind going blank for a second.  Then it dawned on her who it was and she was jumping to her feet and causing every eye in the room to turn her way.  “What the hell are you doing with Rose’s phone?”

“She’s hurt bad, Lil.  We need the angel, the one your hunters know.  Send him please or she’s not gonna make it.”  Sam watched as all the color drained from Lily’s face.  He got to his feet going to her side.

“Where are you?  I need an address.” Her voice was short and clipped no room for emotions or panic.

“3243 Chestnut Street, New Orleans.  We’re in the back yard.  And hurry.”

Lily hung up and turned to Sam.  “3243 Chestnut Street, New Orleans.  Rose is hurt.  Cas needs to get to the back yard there now.”

Sam nodded, seeing Dean out of the corner of his eye already dialing.  A second later he heard him speaking urgently into the phone.  Sam turned back to Lily who was just standing and staring at her hands resting on the table.  Sam sat in her chair and tugged her down to sit on his lap and she curled her body into his, seeking comfort. That was enough to scare Dean.  Lily never let herself look weak and to see her like this drove home how bad this was.

“Lil, you OK?” Sam asked as he rubbed her back soothingly.

Lily shook her head.  “He said she was bad, that if Cas didn’t get there quick she wasn’t going to make it.”

A quick intake of breath caused Sam to turn his head sharply to see Dean’s face turn ashen.  “Is he-” Sam asked, nodding at Dean’s phone.

Dean nodded.  “On the way.”  He started pacing, his mind cursing the fact that he's been so close to having her home.  She had to be OK.  God, he hated this! Rose was hurt and here he was helpless to do anything about it.  His pacing took on a decidedly angry, frustrated heavy stomp as his panic and concern grew.

“Lily who was that that called you?” Charlie asked, hoping that by getting her talking it might distract her for a second or two.

“Danny, Rose’s high school boyfriend.”  Lily didn’t even raise her head from where she had it tucked under Sam’s chin.

“Danny the exhibitionist?  From the bleacher story?” Dean asked a frown on his face.  He saw Charlie look at him in confusion.

Lily nodded.  “First time I’ve heard from him since they broke up.”  She shook her head.  “I have no idea what he was doing there but he had Rose’s phone.”

Sam kissed the top of her head.  “Cas is there,” he said reassuringly.  “He’ll fix her and bring her home and we’ll get some answers then.”

Sam hoped and prayed with everything he had that he was right.

* * *

Rose came to again just as Danny hung up.  "I'm gonna be sick," she said and Danny just managed to move her quick enough so she threw up on the ground and not on either of them.

"Better?" he asked, when Rose was done being sick.

Rose nodded slightly, slumping against him.  "I don't feel right.  She gave me some potion to stop my powers.  Only it didn't work so well and she kept giving it to me."

Danny frowned concerned about what was in whatever she'd been given. He glanced at Micah who had carried Chastity out and laid her in a lounge chair.

“What color was it, love?”  When Rose said yellow he instructed Micah to go back inside and get any of the potion that was left.  With a quick nod Micah went to do it. “We’ll get it and we’ll figure out what’s in it,” he reassured Rose.

A second later Danny heard a soft noise and looked up to find a dark haired man in a trench coat standing next to them.

"I'm Castiel," the man/Angel said in a deep voice and Danny just nodded.  Cas looked Rose over.  "She is gravely hurt."  He reached a hand out and Rose shrank back from him.

"Heal her," she said, motioning to Chastity.

Danny frowned at her.  "She's fine, love.  You're the one who's hurt."

"She's unconscious.  That's not fine," Rose said stubbornly.  "I told you I didn't want you to call in the first place."  Danny’s eyed widened as a large picnic table lifted up and then landed with a loud crash, reduced to fragments of wood.  OK so Rose wasn’t going along with the plan peacefully.

Cas stared at this difficult, obstinate female that two of the most important humans to him deeply cared about.  This wasn't the first time she'd argued about him healing her.  Though Cas tried not to listen in on others thoughts it wasn't always easy to block them out and he'd heard Dean thinking several times about spanking Rose.  Cas thought he might need to suggest to Dean that maybe he needed some more practice as it obviously wasn't making Rose any less difficult or more agreeable.  Perhaps he was doing it wrong.

"And I told you that was crazy talk," Danny argued back.  He looked at Castiel.  "Ignore what she says.  Heal her please."

What happened next, well the nicest way to put it is that things took an ugly turn.  There was some more furniture flying and breaking, a lot of shouting and threats made that ultimately culminated with Rose unconscious and being healed by a bleeding Castiel.  He touched Chastity, healing the minor injuries she had and bringing her back to consciousness then turned to Danny.  "You are coming with us?  There will be questions."

Danny almost grinned at that.  Knowing at least one of the people involved he was certain there would be _many_ questions.  There always was with Lily.  Danny nodded and then said "Give me one minute." He turned and spoke to a stunned looking Chastity, briefly explained who he was and told her what she needed to do and needed to say to the police.  Considering what had happened she took it in stride and Danny thought she might be in shock.  He confirmed the story with Micah, giving him instructions about what he needed to do before they called the police.  Any trace of Rose needed to be gone, including her car.  Micah handed him Rose's purse with the potion inside and then Danny turned to Cas with a nod.  Cas gripped his shoulder tightly, laying his other hand on Rose and faster than Danny could fathom they were standing in a different room completely.  There was a strange man who looked to be in mid stride when they appeared as well as a red headed woman sitting at table.  On the lap of another stranger there was one familiar face - Lily.

Lily got up and came towards them immediately as did the man who had been walking when they arrived.  His eyes were focused on Rose then he glanced up at Danny suspiciously and Danny instantly knew that this was Dean who he'd heard so much about.

"Is she all right?" Lily asked, reaching out a hand to touch Rose's face and Cas and Danny both nodded. Cas had cleared up all the blood off Rose and Danny and fixed her clothes so she looked a whole lot better than she had when Danny first saw her.  She’d looked exactly like a woman who’d been tortured and was knocking on deaths door then but now she just looked unconscious.

"Wherever you put her to rest it needs to be where there's not a lot she can damage," Cas said.  "Tell him where to put her and then I'll answer your questions."

"I'll take her," Dean said, the territorial look on his face just daring Danny to argue with him.  Not looking for a fight Danny handed Rose over, still getting a death glare from Dean.  Danny resisted rolling his eyes.  The hostility rolling off this guy was crazy.  Danny watched him closely though as he took Rose in his arms and then his entire face changed.  As soon as he touched her his face softened and he held her against him protectively but gently, as if she was the most precious thing in the world to him.  Seeing that Danny had simultaneous thoughts of “Oh good” and “Aw shit.”

Dean stalked off with Lily following closely behind as Dean knew she would.  He took Rose to one of the empty rooms, the one he could think of with the least furniture and Lily opened the door for him and followed him in, watching anxiously as he placed her on the bed, covering her up with the blankets.  Lily felt a big wave of déjà vu wash over her.  This felt like a repeat of the night after the fight at the hotel.

Dean sat by Rose, stroking her hair and Lily sat on the other side of her holding her hand.  Both seemed hesitant to leave her even though they knew they needed to hear what Cas had to say.

Out in the library Sam and Charlie had both introduced themselves to Danny then Sam turned to Cas to ask him something and with a frown saw the blood on his hand.

"Cas, are you bleeding?"

"I am.  While we're waiting for their return do you have any first aid supplies?  It appears I could use them."  With a shake of his head Sam led Cas off to find a bandage, leaving Danny alone with Charlie.

Danny walked around the library taking it all in.  Pretty cool set up they had here.  Charlie watched him eyeing all the markings and warding on the walls that most people didn’t notice.  He definitely noticed.

"So he's really an angel, huh?" He asked her and Charlie nodded.  "That's pretty mind blowing.  I mean, I knew angels existed but to see one and the way he healed Rose.” He shook his head. “Pretty crazy."

Danny took a seat at the table and Charlie took the chance to study this stranger that Rose and Lily both knew.  He had dark brown wavy hair and sparkling brown eyes.  He was cute, she decided, attractive even.  She’d seen him standing next to Dean so knew he wasn’t as tall as him, but taller than Lily so that put him somewhere just under six feet.  Dean would call him short but that was just because Dean had a little brother who was taller than him so in his mind anyone shorter than him was short.

Danny was catching his breath while this girl, Charlie his mind supplied, was studying him.  Rose was alive; the angel had gotten there in time.  At least some things had gone right today, Danny thought grimly.

"So you and Rose used to date?" Charlie asked finally.  Sam and Dean had obviously heard of this guy which meant she was the only one who hadn’t.  She’d have to pump Lily for details later.

Danny grinned at her wolfishly, having felt her watching him.  "Rose and I used to do a lot of things. Dating was just one of them."

Charlie rolled her eyes; that was a typical Dean response.  Rose obviously had a type.

Danny pulled his phone out, checking on Micah.  He got an answer quickly and nodded, satisfied that things were going like they needed to now.

Sam and Castiel walked back in then, Cas' hand wrapped up in gauze and a few minutes later Dean and Lily joined them.

Lily smiled at Danny and he stood as she walked straight over to him and hugged him.  Danny grinned and hugged her back, pulling back from her after a minute and looking her over.

"Looking hot, Lil," he said giving her a wink.

"You don't look so bad yourself," Lily said with a smile.

Danny looked up and noticed that just behind Lily were two very irritated looking faces watching him.  Interesting.  Lily pulled back and Danny sat back down and Lily dropped into the chair next to him.

"So Cas, what's the deal?" Dean asked, motioning to his bandaged hand.  "Didn’t know you could bleed."

"Only other supernatural beings can hurt an angel," Cas said.  "Rose is apparently one of them."

Lily gaped at Cas.  "She hit you?"

"She bit me," Cas clarified.

“Wait I hit you and break my hand,” Danny looked at Lily curiously at this news. “And she bites you and you’re bleeding?  That’s so not fair,” she muttered and Danny caught the taller guy, Sam, trying to hide a grin.

"Remember that part about you being the most human, Lil?" Sam asked.

Lily frowned at him.  "Totally unfair."

Cas ignored the interruption and continued.  "She didn't wish me to heal her, preferring to perish instead.  She made her feelings well known by threatening me and then digging her teeth into my hand."  Cas shot Dean a look. "We need to talk about your girlfriend at some point."

Danny's ears perked up at that.  Oh girlfriend was it?

"Ya, not the time, Cas," Dean said, dismissively.  "What else happened?"

"I healed her, healed her friend.  It was regretfully too late for the male who was killed."  That got startled looks from everyone but Danny.  "Rose had no desire for me to heal her and also made that fact known by asking if I wanted to see if she could control an angel as easily as she could a demon.”  That got a reaction from everyone in the room, as Danny figured it would.  It had shocked the hell out of him but then again he figured he hadn’t been around Rose up close and personal for several years.  Maybe she made a habit of threatening angels nowadays.  It didn’t seem Rose’s style but who knew.  People change, right?  Judging by their reactions – Lily and Dean both cursing softly, Charlie having her mouth literally drop open and Sam asking Cas if he was serious (Which seemed to confuse the angel, Danny noticed, if his expression was anything to go on.) – It was definitely not normal behavior for Rose.

“I’m very serious, Sam.  Why would I joke about something like this?” Cas asked, looking at Sam curiously and Danny couldn’t hide his grin.

Lily noticed the grin and leaned over to say “He doesn’t really get, like sarcasm or anything.  Angels don’t seem to be big on humor.  They take everything literally.”

“So I see,” Danny said.  Then he smiled at Lily.  “So unless you’ve changed completely that must make talking to you very confusing for him.”

Lily returned him smile.  “Ya, it’s been an experience.”  Danny noticed Sam glaring at the two of them.  Danny was going to guess from that look and from the fact that Lily had been on Sam’s lap when he got here that they were a couple.

“When I healed her,” Cas continued as if Lily and Danny had said nothing, “I sensed something wrong with her powers and something else amiss.”

“What do you mean?” Dean asked and Danny noticed how alert he looked now, how on guard.  Protective didn’t even begin to cover it.  Oh he bet that caused some fireworks between him and Rose.

Cas shook his head.  “I don’t know if it’s from what happened at the hotel or something that was done today but there is something wrong.”

Danny spoke up for the first time.  “Rosalie said the demon gave her some potion to try and control her powers but it didn’t work very well.  She gave her God only knows how many doses.  Could that be part of it?”

Cas (And everyone else in the room) looked at him.  “Perhaps.  There was definite fogginess and something else going on.”  Cas shook his head.  “Maybe once the potion wears off I can tell more. It may be hiding whatever is going on or making it worse.  For now just be cautious.  I don’t know how she’s been controlling her powers up until now but they definitely aren’t controlled.”  Cas paused then added, “Of course she was also very close to dying so that could account for some of what happened, the lack of control, the intense emotion.”  Everyone in the room save for Danny winced at that comment.  He’d been there; he knew how close she’d been.  He didn’t want to think about it.

“I brought what was left of the potion with us,” Danny offered.  “Figured maybe someone could look at it and figure out what’s in it.”

“Smart thinking,” Lily said and Charlie noticed Sam straighten abruptly at that and head over to the table.  Oh, was he actually jealous?  She’d never seen Sam jealous.  She could understand Dean being jealous to some extent; Danny was Rose’s ex.  But Sam was acting all territorial which was out of character for him.  She watched in amusement as Sam tried to figure out where to sit so he could be next to Lily.  He finally drug a chair over to the head of the table so he could sit next to her, getting a curious glance from Lily. 

Dean pulled Cas aside to talk to him quietly.

“Thanks, Cas” Dean said, laying a hand on his shoulder and Cas smiled at him.  “Really.  If it wasn’t for you...”  Dean shook his head, not wanting to think about the other outcome.

“Anytime, Dean.  I believe he can tell you much more than I can about what happened.” Cas indicated Danny and Dean followed his look, taking in Danny smiling and talking with Lily like they were old friends. Which he guessed maybe they were.  “If you don’t need me here, I’d like to get back to the hospital." Cas paused and glancing back at him Dean saw a flicker of uncertainty on his face.  “I uh, may have misled Daisy about Rose being gone.”

“Oh?” Cas nodded and Dean was quite for a second until the full meaning of that hit him. Then his expression changed.  “Oh.  Oh shit.”

“Yes, that’s an apt summation,” Cas said soberly and Dean realized Cas was genuinely worried about facing Daisy.  “I had to leave abruptly when you called and Daisy now probably has some idea of how bad things were.”

“What did you tell her?” Dean asked.

“I just alluded to the fact that Rose needed some time on her own to deal with everything,” Cas said.  “I left out the fact that no one knew where she was.”  Dean winced.

“She’s going to be pissed,” Dean said, looking at him sympathetically.

“You said something about a tantrum?  Is that what I’m in for?” Cas asked nervously and Dean had to laugh as he nodded.  “How does one deal with that?”

“Very carefully,” Dean answered and then asked, "Why didn’t you tell her?” Cas paused wanting to answer honestly.

Once he’d gotten his answer together he said, “Because she was hurt so badly and if she knew Rose had ran away and was on her own it would have worried her, made her healing even harder.  I was trying to protect her.”

“Tell her that.  Be honest with her and then just ride it out, man,” Dean said.  “She’s gonna be angry, there’s nothing you can do about that.  You just gotta weather the storm.”  While Dean sympathized with Cas he had to admit there was a small part of him that was disappointed he wouldn’t get to see it all go down.  After all of Cas’ attitude and comments about how difficult Rose was there was a small sense of satisfaction that Cas was in the doghouse with his girlfriend – scratch that, his wife.  “Oh and a word of advice?  Don’t tell her not to be angry.  That never goes well.”

Cas nodded.  “I’ll remember that.  Thank you, Dean.”

“Anytime, Cas,” Dean said.  “And good luck.”

* * *

Once Cas left (Danny watched closely, trying to see the exact moment Cas disappeared but it was impossible.  One second he was there, the next he wasn’t.) Dean walked back to the group gathered at the table.  “I’m gonna go check on Rose.”  He turned his gaze to Danny then.  “And when I get back I want to hear everything that happened today.”

Danny watched Dean walk out with interest and then turned back to Lily.  “So he and Rosalie are-”

Before Lily could answer Sam cut in.  “Yes, they’re together and very serious.”  Lily looked at him in surprise, taking in the threatening look he was giving Danny.  He might as well have been holding up a sign that said "Back Off!" What the hell was going on here?

Danny put his hands up in front of him in a placating gesture and gave Sam an easy, reassuring smile.  “Hey, I'm just asking.  Rosalie’s a friend and I was just curious.”

“What’s with the name anyway?  Rosalie, what's that about?" Sam asked, trying to relax.  He didn’t know why this guy was getting under his skin so bad but he really was.  He felt like he was too familiar, like he was just waltzing into their house and making himself at home.  Sam did not like it.  “Her name’s Rose.”  Or Rosie, he thought to himself.  If you’re family, which you most definitely are not.

“Aw, just a nickname,” Danny said giving Sam a grin which he didn’t return and Lily just rolled her eyes.  Men were idiots.

* * *

Dean opened the door and slipped into the room, able to see Rose’s deep even breathing.  He sat on the side of the bed and stroked her cheek.  He’d felt his heart stop tonight when that call came in.

“We gotcha home, Rosie.  You’re safe now,” he said softly.  Dean hadn't been prepared for the feeling that had come over him when he'd seen her tonight.  He'd felt panicked and helpless, desperate for her to be all right. Rose had looked so fragile, lying still in someone else's arms. That had irked him, had felt so wrong to him.  He was supposed to protect her, to keep her safe, to be the one to rescue her if she needed it, not some old boyfriend.  And just who was this guy?  He seemed way too calm around an angel and Rose's powers and everything else that the evening had entailed.  People usually looked at least a little shell shocked when they weren't used to demons and this Danny guy seemed way too cool.  No way was this his first rodeo.  Neither Rose nor Lily had mentioned him being a hunter so Dean needed to know what the deal was.  Could this guy be trusted?

Trusted or not Dean wasn't leaving him alone with Rose.  He'd looked way too comfortable holding her.  That never needed to happen again.

Dean leaned down and kissed Rose's forehead.  "You rest, baby.  I'm gonna go sort this out but I'll be back to check on you."

Dean walked back into the library, his back straight and his jaw set.  He walked over to the empty chair at the table but didn't sit in it.  Instead he leaned over it, placing his hands flat on the table and gave Danny a look that had been known to intimidate demons.

"So aside from being some ghost from Rose's past just who the hell are you?"

 

 


	27. He Got Promises to Keep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some revelations and some drama.

When Cas got back to Daisy he found her sitting cross legged on the lounge chair, looking worried.  Before he had a chance to say anything Daisy asked him:

"Before you tell me whatever you have to tell me can we go back to the ski lodge?"

Cas was surprised but nodded and took her back there immediately.  He watched as her clothes changed, going from the shorts, t-shirt and flip flops she'd been wearing to a pair of Hello Kitty pajamas and pink fuzzy socks.  Comfort clothes, Cas interpreted.  Daisy was obviously worried about what he was going to tell her.

"You're sister is all right, Daisy," Cas said.

Daisy sat in the corner of the couch, pulling her feet up underneath her.  She was looking at Cas in a way he couldn't decipher.  She looked confused maybe?  Hurt possibly?

"Is she back at the bunker?"

Cas nodded.  He was standing in the middle of the room, not sure whether to sit or stand.  Daisy looked guarded, not at all welcoming and he was fairly certain she didn't want him sitting by her. Cas cleared his throat nervously and said, "She's sleeping."

Daisy nodded and frowned.  “You mean she’s unconscious.  I mean, you made her sleep, right?”  Cas nodded again.  He could feel emotions rolling off of her like storm clouds: Fear, anger, hurt.  He winced, hating that he had caused any of that.

"And where has she been?" Daisy's voice was softer than normal and Cas wasn't sure if that was good or bad.  Dean had said she would yell and she wasn't doing that.

"She was in New Orleans at a friend’s house when I went to get her."

Daisy looked confused.  "She has a friend in New Orleans?"

"Yes, a uh-" Cas tried to remember how Dean had described her.  "She's a sexual fantasy provider." Daisy looked more confused than ever and Cas thought perhaps he hasn't described it right.  "She has a business where men and women come to her to act out their most intimate fant-"

"I get the picture."  Daisy cut him off and Cas noticed how red her cheeks had gotten. Daisy was quiet for a second thinking this over.  She hadn't known Rose had any friends in New Orleans much less one who did...what Cas had described.  "So why did you have to go so suddenly?"  She picked up one of the pillows off the couch and began to pluck at it nervously.

"A demon possessed Rose's friend and was holding Rose and torturing her.  She killed another human and was ready to kill Rose when someone stepped in.  Rose was in bad-"

"Stop, just stop!" Cas noticed too late how panicked and upset Daisy looked.  He should have been paying attention to the emotions she was projecting.  He realized as well that perhaps he should have been less forthcoming with details.  Daisy closed her eyes then gave a whine of frustration.  Realizing what she was trying to do Cas said gently, "You're not strong enough for that, Daisy and she's unconscious, not sleeping."

Daisy's eyes flew open to glare at him and Cas was alarmed to see them full of tears that were spilling over now.  “Well what good are these damn powers if I can’t even be with her-” She cut herself off then saying, "I want my sister!"

"She won't be awake for-"

"Not Rose.  Lily, I want Lily." Daisy's tears were turning into sobs that were wracking her small frame and Cas stood there dumbly, feeling helpless.  "Lily, I want Lily."

Cas snapped out of his stupor and said adamantly.  "I'll get her, Daisy.  I'm sorry...I didn't mean to...I'll get her for you."

Daisy just sobbed into the pillow she was holding and Cas left quickly feeling as lost and distraught as Daisy sounded.

* * *

_"So aside from being some ghost from Rose's past just who the hell are you?"_

The tension in the room was thick, though admittedly mostly of that was coming from Sam and Dean. They were extremely good at being intimidating without trying and Lily had a feeling they were both actually putting effort into it right now.  Danny for his part wasn't helping matters by doing what he did best – pissing people off.  He was smiling at Dean in response to his question in his typical “I’m-charming-I-can’t-imagine-why-you-don’t-love-me” way.  Lily seemed to recall that same smile making her mother grind her teeth.  Lily was in the odd position of being the only one in the room who knew both Danny and Sam and Dean and if asked to bet she would have put her money on this little talk not going well.  Dean and Sam both were on edge (Dean she understood but what Sam’s deal was she didn’t know.) and Danny was going to be a smart ass and this was going to go badly.  If Rose were awake she could diffuse the situation before it blew up.  Lily wasn’t sure how she did it but she definitely had a knack for it.  (Thinking that Rose had dated the two most difficult men at the table Lily decided it was probably a good thing Rose had the skill.)  Peacemaking wasn’t a skill Lily had ever excelled at but she could handle situations; she could stop these testosterone fueled idiots from turning this into a boxing match.  Hopefully, she added, looking at Dean’s angry eyes and Danny’s smart aleck smirk.  God, these two together were like fire and gasoline.

“Danny?” Lily asked, pulling his attention her way.  “How did you know where Rose was?”

Danny cleared his throat and looked a bit bashful when he admitted, “Because I’ve been keeping an eye on her every since she got to New Orleans.”

She saw Dean suck in a breath and start to speak but she shook her head at him and miracle of all miracles he actually listened.  “OK why?  And please, please tell me you aren't a stalker.”

Danny grinned.  “Na, nothing like that.  I was actually hoping I could tell this to Rosalie first but obviously that’s not gonna happen.”  Danny took a breath and said, “I’m a Guardian.”

This was met with a momentary silence and then Lily saw Dean start to open his mouth and she knew, she just knew the next words out of his mouth were going to be something along the lines of "Of the Galaxy?  Should I call you Chris Pratt?"  Before he could speak Lily cut him off asking, "Of what exactly?”

“Well of you actually and your sisters,” Danny said with a smile.

Lily was looking at him like he’d grown two heads so luckily at this point Charlie broke in, “You’re from the same bloodline as the priest.”

Danny grinned and nodded.  “That I am.”

Lily smacked her head.  “Docherty.  I didn’t even think about your last name.”

“Well why would you?” Danny asked.  “It’s not like you've seen me lately.”

Dean had finally taken the empty seat and was just watching and taking this in, still eyeing Danny suspiciously.  Sam was running this all over in his head.

“ **They will offer protection to the three and will guard the words as well.** ” Sam recited the line from the prophecy then looked at Danny curiously.  “So you have everything he’s written?  You put all the websites out there?”

Danny shook his head.  “That would be my parents and older brother,” he said.  “I’m more a hands on guy than a techie.”

“So you were in New Orleans because…?” Lily prodded and Danny sighed.

“We knew Rose was friends with Chastity-"

"Am I the only person who didn't know this?" Lily grumbled.

"Sean tracked her online, that's how he found out.  We figured there was a good chance the sisters- You know who I mean right?" Danny breathed a sigh of relief when everyone nodded and he didn't have to explain that.  "We thought they might try to use her at some point to get to Rose.  So I hung out, kept an eye on her and her club.  I have a house there now actually.  It's a nice city, great food, you should come visit some time, Lil.  Mardi Gras is fucking awesome."  Lily gave him a small smile then made a go on motion with her hands.  "Right so once we found out Rose was there I kept an eye on her-”

“Ya, you did a great fucking job of that,” Dean muttered and Lily saw Danny’s spine stiffen and she prayed Danny would just let the comment slide.  “Did that include not realizing her friend was possessed and was torturing her?”

“That was a slip up by my cousin,” Danny admitted, shooting Dean a glare. “He was supposed to be watching Chastity and he slipped up.  But this wasn't just any demon mind you." Danny shook his head.  "Explains why she was so smart."

Sam and Dean exchanged glances.  "Are you saying it was-" Sam started but Danny cut him off.

"Aine.  It was Aine, the demon whose been itching to get a hold of Rosalie.  Prophecy and all that shit, right?"  Danny looked around at the stunned faces at the table.

"So uh, Rose killed her?" Charlie asked finally.

Danny shook his head.  "Uh uh.  I did."  And there was a definite note of pride in his voice they all couldn't help but notice.

"The prophecy did have Rose bringing about Aine's death as a possibility so that fits," Sam said, ignoring the dark look on his brothers’ face.

"OK," Lily said taking a deep breath.  "Well that's good.  One less demon after Rose, I'll take it."  She smiled at Danny.  "Back to you."

Danny smiled and continued.  "Anyway ya, by the time my cousin, realized something was wrong the demon already had Rose and had killed Ryan-”

“That’s the guy Cas mentioned?” Lily asked and Danny nodded.  “Who was he?”

“He’s, sorry _was_ ," Danny corrected himself, "the father of Chastity’s daughter.  He seemed like a really nice guy and was pretty close to Rosalie from what I could tell.”  Danny shook his head.  “That’s gonna be hard on her.”

“Wait, Chastity has a daughter?” Lily asked, feeling more and more like she knew nothing about this whole part of Rose’s life.

“Ya, cute little redheaded girl.  Rose was with her all day yesterday while Chastity went into work.”  Danny shook his head.  “That must have been where the demon got her.  Chastity was off this week so they must have run some ruse to get her in there."

“Ya, fucking bang up job of watching you did there,” Dean muttered and Lily kicked him not so subtly under the table.  Dean just scowled at her.

“Ya well, at least I was actually there,” Danny drawled.  “You know, saving Rose.  Good thing she didn’t have to depend on the guy who’s calling himself her boyfriend.  Otherwise she might not be here now, eh?"

Dean was across the table before anyone could even blink, punching Danny in the jaw and sending the chair he was in flying.  Danny was momentarily stunned but fought back quickly, landing a punch to Dean’s eye but after that it was fairly clear he was outweighed and outmatched.  He might have been pissed off at Dean’s remarks but Dean was angry about a whole laundry list of items, had been on edge all night and had a whole lot more experience when it came to fighting.

Sam leapt in quickly and Lily helped to pull the two apart.  Both men shrugged off the hands on their shoulders and eyed each other warily, like territorial lions eyeing a possible threat to their territory.

Lily put her hands on her hips and said in her best imitation of a mom voice, “Boys, really?”

Dean gave an irritated huff and stalked down the hall to check on Rose again, Lily supposed.  She turned to Danny and said, “Come on, let’s get some ice on that before it swells.”  And she walked off towards the kitchen with Danny trailing behind.

Danny took a seat at the table that Lily pointed to and watched as she pulled out an icepack and filled it.  She handed it to him, telling him to keep it on his jaw and then looked at his lip which was split.  She tskd at him and pulled out the first aid kit.

“That wasn’t nice, Danny,” she said reproachfully.

“I know,” he said in a sullen tone.  “But he started it.”

“I know he was goading you.  But Dean had to see a guy he’s never laid eyes on before show up with his unconscious girlfriend tonight after finding out she’d been almost killed,” Lily shot back.  ‘It’s been a tough night.”

“You aren’t kidding,” Danny said quietly and Lily felt herself soften.  Danny had been crazy about Rose, absolutely smitten when they were together.  It couldn’t have been easy on him to see her hurt.

Lily tipped Danny’s head back so she could put some iodine on his lip.  “It was bad?” she asked softly.

Danny nodded looking up at Lily with sad eyes that she was surprised to see held a few tears.  “She was bleeding all-” He stopped himself and asked, “You sure you want to hear this?”

“Honestly? No,” Lily said, putting the iodine down, sitting across from Danny and picking up his hand to check his split knuckles.  “But I guess I need to.”

“The demon, she had Rose for awhile before we got there.”  Danny shook his head and Lily saw the remorse on his face.  “She’d cut her, Lil, all over.  Her back was in ribbons, her neck was all cut up and her legs were just torn to shreds and there was just so much blood.”  Danny gulped softly and looked at Lily whose face was awash with a look of horror.  “I’ve never seen anything like it.  I thought for sure we were too late.”  Danny shook his head again.  “But damn if Rosalie isn’t tough and stubborn.  You’re dad would be awful proud of her.”

Lily wiped her eyes, willing herself to breath.  “He would,” she murmured softly.  Then she turned her attention back to Danny’s knuckles, needing something to concentrate on.  After a second Lily looked at Danny as something occurred to her.  "You know our Dad was a hunter?" Danny nodded.  "You knew the whole time you were dating Rose?"  A guilty nod this time.  "Jesus, Danny."  She stopped dabbing iodine on his knuckles then and narrowed her eyes and the look she gave him scared him a hell of a lot more than Dean pounding the crap out of him had.  "Is that why you dated Rose?  Because you were supposed to be watching us?"

Danny pulled back in horror.  "No!  God, no.  Rose and me, that wasn't supposed to happen."  Lily looked at him intently for a second; searching his eyes for the truth and content with what she saw there she went back to focusing on his knuckles.

"Sorry," she said.  "I had to ask."

Danny nodded in understanding and they both were quite, the sound of Lily dabbing iodine on Danny’s knuckles the only sound.

"Thank you," Lily said softly after a few minutes had passed.  Danny looked at her curiously and Lily explained, "For saving her.  If she'd..if she hadn't been OK I just I can't-” her voice broke as the thought became too much.

Danny reached out and hugged Lily tightly.  "When I thought I was too late I was terrified I'd have to find you and tell you and that was one of my worst nightmares," Danny murmured against her hair.  "And you're welcome," he added a second later and Lily could hear the grin in his voice.  "I always did want to be a hero."

Feeling steadier now Lily pushed on his shoulder so he let her go.  "Super smart ass does have a nice ring to it."  Lily finished with Danny's knuckles and got up to put the first aid kit back.   

“So are they really serious?” Danny asked and Lily glanced at him.

“Who?  Rose and Dean?” Danny nodded and Lily thought about the best way to answer that.  How do you explain to someone who’s apparently pined over your little sister for years that it doesn’t matter that he just saved her life, that he could be Captain America and Dean would still be number one in Rose's eyes?  She settled on a nod and apologetic smile.  Despite his brashness and partly because of it she’d always liked Danny.

“Is he good to her?” Danny asked his voice rough.

“Treats her like a princess,” Lily said.

“That's good.  She deserves that," Danny murmured softly.  "And what about you and Sam?  Has the wild child finally settled down?” he asked, changing the subject quickly.

Lily laughed and smiled and Danny couldn’t help but notice the softness in the smile.  “Do I look settled down to you?"

"Well kinda ya," Danny said and noticed Lily didn't argue. "Going for younger men now, eh?” he asked with a wink.  “You telling me I had a shot with you all along?”

“Not even one,” Lily said with a grin and Danny clutched at his chest, making it clear how deeply she’d wounded him. 

“Well be sure and invite me to the wedding,” he said as Lily handed him a tylenol and a glass of water.

“Hey, who said any-”

Lily was cut off by Cas suddenly appearing next to her, looking distraught.  “You have to come with me!” he demanded, grabbing Lily’s arm.  She instinctively pulled it away.

“What?!  What are you talking about?”

“Daisy.  I tried to explain where Rose had been and what happened and I did it wrong.”  Cas ran a frantic hand through his hair.  “She started crying and won’t stop and now she wants you.”

Sam appeared in the doorway just then, either having heard the commotion or because they had been in there awhile Danny wasn’t sure.  “Hey are you-Oh Cas, you’re back.  Is something wrong?”

Cas turned alarmed eyes towards Sam.  “She’s crying!  Dean never mentioned crying.  He told me I just had to be honest and ride it out.  He never told me she would cry.”  Sam looked slightly surprised by Cas’ response but nowhere near as confused as Danny felt.  These people led really weird lives.

Lily took a deep breath and wondered when she had become the calm one.  She didn’t remember ever agreeing to that.  “OK calm down, Cas.  I’ll come with you.”  She turned to Sam.  “Try and keep them from killing each other please?” she asked, nodding towards Danny and Sam smiled and nodded.  She turned her eyes towards Danny then. "And you, young man, best behavior, OK?”

“Damn, Lily, when did you get the mom voice down pat?” Danny asked and Lily just glared back at him till he meekly responded with a, “Yes, Ma’am.”

Lily walked over and kissed Sam quickly and he couldn't help but think how amazing she was, taking charge of everything like it was as easy as breathing.  He’d told her she was like a force of nature and tonight was a perfect example.

Lily turned back to Cas.  “OK take me to Daisy.”  And in the next breath they were gone.

Sam turned to Danny and started to say something but before he could speak Charlie appeared in the doorway.

“Sam?”  Sam turned to her expectantly.  “Um, Lily’s mom is here.”

* * *

Dean had gone directly to Rose after the scuffle with Danny.  He was irritated with himself for losing it like that but damn if that son of a bitch hadn't deserved it.  Throwing it in his face that he wasn't there, as if Dean wasn't all too aware of that.  He slowed his breathing down before he entered the room, not wanting Rose to sense any upset or upheaval.  He wasn’t sure if she could with her being out of it like she was but he wasn’t taking any chances.

After having calmed enough that he felt he was OK he went into the room and after checking on Rose he went to the bathroom to check out his eye.  He was gonna have one hell of a shiner tomorrow that was for sure.  At least the guy could throw a decent punch.  He went back out to Rose then and drug a chair up next to the bed, taking her hand in his.  He hadn’t planned on it but he started talking, feeling himself relax as he spoke.

“You don’t know how good it is to know I can actually walk in this room and see you, sweetheart.  It’ll be better when you can talk back sure, but just seeing you, that’s a start.”  He stared at her hand in his and smiled. That’s where it was supposed to be. "I missed you so bad, baby. I got used to seeing you every day, to hearing you giggle at my stupid jokes and flirt with me in the kitchen and tease the hell out of me till you damn near drove me crazy.”  Dean chuckled softly at that.  “I missed going to sleep with you at night and waking up with you in the morning.  I just missed you, everything that makes you, you.  Your smile and your silliness and your excitement over some crazy TV show.”  He pulled her hand up to his mouth, kissing her knuckles.  “When you wake up we’re gonna have a long, long talk, sweetheart.  You're gotta stop fighting Cas when he tries to heal you and we need to work on this thing with you trying to take care of everyone else.  We’re supposed to take care of each other.  It's not a one way street.  You need to remember that.”

Dean had no idea that half way through his monologue the bedroom door had opened a crack and Erin had heard most of what Dean had said to Rose.  She’d felt her heart give a little ache at the sincerity behind it, at the emotion in his voice that was pouring out along with his words.  She watched the gentle way Dean reached out and pushed Rose’s hair back off her forehead, how he smoothed the blankets and made sure her shoulders were covered.  People who didn’t know Dean well might have been surprised by his care taking, his sweetness, but not Erin.  As a child Dean had always been the sweetest, kindest little boy.  He tried to cover it up and hide it as he'd gotten older but it had remained, just hidden from all but those he trusted most.  Erin was glad to see Rose got the best of Dean.  She knew her daughter was someone who would protect his heart.

She made a small noise then and came into the room, not wanting to startle him or let him know she’d heard his speech.  He turned in surprise and tried to covertly put Rose's hand down and Erin smiled at him.

“Hi Dean,” she said, coming over to the bed.  “She’s still out?”

“Uh, ya.  Cas knocked her out so she’ll be out for awhile most likely.  Hopefully till the morning, could be even later.”  Though thinking back to last time he was taking no chances on that.  He intended to stay up and watch her.

Erin took a seat on the other side of the bed, where Lily had sat not that long ago.  “Lily called me,” she explained and Dean nodded.  He figured she would.  Erin glanced at the bruise rapidly forming on Dean’s right eye.  “I see you and Danny met.”

Dean gave a small.  “Ya, it went really well,” Dean said and Erin gave him a sympathetic smile. 

She turned and stared at her middle daughter, shaking her head.  “She nearly scared me to death this time,” she admitted and Dean knew exactly what she meant.  "I swear, I’ve never laid a hand on any of my children, you boys included, but if any child of mine has ever tempted me to spank her it’s this one.”

Dean thought he deserved an Oscar, at the very least an Emmy for schooling his features in an agreeable manner and just nodding.  He bit his tongue hard to keep from telling her not worry about it, he had that handled.

"She's the most stubborn person I've ever known," Dean replied instead.

"Said by the next most stubborn person," Erin said and Dean just smiled but didn't bother to deny it.

Erin sighed and when Dean glanced at her he realized how tired she looked.  This all had obviously taken a bigger toll on her than she'd ever let on.

"I've always worried that Rose thinks she's less important than Lily," she said quietly and it hit Dean with a flash that she was confiding in him.  Dean couldn't remember the last time that happened.  _And when was the last time you gave her a chance?_ Dean's inner voice chided him and he winced at the truth of it.

"Why would she?" He asked unable to see a reason.

Erin picked up Rose's hand that was nearest her.  "She's not a hunter and she always admired what her dad, what you and Sam and Lily do so much, saw it as so important.  Though now I guess, well-" she trailed off.

"-She's more powerful than any hunter," Dean finished for her.  Though a small voice pointed out that with all that power she'd still almost died and that thought made him wince again.  They definitely had some skills to work on.

Erin nodded and gave him a rueful smile. "The last thing I ever wanted for my girls was for them to be wrapped up in this world." She looked at Dean with concern.  "Don't get me wrong, Dean.  I know what you and Sam do is admirable work, something the world needs.  I know you're both heroes ten times over."  Dean fidgeted, uncomfortable with the praise. "But it's not the life I wanted for any of my children."  Dean realized that taking what Erin had said before into account that probably included him and Sam. He’d never realized she felt so strongly about it.  "And yet here every single one of them is, in this life.” She shook her head. “And my girls had even less choice about it than you boys did." That was true at least on the face of things; no prophecy had called him and Sam to the life, just family and being raised by a father devoted to taking down the bastard who killed their mother.  Though sometimes Dean wondered, when things had arisen that only he or Sam seemed able to handle where exactly destiny came into it.  Maybe every hunter was actually destined for the life.  It certainly didn't seem easy to get out of once you were in it.

Dean looked at Erin, deciding she was as good a person as any to ask about what he was thinking.  In fact, he realized as he thought it over she was the perfect person.  Dean broached the topic with her and she responded favorably which he hadn’t been sure she would, which just proved to him he was doing the right thing.  They put their heads together and came up with a plan that should work, though it wouldn’t be able to be carried out till tomorrow but that should be fine.  It wouldn’t earn Dean any points with Rose but he cared more about her being safe than being happy with him at the moment.

As Dean looked at Rose’s still form he vowed he would do whatever it took to keep her safe from now on.  He wasn’t taking any more chances.


	28. I Should Have Known

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrap up the night...

When Lily and Cas appeared back in the hospital room a startled looking Bobby was there to greet them.

"Just what the hell are you up to tonight?" he asked, looking at Cas.

"Daisy is upset. She needs to see Lily," Cas said by way of explanation and Bobby just shook his head.

"You know Rose is back?" Lily asked and Bobby smiled and nodded.

"Your mom called.  How is she?"

"Unconscious right now but OK," Lily said.  Then thinking back to what Danny had said she hoped that was true.  She turned to Cas.  "OK so how does this work?  She's in a coma so how do I talk to her?"

Cas motioned to the couch.  "Lay down and I'll make you sleep, then Daisy can talk to you in your dream."

Lily's eyes widened.  "She can do that?  It won't hurt her like last time with Dean?"

Cas shook his head.  "No, she's stronger now and I'll help."  He urged Lily towards the couch and Lily glared at him.

"OK stop with the rushing.  Once I'm asleep do you have to stay here?"

Cas looked at her in bewilderment.  "What?  No."

"OK once I'm out can you go back to the bunker and make sure Danny and Dean aren't killing each other?"  Bobby looked surprised but Cas just nodded.  Lily had a hunch that Cas would probably agree to just about anything to get her to talk to Daisy right now.

Lily lay down and with a light touch from Cas to her forehead she was asleep.  She opened her eyes to find herself back in her bedroom at their house in Hastings.  It looked just like she left it –A pile of magazines on her bedside table, sparkly black dress hanging on the closet door and a stack of clean clothes to be put away on the chair in the corner- with one small exception.  She was certain that when she left her baby sister hadn't been curled up on her bed crying.

"Hey, hey Baby, what's wrong?"  Lily climbed up next to her and wrapped her arms around her.  Daisy buried her head against Lily and just sobbed.  Lily let her cry for a few minutes, shedding a few tears of her own, stroking Daisy's hair and just rocking her softly.  They'd been here many times before, though for vastly different reasons.  Finally Daisy's tears slowed enough that she pulled back and asked about Rose.

"She's OK, Honey.  It was pretty horrible, I won't lie to you," Lily said looking Daisy in the eye. "But Cas healed her.  Did he tell you who rescued her?"  Daisy shook her head and Lily smiled.  "Danny."

Daisy's eyes got big at that. "Rose’s Danny?"

Lily made a face.  “Ya, let’s not call him that.  Dean isn’t thrilled with him already, no need to add fuel to the fire.”  Daisy smiled and Lily returned it.  "I forgot you had a big crush on him didn't you?" Daisy blushed and nodded.  Lily waggled her eyebrows at Daisy.  "Well he looks good.  But then again he's no angel in a trench coat."

Daisy's blush deepened and she quickly steered the conversation back to Rose.  "Did you know she had a friend in New Orleans, Lil?  Was she there the whole time?"

And so Lily told Daisy all that had happened to Rose that she knew since the night at the hotel.

By the time Lily had finished with the nights events Daisy's eyes were wide.  "Wow.  I've missed a lot of stuff."

"Ya, next time?  I'm getting the coma gig and you can deal with all that stuff."  Daisy giggled and Lily thought it was one of the best sounds she had ever heard.  She hugged Daisy.  "I missed you, Days.  If I'd known I could come see you this way I would have been doing it all along."

"I missed you too, Lil," Daisy said then shook her head.  "But you couldn't before.  I wasn't strong enough.  I got really weak after going into Dean's dream because I wasn't ready.  Cas was really upset with me." Daisy looked thoughtful then. "I can't believe he lied to me about Rose."

"Ya well don't be too mad at him," Lily said with a guilty look.  "I kinda agreed that he shouldn't tell you."

"Lily!" Daisy looked horrified at her sister’s admission.

Lily shrugged.  "You scared the hell out of me in that hotel room.  If there was any chance you being upset about Rosie running away was gonna stop you from healing I was on board with lying." Lily was quiet a moment then added, "There was nothing you could do anyway and knowing and not being able to do anything about it sucked."

Daisy stared at Lily curiously a second.  "Are you mad at her?"

Lily shrugged. "Maybe?  I was.  Now I'm just happy she's alive.  I’m reserving the right to possibly be mad at her again later."

"I've never seen you really mad at Rose before," Daisy said, a touch of awe in her voice.

"Try not to sound so impressed," Lily said, nudging her. "Just because she's stepping on your territory," and Daisy laughed.

Daisy glanced at Lily’s t-shirt and smiled.  "You're wearing the shirt I got you."  Then she frowned slightly.  "You are right?"

Lily glanced down at the "Shoe Addict" t-shirt.  "Yep, it's what I put on this morning.  Why?"

Daisy shook her head.  "I'm just still learning the ropes of this dream stuff.  I'm not quite sure yet what I choose and what you do."

Lily frowned at her.  "That's way too confusing."

Daisy grinned. "You're telling me."

"So what's the deal with you and Cas, Daisy?" Lily asked and once again Daisy blushed.  "Oh you really like him!"

Daisy nodded her head shyly.  "He's got the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen, Lil.  And his voice gives me shivers."  She looked down shyly for a second then back up at Lily.  "He kissed me.  I mean it was in a dream of sorts but it felt real."

"Was it a good kiss?" Lily asked, smiling at her little sister’s obvious delight.

"It was an amazing kiss."  She paused and said, "I really, really like him."

"Well he was an absolute wreck when he came and got me which kind of makes me think the feeling is mutual." Lily looked at Daisy curiously.  "Why’d you freak out?  What exactly happened?"

"He just blurted out that Rose was tortured and a demon had killed someone and had been ready to kill her," Daisy said, her voice sounding shaky again just saying it aloud and Lily rubbed her back soothingly.  "There was no warning, no build up, just boom and it just, it shook me up."

"Oh Baby, I'm sorry.  I think this is probably one of the downsides of being in a relationship with an angel.  I don't know that he gets the concept of breaking things gently," Lily said, thinking about how blunt Cas always seemed.  She'd have to talk to him about that.  That was never going to work with Daisy.

Daisy yawned and Lily joined her.  It had been a really long night.

"Can we nap here for a bit?" Lily asked and Daisy nodded.

"You'll come back and visit me again?" Daisy asked eagerly.

"Just try and keep me away."  Then Lily couldn’t help but tease, "As long as I won't walk in on you and Cas kissing.”

Daisy grinned at her sister.  "Love you, Lil," she murmured.

"Love you too, Dais," Lily responded.  For Lily it felt like she'd gotten both her sisters back in one night.  Neither one whole, neither one as she'd expected but it was enough for now.

* * *

"You didn't tell me she would cry!" greeted Dean when he made his way back to the library after ushering Erin to her car.  He stopped in surprise taking in a disheveled, upset looking Cas with a glass of whiskey in front of him, giving Dean a reproachful look.  Sam was seated across from him and Danny and Charlie were both nowhere to be seen.  Dean raised an eyebrow at Sam and he responded "Sleeping."  Sam had texted Dean while he was with Rose and asked if he was OK with Danny spending the night and Dean had begrudgingly agreed to it.  He had saved Rose after all, so like him or not he'd felt he had to say yes.

"I'm sorry, what?  Who didn't I say what about?" Dean asked in confusion, going to the mini bar and getting himself some whiskey.

"Daisy," Cas said mournfully.  "She didn't yell or get mad or do any of the things I was ready for.  She started crying." He looked at Dean as if he should have seen this coming.

Sam cleared his throat.  "Apparently Cas told Daisy that Rose was tortured and almost killed and this really upset her."  Dean winced as he took a seat.  He hadn't thought about telling Cas to ease into that.  He'd assumed for some reason he'd know better than to just blurt that out to Daisy.  Why he didn't know; it wasn't like Cas had a filter.  But Rose had just been returned and he’d been distracted.  "She started crying and didn’t want to talk to Cas anymore.  She wanted Lily."

Dean raised an eyebrow.  "How's that work?  Daisy's in a coma."

Cas waved a dismissive hand.  "Daisy's strong enough to go into Lily's dream with ease now, though it helped having her closer and I assisted to make sure things went smoothly." Cas downed his glass of whiskey and glared at it angrily.  "Why is this supposed to help?" he groused.

Ignoring his question Dean asked one of his own.  "So does that mean Daisy’s almost healed?  Might be coming back to consciousness sometime soon?"

Cas looked thoughtful then said, "Soon.  She's getting better but there's still more to do."  Then he looked at Dean, a desperate look in his eyes.  "This feeling, is this normal?"

"What feeling would that be?" Dean asked.

"This...this helpless feeling.  I don’t like it." Cas held his head in his hands. "I don't know what to say...what's right, what's wrong.” Cas shook his head.  “She’s very small and yet she can make me feel helpless.  That‘s illogical, it doesn’t make sense.”

“That’s why women run the world, Cas,” Dean chuckled darkly.  "Welcome to the world of relationships.  Women will make your head spin and confuse you like nothing else." Dean paused thoughtfully. "Especially the women in this family."

"So what should I have done?  To not make Daisy cry?" Cas asked looking up at Dean.

"Aw, I think this is definitely Sam's area of expertise," Dean said. "He's all about the tact and sensitivity." Dean brought his glass to his lips while Sam rolled his eyes.  Dean listened with amusement while Sam tried to explain to Cas how to break things to Daisy gently, without upsetting her.

Cas was looking more confused. "So you're saying I shouldn't have said Rose almost died." Sam had to fight to not wince at that and he saw Dean visibly flinch.

"Can you stop fucking saying that?" Dean growled, shooting Cas an angry look.  “I’m with Daisy on this one.”  Cas gave him an apologetic look.

"You would have been fine just to tell her Rose had been hurt but was all right now,” Sam said. “Daisy's sensitive, Cas.  Things upset her.  You have to be gentle with how you say things to her."

Cas nodded.  "Gentle, sensitive, I can...I can try that." He didn't sound at all certain about that fact though and Dean had a feeling this conversation would be repeated many times.

"If you don't know if you should say something just run it by Sam," Dean said with a grin at his brother.  "He'll be your editor."

Sam glared at his brother while Cas smiled happily, pleased at this idea.

Cas glanced at his phone as it buzzed. "Lily and Daisy are done talking." And the next instant he was gone.

"Way to warn us you're leaving, Cas," Dean muttered.

Clearing his throat Sam said, "Before Danny went to bed he mentioned Lily's car with all Rose's stuff in it is parked at his house in New Orleans.  He said if Cas can take him back there tomorrow or the day after he can drive the car back."

"Lily gonna be OK with him driving her car?" Dean queried and Sam frowned slightly.

"Don't see why not,” Sam said with a shrug.  “They're awfully chummy."

Dean raised an eyebrow at his brothers’ tone, which was somewhere south of happy.  "Not a fan, Sammy?" Sam made a face.

"Not exactly."

Dean studied him for a second, then gave him a knowing smirk and was just about to say something when Cas and Lily suddenly appeared.

Lily turned and grabbed Cas' arm before he could disappear and said "We need to talk.  You have got to be more careful with what you say to Daisy.  She's very sensitive-" She noticed Sam waving at her.  "What?"

Cas cleared his throat and said, "I believe Sam is trying to tell you that we had this discussion earlier."  Lily glanced between Sam and Cas and then dropped Cas' arm.

"Oh thank God.  I really didn't have another lecture in me but I was gonna try."  She patted Cas' shoulder and walked over to the empty table and set on the edge.  She thought of something else then and looked at Cas.  "Oh I would suggest you tell Daisy about that shiny ring you put on her finger sooner rather than later.  You do not want her finding out about that on her own.""

Cas nodded his head, his face unreadable.

Sam mentioned to Cas about possibly taking Danny back to New Orleans in the next day or two.  "Your cars there, Lil," Sam explained which got a small smile from Lily.  "It's got all of Rose's stuff in it too which I'm guessing she'll want pretty quickly."

Cas agreed said to let him know and popped out.

Sam looked at Lily who seemed lost in her own thoughts.  "Daisy OK?"

"Hmmm?” Lily looked up distractedly, fidgeting with a pen she’d found on the table.  “Oh ya she's fine.  She was kinda excited about Danny being here," Lily said, drawing dark looks from both boys. "She had a major crush on him when he was going out with Rose."

Dean rolled his eyes.  Every female in this family seemed smitten with Danny.  "What the hell is so fucking special about this guy?" he growled, drawing a dark look from Lily.

"He's a nice, fun guy," she said.

"He's an arrogant asshole," Dean countered.

Lily jumped off the table and glared at Dean. "He saved my sisters life, Dean.  If he hadn't been there she would be dead right now.  That's not a prophecy, not a maybe. That's a fact.  She'd be gone." Lily's voice was trembling with emotion.  "So I don't really care if he bruises your ego or whatever it is you're all worked up about.  He's a fucking hero in my book and you can just shut your damn mouth."  And Lily stalked off down the hall, her steps echoing angrily.

“Shit,” Dean said, throwing the pen in his hand across the room in frustration.  He didn’t want to fight with Lily tonight.  He knew how hard tonight had been for her too but Danny just annoyed the hell out of him.

Sam watched the pen bounce off the wall and looked at Dean sympathetically.  "Well that's been coming all night."

“I should go talk to her,” Dean said, rubbing the back of his neck, looking at Sam for approval.  “Right?”

Sam shook his head.  “Let her cool down.  Talk to her in the morning.”  Sam figured Lily would go see Rose once more then head to their room.  She’d looked tired, worn out from everything that had gone on tonight.

“You sure?” Dean asked.

“Ya, you both get some sleep and you’ll be fine tomorrow,” Sam said, the voice of experience when it came to these two.  Dean and Lily getting irritated with each other was nothing new, especially when the situation was so fraught with emotion.

“I noticed you didn’t get yelled at for not being in Danny’s fan club,” Dean couldn’t help pointing out, his tone conveying how unfair he thought this was.

Sam rolled his eyes.  “You might also notice I wasn’t stupid enough to say that I didn’t like him the night he saved her sisters life, Dean.”

“Fair point,” Dean said with a nod of his head.

Sam turned back to his journal which he’d started updating with the nights events and Dean sat back to wait for a door slam to tell him the coast was clear to go back to Rose.

* * *

After Lily had checked on Rose once more she headed to her and Sam’s room.  She needed a shower she decided, that would help her feel better.  Right now she felt exhausted and overwhelmed; she was ecstatic Rose was back but worried about how she’d handle everything that had happened.  Lily stripped her clothes off quickly and stepped under the hot spray of the shower.  She washed her hair and then just stood there in the stream of water as Danny’s words of the damage that had been done to Rose played back on a loop in her mind.  Despite the fact that Rose was an adult, not that much younger than Lily she couldn’t help but be protective of her.  It was instinctual to Lily, had been since Rose’s birth and the words Danny had said tonight had been like knives slicing into her heart.  She felt her body start to shake and closed her eyes, leaning her head against the cold tile of the shower.

She had just started to feel the tears bubble up when she felt a fair of strong arms wrap around her from behind.  She looked up in surprise to see Sam, smiling down at her tenderly.  He pulled her to him and she buried her head in his chest and let the tears fall.  Sam let her cry, not questioning her, just stroking her gently and being there for her.  When she’d finally ran out of tears he stepped out of the shower, leading her with him.  He dried her off with a big soft towel and then slipped a t-shirt over her head and pulled a pair of pajama pants on himself and led her to their bed.  He lay down, pulled her to lie next to him and once again enfolded her in his arms.

“Tell me,” he said gently and Lily opened her mouth and let the words flow out.  Sam winced as Lily told him what Danny had said, all too easily able to picture what she described.  When she was done, when the horror that she knew about had been told Sam was quiet for a minute, just stroking Lily’s back.  Then he said:

“She’ll need time.  You don’t just walk away untouched inside from torture.”

"You know she's never been punched?" Lily asked her voice small and quiet.  "She's never even been in a fight, Sam."  She looked up at Sam and he felt his heart clench at how stricken her eyes looked.  "I was supposed to take care of her."

Sam stroked her hair back from her face and then hugged her to him. "You don't get to take the blame on this one, Lil.  She didn't let you protect her."

"Logically I know that," Lily said, "but I still feel like I let her down."

Sam hugged her tight. "Well you didn't and you need to stop beating yourself up about it.  She's going to need support to get through the aftermath of all this, Lil.  If you want to help her then be there for her now."

Lily nodded.  "I can do that."  She paused then snuggled against his side.  “Thanks, Sam.  You always know the right thing to say."

"I try," Sam said, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.  He watched as Lily drifted off to sleep.  She'd been amazing  tonight, keeping things from getting too out of control and keeping everyone in line.  He'd have to be sure to tell her that tomorrow.

Sam sighed and ran a hand through his hair.  He had to tell Dean what Lily had told him.  It wasn't like it was a shock considering she'd been held by a demon but it was info he needed to have.  Sam just really wished someone eke could tell him.  He knew how much it would kill him if it had been Lily that was tortured; this was going to kill Dean and he'd inevitably blame himself.

Knowing he had to do it and putting it off wouldn’t make it any easier Sam eased out of bed and made his way to the room Dean had put Rose in.  He knocked softly and opened the door.

Dean looked up from the bed where he was seated with a book in his hand next to Rose.  He looked surprised to see his brother.

"Everything OK?" he asked and Sam nodded.

Sam walked over and looked down at Rose.  He wouldn't know anything horrific had happened by looking at her now.  She looked to be resting peacefully, as sweet and as untouched by the horrors of the evils of the world as she had been when she left.

"Sammy?" Dean asked quietly, sensing his brothers’ unease.  "What's going on?"

Sam drug a chair over to Dean's side of the bed, took a deep breath and opened his mouth and told Dean everything.


	29. Just Find a Place to Make Your Stand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And the waiting begins...

Dean had been prepared for a long night.  He’d brought his phone and charger, a thermos of coffee and a pile of books. Every book he could find in Rose’s room actually.  It wasn’t like they didn’t have other books at the bunker but he didn’t want lore books or anything research related.  There were other books he could have picked but going back to Rose’s books felt like a connection to their weekend away which Dean liked. He was in for the long haul, determined to stay awake till Rose opened her eyes.  He wasn’t taking a chance this time.

When Sam had came in Dean had just been getting settled in, starting one of the books Rose had read on their weekend away (Kinky smut he’d called it then and he was finding that definitely summed it up.  There wasn’t much to it aside from that, except for the clothes talk which Dean still didn’t get.)  Sam’s words had shaken him up, more so than he even wanted to admit to himself.  It wasn’t like the possibility hadn’t occurred to him but he’d held out hope that Danny had gotten to Rose before it could come to that.

Dean set his book aside after Sam left and stroked Rose’s hair gently.  This should never have happened to her.  He knew she’d ran, that she hadn’t made it easy to help her but maybe if he had left to look for her instead of waiting to hear the prophecy he could have gotten to her in time.  Maybe he could have stopped this from happening.  The fact that it had been prophesied for years that Rose would bring about Aine’s death, that so much about this felt inevitable, this meant nothing to Dean right now.  All he could think about was the fact that Rose who had never been through anything like this before, the same girl who had visibly shook when faced with violence and death in Daisy's vision barely over a week ago, had been tortured at the hands of a demon when he was supposed to be taking care of her.  He’d told her he would keep her safe and she’d gotten hurt.  In Dean’s eyes he’d failed her.  Deep down Dean knew that if Rose were awake that she would argue with him, that she would in fact yell at him for taking responsibility for something that wasn’t his fault.  Right now that didn’t matter though.  Dean just knew he felt responsible.  And horribly, painfully guilty.

“I’ll make it up to you somehow, Rosie,” Dean whispered, leaning down to kiss Rose’s forehead.  “And I’ll make sure you’re OK and that this never happens again.”

* * *

By the next morning Dean was out of coffee and done with one of the books and onto the next one.  Rose hadn’t shown any signs of waking up and Dean desperately needed more coffee if he wasn’t going to fall asleep.  Thankfully someone knocked on the door and Lily stuck her head in.

“She awake yet?”

Dean shook his head.  “Still out.  She moved a few hours ago though.”  Rose had in fact rolled from her back to lie on her side facing Dean.  That was the big excitement of the night.

Lily came in, some clothes in her hands.  “I figured she’d want a change of clothes.  These were in the laundry when she left so…” She put them down on the bedside table near Rose.

“Good idea.  Thanks, Lil.”  Dean watched as Lily took a seat on the chair by Rose’s side of the bed. “You still pissed at me?” Lily gave him a sharp look.

“I don’t know.  Are you still going to be a jerk about Danny?”

Dean arched an eyebrow at her.  “OK so if I bring in some old girlfriend of Sam’s to hang out, to save the day and call him some stupid nickname, are you gonna be cool with that, make her your new BFF?”

Lily shifted uncomfortably in her chair.  “No, I’d fucking hate it and want to kill her.” Dean grinned triumphantly and Lily shook her head at him.  “Look, I’m not saying you guys have to be friends, but can you not kill him, please?  And maybe cut the snide comments out?”

Dean made a sour face.  “What’s up with the nickname anyway?”

“Because she’s not just one rose, she’s a whole garden." Dean gave her a look like she was crazy.  "His words not mine.  It’s what Rosalie means, a rose garden.  He’s always called her that, like from their first date.”  Lily shrugged and Dean made a faint retching sound.  “And there was some connection to a saint in there somewhere too.”

Dean looked less than impressed.  "What's with the weird way he talks?" he asked next.

"Irish mother, English father and long extended vacations in the UK," Lily explained.  "They still have family there and oh God it just occurred to me that maybe that was a cover, that they were actually over there doing guardian shit or something, whatever that is."  Lily shook her head then studied her sister for a second.  She raised her eyes to meet Dean's then.  “Look, Danny was her high school boyfriend.  They were together for over a year and probably would have stayed together even longer if it wasn’t for some other guy getting in the way.”

“Oh ya?” Dean asked, looking pleased at the idea of Rose ditching this asshat for someone else.  “Rosie left him for someone else?”

Lily laughed softly.  “Dean, she broke up with him after you guys came for a visit.  Rose spent a few days with you and Danny was history.” Dean looked surprised by this and Lily just sighed.  She relayed the story she’d told Sam about her dad calling John to get them all to show up.  (She left out the part about her parents being afraid that Rose would wind up pregnant or that she'd run off with Danny.  That wouldn't help matters.) "Danny always knew about you, knew you and Rose had some special connection and he always knew that if it came down to the two of you that you’d win.” Dean looked at her in surprise, obviously wondering how she knew that and Lily shrugged. “What?  We talked a lot.  Danny was a good friend.”  Lily sighed again.  She hated messy, complicated situations like this.  “Look Dean, he really loved Rose, he might still.  But he’s always known you were first and he still stepped up and saved her without a second thought.  I’d say that makes him a good guy, wouldn’t you?”

Dean nodded his head absently, turning all this over in his head as Lily continued.

“Danny’s a flirt.  He can’t help it; it’s as natural to him as breathing.  I figure you should be able to relate to that.” That got a little smirk from Dean.  “But he’s not here to steal your girlfriend and even if he tried?"  Lily shook her head.  "It wouldn’t work.  Rose chose you, she’ll always choose you.  And occasionally,” Lily said, standing to her feet and coming over to stand by Dean, “I really want to hit you because you’re too blind to see that.”  She reached out and smacked his head lightly and Dean for once just smiled at her good naturedly.  He grabbed her hand and pulled her down into a hug.

“Thanks, Lil,” he said.  “I’ll try to cut him some slack.”  It wasn't that he didn't know he was important to Rose; he did.  But after this last week it was nice to hear it from someone who knew her as well as Lily did.

Lily returned the hug then pulled back and ruffled his hair.  “Good boy.”  Dean rolled his eyes at her.

“Damn Lil, you’ve gotten even bossier than normal lately,” Dean said with a mischievous grin. "My brother like that kind of thing or something?”

Lily gave him a knowing look.  “Your brother loves every damn thing about me, Dean.  He’s smart that way.”  And Dean couldn’t help but laugh.  No doubt she was right about that.

“You need more coffee?” Lily asked, grinning herself.

“Ya, if you wouldn’t mind," Dean said, handing the thermos to her.

“You’re determined to wait her out, huh?” Lily asked, glancing at her sister.

Dean nodded.  “Ya, after last time and waking up to find her gone…” He shuddered slightly then shook his head.  “That’s not happening again.”

After Lily brought him back the thermos of coffee Dean drank down a cup quickly.  He stretched and then went back to the next book in the pile.  He was learning all about the kinky activities the rich folks of New England got up to.  Didn’t any of these people have jobs?  Sure Dean had some free time but these people seemed to have way too much on their hands.  And like no other hobbies either.  And was it normal to have kinky sex parties in a bookshop?  Huh.  Maybe Sam had been onto something all these years hanging out in bookstores.

Charlie brought him a donut for breakfast (Sam had made a run into town) and around lunch time Lily brought him a sandwich and more coffee.  Sam had texted him about anything that went on, the most exciting being that Erin apparently had just been informed by Cas that Rose had been heavily dosed with something to control her powers and she was pissed; she’d ranted about witches without ethics to Bobby and the damage a potion like that could do to Rose. (Sam had gotten a recap from Bobby when he'd called.  Bobby had pointed out to her that Aine was in fact a demon so a lack of ethics was par for the course.  Erin had informed Bobby that she had been a witch before she was a demon and that should have come first.) Erin was planning to come to the bunker later to look at the potion herself and see what she could determine about it.  Danny was still hanging around, wanting to see Rose awake again before he left.  He’d talked to his cousin and said that everything had gone smoothly with the cops; they had believed Chastity’s story that someone had broken into her house and held her hostage and then killed Ryan when he tried to rescue her.  Danny’s cousin Micah was a friend of the family (per Chastity's story) who was supposed to be going to dinner with them (thus the reservations for three) and had stopped by to meet them and saved Chastity, though the attacker had escaped.  Chastity and Emma were safe and being watched over by Micah till Danny could get back and help her ward her house.  Dean commented to Sam that one of them may need to visit and make sure they did everything properly and Sam had agreed.  Dean knew how important Chastity was to Rose and she was vulnerable now; there was no guarantee the other two sisters wouldn't try to use her to get to Rose. They needed to make sure she was as safe as possible.

Dean was onto his third of Rose’s books now and he had to admit he was pretty caught up in the drama.  It was like a kinky soap opera (Though he could still do without all the in depth clothes descriptions but whatever.) and it was helping him pass the time till Rose woke up.  She had rolled back onto her back a bit ago but that was the only movement.  She still seemed to be soundly asleep so Dean settled down to read some more.

* * *

Evening came and Rose was still out.  She hadn’t made so much as a peep or moved in hours.  Charlie brought him a few slices of frozen pizza for dinner and Dean wolfed them down.  He had drunk so much coffee he was surprised he wasn’t bouncing off the walls or levitating.  The coffee was only was doing so much good at this point through and he was struggling to stay awake.  Erin and Cas appeared not long after, startling Dean with their sudden appearance in the room.  He jumped and figured if nothing else at least that had woke him up.

“It’s taken care of,” Erin said, looking at Dean and he nodded.

“You included the people we discussed?”  Erin nodded.  “Who did you get to-”

“I did it myself." Dean looked surprised at that.  "She’s my daughter, Dean.  There are only a small handful of people I would trust to do it and since we needed it done quickly it was just easier if I did it myself.  It will stay in place till we want to remove it.”  Dean gave a small sigh of relief. It didn't fix anything in the long term and he was sure to catch hell for this but it was a safety net and he thought they needed one right now.  Maybe not and if that was the case it could be undone with no harm done and no one the wiser but if this whole situation with Rose had taught him nothing else it was that it was better to be prepared.

“Thank you,” Dean said.  Then he hesitated and added, “You know she’ll be mad at the both of us for this.”

Erin gave Dean a wry smile.  “That’s nothing new for me, Dean.  But as for you...” She looked Dean over and he had the uncomfortable feeling that she saw way more than he was wanted her to. “You’re usually in Rose’s good graces.  You might want to prepare yourself for being on her bad side for a bit.”  Erin turned to Cas then who had been watching their conversation with mild interest.  “Can you tell if the potion has worn off yet?”

Cas walked over to stand by Rose and he placed a hand on her forehead.  He made an inscrutable expression and after a second he pulled back and nodded.  “It’s still there but it’s much less than it was.  Her mind is considerably less foggy than it was last night.”  He shook his head, walking towards the foot of the bed.  “Getting a sense of things with her is difficult and she’s incredibly hard to heal.” Dean looked at him in surprise.  He’d never heard Cas have trouble healing anyone before.  True he’d said he couldn’t heal her powers but Dean assumed he was just talking physically here.  To be sure he asked and Cas nodded.  “Yes, it’s like her body fights me the whole time, trying to push me away.  It’s why this is taking so long to heal,” he said raising his bandaged hand where Rose had bit him.  “It takes much more energy to heal her than it does for anyone else.”  Cas stared at her thoughtfully for a minute then looked up at Dean and Erin.  “Her powers are still not right and there is still something else there even with the potion lessened but I can’t tell what exactly.  Once she’s conscious again I can hopefully get a better read.”

“Is it normal for her to not be awake yet?” Erin asked.  “She woke up quite quickly last time.”

Cas cocked his head, thinking and slowly nodded.  “She went through a great trauma and as I said her powers are not right yet.  Those both play a factor.”

Dean had some questions now.  He’d had time to think in between reading Rose’s books.  “Cas, you said Chastity was barely hurt, right?”

Cas nodded.  “Yes, she had the wound where Danny had stabbed her and was unconscious but that was all.”  Cas frowned.  "And yet still Rose argued that I should heal her first."  He shook his head.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Yes Cas, I know."  He didn't want to hear how difficult Rose was again.  "Now back to my question.  Danny stabbed her with a knife that could kill a demon so why was Chastity OK?" Dean asked then he frowned.  “I mean, I assume that's how he killed Aine though I'd like to know where he got the knife."

Erin had taken a seat in the chair by Rose’s bedside and was clicking away on her phone.  “Let’s ask him.”  Less than a minute later the door opened and Sam, Lily, Charlie and Danny all trooped in, obviously there because Erin had summoned them.

“Mrs. Sullivan!” Danny said, the same grin that had made Dean want to punch him yesterday on his face now and from her expression Erin wasn’t a fan of it either.  Or maybe it was Danny himself she wasn’t a fan of.

“Danny,” she said coolly enough to leave a trail of icicles behind her words.  Wow, Dean had never seen her this cold with anyone.  Her eyes swept over him, taking stock and obviously finding him lacking.  Dean almost felt sorry for the guy.  Well except he didn’t because he couldn’t stand him.  But anyone else he would have definitely felt for.  “We have some questions.”

“Shoot,” Danny said, leaning up against the wall across from the bed.  Lily had curled up on the end of the bed, nudging Dean’s feet over to make room and Sam was standing behind her next to Cas.  Charlie gave Dean an encouraging smile from her spot in the chair on Dean’s side of the bed.

“You said you killed Aine,” Dean said, looking at Danny and trying to keep a scowl off his face.  He absently reached out and stroked Rose’s hair and found that made it easier.

“I did,” Danny acknowledged, his eyes darting to Dean’s hand.  His face was impossible to read and Dean had to admit he had a hell of a poker face.

"You stabbed her?" Dean asked and Danny nodded.

Sam and Dean exchanged a glance.  As far as they knew there was only one knife that could kill a demon and they had it. Sam raised an eyebrow and Dean gave a slight shake of his head.  Sam nodded his head in understanding.  He'd get to the bottom of that mystery himself when they didn't have such a big audience.  Lily caught the two of them doing their wordless communication thing and rolled her eyes. 

“So why wasn't Chastity killed?” Dean asked.

Danny shifted his weight from one foot to the other and Dean narrowed his eyes.  He was nervous at this line of questioning.  “She had a necklace on.  I'm fairly certain that protected her.”

“What kind of necklace?” Lily asked curiously.

“Red jasper from the looks of it,” Danny said and that definitely got Erin’s attention.

“Are you certain?” Erin asked sharply and Danny nodded.

“How do you know red jasper on sight?” Erin was asking Danny, giving him a suspicious look.

Danny shrugged.  “I live in New Orleans.  Lots of voodoo shops there, lots of magic. You pick up things.”  Erin was still staring at him, obviously not buying his story and Danny relented.  “My mum has a red jasper necklace.  My dad gave it to her as a wedding present and she never takes it off.  So I know what it looks like and how powerful it is.”  He grinned at Erin unrepentantly.  “I forgot you could always tell when I was lying.”

“Maybe because you did it so often,” Erin said and Dean’s eyed widened at the obvious hostility in her voice.  She definitely did not like this guy.

“OK for those of us who have no idea what red jasmine is,” Dean said, “Care to fill us in?”

“Red Jasper,” Erin corrected.  “It’s a stone that can anchor your life force to your body.”

“Wait you mean like you can’t be killed?” Dean asked looking incredulous.

“Essentially.  You can still be hurt but your soul won’t leave your body.”  Erin shook her head.  “It’s an incredibly rare, very powerful stone. How one would come across it I can't imagine."

“So if you had access to someone who could heal you, like say an angel,” Dean said motioning to Cas, “Then you’d be basically un-killable.” Erin nodded in agreement.

“So isn’t that kind of weird?” Charlie asked.  “I mean, how would Chastity know she was in danger and needed to wear it?  Where would she get it?”

Dean looked thoughtful, entwining his hand in Rose’s hair.  He thought back to Danny’s initial excuse.  “Could you find it at a voodoo shop?” he asked.

Erin and Danny looked at each other and Danny finally shrugged.  “You can find all kinds of junk in them, some good stuff, mostly crap but I think there’s a slight chance you could find it.  Probably easier if you knew what you’re looking for.”

“Would Rose know what it was?” Dean asked, looking at Erin this time.  Erin immediately shook her head.

“Rose had little interest in anything mystical and it’s a rare enough stone she wouldn’t have seen it mentioned much anyway.  Daisy might have but not Rose.”  Dean watched as Danny pulled his phone from his pocket and started clicking away.

There went Dean’s theory.  He had been wondering if Rose could have come across it while shopping.

“So wait, are we assuming Chastity knows about the supernatural world?” Lily asked. "Because how would she know what the stone did?"

“Well I mean obviously she does now,” Sam pointed out and Dean snorted.

“Ya, being possessed by a demon is kind of enlightening,” Dean said.

“Not necessarily,” Lily objected.  “If she wasn’t awake while she was possessed she wouldn’t know-”

“She was awake,” Danny cut in flatly and all eyes turned to him.  Lily made a “Go on,” motion at him and Danny sighed, his eyes landing on Rose and for the first time Dean got a glimpse of the actual guy behind the swagger and bravado.  For just for a second Dean saw real pain in his eyes; then he blinked and it was gone.  “Just before I stabbed her Chastity took control of her body back.”  Dean and Sam glanced at each other in surprise.  They knew just how difficult that was to do.  “Just for a few seconds she took back control and told Rose not to give up, that she was fighting.  Then Aine took back control and started screaming at Chastity." He cleared his throat then added, "And then Rose told her that if Aine killed her that Chastity should call you,” he jerked his head in Dean’s direction.  Dean sat there imagining what getting that call would have been like, to be told Rose was dead.  He closed his eyes, his whole body feeling cold at the thought and he tightened his grip in Rose’s hair.  He shook his head and opened his eyes.  He didn’t even want to imagine that; it was too painful.  He found Danny’s eyes on him with an understanding look.  Danny had seen how close Rose had been to dying.

“That’s surprising that she was able to take control from a demon,” Cas said, looking suitably impressed.  “She must be very strong and have true affection for Rose.”

“Ya, Rose brings that out in people,” Dean said, his voice coming out way more emotional than he had intended it.

Danny glanced down suddenly at his phone and after reading it he said, "Chastity said Rose gave the necklace to her.  She told her it would keep her safe from demons.  She has no idea where Rose got it."  Glancing up at the surprised expression on everyone’s faces Danny grinned.  "Micah is with her so I figured it couldn't hurt to ask.  And she knew nothing about the supernatural world till Rose told her this week."

"Well there's part of our answer.  We won't know where Rose got the necklace till she wakes up and tells us herself," Sam said.  He glanced at Dean.  "She must have figured she was putting Chastity in danger by staying with her." 

Dean nodded.  Rose was smart enough to figure that out and she'd feel responsible for keeping Chastity as safe as possible.  As much as he loved Rose's caring nature he wanted to scream at her for not keeping the damn necklace for herself.

He cleared his throat.  "So anything else boys and girls?"

There was a chorus of negative murmurs.  There were probably more questions to be asked but they could wait.  Everyone filed out except Cas and Erin.  Erin stood and smoothed her skirt and leaned over and kissed Rose’s forehead.  She saw Dean’s hand entwined in Rose’s hair and smiled, though she said nothing.  Then she stood and walked to the door.

“I’m going to see what I can find out about the potion Aine used,” she said and Cas nodded.  He told her to call him when she wanted to return and he popped out.  Erin left with a small smile thrown his way and Dean was once again alone with Rose.

* * *

In the hallway just outside the room Dean and Rose were in Lily stopped and murmured something softly to Sam.  He listened, smiled and agreed and walked away.  Lily waited till her mother had come out of the room and then slipped back in herself.

Dean looked up in surprise.  “Back already?”

Lily nodded, heading for the chair her mother had recently been in.  “You need to get some rest.  I’ll stay for awhile.”

“Na, I’m fine.” He gave Lily a grin.  “Really, I’m reading all these books Rose likes.”

Lily rolled her eyes.  “Dean, coffee and porn will only keep you going for so long.  You need to sleep.”

“Porn?” Dean asked looking confused and Lily waved her hand at the book in his hand.

“You telling me she reads those for the plot?” and Dean couldn’t help but laugh.  Lily shrugged.  “Your porn has pictures, my sisters has words.  It’s still the same thing.”

“She prefers the word smut,” Dean said with a grin and Lily rolled her eyes again.

“Of course she does, because it sounds nicer.  Rose always wants things to sound nice.”  Lily sighed and reached forward and pushed a stray lock of hair off her sisters’ forehead.  “And I’m always just saying whatever the hell comes into my head, niceness be damned.  I must make her crazy.”

"She loves that about you and you know it." Dean lay the book aside and settled down on the bed, looking at Lily thoughtfully.  “She does it too you know,” he said.  “I mean she rambles and babbles on without a filter.”

“Ya but even her unfiltered crap sounds nicer than when I try and hold back. Her head is just a nicer place than mine I guess,” Lily said and Dean looked at her sharply.  Realization dawned on his face then as he figured out what she was doing.  He’d done it countless times himself.

“Quit it,” he said gruffly and Lily’s eyes snapped to his.  “You’re beating yourself up and it won’t do any good.  You’re not to blame and if you start down that road, well we can all go down it, trust me.”  Lily looked at him a second then nodded her head slowly.  Dean sank down a little more on the bed as Lily got comfortable in the chair, pulling a leg up underneath herself.  “So I’m getting the impression your mom is not a Danny fan,” Dean said and that got a snort from Lily.

“Oh that’s putting it mildly,” she said.  “Both my parents couldn’t stand him but my mom outright detested him.”

“OK I’m not joining his fan club anytime soon, but why all the hate from her?” Dean asked.  “And your dad?  I mean he liked just about everyone.”

“I’m going to guess you recall how um….challenging I was as a teenager?” Lily asked and Dean laughed.  If there had ever been a person who could have been a poster child for the evils the teenage years could bring it was Lily.  She had been a party girl who broke every rule her parents laid down and nearly drove them insane.  Calling her a wild child didn’t even come close to covering it.  “I’ll take that as a yes,” Lily said dryly.  “And I’m sure you recall how very _not_ challenging Rose was.”  Dean nodded again.  Rose had been as good a teenager as she had been a child.  Sure she went to wild parties and drank a little but she didn't break curfew, she followed her parents rules and did great at school.  Compared to the hell Lily had put her parents through Rose had definitely looked like the saint Lily called her.

“Well you weren’t around much if at all when she was with Danny.  I don’t know if it was just the right age or he brought it out in her or what but Rose definitely went through a wild period when she was dating him.  It wasn’t anywhere near what I did,” Dean hid his grin as he heard the note of pride in Lily’s voice at that.  “But it was enough that my parents were not happy campers.”

“What are we talking here?” Dean asked, sinking down so his head was finally resting on the pillow.  He stretched and let out a yawn. Try as he might it was hard for him to picture Rose really being bad. 

“Mostly it was just a lot of breaking curfew and being with Danny when she wasn’t supposed to.  And he’d lie, try to cover for them.”  Lily rolled her eyes.  “Which was really stupid because Rose can lie way better than he can.”

“She always was a good liar,” Dean murmured.  Rose had always been the one to get them out of trouble as kids.  If they needed someone to tell a good cover story then Rose was the go to person.

“He had a motorcycle too which my mom hated.  She was sure Rose was going to get killed riding on it with Danny.  And of course he drove like a maniac and Rose the speed fiend loved it.”  Lily shook her head.  “They drank and did a lot of stupid teenage things that Rose had never done.  All of a sudden their good daughter was taking chances and not listening to them at all.  My parents tried to tell her she couldn’t see him and so she and Danny both started cutting class to see each other.”  Dean looked shocked at that.  Rose had always been as in love with school as Sam was.  And the idea of her outright defying her parents, especially her dad was hard to imagine. "It was all just a big, big mess and it wasn’t like they thought Rose was innocent or anything but the trouble started when she began dating Danny and ended when she broke up with him, so there was a definite connection there."

“Ya, see I’m the way better choice,” Dean murmured.  His eyes were slowly starting to drift close and Lily smiled.  She'd always been able to get him to fall asleep even as a kid.  He'd fought falling asleep when he was as young as four and Lily would tell him some non-exciting story to get him to relax and give in to the lull of sleep.

His eyes flew open a second later and found Lily’s.  “You promise you’ll stay awake?  And you'll wake me if she wakes up?”  And that was just like when he was a little boy too.  He'd be almost asleep and he'd pull himself awake, making Lily promise to wake him if anything happened.

Lily nodded.  “I promise.  Go to sleep, Dean.  I got this.”

“Thanks, Lil,” Dean said and Lily nodded.  She watched his eyes close and a few minutes later he was sound asleep, his one hand still tightly entwined in Rose’s hair.

* * *

By midnight Dean was still asleep, Rose didn’t look to be waking anytime soon and Lily’s eyes were getting heavy.  She got up and was walking around the room, stretching out her muscles and waking herself up when the door opened quietly.  Sam popped his head in, flashed a smile her way and turned back around.  He and Danny came in, a small sofa between the two of them that they set up against the wall across from the bed.  Lily watched Danny’s eyes drift towards the bed and his eyes darken upon seeing Dean asleep close to Rose.  He recovered quickly though and gave Lily a quick hug and exited, closing the door behind him.

“Sam, what-” Lily looked at the couch then him in confusion.

Sam smiled at her, then motioned to the couch and a small pile of items Lily hadn’t noticed.  There was a thermos, a set of Lily's pajamas, a big book and a pillow and blanket.

“I figured you could sleep on the couch while I keep watch.”  Lily just looked at him and Sam smiled.  “You and Dean have both taken a shift so I figure it's my turn.  We take care of each other, right?"

Lily gave him a grateful smile and hugged him.  "This goes on my list," she said, her voice muffled against his chest.

Sam chuckled and kissed the top of her head.  "I'm just making that list grow longer every day."

Lily grabbed the pajamas Sam had brought her (A red and white polka dot pair that were one of Lily's favorites) and headed to the bathroom to change.  Sam picked up the thermos and book and put them next to the chair then he spread the blanket out and fluffed the pillow and was waiting for Lily when she came out.  Lily came over to his side and wound her arms around his neck.  She kissed him then said in a husky voice, "I love you, Sam Winchester."

Sam smiled at her, letting his eyes tell her how much her words meant to him. "I love you, Lily Sullivan."

* * *

Once Sam tucked Lily in he'd settled into the chair and poured himself some coffee.  He looked at his brother who was turned towards Rose in his sleep, one arm draped over her waist and his face buried in her hair.  He studied Rose's face then, silently urging her to wake up soon, to come back to them all but most importantly to Dean.  He needed her.  He'd never said those exact words to Sam but Sam knew his brother.  Rose made him happy, made him content in a way that he never was when he was without her.  She was good for him.  Please, please be OK when you wake up, Sam begged Rose silently.

Sam cracked his book open and settled in. (Lily had raised an eyebrow at the book (War and Peace, a favorite he was re-reading.) then muttered "Smart guys are hot," an instant before she fell asleep, making him grin.) He was ready for the night shift.

Dean stirred around three, lifting his head and looking at Sam groggily.  "Sammy?" he asked in a sleepy voice. "What are you doing?"

"Keeping an eye on your girl for you, Dean.  She's fine, still out."

Dean looked at him, slowly taking in his words.  "You gotta be tired.  I can wake up...just give me a second."  He started to push himself up to a sitting position and Sam reached out, laying a hand on Dean's shoulder and stopping him.

"Dean, I'm fine.  Go back to sleep."  He nodded his head towards Rose.  "She'll need you when she wakes up.  Get some rest now."

Dean looked at him for a second.  "You sure?"

Sam nodded, sitting back and giving Dean his most reassuring smile.  Dean nodded and lay his head back down, settling back down against Rose as his eyes slid closed.  Sam spoke quietly, "I'm sure.  I've got your back, brother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Season 11 Finale!


	30. Don't Know What's Down This Road

Dean woke up sometime in the early morning hours.  He glanced at the still sleeping girl by his side.  Sometime in the night Rose had turned toward him so her face was just inches from his.  He lay there, just being still and looking at her, taking in every detail of the face he knew so well and had missed so badly.  To look at her you would never know anything bad had happened to her.  She looked as peaceful and untouched by evil as she had before she left.  Dean stroked her cheek lightly and then kissed her forehead.  Hopefully she'd be awake soon.  He wanted, he needed to hear her voice, to look into her eyes and know she was all right.

Finally he got up for a much needed bathroom break and when he came back he sat up in the bed next to Rose.  Sam was still awake, reading some humongous book and he smiled at Dean. "Feel better?" Dean nodded.

"Ya, thanks.  I think I overdid it on the coffee."

"Well you were going on well over thirty hours without sleep, Dean.  And a whole hell of a lot of emotional turmoil in that time."  Dean was quiet and so Sam told him that Erin had left around ten, leaving instructions for no one to enter the lab.  She was working on something but didn't say what.  Then Sam told him what he'd found out from Danny about the knife: It was a family heirloom passed down to a guardian in each generation. "My guess is it might have originally belonged to or been created by Father Docherty."

"That priest seemed to excel at keeping tricks up his sleeve," Dean agreed.  They were both quiet a minute and Dean considered telling Sam what he and Erin had done but something stopped him.  Instead he cleared his throat and said, "Hey Sammy?"  Sam looked at his brother, something in his tone letting him know whatever he was going to say was important.  "Do you think she's gonna be OK?  I mean after what she went through?" Dean's eyes were anxious, his fear and concern evident in a way he wouldn't allow most people to see. In fact only two people were usually allowed to see those emotions in Dean, both of whom were in this room now, but only one was conscious.

Sam thought for a second how best to answer.  He wanted to be honest but didn't want to paint things too darkly.  Finally he said, "I think Rose is incredibly strong and she'll be fine.  But I think it's most likely going to take some time.  I think she'll need a lot of support and she's lucky to have you." Sam looked at his brother, wanting Dean to hear the honesty in his voice, to know he wasn't just saying this. "You got me through some of the worst times in my life, Dean.  I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you.  If anyone can help Rose through this it’s you."  Sam smiled then.  "And plus she's a Sullivan. Stubbornness is hard wired into her DNA so that helps."

Dean smiled at his brother gratefully.  "Thanks, Sammy."  He motioned to Lily asleep on the couch that he hadn't even realized was there till he'd headed to the bathroom.  "And thanks for this, for tonight, for being here."

"Anytime," Sam said.  "It's what we do, right?  Take care of each other."

Dean nodded. "You got that right, little brother."

Lily woke up around nine and she and Sam went and grabbed some breakfast and brought Dean something to eat.  Then she and Sam went off to get ready for the day and Dean was once again alone with Rose and the next to last of the books in the series.

Dean looked down at Rose and stroked her face softly.  He thought over what Sam had said.  "Wake up soon, pretty girl.  Whatever you need we'll get through this.  We all miss you here and I miss you most of all.

Then Dean picked up his book and sat back to wait for Rose to wake up.

* * *

When Rose finally opened her eyes the first thing she saw was black which panicked her a bit.  Was she dead?  Still held captive somewhere?  She felt disoriented and unsure of where she was; her brain fuzzy and hazy feeling.  Her eyes adjusted slowly to take in more and black plaid joined the picture.  She drug her eyes upward and was surprised to find Dean sitting next to her.  She didn’t move, just soaked in Dean’s presence.  He was reading a book and she had this strange sense of déjà vu when she realized that yet again it was one of hers.  For a minute everything seemed to ripple and she swore she’d been ripped back in time to that day in the cabin when everything had been brighter and easier, when life had seemed good.  Then she blinked and the world righted itself.  That was just wishful thinking she reminded herself.  But she was here, she was with Dean.  She was safe.  Right?

She didn’t think she’d made a noise but Dean’s eyes flew to her face suddenly, taking in her open eyes and a relieved look instantly spread across his face.  He put the book down and turned to lie on his side facing her so he could look her in the eye.  “Hey,” he said softly, a small smile on his lips.  “There’s my girl.”

Bright green eyes stared into hers and Rose searched them, wanting to make sure after before that this was real…that he wasn’t…no he had the tattoo.  He couldn’t be a demon.  She sighed softly, one fear off her mind.  She felt a little bubble of warmth as his words slowly sank in.  He'd called her his girl.  Still, even after everything.  But he didn't know all that happened, all that Rose knew now.  She couldn't believe he would feel that way if he did.

“How are you feeling?” Dean asked, studying her face.  Her eyes were wary; she looked nervous, skittish and unsure - all to be expected given what she’d been through.  He watched her eyes scan his face anxiously then dart around the room.  He hated seeing her this way. "Hey Rosie, it's OK.  You're back at the bunker.  You're safe now," he said soothingly.  Dean wanted to touch her so badly it hurt.  But everything about her was screaming “Hands Off!” and Dean knew from experience she needed time.  He didn't want to push her.

Her eyes were back on him now and he felt his heart ache at how scared they looked. Finally she spoke, in a soft, hesitant voice.

"Is Chastity OK?" Typical Rose, Dean thought.  She'd been tortured and almost killed but her first question was about someone else.  He was glad it was a question he could give a positive answer to.

He nodded his head and smiled at her encouragingly.  "She's fine, Baby."

She was studying his face closely now.  "You have a black eye," she pointed out then asked hesitantly, "I didn't do that did I?"

Dean smiled again and shook his head.

"I bit Cas though didn't I?" she asked and it was a genuine question, as if she was checking if that was actually reality.  Dean nodded again and she murmured, "That's probably one reason why he doesn't like me." That confused Dean but he figured now wasn't the time to dig for answers.  Rose moved to sit up then and Dean let her, moving so he sat facing her.  He wanted, he needed to keep her close but he was trying to give her space, to not smother her.  Rose smoothed the blankets over her lap in a nervous way then plucked at the tank top she was wearing.  “I was wearing this,” she murmured and Dean caught onto what she meant quickly: She’d been wearing this when Aine tortured her.

“Lily brought you some clean clothes,” he said, motioning to the pile on the bedside table and Rose’s eyes followed his hand.  She stared at the clothes pile for a minute and Dean wished he knew what was going on inside her head.  When she turned back to look at him again she looked confused.

“How did I get back here?”

“Uh, Cas brought you,” he said, then added unwillingly, “You and Danny.”

“I told him not to do that,” she said, shaking her head.  "He never did listen to me."  Dean was fairly sure she meant Danny.

"Why, Sweetheart?" Dean asked, genuinely confused.  "I thought you wanted to be back here with us."

"I did before," she said.  Then she closed her eyes for a second and Dean watched as a tremor went though her body.  When she opened her eyes again they were shining and wet with unshed tears and so much pain that Dean wanted to bellow in protest.  "Ryan's dead."  It wasn't a question.  Rose was obviously certain of this fact at least.  Tears started to roll down her cheeks and Dean instinctively reached out a hand to wipe them away.  He touched her face softly, gently wiping the tears aside and a quiet sob left her throat.  For just a few seconds she seemed to lean into his touch, to take comfort from it. But then she jerked back suddenly; not from his touch like he initially thought but to grab at her head.  She bent over at the waist and cursed loudly and that alone startled Dean; Rose was Erin's daughter when it came to language, rarely if ever uttering a curse word.

"Rose, what's wrong?" Dean asked in alarm, his body coiled tightly, ready to do something, anything.  "What's going on?"

"It hurts, my head feels like it's going to-no, just shut up!" Rose let out a sudden scream and the chair by the bed leapt into the air.  It turned over, somersaulting in the air, spinning rapidly and Dean watched as several other pieces of furniture joined it.  Oh God, they were back to this.

"Baby, calm down.  You have to relax.  You're safe," Dean reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder and this time Rose did jerk away from him.

She looked at Dean, her eyes wide and panicked. "You have to leave.  Now."

Dean's jaw set and he shook his head.  No way.  She was not kicking him out.  "No, not a chance I'm staying here.  You can-"

Before Dean had any idea of what was happening he felt himself being lifted and moved towards the door.  "I wasn't asking you," Rose said her voice flat and emotionless. "I was telling you."  And the door flew open and before Dean could even form a reply he found himself standing outside the room looking at a closed and locked (He heard the bolt slide into place) door.

* * *

An hour later no one had been able to get Rose to let them in.  They'd cajoled (Dean), demanded (Lily), asked nicely (Sam), even threatened and begged (Dean again).  Danny and Charlie had just sat back and watched, not butting in, feeling it wasn't their place. (Danny had been tempted to try, to see if Rose would open the door to him but he'd made one small move as if to stand and Dean had given him such a violent look that death seemed like a very real possibility if Danny moved from the chair.  So Danny had settled himself down, trying to keep his promise to Lily to not make things worse.) They'd gotten no response and short of breaking the door down (which Dean had threatened but Sam had talked him out of) they weren't getting in.

“OK what happened exactly?” Sam asked a rapidly pacing Dean.  All Dean had said initially was that Rose had came to and after talking a few minutes she’d freaked out and threw him out of the room.  Dean was agitated; his body tight and tense, wanting to do something, anything to fix this.

“She woke up and she seemed a little foggy, kind of confused with how she got here,” Dean said.  "She remembered biting Cas and that Ryan had died and she looked upset by that and then she..." Dean's explanation stopped...unsure to explain what happened next.

"She what, Dean?" Lily demanded.

Dean gave a sigh and stopped, facing Lily where she was.  "She grabbed her head and cursed and-"

"Wait what?" Lily looked at Dean like he'd gone crazy.  Dean repeated himself and once again Lily cut him off.  "Rose doesn't use "foul language" she said, using air quotes around her mother’s term that aside from Charlie they'd all heard countless times.

"Ya well you wanna go tell her that?" Dean asked, throwing an irritated scowl at Lily before he took up pacing again.  "Cas said her powers weren't right," he said.  "Well she had the arm chair doing flips in there."

"You should have seen what she did to Chastity's patio furniture," Danny murmured.

"So they're out of control I guess then," Sam said with a shrug.  "It's happened before.  She got them under control then, she will again." 

Dean was about to say that he couldn't help her do that though if Rose wouldn't let him or anyone else near her.  But a loud noise, a slamming door to be precise, tore everyone's gaze to the hallway.

* * *

Rose appeared a few seconds later wearing the clothes Lily had brought her.  She looked confused and unsure. Out of sorts was how Danny's mother would have described her he thought and that fit. Rose stopped in the map room and glanced in the library.  Every face there was watching her.  She frowned and Dean felt the wrongness for lack of a better term coming off of her.  Something was very, very off about her. Dean was suddenly really glad he'd taken the chance and got Erin to put their plan into motion. A slamming sound was coming from down the hall and Dean realized that it was all the bedroom doors Rose has passed on her way here, opening and closing.

"Hey Rosie," he said, walking towards her.  He went down the steps and smiled at her.  "You feeling any better?"

Rose looked at him curiously.  She drug her eyes up and down his body, looking him over, taking in every detail.  Then she turned and started up the stairs to the front door.

Dean frowned.  "Where you going, Sweetheart?"

Rose glanced at him over her shoulder but kept moving.  "I need to go."  She reached the top and without another look their way she walked out.  The bedroom doors stopped slamming and it was quite for a minute.

Then Lily freaked.  "Dean!  We need to stop her!"  She came tearing out of the library, the other three following behind her at a slower pace.  Lily was staring at Dean as he casually took a seat at the map table.  "You aren't going after her?"

Dean shook his head and Lily looked like she wanted to scream.  "Fine, if you won't I will!"  And she started towards the stairs but a large hand on her shoulder stopped her.  She whirled around to find Sam standing there and she glared at him.  "What is wrong with you people?  We can't let her leave again. We just got here back here and who knows-"

"Just wait," Sam said pulling Lily back.  Dean watched the two of them, thinking it said a lot that Lily didn't punch Sam.  Once Sam had Lily stopped trying to go after Rose and just stood by the table Sam looked at his brother.

"What did you do?" he asked and Lily looked at the two of them in confusion.

Dean had just opened his mouth to answer when the front door flew open with a bang and Rose reappeared.  She looked a lot less calm this time.

"What the hell did she do?" she demanded, flying down the stairs and stopping in front of Dean.  A few books that had been left in the map room flew off the table and spun around above the table.

"What did who do?" Dean asked calmly.  Sam watched him curiously.  Just a few minutes ago Dean had been agitated and desperate, now he was as calm as if he and Rose were discussing the weather.  Dean had always had a quick temper.  That he was working so hard to stay calm said a lot.

Rose narrowed her eyes at him and the books flew back down with a loud crash. "My mother, she got one of her witch friends to do some kind of spell or something, didn't she?  That's why I couldn't leave the property."  She waved her hand indicating the bunker.  “There was like an invisible wall when I tried to leave.”

Dean shrugged and Rose let out a frustrated shriek, the books rising and slamming down near Dean's arm on the table.  Dean didn’t even flinch.

"Get her here!  Now!" she demanded, actually stomping her foot.  "I need to leave now."

Dean raised an eyebrow at her and even looked mildly amused at Rose's tantrum.  "I can't do that, Sweetheart."

"Why not?" Rose demanded.

Danny was watching all of this unfold like it was a TV show.  Rose was standing in front of Dean, her anger coming off of her in waves.  Danny remembered her temper well from when they were dating and it had been intimidating back then.  But there'd been no flying books or furniture and even then he'd done his best not to piss her off.  Danny shook his head.  Dean didn't seem to share his concern. 

"He's nuts," he said softly. 

Only Charlie heard him and she replied just as quietly: "It's been said."

Danny studied Rose.  She may be wearing some cute little sparkly t-shirt ("I bake therefore I am" which just looked ironic as hell at the moment.) but Danny had seen a taste of what she could do in Chastity's backyard.  Hell she'd bitten an angel and yet Dean sat there as cool as could be just watching Rose calmly.  It occurred to Danny that maybe Charlie was right; Maybe Dean really was crazy.  There certainly were enough stories about him out there that made that seem possible.  His next words confirmed it for Danny.

"I can't get your mom to remove the spell because I'm the one who asked her to put it on you, Sweetheart."  Danny watched as Rose's cheeks flushed with anger and her eyes sparked dangerously. 

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Rose demanded.

"Holy shit, he wasn't kidding," Lily said and Sam had to fight a grin that in all of this, what shocked Lily most of all was that her little sister said the F word.

"You can't go running off again, Rose," Dean said calmly.  "You need to stay here, get yourself sorted out."

"I don't want to be here!" Rose said.  "You can't just keep me here against my will!"  The books spun around like crazy another hitting the table with enough force that the table shook.

"You aren't well enough or strong enough to be out there on your own," Dean said in that same steady voice.

Oh Rose didn't like that comment.  Her face flushed darker.  "You want to check with your angel on that point?  I'm pretty sure he was the one who was bleeding."

Dean's shoulders tensed, Rose's taunt obviously stirring some anger in him but he said nothing which seemed to piss Rose off even more.

"Let me go!"  The books were flying in a circle in the air now, their movement as agitated as Rose obviously was.

Before Dean could reply Lily stepped towards Rose.  "Rosie, Dean's right.  You need to stay here."

Danny was in a perfect position to see Rose's face and how it changed as soon as Lily spoke to her.  Her eyes took on a dangerous glint, her anger seeming to increase.  She turned from Dean towards her sister.

"Oh do I?" She asked an odd look on her face.

Lily nodded.  "Things were a mess out there for you.  You need to stay here, get yourself worked out."

Rose actually laughed but anyone who knew her could tell you this wasn't anything like her usual laugh.  There was no pleasure in it, no real joy.  Once her laughter died down she looked at Lily, a cruel smile on her face.  "That's rich coming from you, Lily.  I mean who knows more about messes than you?" Lily's face took on a confused expression as Rose walked towards her.  "And when it comes to cleaning up your messes, well I've been doing that my whole life.  God, just the sheer amount of messes with guys I've had to smooth over for you."  Rose rolled her eyes.  "If I had to sit with one more guy you screwed over and tell him he didn't do anything wrong, that my sister was just a fucked up mess..." Rose cocked her head and studied Lily who was looking shocked, like a deer caught in the headlights of a vehicle she never saw coming.  A knowing look crossed Rose’s face then.  “Let’s be honest here, relationships that take any kind of effort, or well relationships at all really aren’t your thing.  Fuck ‘em and leave ‘em, that’s your style.  So the question is how exactly have you hung onto Sam this long?" She peered at Lily then glanced at Sam curiously.  "Have you done such a good job of fooling him that he thinks you're actually worth hanging onto?  I mean you can only hide your selfish bitch side for so long.  Eventually he’ll figure it out and dump your ass."

Lily came to life at this comment.  "Shut your fucking mouth!" she said giving Rose an angry push and glaring at her.

Rose just smiled coldly at her.  "You really are a bully, Lily.  Funny I never noticed it before." A book slammed down on the floor near Lily's foot causing her to jump.  "Don't touch me again," Rose said, looking at her with narrowed eyes now.

Charlie was watching all this unfold in front of her in horror.  Sam and Dean seemed shocked to see the two sisters go at each other so viciously.  Charlie realized when she glanced at them that they hadn’t moved at all since Rose had turned on Lily.  She remembered what Lily had said to her about her and Rose never fighting.  That would explain everyone's shock.

"Well at least I'm not eternally the victim," Lily shot back, her back ramrod straight and her voice shaking with anger.  “I don’t need rescuing every damn day of my life.”

Rose laughed again.  "Yep, that's me, I'm the victim.  Except I never asked anyone to save me, now did I?"  Rose's eyes swept over Lily, Sam, Danny and Dean in turn.  "You guys just can't help yourself, can you?  Always have to be the hero.  But hey I must be worth saving ‘cause I even have ex-boyfriends show up to rescue me.”  She glanced at Lily then a fake pitying look on her face.  “Boyfriends are those guys you actually have a relationship with, Lily, not just fuck. I figured you wouldn’t know that.” She gave Lily a vicious smile.  “You might want to ask yourself who’d show up to rescue you?” 

Sam had heard enough.  "Back the fuck off, Rose," he said stepping forward to stand by Lily’s side.  He saw Dean was on his feet, frowning at Sam and moving towards them.

Rose dismissed his comment with a wave of her hand and glanced around the room again.  “I didn't ask to be saved," she said again, her eyes dark and angry.  "I would have been fine with being left to die instead of being brought back here so you all could fix me."  She glared at Danny now and he squirmed uncomfortably.  "I was pretty clear on that fact."

Dean was staring at Rose with a confused expression.  He’d expected her to be angry at him but get going after Lily made no sense.  Rose returned his look coldly.

"I don't want to be here.  Tell my mother to remove the damn spell so I can leave."

And she disappeared down the hallway leaving wreckage in her wake.


	31. And I Can't Tell Wrong From Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Aftermath

As soon as the last door down the hallway slammed shut the books Rose had left hovering in the area rained down, a few hitting Dean and Sam who were closest to the table.  Dean grabbed the closest one to him (And Sam had to wince at the abused books) and threw it across the room, his pent up anger lashing out.  That was the anger Sam knew he'd held in check when Rose had been here.  Several more books followed and finally Dean turned to face them, his jaw set and his eyes alight with anger and confusion.

"What the fuck was that?" he asked then raised a hand before anyone could answer. "A better question - _who_ the fuck was that?"

“I don’t know who that was but it wasn’t my sister,” Lily breathed out and Sam saw on her face how shaken she was even if she was doing her best not to show it.

Sam glanced around taking in the stunned and shell shocked expressions on the others and shook his head.  Lily wasn’t the only shaken one, even if she had taken the brunt of the attack.  He hadn’t been expecting this reaction from Rose.  Not at all.  And from the looks of everyone else he knew no one had been.

* * *

Back in the room she’d found herself in upon waking Rose was pacing, her thoughts in turmoil.  She’d grabbed a few bottles from the kitchen on the way here and was currently drinking straight from a bottle of tequila.  She felt as if her head was being ripped apart.  The pain had started minutes after she woke up and with it had come the angry voice she had hoped had disappeared for good.  It had been silent since she'd gotten to Chastity's but now here it was again, back louder and stronger than before.  The pressure was there too, hardly easing at all even as the chair and one of the bedside tables and a lamp swung up and down and looped around the room.

She reached the far wall and leaned her head against it.  She couldn’t believe the things she’d said out there.  That was not supposed to happen.  She'd gotten Dean out of the room in time and she had hoped that would be the end of it.  The voice had started whispering to her, urging her to say all kinds of vicious things and she’d known she had to get him away from her.  When it became clear the voice wasn’t stopping, was only getting louder she had dressed and planned on leaving, on getting as far away from here as possible.  That obviously hadn’t happened.  She’d panicked when she’d found out she was trapped, was stuck here against her will.  And just like that the words were spilling out and she was watching in horror as things she would never say were out there for the people she cared about the most to see.

Rose groaned and banged her head against the wall.  God, the things she’d said to Lily!  She’d ripped her apart, eviscerated her emotionally and with an audience.  The voice really got riled up at Lily for some reason.  Her bossy older sister act just seemed to irritate it.  Rose took another long drink of the tequila, praying it would do the trick and shut the voice up.  And ease the pressure in her head.  It had to do one of those two.  She could handle one but not both.  Please work she silently prayed as she sat on the edge of the bed.

* * *

“Did she really say that?” Dean asked and Danny’s head jerked up in surprise.  Charlie had whispered to Lily a few minutes after Rose made her dramatic exit and Lily had nodded and followed her through a doorway that Danny wasn’t sure where it led. He'd seen Charlie nod her head at Sam, telling him she had Lily covered and Sam had taken off in a different direction.  That had left Danny and Dean in the map room and Danny had eyed Dean warily.  The hunter was still pacing, something Danny was quickly learning was something he did a lot of so Danny had made his way back into the library and took a seat, giving Dean some space.  He’d used the time to check in with Micah, make sure things were moving along OK back at home.  After a few minutes Dean had made his way to the library and taken a seat himself – albeit at the other table.  Danny looked at him curiously now, needing clarification about what he was asking.  “Did she really say she wanted you to let her die?”

Danny frowned and stared at his phone for a second then slowly he nodded.  “Ya, she did say something about me not having to save her.  She seemed to think that would make everyone safer.”  Dean swore and Danny nodded his head in agreement.  “Ya, that was never going to happen, you don’t date Rose for any amount of time if you’re not at least half as stubborn as she is.”  That got a ghost of a smile from Dean.  Danny shook his head then said, “She’s definitely not fan of your angel.”

Dean rolled his eyes.  “Why’s everyone calling him _my_ angel all of the sudden?  I'm not the one who has his ring on my finger.”

Danny looked at Dean curiously.  “Your angel-sorry, the angel is married?”

Dean shifted and realized he’d opened up a whole other can of worms.  “Ya, to Daisy…”

“But Daisy’s just a baby!” Danny said and with a sigh Dean wondered how he’d gotten stuck being the one to explain all this to him.

* * *

“So insert my lecture on”Smoking will kill you,” Charlie said, taking a seat on a chair she’d drug out of the garage while Lily paced and smoked.  “But I already gave you that lecture when Sam was gone and I figure you don’t need to hear it again today,” Charlie said, waving her hand at Lily.  “So ya, just pull that up from your memory banks.”

Lily gave Charlie a grateful smile and continued to pace.  She knew Charlie hadn’t been thrilled when she’d come across Lily smoking outside the bunker when the boys had been in Kansas City, had in fact given her the aforementioned lecture.  She’d told Charlie the same thing she’d told Dean: She rarely did it and no, Sam didn’t know about it and she'd prefer to keep it that way.

Charlie had actually ushered Lily down here knowing Dean kept beers in the small fridge down here and she’d figured Lily could use one and also do with a minute to gather herself after what had just happened.  She hadn’t been expecting Lily to drag a pack of cigarettes out of a shelf on the back wall and then exit through the side door, though Charlie guessed it made sense; if there was ever a time Lily was stressed it would be now.  She watched Lily pace now, noticing for the first time that she was wearing sneakers instead of her usual heels or boots.  Charlie was so used to the extra height her shoes gave her that Lily looked short to her now, which was a joke considering Lily towered over her barefoot.

“You know, I had all these ideas of what Rose would be like when she got back,” Lily said suddenly, turning and pacing back the opposite direction.  Charlie wondered if she and Dean were aware they both did this when they were either angry or upset.  It was tiring to watch the both of them.  “At first I thought she’d be all teary and apologetic.  Rose hates feeling like she’s messed up, like she’s let people down.  She’s always been the good girl, you know.  I’m obviously the bad one.  We have those roles down pat.” Lily gave a small bitter laugh. “Obviously, I mean she made that pretty clear up there, didn’t she?  She’s the angel and I’m the bitch.”

Charlie winced at her harsh description of herself.  “I’m not sure angel’s do what your sister just did.”  Charlie looked thoughtful then.  “Though you know before I met Cas I pictured angels looking and acting quite differently so who knows.”  That at least got a small smile from Lily.  “What about when you found out what had happened to her?” Lily had filled Charlie in on the details of what had happened to Rose this morning before Rose had woken up. “Did you think she’d react differently?”

Lily shrugged.  “I guess?  But I mean how does someone act after they’ve been tortured?  I don't exactly have a wealth of knowledge on the topic." Charlie had it on the tip of her tongue to suggest Lily ask Sam; he and Dean were all too accustomed to that situation but she stopped herself, figuring that was a conversation Sam could start himself if he wanted to.  Lily stopped her pacing and leaned against a nearby tree, studying her shoes.  “That-what Rose was like up there I’ve never seen that.”  Lily shook her head.  “I’m not even convinced that _was_ my sister.”

Before Charlie could answer big fat raindrops started falling and the two hurried back into the garage, dragging the chair with them and shutting the door behind them with a slam.

* * *

Dean was just finishing up his explanation of Daisy and Cas when Sam joined them, depositing a cold beer in front of each of them and taking a seat across from Dean.

Danny was currently shaking his head.  “God, she was in pigtails when I was with Rosalie.  She was always hanging around, wanting to be involved in whatever we were doing.”  Of course she was, Dean thought bitterly, because like every other female in this family she thinks you’re awesome.  They’re like the Danny fan club.  Well except Erin, Dean thought with a private little grin.  She was definitely not a member of that club.

While Sam commiserated with Danny on how strange it was to imagine Daisy as an adult Dean looked Danny over.  He hadn’t paid too much attention to him the night he’d appeared with Rose, his focus being all on her.  But now he was taking in little details he’d missed: the bracelets on his wrist (Two black and one green, which knowing this guy probably were made up of some special stones), the small earring in his left ear, the glimpse of a tattoo on his arm Dean couldn't see all of.  And then Dean’s eyes focused on the necklace he wore.  Dean swore he recognized that charm… Danny had a habit of fidgeting with it when he was talking and Dean kept an eye on him as he talked to Sam and finally Danny flipped the charm over so that Dean could see there was writing on the back (“ _Not all who wander are lost_ ”) and that was when he knew why he recognized the charm.  Rose had worn it on her charm bracelet for years.  Danny caught him eyeing the necklace then and with a nervous smile he tucked it inside his shirt.  Dean narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously, all but certain that his hunch was right now.  No guy wore a necklace a girl had given him when he was a teenager unless he was still hung up on her.

“So I called Erin,” Sam was saying, drawing Dean’s attention his way.  “I told her what happened with Rose and she didn’t seem all that surprised by it for some reason.  She suggested we give her some time and space.”

“And Erin’s always the best judge of what’s best for Rose,” Dean muttered and then felt a flash of guilt.  It wasn’t like he had any better ideas at the moment.

“You think Castiel would be able to get me back home tonight?” Danny asked, drawing both brothers eyes his direction.  “I checked in before and I get the feeling there may be bloodshed soon if I don’t get back.  My cousin can be pretty annoying and I think Chastity has had her fill.”  Danny shook his head.  “The drawbacks of working with family-You can’t fire them and killing them is frowned upon.”

“Tell me about it,” Dean and Sam said in unison and then both laughed and Danny smiled.

“I’ll check with Cas,” Sam said, pulling his phone out.  “But I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”

“I’d like to try to talk to Rose before I go,” Danny said hesitantly, drawing a dark look from Dean.

“So much for giving Rose time and space,” Dean muttered and Danny grinned.  And Dean decided that was the limit of his tolerance for Danny.  He hadn't hit him, hadn't even threatened him.  That was enough.  He could tell Lily with a clear conscience he'd played nice.

“Mrs. Sullivan and I have never once agreed on what's best for Rosalie so I don’t see why I should start now,” Danny said, earning another glare from Dean while Sam just kept his thoughts to himself.

* * *

Lily and Charlie had settled themselves on the balcony that overlooked the garage, sitting on the floor and stretching their legs out.  They’d brought several bottles of beer with them and were working their way through them.

“I don’t think you’re a bitch,” Charlie said suddenly and Lily looked at her then shrugged.

“Eh, I am.  I’m demanding and bossy and ya, I’m a bitch.”

“OK but…” Charlie finished her bottle of beer and then opened another one, throwing the cap down on the floor below.  They had started throwing the caps down trying to hit a bucket that was on the other side of the garage.  So far Lily had hit it once and Charlie had come somewhat close one time.  All the other bottle caps were littered about the floor. (And wow, did we really drink that many beers? Charlie wondered, eyeing the multitude of bottle caps below.  That would explain why the world was slightly fuzzy.) It occurred to her that if Dean came in and saw the mess they had made he would have a fit.  “But if you were a guy with those traits no one would call you a bitch.  They'd just say you were a man.  It's sexist crap."

Lily raised her bottle towards Charlie.  "My mother would appreciate your fine feminist argument."

Charlie grinned.  "And if you weren’t demanding you wouldn’t get what you want, right?” Lily looked thoughtful then nodded, obviously agreeing with Charlie.  “And you’re bossy because you’re the oldest.  You’re expected to be bossy.  Dean’s bossy and no one calls him a bitch.”

“No, but he call’s Sam one,” Lily responded and Charlie laughed and after a minute Lily joined her.  Once their laughter had died down Lily said, “Actually Sam’s pretty bossy too.”

Charlie nodded her head enthusiastically.  “Oh he totally is.  He’s just more subtle about it than Dean.”

"And he says please.  Dean will just tell you to do something." Lily took a sip of beer finishing off the bottle.  "Sam will say it likes it's a suggestion..."Sweetheart, why don't you..." And Charlie had to laugh because that was the boys to a tee.

“I don’t mind though,” Lily said.  “It means I don’t have to worry about running all over him.”

“You know that probably goes both ways,” Charlie mused.  “I can’t imagine Sam with someone who he would have to worry about being too forceful with.  I mean with you he can just be himself.  If he’s too pushy you’ll stand up to him.  I think Sam likes that.”

Lily looked worried and took a long swallow of beer.  “You do?”

“Oh ya, totally,” Charlie said confidently.  “I can’t see Sam with someone who he’d have to be worried that he was too strong for or that he'd overwhelm.  You guys both have strong personalities and that works out.”

“Ya but…and oh God please never tell my mother I said this,” Charlie nodded in agreement, “I’m supposed to be soft and sweet and all those things the women in Lifetime movies are.”

“You watch Lifetime movies?” Charlie asked looking slightly aghast and Lily nodded shamefaced.

“It’s a guilty pleasure,” she admitted.

"I'm fairly certain you aren't supposed to base your view of women on Lifetime movies or anything else for that matter," Charlie said seriously then she frowned.  "And especially not relationships."

"I need another beer," Lily said abruptly, getting to her feet and weaving her way down the stairs.  She opened the fridge and pulled out the last six bottles in there. Oh but what do we have here....she spotted a half full bottle of whiskey next to the radio on the toolbox and grabbed that too before heading back up to sit next to Charlie.

Charlie made a mental note to restock the alcohol in the garage before Dean could kill them both - After they cleaned up of course. 

Lily cracked open another bottle and stared at it a second before taking a drink then saying, "She wasn't wrong though. I mean I don't have this long line of real boyfriends in the past.  Lots of dates, a whole lot of sex."  She paused, took another drink. "No real relationships, nothing like Rose had." She stared as the bottle and said "And I was pretty brutal to some guys who would have actually liked something more with me.  I just didn't," she shook her head and said, "I didn't get the point."  She tossed her bottle cap down not even coming close to the bucket this time.

"Of a relationship?" Charlie asked with a furrowed brow and Lily nodded.

"I mean sex, ya I get the need for that.  That's kind of all I thought guys were good for." She bit her lip then said, "That's probably one of those things that I'm not supposed to say out loud," and Charlie couldn't help but laugh.  "I'm just being honest.  I mean OK why do people have relationships?"

Charlie though about that for a minute then said, "Companionship, Sex, Love."

"OK well I've never been lonely, I've always been able to easily get sex when I wanted it and love...well I never really got the appeal."  Lily finished her beer and opened the bottle of whiskey, leaving the last few beers for Charlie.  "Don't get me wrong I get how hot that first attraction and the initial interest are.  But sooner rather than later I'd get bored and the guy would start to irritate and annoy me." She shrugged.  "And I've always felt loved and so I just never felt the need for romance."

"You are an odd one, Lil," Charlie said with a laugh finishing off her beer.

Lily smiled.  "I know.  Rose has tried to explain the appeal to me many times.  Flowers and dates always seemed to play a big part in her explanation." Lily shrugged.  "I can buy my own damn flowers and dates eh, whatever.  I'd rather go out with my friends or just get to the fucking portion of the evening."  She gave Charlie a slightly apologetic smile when she choked on her beer. 

Once she'd recovered Charlie asked, "OK well as much time as you and Sam spend on um, amorous endeavors you do spend time doing other things."

"Mmm hmm," Lily murmured. "And amorous endeavors is very classy sounding by the way.  Rose would approve."

Charlie ignored her comment and asked, "So are you bored or irritated with Sam yet?"

"It's the craziest thing," Lily said and Charlie could hear the slight slur in her words now, the alcohol kicking in. And thank God because Charlie was getting a very clear idea of how easily Lily could drink her under the table. "I'm not.  I like just being around him and doing normal, well normal for us, stuff with Sam.  I mean, trust me the sex is fucking awesome.  He's got an incredible tongue and he's super flexible and he can just fling me around like I'm a rag doll."  Lily had to act out this motion with her hands and Charlie cringed as she hit one of the empty beer bottles and it tipped over, thankfully not shattering.  Lily ignored it and was ready to continue on her list of great things about sex with Sam before Charlie interrupted her. "And God, talk about stamina-"

"You were telling me what you liked about Sam aside from sex," she reminded her.

"Oh. Oh ya." Lily took a drink of whiskey and then giggled.  "He's sweet.  That sounds dumb but it's nice.  He says nice stuff to me too, not like "Oh Lily your tits are great," but like "Lily, you're so smart," and "You crack me up." Charlie smiled, thinking that she'd definitely heard Sam laugh more since he'd been with Lily.  That was a good thing. "All the stuff other guys couldn't handle or didn't like about me he does." Lily studied the bottle of whiskey then said, "Do you think," she swallowed then started again, "Do you think what Rose said up there, you think that got to him?"

"Oh I think he was super pissed," Charlie said. "He was ready to get between you and Rose that's for sure."

"Ya see, that's new.  People don't defend me.  I'm the defender."  Lily paused considering that. "It's kinda nice."  Then she shook her head.  "That's not what I meant though.  I meant what Rose said, do you think Sam's gonna think he's made a mistake being with me?  I mean I really don't have a clue what I'm doing when it comes to a relationship.  You have a question about sex I know the answer." Lily pointed to herself proudly, then shook her head.  “But relationships?  I don’t have a clue.”

Charlie looked at her like she was crazy. "Lily, you've know Sam longer than me. Have you ever known him to change his mind that easily?" Lily shook her head.  "He's stubborn.  And besides what your sister said up there," Charlie shook her head. "That was just messed up."

"Ya she's...I don't even know what that was." Lily looked lost for words so instead she took another sip of whiskey. 

"You and Sam seem to be figuring your relationship out pretty well so far," Charlie said, then dug in her pocket and pulled her phone out.  She grinned looking at it.  "And your boyfriend is looking for you.  You're not answering your phone."  Charlie answered him quickly.

"I don't know where my phone is," Lily said looking around her with a frown.

"Check your pocket," Charlie suggested and Lily did and pulled it out with an excited smile.

"Hey, I have texts from Sam!" she exclaimed excitedly and Charlie just laughed and downed the last of her beer.

* * *

Once Sam heard from Cas to say he'd be there in the hour Sam had relayed the message to Danny.  He'd watched as Danny had squared his shoulders and made his way down the hallway to try and talk to Rose.  Dean had glared at him and Sam was surprised he didn't immediately follow him.  Instead Dean leaned back in his chair, took a long drink of his beer then looked up at Sam.

"You have any idea what that was with Rose?"

Sam shook his head.  "Honestly if I didn't know better I would have almost thought-"

"That she was possessed," Dean finished for him.

Sam nodded slowly.  "Even at her worst I can't imagine Rose being like that."  Having known Rose all their lives both boys knew she had a temper.  But it was a point of pride for her that as she'd gotten older she could control it.  Even when her temper had been at its worst though she'd never been known to be cruel. The Rose they both knew would never have gone after Lily like she had tonight. "Speaking of tempers way to go controlling yours with her." Sam had been sure Dean was going to go back at Rose when she'd been screaming at him but Dean had remained calm.  Rose always had brought out the softer side of Dean but Sam hadn't been sure he'd be able to hold back when she'd been so angry and screaming at him.

Dean toyed with his beer bottle restlessly. "Ya well she was upset enough for the both of us right?" Sam simply raised an eyebrow at his brother and took a sip of his own beer.  "Hey if you can lie when it comes to keeping Lily safe then I can keep my cool with Rose when I need to." That got a nod from Sam, making sense to him.  Dean cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Is Lily OK?"

Sam shrugged.  "Charlie took her off somewhere.  I figured I'd give them a little time but it's probably been long enough that I need to check on her." Sam paused.  "Rose really went for the jugular with Lily.  That's why I stepped in, you know that right?"

Dean nodded.  "I figured if she went after anyone it would be me once she found out what I'd had Erin do."

"Ya me too.  Though something tells me that's too much for even your free pass," Sam said.  Usually Dean could get away with practically anything with Rose.  But this..."I don't think you've heard the last of that."  Dean grimaced and nodded his head, knowing Sam was right.  "And way to keep us all in the dark by the way."

"I was kind of hoping it wouldn't be an issue," Dean admitted. "It's not exactly something I'm proud of, having to get my girlfriends mother to put a spell on her so she won't run away." Dean shook his head and Sam could see the real true worry on his face.  "I was doing my best to make myself believe Rose would wake up and be OK and keeping her here wouldn't be an issue. Then I could have Erin remove the spell before anyone needed to know about it.

"No such luck," Sam said with a sigh and Dean nodded. "I'm surprised Erin went along with it."

"Ya, I guess that goes to show I wasn't the only one worried she'd run.  And look what Rose did the first chance she got - made for the door."

"Ya but I don't think she was thinking straight, Dean," Sam pointed out.

"Well hey she gets back to herself and Erin can get rid of the spell.  But till then I'm not taking any chances."  Dean's voice was stubborn and he wore his most inflexible expression.  No one was changing his mind on this.

"So she can't leave the bunker at all or what?" Sam asked and Dean shrugged. 

"We'll have to ask Erin.  I just told her what I wanted in brief and she went for it." Dean took a deep breath and stood up.  "OK I've been patient long enough," Dean muttered and Sam wasn't at all surprised to see him follow the path Danny had taken down the hall just a few moments earlier.  The fact he'd waited this long was in itself close to a miracle.

Sam had texted Lily to find where she and Charlie had disappeared to and he checked his phone.  Finding no response he texted Charlie.  A few minutes later he got a response of:

_We're in the garage.  Don't bring Dean!!!_

Sam frowned trying to figure out what that meant and stood and made his way downstairs to the garage. 

* * *

Danny thought on the way to see Rose what he could say to get her to open the door.  When he reached her door he was still trying to think of something.  Finally, recalling how much Rose had disliked it if she felt like someone was feeding her a line he went with the truth.  He knocked softly and after a minute she called out "What?" Danny paused, trying to decide if she still sounded angry.  While he wanted to see her before he left he had no desire for a confrontation like he’d seen earlier. 

"It's Danny.  I'm leaving soon and wanted to see you before I go."  After another full minute he heard the door unlock.  Taking that as an invitation Danny opened the door and walked in.  Rose stopped him before he closed the door.

"Leave it open," she said. Danny nodded, not questioning her.  Rose was sitting on the bed a half empty bottle of alcohol (tequila if Danny wasn't mistaken) in her hand.  Taking in her unfocused eyes and the more relaxed posture she had compared to earlier he was pretty sure she'd drunk the missing half.  Danny eyed the other thing of interest in the room casually: one of the chairs in the room was doing somersaults in the air.

"Well that's a neat trick, love," Danny said, taking a seat on the end of the bed.  Rose immediately scooted further back on the bed further away from him and Danny got the message loud and clear: Hands Off! 

Danny gave her his laziest smile and leaned back against the bed post, his body language broadcasting relaxation and a non-threatening manner.  After a few seconds it seemed to do the trick as Danny saw Rose's shoulders relax a tiny bit. She took a sip and just looked at him, finally saying "I'm still mad at you."

Danny just smiled at her again.  "Aw, now Rosalie it's been how long since you've seen me?  Why would you wanna be mad at me?"

Rose shook her head slightly.  "Still the same old Danny."

Danny winked at her. "Why mess with perfection?"

Rose studied Danny who had turned his head to stare at the partially open door.  Rose hadn't heard it but Danny had definitely heard a footstep and he was willing to bet he knew who it was too.  Danny may not be a hunter but he wasn't a normal civilian either.

Rose took another sip of tequila then said, "You never did listen to me."

Turning his attention back to Rose Danny gave her his best sad eyed look.  "Aw now Rosalie, you know I couldn't let you die.  Don't be mad." 

Rose frowned and looked at Danny curiously.  "How'd you know I was there anyway?"

"Aw, now that is a complicated answer," Danny said.  "And I don't have time to answer it completely tonight but I promise when I come back I'll tell you everything."  In truth Danny was fairly certain Rose was going to be none too happy when she found out all he’d kept from her and he didn’t feel up to dealing with that tonight, not after the incident earlier.

"You're coming back?" Rose looked confused.  And that made Danny realize what the biggest thing that was wrong with this picture was – The Rose he knew would have been sad and emotional, most likely a wreck over all that had happened.  And yet looking at her now he didn’t see sadness or pain, only confusion and still a layer of anger.  It was possible she was in shock or just taking time to come to terms with all that happened but that didn’t feel right to Danny.  There was definitely something off with Rose.

Bringing himself back to the question Danny nodded.  "Your boyfriend’s angel is taking me back to get your car and bring it back."

"It's Lily's car," Rose murmured softly.

"You stole Lily's car?" Danny asked unable to hide his surprise.

"I borrowed it," Rose said sounding offended. "I was going to bring it back."

Danny sighed.  "Why do I think there's a story here?" He shook his head and smiled at Rose fondly. "You always were a complicated girl, love."

Rose frowned and Danny cursed at himself for making her look upset again. "I left complicated a few miles back.  I'm a mess now, Danny.  And if you would have just listened to me and left me-"

"And suddenly I'm seventeen again," Danny muttered, a strong sense of déjà coming over him.  The topic may be different but arguing with Rose was all too familiar.  Shaking his head Danny changed the topic.  "You gonna remember this conversation tomorrow?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Rose asked and Danny motioned to the bottle in her hand.  "Oh ya, this just makes things be quiet and gets that to not be so strong," she said motioning to the chair. 

Danny frowned trying to make sense of what she'd said.  Finally Danny shook his head and said "Well I should be back sometime next week.  I have a few things I need to take care of back in New Orleans then I'll head back.  I'm sure by then you'll have all this sorted out, right?" And Danny mimicked her action of motioning to the chair.

That got a laugh from Rose and even if it was mostly from surprise aided by tequila Danny was proud he'd gotten it.  "Oh ya sure.  Not a problem."

Danny got up and walked over and picked up her phone off the bedside table.  He put his number into it and copied hers to his.  "There.  Now you need anything - rescuing, a laugh, some flirty banter...you know how to reach me."  Rose rolled her eyes at Danny but he surprised her then by crouching down by her side of the bed.  His next words were soft, for her ears only. "I mean it Rosalie.  I may not have an angel at my beck and call but I have my ways.  If you need me I'll be here."  The sincerity in his words came through clearly and the look in his eyes backed it up.

Rose smiled, grateful for the offer despite herself.  "Thanks, Danny."

Danny smiled at her reassuringly.  Then he straightened up and strode towards the door, his walk as cocky and confident as Rose remembered it.  "See you in a week, love."

* * *

Sam could hear Lily and Charlie before he opened the door, their loud laughter reaching his ears.  He didn't see them at first but quickly figured out where they were by following their voices.  They were sitting on the floor of the balcony leaning up against the wall, surrounded by an array of empty beer bottles and an empty whiskey bottle by Lily’s side. 

"Sam!" Lily said excitedly, "You found us!"

Sam eyed her and Charlie as he made his way up to them; taking in their sloppy smiles, glassy eyes and the myriad of empty bottles surrounding them it was pretty easy to see they were both drunk.  Looking around the garage below Sam winced.  There were bottle caps everywhere.  Between that and the beer and whiskey being gone Sam understood why Charlie had said not to bring Dean; He would be pissed.

"Mmm hmm," Sam said, leaning up against the railing and folding his arms.  He gave them both a disapproving look.  "I leave you girls alone for a minute and this is what happens?" He couldn't hide the small grin that slipped across his face though. He wasn't sure how Lily would respond after Rose's attack and this was definitely a better outcome than some he could imagine.  He shook his head.  "You two together are trouble."

Charlie and Lily looked at each other and giggled.

"We could get shirts!" Lily said excitedly.

"Together we're trouble!" Charlie added.

"You'll be _in_ trouble when Dean catches sight of the garage," Sam added.

"But you'll protect us, Sam, right?" Charlie asked, giving him her best hopeful look.

Sam laughed and shook his head.  "Nope.  No way.  Go up against a demon and I'll fight for you.  But you're on your own with my brother."

Charlie pouted at him.  "That's not fair."

"Ya totally unfair," Lily echoed with a pout of her own and Sam chuckled.  They really were a terrible twosome.

Sam reached out a hand and pulled Lily to her feet then helped Charlie to hers.  "Come on, you two.  Danny's leaving soon and I figured you wanted to say goodbye," Sam said looking at Lily.

"He's leaving?" Lily asked and Sam nodded as he ushered them out of the garage.  "Aw, that sucks.  I like Danny."  Sam just rolled his eyes and shepherded the two of them up the stairs, nervously watching both to make sure they didn't lose their footing.  All they needed was a trip to the ER to cap this day off.

"You know who he reminds me of?" Charlie asked stopping suddenly and flopping down on a stair.  "Dean.  He's like Dean Lite.  All the cockiness, flirtyness and smart assness without the temper and moodiness."

Lily laughed and following Charlie’s lead she sat down too, despite Sam’s repeated tugging on her arm.  "Actually my mom used to say he was Dean without a hint of discipline or an ounce of his responsibility."

Sam thought about it and had to agree.  There were definitely similarities there, some pretty big differences too but enough similarities that even without Rose in the picture the two men would surely annoy the hell out of each other.  Add in a woman that both men had obvious strong feelings for and there was little chance of them not being combustible.  (Though what world they were living in that Dean was considered disciplined and responsible?  Dean would positively cringe at that.) 

“See?” Charlie said, nodding her head wisely.  Then she stopped to look around at the steps they were seated on.  “These are comfy.  Why don’t we sit here more often?”

Lily looked around too nodding in agreement with Charlie.  “I don’t know.  They’re definitely a good place to sit and talk.  Why don’t we sit here?”

Sam rolled his eyes at the two drunk girls in front of him.  “Probably because we have actual comfortable chairs and couches to sit on?” he offered.  “Come on girls; let’s go find some of them.”

Sam felt like he was herding a litter of kittens up the stairs. Once he’d finally managed to get them both back on their feet he'd stopped Lily from falling backwards twice and saved Charlie from toppling over so often he'd just finally picked her up and carried her. When they finally reached the map room Danny was seated at the table and Dean was nowhere in sight.  

"Danny!" Lily cried and Danny stood with a smile while she rushed to him and wrapped her arms around him.  Sam placed Charlie down on her feet and rolled his eyes at Lily's enthusiasm "Why do you have to go?"

Danny laughed softly at the brunette hanging off of him.  "I see you've been indulging in the spirits."

Lily pulled back and looked at him in confusion.  "What?  No, no spirits.  Charlie and me drank Dean's beer.  And his whiskey."  But shhh." She put her finger to her lips. "He doesn't know."

Danny grinned. "Your secrets safe with me."  He hugged Lily to him and she snuggled against him. "You always were a fun drunk.  But in answer to your question I have to go so I can bring your car back to you."

Lily laughed, then pulled back to look at him again.  "You be careful with my car, Danny.  It's a pretty, pretty car and I want it back all shiny and beautiful."

"Just like you, Lil," Danny said with a wink. "I'll do my best."

Lily gave him one more hug and then a big kiss on the cheek.  "You always were such a cute boy," she murmured and Danny caught the menacing glare from Sam over Lily's head.  He hugged Lily back and then quickly extricated himself, not wanting to irritate Sam any further.  One Winchester brother hating him was enough.  Charlie gave him a friendly wave and then both girls headed unsteadily down the hallway in the direction of their bedrooms, whispering and giggling drunkenly the whole way.

Danny cleared his throat and started talking to hopefully distract Sam and get him to stop glaring at him. "So Lily isn't the only one of the Sullivan sisters visiting margaritaville tonight." At Sam's raised eyebrow Danny explained. "Rose let me in to see her.  She's got a few bottles of liquor in there and was at least halfway through a bottle of tequila."

Sam looked surprised.  He had been pretty confident that Rose wouldn't let anyone in.  "How was she?"

"Much calmer," Danny said.  "She said something about the alcohol making things quiet and other things not so strong.  Make of that what you will."

Sam frowned turning that over in his head.  Before he could respond a soft rustling noise reached his ears and he looked up to find Cas standing there.  He nodded at Sam then looked at Danny expectantly.

"Aw, and here's my transport," Danny said. "I'll be back in about a week or so.  Tell your oh-so-charming brother I said goodbye."  Cas put his hand on Danny's shoulder.  "Oh and Sam?  Tell him to take good care of Rosalie for me." 

And in a blink both Cas and Danny were gone, revealing Dean standing in the doorway behind where they had been.  He looked at Sam.

"Ya, I really hate that guy."


	32. It's Miserable and Magical

Sam left his brother sitting in the library to check on Lily.  As unsteady as she was on her feet he wanted to make sure she’d made it to their room safely.  He detoured to check on Charlie first, finding the redhead on her bed in her clothes, almost asleep.  He tugged her shoes off and covered her with a blanket, earning a sleepy “Thanks, Sam.”

Making his way to their room Sam found Lily sitting on their bed, her shoes and socks in a pile on the floor.  Her bra was draped across the end of the bed and she was currently trying to pull her jeans off while muttering to herself.  Sam caught a bit of what she was saying as he came in.

"Torture devices.....pure evil....probably created by demons..."

"What are you talking about, Lil?" Sam asked curiously.

"Sam!" Lily's eyes lit up at the sight of him.  Apparently her being drunk meant she was surprised and delighted to see him every time.  She gazed at his face happily for a minute then she frowned as she glared at the end of the bed.  "Bras....they're evil.  And jeans too."  She collapsed back on the bed, giving up on getting her jeans off.  "Clothes." She waved her hand in the air.  "Clothes are just bad. Why do we have to wear them?"

Sam chuckled and came over and expertly slid her jeans off of her.  Lily looked up at him in amazement.  "How'd you do that?"

"Talent," Sam said with a smile.  "And I have a lot of experience getting your clothes off of you."

Lily giggled.  "You do."  She lolled on the bed, smiling up at up in a sleepy way.

"Any reason you kept the t-shirt on?" Sam asked curiously.

Lily nodded. "I like this shirt.  It's perfect for today." “HAHAHA No.” it read and Sam had to admit it did fit the day well. "And I'm cold.  So I'm sleeping in this."

Sam wondered whether it would do any good to point out to Lily she had much warmer things to sleep in.  Probably not.  Shaking his head he pulled back the covers and Lily made a half hearted attempt to get under them before Sam picked her up and put her there.

She placed her hands on either side of his face and smiled at him after he pulled the blankets over her.  “Sammy, Sammy, Sammy,” she said then seemed to forget what she had planned to follow that up with.  She looked confused for a second and Sam chuckled.  He kissed her forehead and smiled back at her.

“Go to sleep, Darling.  I’m gonna go to talk to Dean and then I’ll be in.”

Lily nodded her head, patted his cheeks once then curled up under the blankets.  “Love you, Sam,” she muttered sleepily.

“Love you too, Lil.”

* * *

Cas had dropped of Danny who had looked happy to be home.  Cas was fairly certain Rose’s ex-boyfriend (That’s how Dean kept referring to him in his mind, usually with quite a few curse words thrown in.) hadn’t had any clue how complicated life was with the Winchesters and it certainly seemed to have just gotten more so since the Sullivan sisters had arrived.

Speaking of which…..Cas nodded at Bobby when he arrived back at the hospital room and sat back in his normal spot by Daisy’s side.  Cas admitted guiltily he had put off talking to Daisy since the night he’d brought Rose back.  She’d been so upset and he felt so guilty about it and the last thing he wanted to do was to make her cry again.  She’d been fairly quiet when he had popped into see her but it wasn’t like he’d given her a chance to say much really, leaving quickly each time.  But he could sense her growing impatience and he planned on talking tonight.

He closed his eyes then opened them again to find Daisy sitting on the couch at the ski lodge.  And from the look on her face she was none too happy with him.  Her arms and legs were both crossed and she was dressed in clothes different to the ones he’d seen her in last.  Cas took in the black jeans, grey sneakers and warm looking grey sweater (With a big black heart on it…that was odd Cas thought but then he thought a lot of the clothes Daisy liked was odd.  He understood clothes to be just covering so one didn’t walk around naked.  So he didn’t quite grasp the concern Daisy and her sisters had over the clothes they wore. Dean and Sam certainly never put that much thought into their clothes.) One of those sneakers was shaking back and forth right now, backing up the unhappiness Cas could clearly see on Daisy’s face.

Taking a deep breath Cas worked his nerve up to speak but Daisy beat him to the punch.

“So are you here to talk or are you leaving in just a minute?” Cas winced upon hearing the sharp tone in Daisy’s voice.  “Because you’ve obviously been very busy the last day or so.”

“Yes, I apologize for-”

“You can keep your apologies and your excuses,” Daisy cut him off and Cas realized slowly just how upset Daisy really was.  Her eyes were turbulent and hard, staring at him in obvious disapproval and it was dawning on Cas that he had screwed up even worse by staying away.  “Because I don’t want to hear them.”

After Daisy had talked to Lily she had felt better, understanding Cas’ reasoning in keeping where Rose was from her.  She had planned on being very clear with him that while she understood why he’d done it that she didn’t want him to do it again. She planned to make it clear to him that she didn’t need all the protection her sisters always seemed to think she did.  Daisy was sensitive; she couldn't deny that.  But sensitive didn’t equal weak and she wanted to make sure Cas understood that.  She thought she had handled knowing that she’d be hurt and having to keep it from everyone fairly well and she wanted to make sure Cas knew that that was much more indicative  of who she was than bursting into tears and demanding she needed her sister.  She figured they could talk and things would be good.  Rose was always saying you could work almost  anything out if you just talked and Daisy was sure she and Cas could do that. But then Cas had stayed away, popping in for just a minute here or there to make sure she was OK but never staying long enough to talk.  And Daisy had gone from being ready to talk and move on to being very angry.

“I’m sorry…I,” Cas was fumbling now, not sure what to say and Daisy obviously knew this.

“You left. I got upset and you left and then obviously didn’t want to deal with me.  That’s pretty sucky behavior, Castiel.”  Daisy’s look was damning and Cas was frozen to the spot, unable to defend himself.  But he had to try.

“I made you cry.  I didn’t want to do that again.”  Daisy’s eyes widened and Cas was pretty sure what he’d said had made things worse.

“So your solution was to just not talk to me?  I cried and that’s it?  You can’t handle tears?”  Daisy shook her head in obvious disappointment at Cas and he felt a wave of shame wash over him.

“Sam and Lily both said you were sensitive and that I needed to be careful what I said,” Cas tried to explain.  “I was trying to think of what to say and I just…” Cas ran out of words, not knowing how to account for his actions.  He flapped his hands ineffectually for a second, trying to find the words and finally dropped them to his side.  Never had he felt so useless.

Daisy narrowed her eyes at him and quickly stood, placing her hands on her hips.  “I’m sensitive.  I cry.  But that doesn’t mean I’m weak or that you have to watch what you say around me, Castiel.”  She shrugged.  “You told me my sister was fine, conveniently leaving out the part about no one having any idea where she was.  You lied to me.  I think that’s a legitimate reason to be upset.”  Daisy turned on her heel and walked away from him then, stopping at the window and looking out.  “If you can’t handle that, if me getting emotional is too much then just go ahead and heal me.” She glanced at Cas over her shoulder when he looked up at her sharply.  “I know I’m well enough now; I can feel it. I know you’re just keeping me here so I can learn and work on my powers.”  Cas nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement.  What Daisy said was true; physically she was much better.  But she hadn’t worked on all she could do yet.  They hadn’t had enough time yet. Daisy continued before Cas could speak.  “I can just figure the rest of it out on my own.  Or not.” She shrugged.  “I don’t really care.  But I won’t stay here with someone who doesn’t want to deal with me and my emotions.”

Cas had felt frozen by Daisy’s upset and anger but these last words of hers snapped him out of it.

“No,” he said firmly.  He couldn’t let her put herself in a situation where she was less than prepared because of him.  And he couldn’t let her think that he didn’t want to be with her.  Daisy turned to look at him at his sudden response and Cas crossed to her quickly, putting a hand on her waist and he was relieved when she didn’t pull away.  He didn’t think, he didn’t worry that he wouldn’t say the right thing.  He just said what he felt, hoping it would be enough.

“I do want to "deal with you" as you put it, Daisy.” Cas took a deep breath and looked into her eyes; up close he could see the anger and the hurt there.  “I just didn’t want to make it worse.  I made you cry, Daisy.” He gripped her waist, needing her to see how upsetting that fact was to him. “I didn’t know what to say to fix things and I didn’t want to mess things up worse.”

“Yes, well leaving wasn’t the answer,” Daisy said.  She looked up at him her eyes two emeralds of accusation.  “Not talking to me, not explaining or letting me talk to you,” She shook her head.  “That didn’t help.”

“I see that now,” Cas said, inching closer to her.  “I was just worried.  I don’t know what I’m doing here, Daisy.  I’ve never-” Cas swallowed hard and looked at Daisy nervously.  “I feel like I’m doing everything wrong.”

“Not everything,” Daisy said quietly.  Seeing Cas’ nervousness Daisy softened.  Seeing him so worried at having upset her, that it mattered to him so much broke through her anger.  A little.  She sighed.  “You just…you can’t not talk to me.  You can’t just disappear and leave me here like that.  I hate being left behind.  It’s been happening to me my whole life.  You’re not supposed to do it too.”

Cas nodded.  He saw now how wrong he had been to not come back right away.  He touched her face softly. “I won’t ever again.  Lily and Sam just seemed so adamant about me being careful what I said to you.”  Daisy rolled her eyes.

“That’s one of the drawbacks of being the youngest – They all think I’m an easily breakable little girl.”  Daisy reached out and fidgeted with Cas’ tie and he smiled.  She did this unthinkingly and he was fairly certain it meant she was at least a little less angry.  “I cry easier than my sisters and I’m emotional but that doesn’t mean I’m not strong, Cas.” She shrugged and glanced up at him. “So you said the wrong thing.  You say you’re sorry and we go on.  I guarantee I’ll say or do the wrong thing too.  I’m not exactly experienced at relationships either.”

Cas turned that over in his head.  “So I just say I’m sorry?”  Daisy nodded.  “I’m sorry I made you cry, Daisy.”

“And for not telling me about Rose?” Daisy pushed.

Cas shook his head.  “Well no, I'm not sorry about that.  You needed to heal and that would have upset you.”

Daisy groaned and dropped her head against his chest.  “God, I’m not that weak!  I would have been fine.”

Cas ran a hand over her hair and she lifted her head to look at him.  “I didn’t do it because you’re weak.” He frowned.  “You’re not weak at all.  I watched all you did and took on when no one but us knew about what was to come. You’re one of the strongest people I know.”  He saw Daisy smile at that and he continued. "I did it because I was worried about you and was doing everything I could to take care of you.” Cas cocked his head and looked at her curiously.  “It was my understanding that people who cared about each other protected each other.”

Daisy smiled at him shyly.  “You care about me?”

Cas looked at her in confusion.  He’d kissed her.  Didn’t she understand what that meant?  He thought back to what Dean had said: _You may want to tell her, with you know actual words, that you like her._   Could he do this?  He felt he had fumbled all his words so badly last time he was with Daisy and hadn't done much better this time.  Could he get this right?  He had to he decided firmly.  This was important.

Cas took Daisy’ hand and led her back to the couch, pulling her down so they were both sitting sideways and facing each other and took her hands in his.  Then he took another deep breath and managed to get out “I like you very much, Daisy.”  He was immediately rewarded with a beautiful smile.  The look on her face at his words was worth anything Cas decided.  He would have walked through the fires of hell to see that again.

“You do?” she breathed, looking as if this was too good to be true.

Cas nodded his head gravely.  “I do.”

Daisy smiled up at Cas, her eyes shining.  “I like you too.”  She bit her lip, seemed to gather her nerve and said “And I really like it when you kiss me.”

The smile on Cas’ face was as bright as Daisy’s.  “You do?” Daisy nodded her head enthusiastically, her curls bouncing.  “I do too.”  He paused then added “I was hoping it was OK.”

“It was very OK in my book.”  Daisy looked at him seriously then.  “I haven’t kissed many guys, Cas.  Is that OK?”

Cas thought about that.  “I think I like that.  I would prefer I were the only guy you kiss, Daisy.”

Daisy smiled up at him, her dimples showing.  “As long as I’m the only girl you’re kissing I’d like that.”

“Good.  Then it’s settled” Cas said smiling satisfactorily.  He lay back on the couch and pulled Daisy down next to him.  He knew she was doing much better but resting wouldn't do her any harm, plus it meant he got to hold her like this.

“I like when we cuddle,” Daisy said, snuggling up against his side.

They lay there like that for several hours, speaking some, kissing occasionally but mostly just enjoying each other’s presence.  Their thoughts flew as freely as their words, freer than they had since they're first kissed, bolstering the others assurance of their feelings.

Their entire conversation about kissing and liking each other would have made Lily crazy at its sweetness and the simplicity of it would have left Rose completely unsatisfied.  But for Daisy and for Cas it was just perfect.

* * *

A day passed in which no one saw Rose.  Everyone had tried to get her to let them in and all they’d gotten back was either silence or at most a "Go Away.”  It bothered Dean no small amount that she’d let Danny in wouldn't let him in.  He knew she was mad at him but he was mad at her too, damn it and he was still willing to talk to her.

Sam dealt with Dean’s surliness, handled Lily and Charlie’s hang over’s and hoped for some sort of miracle to appear to fix everything.  It came the next day, or at least the glimmer of one, in the form of Erin.


	33. You Can See the Stars and Still Not See the Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some answers

Sam and Dean along with Lily and Charlie were sitting around a table in the library when Erin suddenly appeared in the doorway.

Dean," Erin said and Dean's head shot up in surprise.  "I seem to recall you being able to pick most any lock.  I could use your help, please.  I need to speak with my daughter."  And without waiting to see if he was following, Erin headed toward the room Rose was holed up in.

Throwing Sam a questioning glance and getting a shrug in response Dean stood and followed Erin, stopping in his room to get what he needed to pick the lock.  He hadn't even known Erin was at the bunker.  When he got to the door Erin was standing there patiently and she gave him a smile as he approached.  Dean got to work, wanting to get this done as quickly as possible.  There was a dull thudding noise coming from the room and Dean refused to think about what it could be.  In only took him a few minutes before the door was unlocked - Dean really was as talented as Erin had said.

"Thank You, Dean," He nodded and turned to go but a gentle hand on his arm stopped him. "I know how important you are to Rose, how much you matter to her.  Don't hold this against her, please.  I know you're hurting but she's hurting as well."  Dean met Erin's eyes, surprised at her words.  He hadn't been sure she'd even known he and Rose were involved.  He’d figured he was OK asking her about the spell as a concerned friend; everyone knew how close he and Sam were with Lily and Rose.  Apparently she’d seen through that.  Erin smiled at him, trying to hide her amusement.  Dean may keep his cards close to his chest but when it came to something he felt strongly about, whether it was his brother or how he felt about Rose he couldn’t hide his feelings at all.  He was his mother’s son that way, Erin thought wistfully.  Shaking herself from that train of thought Erin just said, "I'm her mother, Dean.  I know my daughter.  It's hard to miss when her hearts as taken with someone as she is with you." She paused then added, "I know she's mad at you but eventually she'll understand." She looked at him intently and for the first time Dean saw a part of Rose in her mother.  The look she was giving him now was one he'd seen on Rose's face when she was trying to convince him of something important.  "Give her time.  I'd say she's worth it."  And without another word she slipped into the room.

Dean rubbed the back of his neck, wondering if the Sullivan women took classes in how to get right to a guys heart with their words.  Just before he walked away Dean heard Erin clear as day say, "Don't even think about it young lady!" in total mom voice and he had to grin.  Rose hadn't thrown her mom out yet which was further than any of them had gotten.  Maybe Erin would get though to Rose where no one else could.

In the bedroom Erin was watching her middle child with pain in her eyes.  It was easy to see Rose was hurting.  She was sat at the top of the bed, her hair a tangled mess, her knees drawn up to her chest and a sullen look on her face.  Rose had always been a pleasant child but an extremely stubborn one; when she set her mind to something there was almost no changing it.  Erin was hoping Rose's stubbornness would actually be an asset in this case.  She eyed the chair that was continually rising and falling in the corner.  And hopefully she could help her daughter some as well.  She spotted the empty liquor bottles and guessed that was how Rose had been controlling her powers since the incident at the hotel.  It obviously wasn't working as well as it had been.

"Go away," Rose said a scowl on her face and Erin frowned in concern.  She and Rose might not be especially close but she knew her children.  Something was off… When she'd heard from Sam about Rose's blow up she wasn't sure that it wasn't just due to what had happened to her at the hands of Aine.  Erin had seen how something like that could affect a person, had seemed extreme reactions before.  But seeing Rose now she was certain their was something else going on besides the after effects of torture.

"Now Rose," she said, walking towards the bed "I've come to help."

"How?  By putting another spell on me?" Rose asked, glaring at her accusingly.  “The only way you can help me is to remove the damn spell so I can leave.”

Erin shook her head firmly.  "I can't do that, Rose.  It's not safe out there on your own."

Rose sighed, her aggravation coming across clearly.  “Then you can't help.  No one can.  Just go away."

"I can help but you need to listen," Erin said, sitting down on the bed.  She reached out a hand, smoothing Rose's hair back and for a second Rose leaned into her touch but then she pulled back, drawing back into herself.  Erin frowned again.  Rose was easily her most tactile child.  Touch was as important to Rose as oxygen; it had been from the moment she was born.  Lily may have been the more demanding infant when it came to attention but Rose had been the one who had needed to be held the most.  Looking at them now it was easy to see how something’s didn’t change; Lily still loved to be the center of everyone’s attention and Rose was happiest when she was hugging or cuddling with someone she loved.  For her to withdraw from a loving touch was completely out of character.  Definitely off.  "I've got something you can take, Rosie that will calm you and should help you be able to relax enough so that can stop."  Erin motioned to the moving chair that had picked up speed since she sat down.

Rose studied her for a minute.  "Will it knock me out?  Because I don't want that," she said.  Erin noticed Rose was shaking slightly, and her heart ached to see her daughter in such a state.

Erin shook her head.  "No it will just calm you a bit, enough for you to get a handle over your power."

"You're sure?" Rose asked and Erin nodded, taking in more details of Rose’s appearance as she did.  Her eyes were larger than normal, dark circles underneath them and her skin a pasty white.  Erin wondered if she had slept or eaten at all.

"OK I'll try it then."

Erin patted Rose's hand.  "Good girl," she said, standing and bringing her bag to the bedside table.  She opened it and pulled out a small vial with an orange liquid inside.  She unscrewed the top and turned to Rose, saying "Just two drops should do it.  Open your mouth, baby."  Rose actually obeyed, desperate for help.

After Erin had gotten the liquid in her daughter she closed her bag and climbed up on the bed next to Rose.  She didn't ask, she just pulled Rose into her arms, holding her against her like she had when Rose was little.  At first Rose was stiff and unyielding, obviously not wanting to let her guard down but Erin didn't let that stop her.  She held onto Rose, rubbing her back and making soothing noises.  Slowly she felt Rose start to relax and then all but collapse against her.  And then the tears came, full of pain and anguish and Erin did what mothers do best: she let her daughter get it all out.  Rose sobbed into her chest, broken words of fear and confusion bubbling forward and Erin just rocked her back and forth, letting her cry as long as she wanted.  She noticed that despite the tears the chair had finally stilled, giving her reason to believe the tonic had helped.  Eventually the tears stopped and Rose lay silent and limp.

Erin had always found Rose the least likely to confide in her.  Where Daisy chattered constantly and Lily shared easily Rose kept to herself, sharing with her father or Lily.  But this time instinct told Erin that her middle child needed her mother.  She reached down and stroked her daughters tear stained face.  "Talk to me, Rosie."

Rose slowly nodded, knowing she had to get some of this out.  Slowly the story spilled out; the solo trip to a person she could trust who had wound up becoming a victim in all this. The confrontation with the demon ("She called herself Aine and she thought I should know her.") the surprising rescue by Danny and the horror of watching not only Chastity possessed but Ryan die at her hands.  How out of control her powers had been since the attack at the hotel, how drinking wine at Chastity's had helped but how much stronger and out of control they felt now.  How guilty she felt and how scared.  Erin wasn’t sure that she had told her everything (Knowing Rose it was unlikely she had.) but she’d told her enough.  No wonder she was in such a state.

Rose was laying on the bed now, curled up with her head in her mother’s lap and Erin stroked her hair soothingly.

"Oh Baby, you couldn't help any of it.  I know you feel guilty but none of this was your doing.  You never asked for and of it."

"No, but neither did Chastity or Ryan.  They were just being kind and trying to help and I destroyed their lives." Rose fidgeted with the fabric of her mother’s skirt. "I made Emma an orphan."

"You did no such thing, Rose," Erin said sharply and Rose glanced at her mother in surprise.  Softening her tone Erin said, "You went to a friend for help.  That's normal behavior, sweetheart.  What happened is on the demon, not on you."  Rose frowned but didn’t argue and so Erin continued.  “You need to stop blaming yourself and stop beating yourself up over what happened.”  Erin stroked Rose’s hair, working out some of the tangles with her fingers.  “You have so many people who love you and want to help you through this, baby.  You just have to let them.”

Rose sat up, giving her mother an irritated look, some of her anger returning.  “And if I don’t they’ll just trap me here like a prisoner, right?”

Erin had known that Rose with her restless nature would especially bristle at having her wings clipped so to speak by a spell.  But Erin had agreed with Dean that it was necessary.

“You’re not a prisoner, Rose,” Erin said patiently. “You can leave the bunker you just have to have one of us with you.”

Rose’s eyes widened.  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?  I still can’t go anywhere on my own.”

“Rose, be reasonable.  Dean asked me to help because he was afraid you would leave and he knows that isn't safe for you.  He did what he did because he cares about you.”  Erin caught her daughters’ eye, wanting her to really hear her.  "He knew you'd be mad at him and he did if anyway because he wants you safe.  That's selfless, sweetheart, something that only someone who really, truly cares about you would do."  Erin reached out stroked Rose's hair.  When she spoke again her voice was softer, an almost reverent note there. "It reminds me of something your father would have done." Rose looked at her mother in surprise but Erin didn't expound on her statement. "I know you're upset with Dean and I understand why.  But if you want to know why he did it just look into his eyes when he's watching you sometime, baby.  All the explanation you'll need is right there in the way he looks at you."  Erin pulled her hand back and looked at Rose knowingly.  "And then ask yourself what you'd be willing to do to protect him.  It might make it a bit easier to forgive him."

"So you're team Dean now?" Rose asked with a raised eyebrow.  All that her mother had said was too much for her to take in now.  She couldn't.  She was too upset, too emotional and confused.  Maybe later when things weren't so chaotic.  That time would come, right?

"I saw how desperate he was when you took off, Baby.  I'm team any man who cares about my daughter that much."  Despite her anger Rose blushed and a small smile flitted across her face before she quickly smothered it.  "Now when was the last time you ate?" Rose shrugged.  She couldn't remember but she guessed it must have been at lunch when she had Emma.  Surprisingly she wasn't hungry.  "Why don't you come out and I'll-" Erin stopped as she watched panic spread across Rose’s face.

"No.  No I can't go out there!" Rose remembered all too well what had happened the last time she'd ventured outside this room.  She may be angry at Dean and Lily but she didn’t want to hurt them.  (And why she was mad at Lily she couldn’t say.  There was just this vague sense of anger there towards her older sister.)

"OK baby you don't have to."  Erin rubbed Rose's back soothingly.  "If I bring you some food will you eat in here?"  Rose nodded and Erin smiled.  "I'll be right back."

Erin closed the door behind her, a frown on her face as the most worrying thing Rose had said to her repeated itself.  "I'm just so, so angry, Mom.  I can't shake it or get rid of it.  And even when I don't really feel angry there's this angry voice in my head that won't shut up."  Rose had looked miserable as she confessed, "It's hateful and violent and I can't get it to go away."

Walking out to the worried group who had moved into the kitchen Erin smiled soothingly at them.  "The tonic I made worked and now Rose needs some food."  Dean immediately got to his feet and got busy getting some food together.  Erin had the feeling if she had said Rose needed a unicorn Dean would have done his best to get her one.

"Is she OK, Mom?" Lily asked anxiously.  Erin watched at Sam immediately took Lily's hand to offer her comfort.  He'd always been such a sweet boy.  He was good with Lily, giving her the softness she needed without smothering her.

"Her power is dampened for now." Erin looked pensive.  "But something isn't right.  Something is definitely off with her.  After she eats I’m going to ask Cas to come check on her.  I think perhaps he can help."

* * *

Erin watched with concern at the way Rose picked at her food.  All of her girls were healthy eaters and she’d verified with Lily and Dean that Rose hadn’t eaten since she’d been back so that meant it had been a full three days she hadn’t eaten.  She should have been starving but she only nibbled at the sandwich Dean had made her and barely touched the potato chips.  Deciding that was a battle for another day, once Rose seemed to be done eating Erin broached the subject of having Cas check her out.

Rose immediately looked unhappy at the suggestion and initially balked at the idea but after Erin explained why she begrudgingly acquiesced.  Erin called the angel and he appeared quickly, his eyes scanning the room quickly and settling on Rose and her mother.  Erin gave a slight nod of her head, indicating they were ready and Cas came forward and touched Rose’s forehead.

Rose studied his face as he studied her…mind?  Is that what he was looking at?  Or her powers?  Something inside her, something that was more fundamentally her than her face ever would be.  She felt uncomfortable with Cas’ presence, on edge even more than she had been before.  The voice inside her may be silent now that it had been doused in tequila and the tonic her mother had made but she could still feel it there and it didn’t like Cas.  Not one bit.

Cas pulled his hand back finally and frowned.  He glanced at Rose then her mother then back to Rose, seeming unsure what to say.  Finally he said quietly, “There’s a shadow.”

Rose blinked.  “A shadow?” She glanced at her mother who had a worried expression on her face that she tried and failed to hide when she felt Rose’s eyes on her.

“It’s what we thought?” Erin asked and Cas nodded.

“Stronger than we thought but yes, it’s from the night at the hotel.”

“Is Daisy strong enough now?” Erin asked her concern evident in her voice.  “Can she do it?”

Cas nodded without hesitation.  “Yes but I’ll need some time to explain it all to her and get her ready.  We should be able to do it tomorrow.” Cas looked at Erin questioningly.  “Do you want me to explain it to the others or-”

“Could someone explain it to me?” Rose broke in, her temper flashing hot at being left in the dark, at being talked about like she wasn’t here.  Cas and her mother glanced at her for a second and then Erin spoke.

“Cas, can you explain it to the others, please?  I’ll explain it to Rose.” With a quick nod of his head Cas left the room and Erin turned to her daughter.  She settled down on the bed so she was facing her and took her daughters hands in her own, taking a breath and starting to explain.

* * *

Cas found everyone gathered in the living room.  Dean was seated on a couch with Charlie, his phone in hand and an unsettled look on his face while the redhead had her laptop on her knees and was studying something on it intently.  Sam and Lily were on another couch, talking quietly when Cas came into the room.

“Cas!” Dean exclaimed when he saw him.  “You saw Rose?” Cas nodded. “Any idea what’s going on?”

Cas nodded again, coming to the center of the room and taking in the group there.  He remembered what Erin had cautioned him about putting things gentler than normal when it came to this topic.  Certain ways he could say things would upset some here, especially Dean and Lily.  He turned over what they had discussed and felt confident he could say this right.

“You remember when you all were pulled into Daisy’s vision back at the hotel?”  Three heads nodded while Charlie watched curiously.  “You remember the demons that were attacking were pulled into the vision?”  Three more head nods, these accompanied by an eye roll from Lily and a hurry up motion from Dean.  “When that happened one of the demons, the strongest one, it left a shadow on Rose.”  Cas received four blank looks and he realized he’d have to explain better.  “Going back further when Rose broke into Daisy’s dream, Sam you said that she had something called Dream Empathy, yes?” Sam nodded slowly and Cas could see he was catching on.  “You were correct.  But this was a different situation.  In this case because it was a vision and so much of Daisy and Rose’s powers are directly linked to their minds they were extremely vulnerable when the demons broke in.” Cas sighed and sat down on the coffee table, realizing this could take some time to explain. “When the demons were pulled into the vision part of the strongest demons..” Cas struggled for the best word, “essence if you will, locked onto Rose.  It imprinted on her and left behind a trace of itself on her.”

“But she got the tattoo,” Lily protested, turning to look accusingly at Sam then Dean in turn.  “You said she couldn’t be possessed.”

“She’s not possessed,” Cas said calmly. “She’s influenced.”

“OK, Cas, buddy you’re gonna have to explain this better,” Dean said, looking confused and agitated. “Because I’ve never heard of anything like this before.  Have you?” he asked looking at Sam and his brother shook his head.

"Well being pulled into a vision isn't exactly common, Dean, much less with demons." Cas sighed.  He knew this wasn’t going to be easy. “When we were all in Daisy’s vision the strongest demon latched onto Rose.  She couldn’t possess her because of the tattoo.  But while in the vision Rose’s mind was open and completely unguarded.  I don’t know if it was purposeful or just instinctual but she’s been a shadow on Rose’s mind since then.”

“You said Daisy was vulnerable too,” Dean pointed out.  “Why didn’t she get a shadow on her?”

“The only demon who was strong enough to do this went for Rose,” Cas said.  Now was the part he had to be careful with.  He took a deep breath and tried his best to get this right.  He knew everyone was upset enough without him making it worse.  “Daisy and I are linked so while her mind was vulnerable I have to imagine it wouldn’t be particularly attractive to demons.  Rose on the other hand, well she’s the one the demon sisters want so she’s immediately enticing to other demons.” Cas saw Dean clench his jaw at this statement but he didn’t yell and nothing was thrown so Cas took that to mean he’d done a better job than when he’d first explained his hunch to Erin.  That hadn’t gone smoothly at all.

“I’m going to guess how much power she has is a draw too?” Sam asked, thinking back to the witch's reaction to Rose and Cas nodded.

“Oh yes, demons love power and Rose has more power in her than I’ve ever seen in anyone who wasn’t a demon or an angel." Cas hesitated then added, "Plus her powers can obviously be much more destructive than Daisy's so that's a draw."

“So what’s all of this mean?” Lily asked.  She didn't care about details right now.  She just wanted her sister back.  “She’s had a demon telling her what to do since then?”

“Nothing that strong,” Cas assured her.  “She mentioned a voice to your mother that she’s heard since the attack at the hotel.  She said it was angry and violent.  Apparently she was able to drown it out with alcohol but since Aine attacked her and gave her that potion it’s been stronger.” Cas cocked his head to the side, thinking for a second then said, “Her power was stronger after that too so it makes sense.”

Dean lean out a muttered curse and got to his feet.  He’d asked Rose if she was OK when they’d talked on the phone and she hadn’t mentioned any of this.  So much for being up front and honest with each other.  Dean paced behind the couch Charlie was sat on.

“So all that anger and whatever from her before, that was the demon?” Lily asked and Sam winced at the hopeful note in her voice.

Cas nodded but before he could reply another voice spoke up from behind Dean.  “Some of that anger was hers.” Dean stopped and turned to face Erin and the confusion and hurt on his face and the matching expression Lily wore made her heart ache.  “She’s been through a huge ordeal and is angry and traumatized and she was angry about the spell.  But a lot of it, especially what she directed at you, Lily that was the demon.  It went after you two,” she said, nodding towards Dean and Lily, “Because it knows you two have the strongest hold on her heart.”  Dean seemed to take that in, her words calming him a little and he nodded slightly, then turned to look at Cas again.

“So now what?  Can you fix her?”

Cas nodded. “I can with Daisy’s help but we need a little time to get ready.  We should be ready by tomorrow afternoon.”

Erin looked at Cas.  “I’m going to stay here a little bit longer, make sure Rose is settled down for the night.”

“Lily and I can take you back to the hotel when you’re ready,” Sam piped up and Erin smiled at him gratefully and with a nod Erin's way Cas left.

Erin turned to Lily.  “Rose wants a shower.  Do you have some shampoo she can use?  And does she have more clothes here?”

Lily nodded and got up and went to get some things ready for her sister.  Before she followed Lily Erin stopped by Dean’s side.  She smiled at him and reached out and squeezed one shoulder reassuringly.  “You bring her to the hospital tomorrow, Dean.  We’ll fix her.  Don’t worry.”

But as Dean watched Erin follow Lily out all her could do was worry.


	34. Cherry Lips, Crystal Skies

It was awkward, that was the only way to put it.  Rose glanced at the man sitting next to her out of the corner of her eye, his hands on the wheel driving them to the hospital, calm and cool, his face not giving away anything he was thinking or feeling.  If she hadn't known him so well Rose could have believed he was as unaffected by everything that had happened and all that was still going on as he was trying to appear.  But she knew Dean, could read his body language better than just about anybody even when he was doing his best to be inscrutable.  His shoulders were tense, his hands gripping the steering wheel just a little too tight and his jaw was tightly clenched, all clear signs Dean was on edge.  Rose sighed softly and leaned her head back against the seat.

The night before had been long.  Rose had showered and changed into pajamas as if she was going to sleep, to please her mother more than anything but she’d been hopeful sleep would come.  So she’d lain in bed, feeling the soft, comforting fabric of her nightshirt trying to keep herself calm and relaxed.  (The nightshirt was purple and had loud, brightly colored cats all over it.  She remembered buying it with Daisy who had giggled the whole time telling her it was obnoxiously loud.  Rose had bought it more as a joke than anything else and because it made Daisy giggle uncontrollably but had wound up loving the silly thing, the flannel fabric soft and soothing to the touch.)  She’d felt calm for a little bit when the second dose of tonic her mother gave her had just kicked in and she was showered and clean, her mother (Who at the last minute had insisted on staying the night, sleeping on the couch that for some strange reason was in a bedroom, just in case Rose needed her.) moving about the room, straightening things up and Rose had sat in bed in her obnoxiously loud nightshirt and thought that maybe she could do this.  Maybe she could get through this as long as the voice was quiet and the tonic worked well enough to keep her powers under control.  So she had lain down, letting her eyes close and started to drift off.

Then her mother had settled down on the couch and gone to sleep.

And it had been quiet.

And still.

And suddenly just as she was on the cusp of sleep Rose had felt as if she couldn’t breathe.  The walls felt like they were closing in around her, smothering her and in the next struggling breath she felt a hand around her throat, closing and sharp nails cutting into her skin.  She sat up in alarm, a small cry escaping her lips before she could stop it, her own fingers clawing at her throat in a panic to try and get an invisible hand away from her.  Her mother was up and by her side in an instant, her own hands soothing Rose, rubbing her back, pulling her hands away from her neck.

That had been the first of countless times she’d jolted away before she’d finally just given up and just stayed awake.

Her mother had left after breakfast, Sam and Lily taking her back to her hotel.  Erin had kissed her forehead and made sure she took more of the tonic she’d made before she left. "Be nice to Dean, sweetheart.  He’s trying to take care of you,” Erin had murmured to her with a smile that Rose hadn't returned.  A night without sleep had done nothing to improve her mood or mindset.  The shirt Lily had given her to wear, ("I'm Not Trying To Be Difficult...It Just Comes Naturally.") no doubt as an intentional dig, suited how she felt perfectly.  She wasn’t looking forward to having Cas poking around inside her head even if her mother seemed to think it would help.

Dean glanced at Rose when she was staring out the window.  So far their conversation today had consisted of him asking if she was ready to go and her nodding her head.  Dean had two things he needed to tell her though before they got to the hospital and he was quickly running out of time so he bit the bullet.

Reaching out he turned the radio down and Rose didn't even glance his way.  Clearing his throat nervously he thought about commenting on her shirt.  But then considering he was pretty sure it was actually Lily's and that she’d most likely picked it on purpose he figured that probably wasn't a good place to start.  So instead he started with:

"So did anyone tell you about Daisy and Cas?"  Rose's blank stare when she turned to look at him confirmed that no one had.  Dean had figured her knowing about their impromptu marriage before they arrived was best for everyone involved.  The hospital staff has been incredibly understanding of the extra visitors; the last thing they needed was any kind of scene or confrontation.  So he gave her a brief synopsis and then waited, unsure how she would respond.  Lily had been upset and angry when she'd found out.  Who knew how Rose would react.

If he'd been expecting a strong reaction he was sorely disappointed.  Rose just looked at him for a minute then shrugged.  Dean felt as if he was in some alternate universe where Rose showed not a single ounce of emotion, a universe he hated.  Rose was emotional, she always had been and he liked that about her.  But this Rose wasn’t showing anything.

Right then.  Onto the next topic.

"So I guess you haven't looked at your phone but Chastity has been trying to get a hold of you."  That got her to look at him with some interest at least. "She finally texted me to make sure you were OK."

"She texted you?" Rose asked, her face showing something-annoyance or confusion maybe.  Dean was irritated by the fact that he couldn't read Rose at the moment.  Usually she was an open book, her emotions clearly showing on her face but it occurred to Dean that was largely due to the fact that Rose was usually completely unguarded with him.  Right now though she couldn't be any more guarded if she tried; every wall and defense was up as if he was someone she needed to defend herself against. Dean didn't even try to lie to himself about how much that hurt.  Shaking his head to clear his thoughts Dean answered Rose.

"Ya, she wanted to make sure you were OK."

Rose gave a weird little laugh at that.  "And did you tell her I was as good as a prisoner could be?"

Well he’d wanted emotion, anger was an emotion, though not the one he would have picked if given a choice.  Dean ground his teeth in frustration.  He counted to ten, then twenty before he responded.  "Just when you get a chance check your phone, OK?  She's pretty worried about you."  He paused then added, “We all are.”

"Everyone's just so worried about me," Rose said, just as they pulled into the hospital parking lot.  "It’s touching really.  Who knew prisoners got such care and concern?"

Dean slammed the Impala into park harder than necessary, letting his anger at her words bleed out just a little into his movements.  He froze instantly though when Rose visibly flinched.  Then he internally berated himself for being surprised.  It had been just a matter of days since she'd been tortured; it stood to reason that she was scared even if she was doing her best not to show it.  She may be trying to only show anger when she showed anything at all but there was an injured girl underneath all that and her reaction to his sudden, harsh movement had reminded him of that and he was grateful.  He wasn't sure how much of this was just Rose and how much was the influence of the demon but he was going to give her the benefit of the doubt.  Even if this was all her own anger he'd give her time.  She'd done more than that for him in the past.

Dean looked at Rose, watching her try to cover her reaction quickly, schooling her features back into a blank mask.  He gave her a half smile and when he spoke his voice was gentle.

"Sometimes the people who care about us the most do things that make us angry because they know we need it. When we're hurting we can't always see what's best for us but the people who truly care about us can."  Dean cocked his head to the side and looked at her, taking in the way her eyes narrowed at his words.  "Someone really wise told me that once and I've never forgotten it."

Not giving her time to respond Dean got out of the car and waited for her.  It took a minute for Rose to get her heart rate slowed down and her face to look impassive again but once she did she got out and followed Dean inside.

* * *

Cas had spent several hours with Daisy last night coaching her on what they needed to do for Rose and building up her confidence that she could do it.  He didn’t have a doubt that she could but she had been nervous when he explained to her what they were going to do; they were effectively going to be removing all traces of the demon from Rose’s mind.  Daisy’s eyes had gotten big when Cas had said that.  Cas would be doing the most work but Daisy had to be involved and she had been nervous at the thought.  Since she wanted to see and talk to her sister Cas was using the chance for Daisy to stretch her powers a bit further as well.

“You’re sure I can do this?” she asked nervously, looking at Cas with anxious eyes.

Cas gave her his most reassuring smile, something he’d gotten very good at recently.  Daisy was amazing but she needed reassurance.  The difference between what she could do if she felt she didn’t have support and what she could do if she knew someone believed in her was astounding.  “I don’t have a doubt in my mind,” Cas said and he was pleased when Daisy flushed with pleasure.  “Do you want to go over the plan again?”

“Yes, please,” Daisy said, slipping a hand in his, making Cas smile with pleasure.  Since their talk the other night Daisy had been much less nervous with him and Cas had enjoyed their times together immensely.  He squeezed her hand gently then began to recite the plan.

“I’ll make Rose sleep and I’ll help you grasp her and bring her to you.  You know where you’re going to take her?”  This would be Daisy’s first time creating a dream landscape on her own; she’d created a few with Cas guiding her and she’d influenced where she and Lily had gone but it had been Lily’s dream, she hadn’t created it.  This time she would be creating where she and Rose went, her first time completely doing so.  Daisy nodded and Cas continued.  “Once she’s there I’ll locate the shadow and get a grasp on it and you’ll grasp onto Rose.” Cas paused, trying to think of how he’d said it before that had made sense to Daisy.

“To the part of her that’s her power in her mind,” Daisy supplied.

Cas nodded.  “Exactly.”

“And it’ll be bright, right?” Daisy asked nervously.  “You said I’d know it.”

“You will,” Cas said without hesitation and Daisy nodded, trying to have Cas’ confidence.  When Cas explained to her what had happened to Rose, how this demon had come to latch onto her she’d felt awful.  It was her pulling them into that vision, even if it was unintentional, that had given the demon the window of opportunity to latch onto her sister.  Cas squeezed her hand.  “None of that, Daisy.  You have nothing to feel guilty about.”

Daisy gave him a small grateful smile.  She was trying very hard to believe that.  “Then you’ll pull the shadow off and make sure it’s gone completely.  And that’s it?”

“That’s it.  Then you can have your time to talk to Rose and see that she’s OK.”  Cas hesitated and Daisy sensed his concern.  Daisy looked at him questioningly and Cas reached out and smoothed her hair back gently.  “I just want you to be prepared.  Rose is very angry and hurt and she might not act like you expect her to.”

Daisy gave him a small smile, one that was full of knowledge and sadness.  “I know.  You told me about how she lashed out at Dean and Lily.  And I saw, remember?” Cas saw in her head the dream of Dean’s she had gone into and heard again a few of the words she said there.  _She's going to be broken into so many pieces…buried deep under a lot of anger and pain._

Cas hated the pain he saw on Daisy’s face, the anguish he felt coming from her.  She loved her family so much and knowing things would happen to people she loved that she couldn’t stop was so hard for her.  He leaned down and kissed her forehead tenderly.  “I’m sorry, I forgot.  I was wishing to protect you again and I forgot you already knew.”

Daisy smiled at him, her smile pushing most of the pain from her face.  “I like that you want to protect me,” she said and reached up and kissed him softly on the lips.  She pulled back after a moment and smiled at him again but her face quickly turned serious.  “Just remember, I'm stronger than I look."  Cas nodded.  He knew Daisy was in fact incredibly strong but it didn't stop him from wanting to shield her.  "You need to tell Dean, to remind him he can’t give up on her." Daisy said, looking at him intently. "She’s going to take time but he can’t lose hope.”

“I’ll remind him,” Cas promised.  He cocked his head to the side then said, “They’re here.  I’ll go get Rose ready and you get yourself prepared.”

* * *

One minute Rose was laying down on the couch in Daisy’s hospital room and the next she was standing in a beautiful garden chock full of roses.  Rose blinked taking in the rows and rows of colorful roses in full bloom.  It was a riot of color, every color of the rainbow represented, some Rose didn’t even know existed as a rose color.  Walking paths wove their way around the flowers with flowering trees in full bloom providing shade.  It was quiet, save for the sound of some birds chirping and the distance murmur of water bubbling.

“Rosie!”

The melodic sound of her younger sister calling her name made Rose turn and she couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face.  Seeing Daisy unconscious in a hospital bed had been painful despite Dean’s quiet assurance that she was all right and doing better all the time.  To see her bounding towards her, blond curls bouncing, cheeks rosy and a delighted smile on her face was a much needed sight.

Daisy reached her and wrapped her up in an enthusiastic hug.  Rose returned the hug, happy that here in a dream the voice in her head was silent; this was the first physical contact she’d been able to enjoy since she’d come home.  The voice seemed to know Rose thrived on touch and hated her having any at all.  She soaked up the feel of her little sisters arms wrapped tightly around her and Rose felt the love of her sister wash over her, soothing her pain just a little.

“I’m so sorry,” Daisy murmured against Rose’s shoulder.

“For what?” Rose asked in surprise, pulling back to look at her sister.

“For pulling you into that vision,” Daisy said, linking her hand with Rose’s and pulling her towards a bench. “It was all my fault this happened.”

Rose shook her head as Daisy tugged her hand, pulling her down to sit on the bench underneath a tree whose branches were covered in fragrant, purple flowers.  “It’s not your fault, Days.  You didn’t do it on purpose.”  She gave her sister a wry smile.  “Trust me, if anyone understands not being able to control your powers it’s me.”

* * *

 

Back in the hospital room Dean had drug the chair that usually was by Daisy’s bedside over to the couch to be near Rose.  He was glancing between Rose and Cas, trying to gauge from his expression what was happening but wanting to keep an eye on Rose as well.

“I’ll let you know what we’re doing, Dean,” Cas assured him, seeing his concerned look and Dean nodded at him gratefully.  Cas smiled, saying, “They’re very happy to see each other.”

“Ya, these girls don’t spend much time apart,” Dean said, glancing at Rose’s face.

“Rose is reassuring Daisy it wasn’t her fault.  She’s been blaming herself for this,” he explained and Dean looked surprised.  “Rose’s words carry a lot of weight with Daisy.  She feels slightly less guilty now.”  He cocked his head to the side.  “That was nice of Rose.”

“She is nice, Cas,” Dean said, defensively.  “You just, I don’t know you two don’t mesh very well or something.”

Cas just nodded absently, then said quietly that he needed to focus for a minute, that they were going to remove the demon’s imprint now.  He closed his eyes and Dean leaned forward and gripped Rose’s hand tightly.

“Hang on, Baby,” he said softly.

* * *

Daisy turned to face Rose, taking both her hands in hers and looked at her seriously.  “OK, Cas and I are gonna fix this.  All you have to do is sit here and let us do all the work.”

Rose looked at her sister nervously.  “What are you going to do?”

Daisy gave Rose her sunniest smile.  “We’re gonna get rid of the shadow the demon left behind and get you feeling more like yourself again.  Hang on, OK?”

Rose nodded and Daisy squeezed her hands then closed her eyes.  “This shouldn’t take long,” she said quietly.

Rose studied her sister thoughtfully as Daisy sat very still, focused completely on whatever she and Cas were doing.  She had a sudden flashback to the very first day Daisy had gotten her visions: they had sat just like this but the roles were reversed.  Rose had been the calm one, walking Daisy through unknown territory.  And just look at her now!  Daisy looked calm and steady, two words Rose never really associated with her younger sister and a far cry from the girl who had demanded Rose take her visions back.  She’d done a lot of growing up in a very short time it seemed.  Daisy had always been sweet and loving but she was also somewhat flighty and temperamental.  She was also spoiled though that was-

“Oh!” Rose exclaimed, feeling a tingling sensation flowing over her body.

“Be still, Rose,” Daisy said calmly as the tingling turned to warmth that deeply, though not unpleasantly, sunk through her whole body.  “You’re so bright, Rosie,” Daisy murmured and Rose frowned, not knowing what Daisy meant.  She was afraid to ask though, not sure if she needed to be quiet or not.  “Almost done.”

Rose felt the tingling return, centered in her feet this time and when she glanced down at them she was surprised to see a soft, warm bluish-white glow about them.  As she watched it travelled slowly up her body, covering her legs, her torso, and eventually covering her entire body and then with a slight *pinging* sound that reminded Rose oddly enough of the sound Tinkerbell’s wand made the light disappeared completely.

Daisy opened her eyes and grinned at Rose.  “All done.  How do you feel?”

“A little dizzy honestly,” Rose admitted, bringing one hand to her head.

“Cas says that will pass pretty quickly,” Daisy said.  “How about the voice?  Is it still there?”

Rose checked, feeling for the fullness she had grown accustomed to feeling in her head and listening for the whispers.  She was elated to realize she found none.  It was just her in her head now and that was more than enough.

She shook her head, smiling at Daisy. "It's gone!" She hugged Daisy excitedly and gave a little shiver.  “You can’t imagine how wonderful a feeling that is.”

Daisy returned her hug then pulled back and looked at her.  "You might feel a little buzzed for awhile.  Cas had to brush you with his grace to eradicate the mark the demon left.  Just barely," she reassured her sister when Rose looked startled and a touch worried. "It'll wear off quickly."  She stood and pulled Rose to her feet, looping her arm through hers.  "Now, what do you think of your dress?"

Rose blinked at the sudden change of topic.  She glanced down then taking in what she was wearing for the first time.  Delicate pink lace shoes tied with ribbons were on her feet; matching the soft pink and white sundress she was wearing.  Looking at Daisy she saw she was in an almost identical dress in blue with slightly different lacy blue shoes.  A wreath of blue and white flowers adorned Daisy’s head and Rose touched her head gently.  “Do I-”

“Mmm hmm,” Daisy said, “In pink and white.  Here, look!” And she lead Rose to a reflecting pool, nudging her to have her look in.  There two girls in delicate summer dresses stared back at them, flowers in their hair and smiles on their faces.  “Do you like it?”

“It’s lovely,” Rose said, touching her dress with delicate fingers.

“And what about the garden?” Daisy asked, looking up and taking in the view of nature at its finest.  Rose raised her head as well, taking in the large shady trees and miles of roses in bloom.

“It’s beautiful here, Daisy,” Rose said.  Under the trees there were large swaths of lush, green grass that looked like the perfect spot for a picnic or a to lie out on a blanket and while away the hours with a book in hand.  The reflecting pool shimmered slightly as a gentle breeze rustled the leaves on the trees and a bird let out a melodic tune somewhere in the distance. There were roses everywhere Rose looked and there were other flowers too she realized suddenly with a smile; fittingly they were lilies and daisies in a kaleidoscope of colors. She turned to glance at her sister who was smiling widely.  “It’s the most beautiful garden I’ve ever seen.”

“Thanks,” Daisy said, trying not to beam too brightly or proudly and failing. “I made it.”

* * *

“It’s done,” Cas said, opening his eyes and looking at Dean.

“Is she OK?” Dean asked anxiously.

“She’s fine,” Cas said. “She’s a bit giddy right now from feeling my grace bu-”

“Wait, what?” Dean cut in looking alarmed.

“The demon that imprinted on Rose was very strong.  I needed to use my grace to eradicate the last traces of it from her,” Cas explained. “It was just a glance, Dean.  The effect will wear off quickly, an hour at most.”

Dean still looked concerned but nodded anyway.  “So the mark, the impression or whatever the demon left is gone?”

Cas nodded.  “She should feel no ill effects, save for the repercussions from her actions.”

Dean ignored that, let out a relieved sigh and kissed the back of Rose’s hand softly.  Cas watched him curiously as Dean lightly touched Rose’s face and said something’s to her so quietly Cas couldn’t hear, intrigued to see the raw emotion on Dean’s face. He might not be good at reading body language or picking up on social clues but when Rose and Dean had first came into the room even Cas could tell from looking at Rose that she was angry.  And glancing at Dean and hearing his thoughts he was loudly projecting Cas understood there had been an incident in the car.  Dean kept repeatedly thinking that he needed to be patient and for some reason the word Monterey kept going through his mind.  Before he could ask why that was Dean was asking him:

“So if she going to wake up now?”

Cas shook his head.  “Not yet.  Daisy wants to talk with her.”

“They missed each other,” Dean said with certainty.

“They did,” Cas agreed.  “Daisy wished me to remind you not to give up on Rose.  She said she’ll take time but to not give up hope.”

Dean raised an eyebrow at Cas.  “Tell your girlfriend not to worry.  I have time and Rose can have all she needs.”

Cas nodded again, knowing Daisy would be happy with that answer.  And Cas realized it was the first time someone had referred to Daisy as has girlfriend.  Thinking it over he found he liked it.  A lot.

* * *

“I can’t believe you created all this, Daisy,” Rose said as the two of them walked arm in arm underneath an arbor of cherry blossom trees, their branches heavy with the blooms, the light scent of them wafting down to tease their senses.  A few stray petals were picked up by the breeze, floating around them and brushing against their skin as they walked so that it felt like they were absolutely surrounded by the flowers.  “It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.”

Daisy glowed with the praise.  She’d told Rose as they walked all she’d learned and that this was actually the first landscape she’d created all on her own; the fact that her sister was so impressed meant a lot to Daisy.  She had made this location with Rose in mind, a gift of sorts.  Rose had always loved pretty things and a garden full of flowers, especially roses had seemed a perfect choice.

They’d talked a lot about Daisy’s powers, how she was doing physically and all she’d learned so far.  They'd touched on where Rose had gone and done and how she'd met Chastity in the first place.  Daisy had understood why Rose had kept Chastity to herself, easily comprehending why she’d kept her separate once Rose had explained.  Daisy had always been a little apart from Rose and Lily, more separate than her two sisters, having her own friends and social life.  Rose and Lily’s friends were so intertwined, they shared so much that Daisy could see how it would feel like they practically shared each other’s lives.  As wonderful as it was to have someone that close to you a person still needed their own space.  Lily might not understand that, and Daisy winced as she thought about how badly she was sure Lily was taking it, but Daisy did.   

In the center of the arbor there was a bench surrounded by fragrant lilac bushes and as Daisy and Rose reached that Daisy prepared to get Rose to talk to her about what she really needed to hear: what had happened when she was held by the demon in New Orleans.  Daisy sat down and patted the bench next to her and Rose sat as well, her happy expression quickly being replaced by a somber one.

“You want to know about what happened to me.”  It wasn’t a question but Daisy responded as if it was.

“I do.”  Daisy kicked off her shoes and dug her toes into the grass beneath the bench, smiling reassuringly at her older sister.  Sensing Rose’s hesitation Daisy assumed she was worried about telling her because it might be too much for her.  Rose and Lily had a long history of shielding Daisy from things they thought would upset her.  “You can tell me, Rose.  I’m stronger than you think I am.”

Rose gave her a small, tight smile and something slowly dawned on Daisy.  "Rosie, have you not told anyone what happened?”  Rose shook her head and Daisy’s eyes got big.  She’d assumed Rose had already told Lily everything.  She always told Lily.  Daisy had never been the first one Rose confided in.  “You didn’t tell Lily or Dean?” Daisy asked.  Rose shook her head and then gave a slight gasp.

“It’s wearing off, huh?” Daisy asked and Rose nodded sadly.  The light, pleasant sensation that Daisy had said was the after effects of the grace had been there as they walked and talked.  But now she could feel it slowly dissipating and she realized something else was gone with a sense of alarm; the numbness that the demon’s imprint had brought that she hadn’t even realized was there.  If you had asked her she would have never said she was numb; she had felt trapped and scared and angry.  But now that the voice was gone and the boost of anger it had brought with it had went with it and the nice buzz from Cas’ grace was gone too all she was left with were her own emotions and she was all too aware of all she hadn’t been feeling, most especially the overwhelming sadness.

Daisy rubbed her back softly, returning some of the comfort Rose had so often bestowed upon her throughout the years.  “Just breathe and take your time,” she said soothingly and Rose nodded, took a breath and started to speak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The updates are a little slower just because these chapters are a bit more complicated right now. Whoever said writing was like juggling was right - with chainsaws!  
> I hope everyone's still enjoying the journey. There's more to come!


	35. I Think I'm Gonna Crash

“Daisy told Rose all about her powers and Rose was very impressed with what she can do.  As well she should be.  Daisy is absolutely magnificent.”  Dean grinned at the proud note in Cas’ voice.  He understood that feeling.  Despite the fact he hated that Rose had to deal with her powers Dean couldn’t deny he was proud of her and what she could do; then again he had been proud of Rose when the most impressive thing she could do was bake a cherry pie (Which was still a truly impressive skill in Dean’s book.).

Cas' eyes widened and he glanced at Dean.  "So that's what you and Erin were discussing.  You had Erin put a spell on Rose."  Dean gave a sharp nod of his head.  "Oh she's very angry about that."

"Ya, tell me something I don't know," Dean muttered.

"Daisy's torn between defending you and being angry as well."  Dean just rolled his eyes at that.

Cas frowned and Dean felt his pulse kick up a notch.  "What?  What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Dean," Cas said calmly.  "The effects of my grace just wore off and now that the shadow is gone from Rose she's..." He paused, listening for a minute. "She told Daisy she's truly feeling what happened now."  Seeing the confusion on Dean's face Cas explained. "A demon impressing on someone can heighten some emotions and dampen others.  Anger and passion can be stronger, pain and loss dampened."

"So you're saying what happened in New Orleans is finally hitting her."  Cas nodded.  "Shit." Dean rubbed the back of his neck, his worry and agitation evident.  "Well you gotta wake her up then.  She needs-"

Cas cut Dean off.  "She's talking to Daisy, really talking about what happened with Aine.  Has she talked to any of you about it?" Dean shook his head though something in Cas’ tone told him he already knew that.  Aside from Erin Rose hadn't talked to anyone about anything since she'd been back.  "She has no reason to be upset with Daisy, she feels comfortable letting her guard down.  Let's let them talk."

Dean gave him an irritated look but finally nodded.  He had a point.

Cas was quiet for a few minutes, then he winced slightly.

"What?" Dean demanded.

"Rose feels-" Cas stopped talking abruptly.  Then he looked at Dean regretfully.  "I'm not supposed to share that with you."

"What?  Why?" Dean demanded his face a mix of confusion and anger.

"Daisy's dream, Daisy's rules." Cas smiled. "Those are her words not mine.  She said there are some things you have to find out for yourself.  Daisy says we're flies on the wall and should be grateful for the knowledge we get." Cas frowned.  "Though I don't see what calling us insects has to do with anything."

"Well that's just fucking great," Dean said, glaring at Cas who just shrugged. Realizing he had no way to win this battle Dean sighed. "Fine, what do I get to know?"

Before Cas could answer a small noise drew both their attention to the girl sleeping on the couch.  Dean was shocked to see tears slowly making their way down Rose's cheeks.  "What the- what's going on?"

"They're talking about what happened in New Orleans," Cas said soberly.  "Rose was happy, she was going out to dinner that night and looking forward to seeing you the next day, to coming home.  Then Chastity, or who Rose thought was Chastity came home and knocked her out.  She woke up bound to a chair." Dean winced, able to picture all this too vividly. He stroked Rose's hair, wiping the tears from her face that continued to fall. Cas' voice continued in the background, filling in details of the story.  He heard how Aine couldn't believe Rose didn't know who she was, how she had wanted to kill Chastity but the necklace stopped her, how she killed Ryan because she knew it would hurt Rose and Chastity.  Cas would stop occasionally and Dean figured that was when Cas was leaving things out.  He saw Cas actually wince once and Dean felt sick to his stomach at what could make him do that.  Cas finally cleared his throat and the look he gave Dean was sympathetic.

"Aine was insane," he said bluntly.  "She wanted Rose to beg her to kill her."

Dean's eyes widened.  "What the hell-why would she think Rose would do that?"

Cas looked uncomfortable and Dean was suddenly certain that whatever he was leaving out played a part in the answer. "She tortured Rose with words as well as with physical pain." Cas shook his head and Dean was surprised at just how sad his eyes looked. "She tried to get Rose to tell her where you and Sam were.  She wanted to use your location as a bargaining chip with other demons and promised to make things easier for Rose if she did.  Rose refused which made Aine angry." For the first time Dean saw respect in Cas' face when he glanced at Rose's sleeping form; if there was one thing Cas held in high regard it was loyalty.

Dean swallowed hard and then asked suddenly: "If I move her will she wake up?" Cas looked momentarily confused at Dean’s sudden question then shook his head. "Good," Dean muttered, getting up and lifting Rose.  He sat down on the couch and then settled her so she was on his lap, cradled in his arms.  If he was going to sit here and watch her cry and hear the hell she went through the least he could do was hold her.  He kissed her forehead.  "That's my girl," he said, his voice rough and his eyes fiercely proud. "She's as loyal as anyone I've ever met."

Cas nodded then took a breath.  "Aine tortured Rose for hours, Dean.  And she wouldn't beg her to kill her." Cas took a deep breath, seeing the pain on Dean's face. "Then Aine threatened Chastity's daughter." Dean froze.  He didn't know anything about Chastity's daughter, hadn't even known she existed till a few days ago.  But he knew Rose and if she loved Chastity like he was sure she did then he could only imagine how she felt about her daughter.  And Rose loved children, she always had.  "She capitulated instantly, telling Aine to kill her."  Dean winced and hugged Rose to him tightly.  He knew why she'd done it but hearing that was like a knife to his heart.

Rose was crying harder now, the tears a constant flow down her cheeks and her body was trembling slightly.  Dean rocked her gently, trying to soothe her as best he could.

"She blames herself for Ryan's death," Cas was saying. "She feels guilty that Emma lost her father as she lost her own.  She blames herself for Chastity being drawn into this.  She blames herself for everything."

"Oh God, Baby, you can't do that," Dean murmured against her hair.  "This isn't your fault."

Dean glanced up to see Cas smile, then frown.  "There are things that were said and done that Rose needs to tell you herself when she's ready.  But when Rose thought she was going to die-and she did truly believe she was going to-you were the last thing she thought of." Dean closed his eyes at these words, burying his face in Rose’s hair.  He didn’t want to think of her being that close to death, of being sure it was coming.  The very idea made him feel physically sick.  When he opened his eyes again it was to find Cas staring at them both.  He glanced at Rose, then back to Dean.  "She's hurt very badly, Dean, shaken and traumatized and it's going to take time for her to heal.  Daisy wants me to tell you Rose isn't going to make it easy to help her but that she knows you’re stubborn enough and strong enough to get through to her."  Cas gave Dean a confident smile, obviously sure that since he's passed the message on it would work.  "Now we'll just give her some time to calm down and stop crying and I'll wake her up."

Which would have been a fine plan except Rose didn't stop crying.  They sat there and waited and the tears fell steadily the whole time.  Finally Dean had had enough.

"Wake her up, Cas."  Cas looked hesitant but Dean was adamant.  “Now.”

“Give me just a moment,” Cas said and closed his eyes.

* * *

While Rose wasn’t as easily moved to tears as either of her sisters Daisy had seen Rose cry before, over big and small things.  She’d seen her cry plenty during her time dating Danny as they were always in the midst of some bit of drama and she’d seen the heart wrenching tears she had shed when their dad had died.  So seeing Rose cry wasn’t a shock to Daisy.

But this was different.  Rose wasn’t just crying; she was sobbing.  The tears she was shedding now seemed to be coming from somewhere deep inside of her, coming out in broken sobs and jagged pieces of pain that seemed to be ripping the wounds inside Rose even further apart.  Instead of soothing her, of letting the pain out, the tears just seemed to be getting worse and Daisy was at a loss as to what to do.

“…my fault…all my fault.  All that blood is on my hands,” Rose was saying in a voice wracked with pain and guilt.

“Shhh, it’s not, Rosie, it’s not,” Daisy murmured and stroked Rose’s hair as she tried desperately to think of what she could do to help.  They were both on the ground now, the bench discarded not long after the sobbing started and Rose had sunk to her knees.  She was curled up now, in as small a ball as she could possibly be and Daisy hated to see her like this.  Both her sisters always seemed so strong to Daisy, in different ways but still both so full of strength.  Seeing Rose fall apart now was beyond anything Daisy knew how to deal with.  Her instinct was to call for Lily.  That instinct was hardwired in her; if something was wrong, if something wasn’t working then call Lily and she’d fix it.  But she knew things weren’t right between Rose and Lily.  Still she knew if Rose needed her that Lily would be there no matter what but Daisy had a strong hunch that Lily wasn’t who she needed right now.  She wasn’t actually sure anyone could fix this, at least not initially.  But if she needed anyone right now it was Dean.  For Rose Dean had always meant safety.  Daisy wasn’t even sure if Rose realized that but Daisy had always seen it.  She’d grown up watching the two of them together and she knew that Dean made Rose braver and stronger because he made her feel safe.  That seemed like a very good and needed thing right now.

Daisy heard a slight rustling and looked up to find Cas standing there, a concerned look on his face and she had never been so happy to see someone in her life.  Seeing the lost look on Daisy’s face Cas gave her an encouraging smile and squatted down next to them.  Rose was so caught up in her pain she didn’t even notice.  “She’s doing very badly,” Cas said gently and Daisy nodded.

“She was doing OK until…well she told me-” Daisy broke off, not wanting to say it and Cas nodded, saving her from having to.

“Dean wants me to wake her up.”

“Maybe you should,” Daisy said hesitantly, glancing down at Rose.  “She’s going to make herself sick if she keeps crying like this.  Maybe Dean can calm her down.”  Cas nodded and Daisy asked, “You can take them back to the bunker.”  Cas nodded again and disappeared, going back to the hospital room.

Daisy leaned down and kissed the top of Rose’s head.  “I love you, Rosie. Cas is gonna take you back now.”

* * *

Within a matter of minutes Dean found himself in Rose’s bedroom with Rose in his arms.  Cas had brought them both back to her old room without being asked and Dean figured maybe that was a good thing.  Maybe being back in familiar surroundings would be a comfort to her.

The minute Cas had woken Rose up she had stiffened in his arms then went limp against Dean, sobbing into his neck and clinging to him.  He’d held her to him tightly and nodded at Cas, having already caught onto the fact that they wouldn’t be going back to the bunker the same way they arrived.  He had no intention of letting go of Rose when she was this upset so driving back was out of the question.  Cas had brought them back then disappeared and now here they were, standing at the end of Rose’s bed.

As if she’d been alerted to their impending arrival Sookie was waiting at the top of the bed, seated near Rose’s pillow and giving Dean a look that reminded him of an impatient mother when he’d brought their daughter home late.

He walked to the head of the bed and lay Rose down and immediately lay down next to her, pulling her back into his arms so she was flush against his chest.  Sookie settled herself down on the pillow keeping a watchful eye on them both.

Dean wasn’t sure words could fix this.  He wished he knew better all the details of what had happened and he inwardly cursed Daisy and Cas for being so selective with what they told him.  Normally he was all for privacy but this was a special set of circumstances.  So since he didn’t know the words Dean gave Rose what he would want if he was in her place, what had meant the most to him when he was where she was now.  He held her, rubbing his hands over her back and just let her cry and hopefully get some of the pain out.  He offered the small words of comfort that he thought appropriate (“You’re safe,” You’re not alone,” I got you.”) and more than anything he made sure she knew he was with her.

Finally when after an hour the tears still weren’t stopping, were barely slowing Dean pulled back to look at her face.  “Baby, you need to try to calm down a little.  You’re gonna make yourself sick.”  He smoothed her hair back from her face gently. “I could get Cas to knock you out again but I really don’t want to do that.”  She had her eyes closed tightly but she opened them at his words.  

“Don’t,” she said, tears still spilling from her eyes.  “Please don’t.”

“Then just calm down a little for me, OK?” Dean said, wiping some tears away with his thumb.  “Take some deep breaths.”  Rose did as he asked and he gave her an encouraging smile.  “Good girl.”

The tears were still falling though not as strongly or as quickly.  Rose closed her eyes again and dropped her head against the pillow.  Dean had a strong suspicion she would be asleep soon, the afternoon’s events and tears having worn her out.

“None of this was what I wanted you know,” she said, her voice wearing her pain and weariness like a cloak.

“I know but don’t worry about that right now, Sweetheart,” Dean said, kissing her forehead softly.  He saw Sookie moving closer so she was right next to Rose’s head on the pillow, seeming to want to offer all the comfort she could.  “Just rest now.  We’ll get through this.”

Dean watched as Rose let exhaustion take over, falling asleep with tears still wet on her face.  He dug his phone out, letting Sam know they were here and not to bother them.

Then he put his phone on the bedside table and just watched Rose for awhile.

* * *

Dean managed to fall asleep himself and woke a few hours later, his rumbling stomach reminding him of how long it had been since he’d eaten.  He immediately checked on Rose and found her still asleep.  She was on her side, facing him, curled into a tight ball.  Sookie hadn’t moved from her spot on Rose’s pillow and Dean glanced at the cat now.

“You watch her, Sook.  I’ll be back.”  The feline flicked her tail lazily and Dean left the room in search of food.

He found Sam in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal with no one else in sight.

“Where is everyone?” Dean asked, heading towards the coffee pot.

“Lily and Charlie went into town,” Sam explained.  “Lily wanted to check her mail and her being out was the only way she was gonna stay away from checking on Rose.  They're gonna pick up some dinner and bring it back.  You want me to have them bring you and Rose something?”  Dean shook his head. “How is she?”

Dean poured himself a cup of coffee while he thought about how to answer that.  If Lily had been here he might have edited himself a bit more.  But as it was Sam he could be blunt and honest which was good because Dean didn’t know if he had it in him to be tactful right now.  He took a sip of coffee and turned and leaned back against the counter, staring down into his cup.

“She’s a mess,” Dean said. “She’s hurting and in pain and I don’t..”  He shook his head cutting himself off.  “They got the demon shadow or whatever it was off of her.  That went smoothly.”  Dean took another sip of coffee.  “Apparently a demon imprint can block your emotions or something.  I don’t know, Cas can explain that.  But she started telling Daisy about what happened.”  Dean filled him in on what Cas had told him, explaining how Cas wouldn’t tell him everything Rose said and Sam could see how pissed that made Dean.  Dean took another sip of coffee and when he spoke this time his voice was different, less irritated at Cas and more covered in pain at what Rose had gone through.  “She started crying and wouldn’t stop.”

“You mean in the vision with Daisy or in real life?” Sam asked, realizing he was getting a very foggy picture of what all went on.  Dean waved his hand in an all encompassing manner.

“Both…We couldn’t get her to stop crying so Cas brought us back here.  And damn it, the Impala’s still at the hospital,” Dean realized suddenly.  “I should have called Bobby earlier and asked him to bring it back.”

Sam waved a hand at him and pulled his phone out.  He texted Lily quickly and got a reply back just a fast.  “Taken care of.”

Dean glanced at his brother uneasily, not sure how he felt about Lily driving Baby.  But well, it was the best option at the moment.  “Thanks.”

Sam just nodded.  “So once you got her back here she calmed down?”

Dean took a deep breath.  “Eventually.  It took awhile…a long while.  And I had to kind of threaten Cas knocking her out to get her to stop crying.”  Sam’s eyed widened at that.  “She was gonna make herself sick, Sammy,” Dean defended himself.  “I didn’t have a choice.”

Sam nodded trustingly, knowing that if Dean was willing to go that far it must have been needed. 

“She’s sleeping now,” Dean wrapped up.  “And I’m starving and she needs to eat too.”  Dean sat his cup down and went to the fridge, pulling out the makings of a sandwich.

“So um, bad timing but Bobby called,” Sam said hesitantly as Dean started putting together some sandwiches.  Dean glanced up at him and Sam continued.  “He’s got a case and its closest to us…”  He trailed off when he saw Dean glaring at him.  He’d figured this wouldn’t go over well.

“Damn it, Sam we have enough going on here without dealing with a job.  Why can’t he put someone else on it?”

“I suggested that,” Sam said calmly.  “But apparently that vacation all the evil seemed to be taking?  Ya, it’s done.  A whole bunch of crazy shit has been happening and just about every hunter is busy.”  Dean swore, slapping cheese on bread along with turkey.  “Lily and I could go,” Sam suggested and Dean seemed to calm a bit at this suggestion.

“Ya, maybe?” He conceded. “How urgent is it?”

“Angry spirit, two people dead, one hospitalized.  Pretty urgent,” Sam summed up.

Dean finished the sandwiches and put the supplies back up, his mind working the whole time.  He couldn’t leave Rose like this and she was in no shape to be out chasing a ghost.  He couldn’t leave her.  Honestly he thought they should all be here.  Who knew what Rose would need?  The job was important too, he knew that.  Just not as important as Rose.

“Let’s just…let’s wait a day, OK?  See how things are.”  Sam nodded carefully, understanding Dean’s hesitation while still knowing someone needed to go.

“Let’s just see how things look tomorrow,” Dean said firmly, heading towards the kitchen door.  “And tell your girlfriend she better be damn careful with my car.”

* * *

Dean woke Rose up gently, stroking her hair and saying her name softly.  Her eyes had opened and he could see the confusion there and he gave her a minute to get her bearings.

“I brought you some dinner,” he said, when he saw her eyes focus properly.  She sat up in bed and Sookie immediately climbed onto her lap.  Dean laughed softly as Rose stroked Sookie’s fur, getting a happy purr.  Rose had very obviously been missed.  He handed Rose her plate and sat at the end of the bed so he could watch her while they ate.

Or he ate.

Rose picked at her sandwich and Dean frowned.  Rose ate, she always ate.  He loved that about her, that she enjoyed food almost as much as he did.  Rose talked about food and how much she enjoyed it in a manner he’d only heard other people describe sex.  There was no doubt in a person’s mind how Rose felt about food once they heard her talk about it.  So what the hell was this about?

“Did I not make it right?” Dean asked and Rose looked up at him questioningly.  Dean motioned to her plate.  “Your sandwich.  You still like mayonnaise right?  That hasn’t changed?” Rose nodded.  “And turkey, not ham?”  Again the nod.  “And I put that weird cheese on there you like.  So what’s the problem?  You’re not eating it.”

Rose shrugged.  “I’m just not that hungry.”

Dean’s frown deepened.  “Baby, you haven’t eaten hardly anything the past few days.  You didn’t eat breakfast and I’m pretty sure this is the first food you’ve eaten all day.”

Again with the shrug.

Dean sighed and put his sandwich down and looked Rose in the eye.  “Would you please eat something?  Please?”

Rose looked slightly irritated but she hesitantly picked up the sandwich and took a bite.  Under his watchful eye she ate over half the sandwich, earning a smile and a softly murmured “Good girl,” from him for her efforts.

Dean cleared their plates away and then turned to Rose, feeling nervous and trying desperately to hide it.  He wasn’t sure if he should try to talk about what had happened or-

“Can I take a shower?” Rose asked and Dean gave an internal sigh of relief.  She wasn’t crying, she wasn’t throwing things.  It was a vast improvement.  Dean wasn't foolish enough to think that she was all better or even that she was no longer angry at him about the spell ('Cause God knows he was still mad at her underneath it all.) but right now he was just happy to be with her.  They could deal with everything tomorrow.  _Just call me Scarlett O'Hara,_ Dean thought to himself then cursed Daisy for making him watch that damn movie.

Dean left her to shower (He’d suggested bringing his laptop back so they could watch a movie or something before bed and Rose had seemed happy with that idea.) and came back awhile later ready for bed with his laptop in tow.  He found Rose sitting on the bed in a pair of pink flannel pajamas (With champagne bottles he realized upon closer inspection), her cell phone in her hand.  She looked up when he entered and for just a second her eyes had been round with fright, returning to normal quickly when she realized it was him.

“Hey,” he said gently and Rose gave him a tremulous smile back.  “Checking your messages?”

“Ya,” Rose said softly.  “There’s a lot of them.”

“You want me to leave you to it?” Dean asked and Rose shook her head, laying her phone on the bedside table.

“No, I’ve seen enough for now.”

Dean smiled, coming over and climbing onto the bed with Rose, Sookie practically glued to her side.  (Sookie had in fact came into the bathroom and stayed there the whole time Rose was in the shower, as if making sure her human didn’t disappear on her again.)

“So what are we in the mood for?” Dean asked, opening up his laptop and clicking on the icon for Netflix.  “Action, adventure, something funny?  Maybe something from the 80’s?  Daisy says that’s comfort food in movie form right?"  Rose gave him a small smile and nodded.  "We talking John Hughes here?” Dean asked, scrolling through selections.  He knew the Sullivan girls tastes in movies very well.

Rose nodded and smiled when Dean clicked on a favorite of hers.  As the opening credits for The Breakfast Club started Rose settled back against the headboard her eyes on the screen.

As Rose watched the movie Dean watched Rose.  He’d caught onto the fact that while she sat next to him she hadn’t snuggled against him like she normally would and so he’d held off putting his arm around her or pulling her to him like he wanted.  She smiled at all the right parts in the movie but she also flinched anytime a voice was raised.  And that smile never did reach her eyes.  It wasn’t even close to a genuine Rose smile.  It was going to take time, Dean knew that.  He just had to keep reminding himself of that.

Rose fell asleep again an hour into the movie and Dean turned it off and tucked her under the covers (Sookie taking up her reserved spot on Rose’s pillow).  He turned the bathroom light on and slipped in bed next to her, then leaned over and kissed her forehead gently and then closed his own eyes.

* * *

Rose woke several hours later, her heart racing in her chest and her breathing coming quick and hard.  She glanced at Dean quickly, making sure he was all right and breathed a shaky sigh of relief when she saw him sleeping soundly.  The dream had seemed so real.

In it Aine had both Dean and Lily bound to chairs and was taunting Rose by dragging a knife lightly over both their throat's in turn.  "I figured I'd kill them for you, Rose," she said gleefully.  "Since you've pretty much killed them yourself just by living." As Rose watched in horror the demon first plunged the knife into Lily's chest then slit Dean's throat.  And as Rose rushed towards them Aine grabbed her and hissed "You can't save anyone," before stabbing her as well.

Rose could feel herself shaking as she felt the horror of the dream wash over her again.  When Rose has gone to take a shower she'd very carefully taken her nighttime dose of the tonic.  She'd felt the soothing calm as it kicked in but now it felt like she hadn't taken anything.  The pressure was building and Rose knew if she didn't do something quick things would be out of control again pretty quickly. 

So she quietly slipped from the bed and went into the bathroom where she'd left the tonic.  She hesitated for a second, being someone who only ever took two asprin, never three.  She saw a glass on the sink start to tremble and she quickly took two more drops of the tonic, sighing as she felt it kick in.

She slipped back into bed, picking her phone up and opening up her messages again.  She reread what Chastity had written and started her reply.

_Sorry it took awhile to respond.  I'm here.  I'm-_

Rose hesitated.  What did she say?  That she was OK? She wasn't, not really.  So in the end she left it at:

_Sorry it took awhile to respond.  I'm here._

As if Chastity had been waiting she got a reply in a matter of minutes.

_I've been worried sick!  Are you OK?_

Chastity and Rose talked for a short while, Chastity telling her when Ryan's funeral was and Rose promising to be there, to help with Emma if nothing else.

_I can't come to the house though, Chas. I just can’t._

Rose hated that she had to say that but the idea of stepping foot in that house again made her feel sick.

_I understand, Rose.  Don't worry about it.  You being here for the funeral will be enough._

Rose sat her phone down and petted Sookie and thought how nice this feeling of calm the extra dose of the tonic had given her was.  It was wonderful to not feel like everything was overwhelming, like anything could make her burst into tears and fall apart.

She watched Dean for awhile and thought about her plan for the funeral and how he was not going to like it.  But it was for the best.  She couldn't take a chance, not after her dream.  No not the dream itself, she corrected.  She wasn't that crazy.  It has just reminded her of the risk and the danger she posed to the most important people to her.

So she say up and waited till the clock told her that one other person would most likely be up and she carefully made her way out into the hall needing to catch him on his own.

* * *

Sam had just turned the coffee pot on when a quiet voice startled him.

“Sam, can I talk to you for a second?”


	36. We'll Take This Way Too Far

“What the hell do you mean she’s going to New Orleans and doesn’t want me going with her?”

* * *

Dean had woken up to an empty bed again and immediately felt a wave of fear wash over him.  _She can’t leave,_ he reminded himself.  _The spells in place and will keep her here._ That thought reassured him enough so that he didn’t go running out looking for her.  No, he calmly walked down the hall, peeking into the kitchen and found Sam there.

“You seen Rose?” he asked.

Sam looked up as a harried, worried looking Dean appeared in the doorway.  He sighed, hating the conversation that he knew was about to happen.  How he had gotten himself in this spot?

“Ya, about that…”

* * *

In the farthest corner of the library from the main door there was a single chair on its own.  It was here that Rose was seated, her legs folded up with Sookie on her lap.  Sookie had followed her out of the room when she went to find Sam and seemed to be her shadow.  Rose stroked her soft fur.  She was OK with that.  It was nice to have someone around her who didn't want to question her or prod her to tell them anything.

Rose winced as Dean's angry voice drifted in from the kitchen.  She was fairly certain she'd be seeing him soon; she knew Dean well enough to know he wasn't going to take this news without an argument.  She considered getting up and moving to a spot where he couldn't find her so easily but she'd have to face him sometime.  She might as well get this over with.

"I have to be strong, Sookie," she whispered. "I can't give in."  She got a yawn in return as Sookie curled up in a ball, ready for a nap.

Heavy footsteps sounded as Dean entered the library with Sam right behind him and Rose mentally steeled herself.

"Rosie?" Rose winced at the confusion and hurt she could hear in Dean's voice.  She was sure most people would hear anger more than pain but she knew Dean.  Seeing Sam's matching wince she knew he heard it too.  Dean stopped in front of her, staring down at her with a concerned expression.  "What's this about you going back to New Orleans?"

Rose took a deep breath and glanced up at Dean.  His eyes were dark with worry and held back anger.  He was giving her the benefit of the doubt here, hoping Sam had gotten the story wrong.  His expression was hopeful and Rose felt her heart clench.  _Don't give me anything, Dean,_ she begged silently.  She looked back down at her lap, focusing on Sookie and the dark stripes in her coat.

"It's Ryan's funeral," she said, pulling her fingers over Sookie, her fingers getting lost in her fur.  "I told Chastity I would be there."  Rose was grateful for the tonic, knowing if it wasn't for that she'd be sobbing at the very thought of the funeral.  As it was her voice broke just a little as she spoke. "She doesn't have anyone else; I'm her family.  I have to be there."

Rose glanced up to see Dean's expression soften.  "Of course you do, Baby.  I get that.  I don't like the thought of you going back there after what happened but we'll get Cas to get us in and out..."

As Dean talked Rose glanced at Sam and immediately wished she hadn’t.  He was leaning casually against one of the tables, arms crossed and watching Rose with a knowing look.  As Dean began to make plans to get her safely in and out of the funeral Sam raised a challenging eyebrow at Rose, his look clearly asking her if she was really going to do this to Dean.  Rose shot him a scowl and her eyes went back to Dean who was mid flow making plans.  She squared her shoulders and dug deep, speaking up in a voice loud enough to be heard over Dean.

"No."

Dean stopped and looked at Rose quizzically. "No what?"

"No, I don't want you to go with me."

Dean looked at her for just a beat then said softly, "Now see, that's what Sam said but I figured he must have gotten that wrong.  I mean, that makes no sense right?" Dean turned and looked from Sam to Rose.  Looking in his eyes Rose watched as the hope drained away, replaced by anger.  "Why would you want him to go with you and not me?  Huh?  You wanna explain that to me Rose,'cause I got nothing." Dean crossed his arms and fixed Rose with a look that any other time would have made her cringe.  But not today, today the tonic was her best friend dulling her emotions enough that she could do this. 

Sam looked at Rose, unsure of how she'd respond.  She hadn't been clear in her explanation to him of why she wanted him to go with her, just determined and clear: Dean and Lily could not go with her.  Once again Rose's answer was simple.

"No."

Sam watched at Dean's jaw set and his whole body tensed.  If Rose was trying to irritate Dean she was doing a great job.  Refusing to let him go with her was bad enough, but not explaining why was just flaming the fire. 

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Dean demanded and Rose just looked at him impassively.

"I don't have to explain it.  It's my decision."

Sam watched as Dean's face flushed angrily.  He could see Dean was battling to control his temper. With anyone else he would be losing it right now.  Hell, in any other situation with Rose he would have lost it.  But this was different and Sam was pretty sure he knew why Dean was trying so hard to keep calm.  But Sam wasn’t sure he was going to win this battle so he tried to help out.

“If I go with Rose then you and Lily can go take care of the job in Iowa.”  And suddenly Dean was looking at him and all that anger was directed his way and Sam instantly wished he’d just kept his damn mouth shut.  Before Dean could say anything though Rose was getting to her feet with Sookie in her arms.

“Ya, see that will work,” she said.  “You go do that and me and Sam will go to the funeral.” She swallowed hard, hating that word.  “That plan works.”

“No, no it does not work, Rose!” Dean said, his voice rising as he realized Rose was acting like this plan was set in stone.  He felt things swiftly spinning out of his control and that was something he hated.  “Damn it Rose, you can’t just decide this for me.”  Sam cringed, realizing that was the wrong thing to say.

Rose stopped and turned to face both boys, her face calm.  “But that’s what you did, Dean.  You decided what you thought was best for me and you did it.”  Dean opened his mouth to speak and Rose just shook her head and continued with a shrug, not giving him a chance to respond.  “Well this time I’m deciding what’s best for me and it’s going to the funeral without you.”

* * *

Lily and Charlie appeared not long after Rose had disappeared down the hall and the boys quickly caught them up on things.  Dean of course had to add plenty of comments about why the hell couldn’t Sam have just refused to go with Rose (“Have you ever tried to say no to Rose?” Sam had asked and Dean had just thrown him a disgusted look and didn’t answer.)  Once Lily agreed to the plan Dean and her made plans to leave later that night, Dean needing to be on the road, to be doing something.  Lily had gone and tried to talk to Rose in her room but had just gotten a few shrugs and the very clear message that Rose didn't want to talk.

Lily gave Sam a little grin as she dug a duffel bag out of her things and started to decide what she needed.  “Bet you’re glad I’m all paid up now, huh?”  Lily said, referring to her “punishment” which she had indeed just finished with last night.

Sam shook his head.  “I wouldn’t say I’m glad.  I enjoyed that.”  Sam grinned at her unrepentantly.  Lily had held up her end up the bargain: Seven orgasms for Sam without him once reciprocating.  Sam had to admit as fun as it had been it had been hard not to return the favor.  He was confident he’d made up for it last night though.  The second he was done he’d been all over Lily, making her come several times before they both feel asleep utterly exhausted.

“I bet you did.  And see?” Lily said triumphantly.  “If I hadn’t had such a great plan originally we would have never had this fun.”  Sam just shook his head, smiling at her unrepentant nature.

He watched her put some shirts in her bag, her face sobering as she asked, "What the hell is going on with her Sam?  Did she tell you anything?"

Sam shook his head from his seat on the bed.  "Just that she wanted me to go with her."  He paused, watching Lily add jeans to the bag.  "She’s still reeling from what happened, Lil.  Give her some time.”  He eyed her tense shoulders and added, “And try and not to take this personally."

Lily shot him an incredulous look.  "Ya, OK, don't take my sister not wanting me with her personally.  Sure.  I’ll get right on that.”

"Hey, come on."  Sam put a hand on her arm, halting her movement.  Lily dropped the clothes she was holding in a heap on the bed and climbed onto Sam's lap, resting her head against his shoulder and Sam wrapped his arms around her.  "I know it's not easy, Babe."

"I wanted to help her, Sam, to make it easier for her and she won't let me." Lily's voice was softer and more fragile than she'd let most people ever hear it.  Sam kissed the top of her head in response.

"I know, Lil and once she's better she'll remember that, I swear. Just give her some time."

"I'm not a patient person, Sam.  Why can't she just...I don't know, talk about it?"  She twisted her bracelet agitatedly.

"Sometimes you can't," Sam said, his voice low.  "Sometimes it's just too much, the hurts too deep and the words don't cover it."

Lily pulled back and looked at him, her eyes taking in what he wasn’t saying.  "You were tortured?" she asked and Sam nodded his head, his eyes meeting hers hesitantly.  Lily winced, not surprised but hating the very idea.  She knew she was lucky that had never happened to her, that most hunters were tortured at least once.  But to have it happen to Sam…She shivered then looked at him with heated eyes.  "Are any of them still alive?  ‘Cause I would take great pleasure in killing them."

Sam smiled softly.  Aside from Dean he wasn't someone people generally tried to protect.  The fact that Lily did that without hesitation, well that was love in Sam's book.  "I'll be sure to point them out to you if we come across them," Sam promised.

Lily took his face in her hands, surprising Sam.  She looked into his eyes and kissed him slowly, her lips soft and gentle, conveying without words how she felt.  She was deepening the kiss when a heavy knock sounded on their door.

"Hey, Lily if you're coming get out here." A pause when Dean obviously realized how that sounded.  "I mean not coming like that because I don't want to see that..just-aw, shit…"

Lily looked at Sam who was laughing softly and rolled her eyes.  "Leave this to me."  Lily was up and off his lap quickly and stepping out into the hallway.  Sam heard low murmured voices, ending with Dean heaving a sigh loud enough for Sam to hear and then "Fine, thirty minutes," followed by heavy footsteps leading away from their door.

Lily came back in a triumphant grin on her face.  "OK we have thirty minutes..." And she moved her bag and the pile of clothes off the bed then she turned to Sam and he watched in wonderment as she pulled her t-shirt over her head, then eyed Sam questioningly as she pulled her bra off and got to work on her jeans.

"You taking part here, Sam?  I think we’ve had our fill of the Lily show this last week." Sam looked at her dumbly for just a second then a wide grin spread across his face.

"Speak for yourself,” he murmured.  “It’s my favorite show.”  Then, “Sorry," as he started stripping his clothes off too.  "Sudden change of topic there...took awhile for me to catch up."

“All caught up now are we?” Lily asked, raising an eyebrow at him as he got to his feet, shedding the last of his clothes.  He smirked and nodded coming towards her and placing a hand on her waist and drawing her towards him.  “Good,” Lily said, reaching up and kissing Sam softly.  When she pulled back her eyes were heated but surprisingly soft.  “Make me remember this, Sam.”

Sam smiled at her as he lifted her up and laid her out on the bed.  “Yes Ma’am.”

Sam’s touch was soft and tender, as gentle as if she’d never been touched before.  Lily’s hands on him were the same, her fingers trailing over him with a touch that felt nothing short of adoration.  It wasn’t just sex, wasn’t just passion.  It was a promise, a reminder that no matter what the other had to deal with over the next few days they had someone waiting for them to come back to.

Afterwards Sam covered Lily’s shoulders in kisses as she laughed and tried to finish packing.  When he looked at the jacket she was planning to take with her he’d calmly taken it from her hands and put her in one of his.  Lily smiled at him as he rolled up the much too long sleeves.

“Sam, I have a coat.”

“Wear mine,” he urged, finishing one sleeve and moving to the other.  “I can’t be with you but this way a part of me is.”

Lily bit her lip and smiled at him as she nodded.  She didn’t bother telling him she’d already taken one of his t-shirts to sleep in.

They finally made it out to the map room holding hands where Dean and Charlie were waiting.  Dean threw them both an impatient glare before getting to his feet and hugging Charlie. “I said thirty minutes, Lily, not a fucking hour.”

Lily just rolled her eyes at him and hugged Charlie goodbye.  While the two were talking quietly Sam looked at his brother and saw him glancing towards the hallway.  He could see Dean debating and coming to a decision he picked his bag up and headed for the door.  What Sam didn't know was that Dean had already gone to say goodbye to Rose and gotten a less than warm response.  He didn't think he was up for another round of that.

Sam grabbed Lily’s bag and followed his brother out.  He stowed Lily’s bag in the trunk and thought about what to say to Dean but his brother beat him to it.

“Take care of my girl, Sammy,” Dean said lowly, his eyes on the bunker door.

“You take care of mine, I’ll take care of yours,” Sam said in a light tone and was happy to see a small smile on Dean’s face.

“Deal,” Dean said just as Lily came out the door.  “Don’t take too long,” he warned her as she hugged Sam.  “You already used up all your extra time.  And then some.”  But he got into the Impala and started the engine, giving the two a moment alone.

“Be careful,” Sam said, wrapping Lily in his arms and holding her to him tightly.

“I always am,” she said, serious for once.  “You too.”

Sam nodded and kissed Lily and after one more all too brief hug he watched Lily and Dean drive away.

* * *

Sam headed straight for the fridge in the library, pulling out a beer and getting Charlie one too.  He’d seen the curious expression on Charlie’s face and was pretty sure he knew what was coming.  Sure enough he’d barely sat down and taken a sip of his beer before Charlie asked, “Why’s Dean being so calm?  I mean he’s obviously mad but I don’t know, I expected him to just ignore what Rose said and insist on going to the funeral with her.”

At the same time as the Impala sped towards Iowa Lily was doing her own digging.  She’d tried to ask Sam about Dean’s reaction and he’d told her she should ask Dean, said it would give them something to discuss on the drive.  “So why the hell are you not going with my sister to New Orleans?”

Dean looked at her like she was an idiot.  “Did you not get the part where she refused to let me go with her?”

“Ya, so what?  I know you, Dean and you’re being awfully nice and patient here.  What’s that about?”  Dean threw her an irritated glance and shifted uncomfortably.  “Come on, what gives?”

And so Dean and Sam both told a story that up until now only three people had known all the details of, a story that had changed things.

* * *

“About a years and a half ago we had a job in Monterey, CA,” Sam said and Charlie settled back to listen.  “It was the worst kind of case.”

“Kids?” Lily asked and Dean nodded.

“Two boys,” Sam supplied and Charlie winced.

“It was a spirit, a vengeful mother who had her two children taken from her by her ex-husband and had committed suicide,” Sam said, his voice low and rough.  “For some fucked up reason she was taking her vengeance out on kids, always boys, always younger than six years old.”  Sam took a sip of his beer.  “Two kids had already been killed when we got to town and two more were killed the second night we were there.”  He shook his head.  “We burned her bones, did no good.  Two more boys almost died, but luckily their parents managed to get to them just in time.  We knew there had to be something we were missing.”

“Finally, we found out there was a picture of her in the local library.  She’d been the town librarian,” Dean explained.  “And they had some creepy piece of jewelry on display that one of her relatives had made using her hair.”  Lily shivered and made a retching sound, drawing a small grin from Dean.  “People used to do some weird shit when people died.”

“So we broke in, got the jewelry and burnt it but not before two more kids had died.”  Sam drained his beer and grabbed another and Charlie could see how this was getting to him.  “Six boys, all close to the age we were…” He trailed off and Charlie just nodded.  She knew.

“She used fire,” Dean said quietly, his voice echoing the pain of that and Lily felt her heart clench.  “Somehow the houses caught on fire, always in the kids room, always in a pattern that made it damn near impossible for anyone to get to them.  Most of the time the rooms were already engulfed in flames before the fire alarms even went off.”  Dean shook his head.  “I didn’t take it well.”

“Dean was a fucking wreck,” Sam said bluntly and Charlie nodded sympathetically.  “He was getting falling down drunk most nights, taking on any case that came our way and taking risk after risk.  I was sure he was gonna get himself killed.”  Sam thought back to how worried he’d been, how desperate.  He had been out of ideas.  One night when Dean had started a drunken brawl that they were lucky to walk away from with their lives Sam had reached out to the one person he thought maybe could help.  He’d called Rose.  She’d listened to him, had been as calm and soothing as could be and told him to get Dean home and she’d take care of him.  Sam had known when she said home she meant their house in Hastings.  He knew Dean was too deep in self loathing to take any offer of comfort so out right suggesting they go to Rose was out of the question.  So Sam had done his best to find them jobs that would lead them that way and when they were on the way to the “job” (A completely made up one) that would take them close to Hastings Sam had offered to drive.  As soon as Dean fell asleep Sam had texted Rose and quickly got a response that she was the only one home and would be waiting.

“Rose has always been able to get through to Dean and they’ve always had this connection so I figured if anyone could handle him at his worst it was her.” Sam took a sip of beer.  “Plus she’d seen her share of hunters after a job that hit too close to home.”

“He fucking tricked me,” Dean said, the pride in his voice evident.  “Lied his ass off about where we were going.”

“Lily was at some bachelorette party in Vegas and Erin and Daisy were visiting a coven in Chicago,” Sam explained.  “Which was for the best because Dean was not at all happy when he found out where we were.”

That was putting it mildly.  Sam had ignored Dean’s ranting when he’d woken to find them pulling into the Sullivan’s drive way and had gotten out and headed for the front door.  Dean had followed him, merely nodding at Rose and ignoring her attempt to hug him.  He’d then proceeded to try and wrestle the keys back from Sam (Who had been smart enough to grab both sets) and when that hadn’t worked he’d punched him, knocking him over the couch in the Sullivan living room.  Sam had instantly jumped to his feet and came around the couch ready to retaliate.  Dean was ready to go for him again when Rose put herself between the two of them.

“Damn, Rosie was mad,” Dean said.  “And here she is, this girl that is how much smaller than the both of us putting herself between us and then lecturing us about fighting.”  Dean grinned, remembering how she’d grabbed his arm and marched him into the kitchen, grabbed an ice pack and told him to stay before going to check on Sam.  He’d always loved the way she wasn’t intimidated by him.  She’d stand up to him when no one else would.

“She comes out, gives me an ice pack and tells me to stay out of the kitchen and make myself comfortable, that she’ll bring me dinner in awhile.”  Sam smiled.  “I stayed the hell out of the kitchen.”  He shook his head.  “I don’t know what all went down in there but there was a lot of yelling, mostly by Dean, some by Rose too.”

When Rose had come back in Dean had been pacing and muttering angrily about hot tempered little redheads who thought they could boss him around.  Rose had simply looked at him calmly, then sat on the counter and let him rant and rave.  She let him go on and on, finally wearing himself down.  When she saw he was running out of words she got down and walked over to him, slipping her arms around his waist and stopping him in his tracks before he knew what was happening.  He’d stared down at her head nestled up against his chest and for a minute he’d been frozen and then his arms had automatically slipped around her.  They stayed that way for several minutes, neither saying anything and Dean had thought that this hug was the best thing he had felt in weeks.  Finally Rose had pulled her head back and smiled at him.

“Let’s eat something and we’ll talk.”  And she’d slipped out of his arms as quickly and she’d slipped in and was serving up plates of meatloaf and homemade mashed potatoes and peas.  The gravy was made from scratch and the rolls were warm and fresh and Dean had thought a plate of food had never looked so good because he knew this wasn’t just food, it was Rose taking care of him.

And that had irked him suddenly.  As much as he wanted comfort and caretaking he didn’t deserve it.  Rose went to take Sam a plate and when she came back instead of sitting at the table ready to eat Dean was standing with his arms crossed.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Rose asked and Dean had given her an angry look.

“You think a hug and dinner is gonna fix me? God, if that’s you and Sammy’s big plan then you’re both idiots.”  He started pacing again and failed to notice Rose narrowing her eyes at him.  “You can’t just fix people; you can’t force people to feel better.”  He started to wind up for another good rant again, kicking the chair as he walked past it and muttering something about how some people were just too blind to see that the world would be a better place without him in it.  A loud crack caught his attention and he looked up mid stride to see Rose standing at the kitchen counter with a wooden spoon in her hand that she’d just struck the counter with.

“You can be upset, you can be hurt.  But you don’t get to self destruct.”  She waved the spoon in his direction.  “There are too many people who love you.”

Charlie's eyes were big as Sam relayed Rose's threatening Dean with the spoon that had carried clearly into the living room.  "I would pay money to see that," she said and Sam chuckled in agreement.

“She fucking threatened to smack me with a spoon if I didn’t sit down,” Dean chuckled and Lily laughed.  And oh the irony of that now, Dean thought.

“The people who care about us the most do things that make us angry because they know we need it,” Rose said, after Dean had wisely taken a seat at the kitchen table.  She’d looked like she had every intention of whacking him with that spoon and he was taking no chances.  Now she came towards him and stood by him.  “When we're hurting we can't always see what's best for us but the people who truly care about us can.  Sam did what he did because he loves you.”

Dean snorted derisively.  “Bossy little brother thinks he can-“

“That bossy little brother has been worried sick about you,” Rose interrupted.  “ _I’ve_ been worried about you.” She reached out a hand and stroked his hair softly and despite himself Dean found himself leaning into her touch.  “Let me take care of you.  Please?”

Dean had looked up at her with eyes that showed a heart that had been ravaged by what he’d seen and when he spoke his voice was raw.  “I don’t deserve that, Rosie.  I don’t deserve any of this.”  He waved a hand encompassing the kitchen.  “Not Sam, especially not you.”

Rose had cupped his face in her hands and given him a soft smile.  “You deserve all of this and more, Dean, much more than I could ever give you.”

Dean shook his head, not able to accept what she said.  “I failed.  Those boys died because of me.”

“That’s a load of crap,” Rose said fiercely and the tone of her voice was enough to get through so Dean actually heard her.  “You didn’t fail.  Sam told me you were the one who figured out where her hair was.  You’re the reason she’s not still killing, Dean.  You did that.”  She stroked his hair again knowing from the look in his eyes this was going to take awhile.  And for once food wasn’t the comfort he needed.  She reached out a hand to him.  “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” Dean asked her suspiciously.

“Well you obviously aren’t hungry so I figured we’d get ready for bed.”  And that got a pair of raised eyebrows from Dean.  Pain or not he couldn’t let that pass without a comment.

“Damn, Princess if I knew all it took was me going off the rails to get you in my bed…”

Rose just rolled her eyes at him but couldn’t stop the blush that crept over her face.  “We’re not going to bed, Dean.  We’re going to look at the stars.”  She narrowed her eyes at him in a warning not to argue.  “Now go get dressed for bed and meet me in my room.”

Ten minutes later Rose came out of her bathroom dressed in her pajamas to find Dean (with Sookie laying close to him) waiting for her under the stars.  He was on his back, his arms behind his head staring up at the twinkling lights and he glanced up when she came out, taking in her pajamas.

“Cupcakes…ya that’s definitely not a sign of a seduction about to happen,” he smirked.  Rose just smiled, turned off the overhead light and came over and lay next to Dean.  She cuddled against him, resting her head on his chest and wrapping her arms around him.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly after a minute and Dean sighed.

“Me too,” he said finally, bringing a hand down to wind in her hair.  “I just...I looked at those boys and I saw me and Sammy.”  Rose rested her chin on his chest, looking up at him.  She reached a hand up, stroking his face softly, not saying anything, not wanting to interrupt but wanting him to know she was there.  “That could have been us.”  Dean swallowed hard and ignored the moisture he felt on his face.  “And every pair of boys that died felt like it was.”  He glanced down at Rose to see tears on her face as well.  “It’s my job to keep little kids like that safe and I fucked up and they died.”

Rose was shaking her head.  “And the pair that you ran in and saved from a burning house?”  Dean looked at her in surprise.  “Of course Sam told me.  You risked your life for them and they’re alive because of you.”  She reached her other hand up so she could hold his face in her hands.  “I know you wanted to save them all, Dean.  I know every one lost hurts.  But you don’t get to just remember the losses; you remember the lives saved too.”  She looked at Dean and he was suddenly so grateful she’d been raised by a hunter.  No one else would understand this. “You hurt and you mourn and then you go on and you save more lives.  It’s what you do."

Dean looked at her, realizing how easy it was to just see the sweet smile, to appreciate the good cooking and the soft touch.  But damn there was steel under all that, real strength that didn’t flinch.  Dean knew it was there; he’d seen it too many times over the years to forget, but this was a vivid reminder and maybe he’d needed that.

“Damn Rosie, how’d you get so smart?” Dean asked, giving her a half hearted smirk.

Rose returned his smirk with a soft smile.  “Guess it’s the company I keep.”

The two were silent for a moment, Dean wrapping his fingers in her hair and Rose resting her head against his chest.

“You know what you don’t ever do though?” Rose said suddenly and Dean lifted his head to look at her, hearing the urgency in her voice.  “You don’t forget how important your life is and how much you matter, Dean.  You make a huge difference not only to the people you save but to us, to your family.”  Rose hugged his waist and looked up at him and Dean sucked in a breath at the emotion he saw there.   There wasn’t a doubt in is mind that what she was saying came from her heart. "You're one of the most important people in my life, Dean.  You matter so much.  So don't ever say the world would be better without you in it because that’s simply not true.”  She smiled at him then, a sweet, soft smile that made Dean feel warm and special.  “OK?”  And Dean nodded and hugged her to him because he couldn’t have found the words to tell her what that meant to him if he tried.

They’d talked more into the night, falling asleep just as dawn approached.  They woke hours later and shared a late lunch with Sam, neither talking specifically about what had happened.  But Rose touched Dean even more than normal, patting his shoulder as she went by, stroking his hair when she filled his glass, checking on him and making sure he knew she was there for him.  Dean knew what she was doing and he soaked it up, letting it heal him slowly.  There was no magic cure to all this, they both knew that.  But this all went a long way in helping.

When they’d gone to leave two days later Sam had hugged her and thanked her.  She’d waved his thanks off and instead teased him.  “Lily will be so jealous I got the two of you to myself for the whole weekend.”  Sam had blushed and Rose had said softly, “Take care of him, Sammy,” and Sam had nodded and headed out to the Impala.

Dean smiled at her and pulled her into a tight hug.  “Thanks, Princess.  You’re a life saver, you know that?”

Rose had smiled up at him when he pulled back.  “Mmm, it’s been said a time or two by a certain guy.”  And she’d reached up and whispered “Take care of yourself, please,” and placed a soft kiss to his cheek and then he was out the door, in the Impala and pulling away.

“We stopped by on the way back from Chicago two weeks later,” Sam said.  “And I don’t know any details but things changed between Dean and Rose then.”  He took a sip of beer and then looked thoughtfully at Charlie who was soaking this all in.  “I think Dean needed to know Rose could withstand him at his worst; that it wasn’t going to be too much.”

Charlie nodded.  “That makes sense.  And so now, he’s what, repaying the favor?”

Sam nodded.  “That’s one way of putting it.”  He took a long sip before he continued.  “The thing is Dean puts her on a pedestal.  He always has to some extent.  I mean, he knows she’s not perfect but I think it’s gonna be harder than anyone can imagine on him if it gets to the point where Dean has to be as tough with her as she was with him.”

“Well hopefully it won’t come to that,” Charlie said hopefully and Sam gave her a weak smile.  He hoped so too.

“I remember Rose telling me you guys were there that weekend.  She said you just had a hard case and needed a place to stop.  She left out just how rough it was.”  Lily looked at Dean thoughtfully.  Sam had told her about the case later though and it was clear how hard it had been on him.  Lily mulled all this over in her head.  "OK so it sounds like Rose was kinda a hard ass with you, well I mean as tough on you as she ever is.  So what's with you treating her with kid gloves?"

Dean rolled his eyes.  Leave it to Lily to only pick up on the part where Rose stood up to him.  Who cares that the rest of the time she was sweet and gentle...OK maybe he didn't go into too many details about those parts... Clearing his throat he said, "She gave me what I needed.  Ya she called me on my shit but she also said a lot of good stuff I needed to hear.  But I'd been spiraling for awhile before we got to your place.  I was ready to hear what she had to say."  He shook his head.  "Rose isn't there yet, she's not near ready."

Lily pursed her lips and finally she asked, "OK so how longs this gonna take?  I mean are we talking days, weeks, what?"

Dean glanced at Lily and shrugged.  "I wish I knew, Lil.  But there's no time table.  She's ready when she's ready."

Lily frowned.  "Well that sucks.  I miss my sister," she said softly.

Dean gave her a commiserating smile.  "Tell me about it."

Lily gave Dean a measuring look.  "You know how stubborn Rose is."

"Uh, ya," Dean said, the unspoken "Duh" clear in his tone. "I do."

"So I’d say the chances of her not being mindblowingly stubborn through this are slim to none.”  Dean grimaced but nodded his head in agreement. “OK so she got tough with you 'cause you needed it.  If it comes to that are you gonna be able to do that?"  Dean looked thoughtful as Lily continued.  "I mean this is Rosie we're talking about and you've always been a..." She trailed off.

"A what?" Dean asked curiously.  He wasn't sure how Lily saw him with Rose.  This should be interesting.

Lily sighed.  "You're a soft touch when it comes to her, Dean.  You treat her like a princess and normally that's great.  She deserves nothing less."  Lily looked at him curiously. "But if it comes down to you having to be the bad guy and stand up to her, I don't know. Can you do that?"

Dean was quiet and for a few minutes there was nothing but the low hum of the motor and the soft notes of the radio.  Finally Dean sighed and answered.

"I got your mom to put the spell on her didn't I?" Lily nodded; that had surprised her.  "If it comes to it I can do whatever it takes to get Rose through this, to get her back.  Doesn’t mean I’ll like it but I’ll do it."  Dean took a breath and said, “Now about this case…” and he steered the conversation away from the past and towards the upcoming job.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interestingly enough when I was researching something for this chapter the website I was on had this note at the bottom: "Article written about museum in Lawrence , KS." What are the chances?


	37. Falling Down Like Lonely Teardrops

"I Hate Being Late But I'm So Good At It."  Sam grinned at the picture Lily had sent him.  She was leaning against the side of the Impala wearing one of her favorite shirts with Dean next to her with an unimpressed look on his face.  "He told me he doesn't find the shirt at all amusing," Lily had written underneath.  Sam chuckled softly hoping the two were getting along.  Lily had obviously put what was going on with Rose on the back burner and was focusing on the case.  She was good at that, at prioritizing and dealing with what she had to now and saving the rest for later.

Lily had returned the favor this morning and he'd woke to a sweet voicemail from her.  She'd sent him a few texts since then, asking for research help and just random comments (and occasional pictures) a few times.  The morning had passed quickly and it was nearing the time he and Rose had to leave.

Sam did a double take when Rose came out, ready for the funeral.  The pearls and small black clutch didn’t surprise him; even the large sunglasses and the shoes with a heel didn’t shock him. (Though Lily would have scoffed at calling them high heels as the heels weren’t even two inches high.)  But the dress did surprise him.  It was not Rose’s usual style at all.  It was form fitting, tighter than anything she normally wore, falling just to her knee and accenting her curves.  This was Lily’s style, not Rose’s.  It looked perfectly respectable, classy and appropriate for a funeral but there wasn’t a doubt in Sam’s mind that Rose had not picked this dress out.

With her hair pulled back tightly in some sort of bun (If Lily were here she would have told him it was a chignon and then told him way more than he wanted to know about it.), the sunglasses hiding her eyes and the curve hugging dress Rose looked different, older and nowhere near as soft as normal.  Dean would hate that Sam thought, though he’d love the dress or at least the way Rose looked in it.  Sam wondered idly how completely inappropriate it would be to sneak a picture of her and send it to him.

“Wow, you look…” Sam trailed off, not sure how to finish that sentence.

Rose looked up from her phone, her eyes hidden behind the sunglasses.  “Like I’m wearing someone else’s clothes?” Rose supplied and Sam nodded.  “My mother picked it out.  I think she forgets that Lily and I have very different taste.”

Sam smiled at her.  “You look nice.”

Rose just shrugged and murmured a quiet thank you.  Charlie asked her something then and when she turned Sam seized the moment and snapped a picture quickly enough that neither female noticed.  While he quickly texted Dean Charlie was sliding a small pack of tissues across the table to Rose.

"For your purse," she said.  "The tissues at funeral homes and churches are always rough and you wind up using more than you would if..." Charlie trailed off, realizing she was babbling.  "Anyway, they're for you."

Rose stared at the tissues for a minute then reached out and put them in her purse.  "Thanks, Charlie," she said quietly then turned to Sam.  He was staring guilty at his phone and Rose frowned wondering what he was up to.

"Sam?" He jerked his head up quickly.  "Is Cas getting here-"

Cas appeared behind Sam suddenly and Rose nodded and stepped forward towards the two of them.

"I told Lily and Dean to call you if they need anything for now," Sam said to Charlie.

"I got you covered," she said and in the next instant the trio were gone.

* * *

Dean picked his phone up as it beeped at him and frowned.  Why was Sam texting him?  He'd been talking to Lily off and on all morning and Dean couldn't imagine Sam having a question that had to come to him.  His eyes widened when he opened the message up and saw the picture of Rose.

"Shit," he said a lot louder than intended.

"What?" Lily asked, glancing over at him and his phone.

"Nothing," Dean said quickly, unable to take his eyes off the picture.

"If you kill us because you're busy ogling my sisters ass I am gonna be so pissed."

Dean shot Lily a disgruntled look.  "I'm not "ogling her ass."  He waited a beat then added, "I'm just admiring it.” Then he corrected himself quickly.  “I mean _her_.  I’m admiring her in the dress."  Lily just rolled her eyes at him.

"Could you at least pull over if you're gonna keep "admiring" her?" Lily asked snidely.  "I'm hungry and I don't wanna die."  She paused then couldn't help adding, "Especially not because of my sisters’ ass."

Dean sent her a death glare but pulled into the parking lot of the next diner they came to.  He put the car in park and studied the picture closer.  "What the fuck did she do to her hair?"

Lily leaned over and looked.  "Oh it looks nice.  She just has it up."  If she were with Sam Lily would have gone into way more detail about the hairstyle and he would have humored her that he had the slightest bit of interest.  He was good like that.  Dean never bothered to pretend.

"No, not nice," Dean said with a shake of his head.  "I like her hair down.  She looks different like this."

Lily rolled her eyes at him again and patted his shoulder.  "It's hair, Dean.  You can pull it back and up and all over the place and it's still there."  Lily paused then added with a wicked twinkle in her eye, "I mean assuming she doesn't cut it off."

Dean looked aghast.  "Shut your fucking mouth."  Lily just laughed.  "Don't even joke about that."  He shoved his phone in his pocket and got out of the car and Lily followed behind him still laughing softly.

* * *

Cas left them just outside a large church with a sign proclaiming it to be St. Paul’s.  Sam was just about to start walking towards the entrance when he felt Rose tugging at his sleeve.

"Um, before we go in there I should tell you that you're my brother in law."

Sam paused.  "Come again?"

"Chastity knows who you are but for Ryan’s mother and anyone else my boyfriends’ brother who’s dating my sister is a mouth full and leads to way too many questions." Rose shrugged.  "Brother in law just seemed easier."

"Wow, people in your family really do like to just marry people off without asking," Sam muttered.

Rose just shrugged and walked towards the church entrance and Sam followed behind her with a shake of his head

* * *

"You look just like him...such a sweet, sweet...always be here…"

Sam was currently sitting on a bench in the church foyer, tuning out the voice on the speaker and watching Rose walk back and forth with Chastity’s daughter in her arms.  He’d met Chastity as well as Ryan’s mother (Who he was indeed introduced to as Rose's brother-in-law.) briefly before being ushered to the front to sit in the family section.  Sam hadn’t been expecting to be seated where all eyes seemed to be on them and from the look on Rose’s face she hadn't either.  The second Emma had made the slightest noise Rose had swept her up and ushered her out, Sam following in her wake.

Sam watched her now, her heels long since toed off and her sunglasses laid aside with her purse.  She was murmuring to Emma, who only seemed content if Rose walked with her, and every pass Sam would catch snippets of what she was saying.

“…the nicest, kindest, man…..loved you so much….funny…”  Sam lost a whole chunk of words now as Rose paused at the window to look out.  She only stayed a minute though as Emma started to fuss and it was back to walking.

“Is she usually this uh, fussy?” Sam asked as the duo made another pass.  Rose gave him a sharp look.

“Are you criticizing my Goddaughter, Sam?”

Sam quickly shook his head.  “No, I just…I don’t know a lot about babies.  It’s not like I’ve been around them very much.”

“Well usually Miss Emma is an extremely happy, easy going baby,” Rose said, smiling down at her softly and bouncing her on her hip.  And for just a second Sam saw Rose, the Rose he’d grown up with and knew.  That was her smile, her real smile.  “But she’s unhappy today.  Baby’s can sense upset.”  And like the sun disappearing behind a cloud her smile disappeared as quickly as it came.  “And she’s never been without her daddy before.  Ryan had a more consistent schedule than Chastity so he had her more.  Everything is off in Emma’s world right now.”  She kissed the baby’s head and murmured softly, “I know how that feels.”

“You said she’s your Goddaughter?” Sam asked as she started walking with Emma again, just to keep her talking to him.  And he had to admit, he was curious.  The fact that Rose had this whole other section of her life that no one knew about was amazing.  How she’d managed to pull that off…

“Mmm hmmm,” Rose said. “Chas and Ryan asked me just after she was born.”

Sam cleared his throat.  “You were there?  When she was born, I mean.”

Rose nodded then said something about needing to change Emma.  She grabbed the diaper bag and rushed off.

Sam was left alone in the foyer, with a co-worker of Ryan’s coming over the speaker about what a great guy Ryan had been.  Sam studied the large picture of Ryan that was on an easel near the double doors.  He was holding Emma in the picture, his smile wide and easy and his eyes shining with his obvious love for his daughter.  That must make this doubly tough for Rose.  If there was anyone who had loved their dad it was her.

Rose appeared a few minutes later with a much happier looking Emma, a bottle in her mouth and a stuffed dog in her arms.  Rose sat down on the bench not too far from Sam cuddling the drowsy looking Emma to her.  This close up Sam was able to see that Rose’s pupils were the size of pinpricks.  Just how much of the tonic her mother had made had she taken?  There were circles under her eyes as well and she looked exhausted.  He hadn’t seen that before behind the sunglasses.

"Stupid dress," Rose grumbled as she attempted to tug the hem down.  She was never letting her mother buy her a dress again.  Her dresses were never this clinging or restricting of how she sat.  She officially hated this dress. 

A soft, dulcet voice came over the speaker then and Rose’s head snapped up.  “Oh Chas,” she said softly.  Sam was close enough to the doors with their large glass panes to see the woman he’d met briefly standing center stage now, her back straight and her demeanor calm and focused.  He listened as she spoke about Ryan, about his kindness and good nature.  She praised his hard work and dedication to those he cared about.  Her voice broke only once, when she was describing the look of joy on his face when Emma was born and the change her birth had brought to both their lives.  As Chastity went onto describe what a loving and devoted father he was Sam glanced over to see Rose holding Emma with tears dripping down her face.  He silently moved over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“Sorry, I thought I would be OK,” she said, glad that Emma had drifted off to sleep finally.  She didn't want to be crying on her.  Sam just gave her a one armed hug, glad that he was here for her.

* * *

Later, after the graveside service was over and people had started to head back to Chastity’s house Rose, with her sunglasses back in place and heels back on, hugged Ryan’s mom tightly.

“He was a wonderful man,” she whispered.  “I’m so sorry.”

Beverly McKidd smiled a sad smile and hugged Rose back firmly.  “Thank you, dear.  He was very fond of you.  He always said you were like the little sister he never had.”

As Beverly and Rose talked Chastity pulled Sam aside to have a private word with him.

“It’s Sam, right?” Sam nodded and Chastity gave him a smile.  “Thank you for bringing Rose.  She’s so good with Emma,” She glanced at her daughter who was sound asleep in her car seat.  “And I needed her here today.”

Sam offered his condolences then brought up something he needed to ask while he had Chastity on her own.

"I know Danny and his cousin were putting some protections in place for you but I'd really like to double check their work, make sure they didn't miss anything."

"You think they didn't do a good job?" Chastity asked, her eyes showing her concern.

"I'm sure they did a fine job," Sam assured her, not wanting her to worry. "But well, I don't know them.  And I've done this a long time." Sam gave her a smile, the one that never failed to win people over. "It's obvious how important you are to Rose so I just want to make sure everything is safe and secure."

Chastity looked at him curiously and when she spoke her words were quiet and Sam wasn't sure if she was talking more to herself or him. "Wow, she wasn't kidding about that family thing." She shook her head then and smiled at Sam gratefully.  "I'd appreciate that.  Just let me know when."  She paused, glanced over her shoulder at Rose then asked delicately, “I don’t want to sound rude but why isn’t Dean here with her?”

Sam pondered how best to answer that, finally deciding the truth was the best way to go.  “Rose wouldn’t let him come with her.”  Something flashed in Chastity’s eyes that made Sam wonder if she knew why Rose would do that.  “Things are…complicated between them right now.”

“Does he not want to deal with-”

Sam cut her off before she could finish the sentence, not wanting her to get the wrong idea.  “No!  No, he wants to be there for her." Sam softened his voice.  "You don’t know Dean but he’s loyal and for Rose, well he’d do anything.”

“But Rose is pushing him away,” Chastity filled in and Sam nodded.  “And she’s doing terribly,” Chastity whispered, looking her over.  She turned to Sam then and thanked him again before making her way over to Rose.  She waited till she was done talking to Ryan’s mother then pulled her over next to Emma’s carrier and pulled her into a fierce hug.

“I’m so sorry, Chas,” Rose said softly.

“Me too,” Chastity said.  She pulled back and looked at Rose, pulling her sunglasses off despite Rose’s protests and then tugged Rose down so they were sitting on the bench together.  Chastity looked her over in a way that Rose knew she saw everything.  “I was surprised you didn't have Dean with you," she said, in a tone that said she wasn't surprised at all.  Rose said nothing, just stared at Emma sleeping peacefully.  Chastity sighed.  "Do you want to explain why?"

"You know why," Rose said softly and Chastity sighed again and shook her head.

"Now listen to me.  I know you’re hurting, no shush and listen,” she said over Rose’s protests.  “You’re hurting and you’re supposed to be letting that pretty boy of yours take care of you.  That’s what he’s there for.”  She smoothed Rose’s hair back from her face with an almost motherly touch.  “I know there are things we need to talk about and we will but not yet.  I need a little time to sort things out in my head.”  She swallowed hard and then smiled at Rose.  “So just give me a little bit, OK?  Just a little and then we’ll hash through everything.  But Rose, I’m not mad at you.  I know you’ll think that and I’m not.”

“You should be,” Rose said, looking down at her hands.

“No, I shouldn’t be,” Chastity said sharply.  “I was there, remember?  You can make yourself out to be the villain all you want to everyone else but not to me.  I know what happened.”  Chastity’s voice softened and she took Rose’s hands in hers.  “Listen to me, go home, let Dean take care of you.  Please.  You need that and you deserve it.  Don’t push him away, Rose.”

“I love you, Chas,” Rose said, hugging her again.

Chastity shook her head but hugged her back.  “I love you too, but that is a perfectly terrible way of telling me you’re not going to do a damn thing I told you to.”  She shook her head at Rose as they stood up.  "You know I'm not above calling that boyfriend of yours and telling him just what's going on with you."

"He knows what's going on.  Everyone does."

"He doesn't know some important details though, does he?" Chastity looked at her knowingly. "Like just why you're shutting him out?"

Rose's eyes widened in alarm.  "Don't, please."

Chastity gave her a challenging look. "Then cut out the self flagellation, Rose." Rose saw Chastity's eyes twinkle for just a second and knew normally a smart comment would have followed this that would have had Rose furiously blushing.  But there was no follow up comment and the sparkle in Chastity's eyes dampened quickly and for a second Rose saw the pain Chastity was trying her best to hide and she felt her own heart break and a huge wave of guilt wash over her at the sight.  She wanted to apologize, to beg Chastity to forgive her but knew that wasn't what she needed right now.  She was holding herself together and Rose falling apart on her wouldn't be fair.  So instead Rose just said:

"I'll try," and slipped her sunglasses back on.

"Liar," Chastity said, giving Rose a sad smile.

There were more hugs and kisses to the sleeping Emma and then Chastity and Beverly left and Sam and Rose went to find a quiet spot to call Cas.  In a matter of minutes they were back at the bunker and Cas was leaving them as quickly as he came.

Sam looked at Rose meaningfully.  “You want to change first?”

Rose nodded already heading for her room.  “Hurry back, Rose, we need to talk.”

* * *

Rose left her dress in a crumpled heap on the floor, the shoes next to it.  She deposited her pearls and sunglasses on the dresser carelessly and pulled on the same pair of jeans she'd worn yesterday and a sweatshirt that proclaimed "Life is short - Eat the cupcake" - Not because she wanted to wear it but because it was the first shirt she grabbed. She pulled her socks and sneakers on then sat on the side of her bed, petting Sookie and dreading what she was about to do.  But she'd promised Sam.

It was true that Sam had always been terrible at saying no to her. But he was also a skilled negotiator and he'd gotten a promise from her in return for going with her to New Orleans; He wanted details from what had gone on with Aine and info on her powers.  Rose sighed.  She didn't want to talk about that; she didn't want to talk about anything.  She wanted to go to sleep and stay that way for at least a week.  But that wasn't going to happen, not yet at least.  With a sigh she got up and took just an extra drop of tonic, to help keep her calm.  Today was a rough day, she reasoned, it was Ryan's funeral and now Sam wanted to ask her lots of awful questions.  She deserved a buffer.

With a sigh she headed back towards the library.  She needed to do this and get it over with.  Then hopefully everyone would just leave her alone.

* * *

Sam had eavesdropped on Rose and Chastity's conversation without an ounce of guilt.  He figured Rose wasn't talking to any of them so anything he could learn was a benefit.  The fact that Rose was blaming herself didn't surprise him.  Rose always had been responsible to a fault, whether the blame was hers or not.  But it had been surprising to hear that Chastity obviously knew why Rose hadn't let Dean come with her.  Sam was guessing it had something to do with what happened with Aine, he just wasn't sure what exactly.

He'd also heard how vulnerable and broken Rose had sounded.  He was going to have to tread carefully.  Not only would he be devastated if he made Rose feel worse but Dean and Lily would kill him.  He needed information, needed to know all he could about Aine but he couldn't hurt Rose in the process.

Sam looked up from the stove as Rose walked into the kitchen, Sookie at her heels.

"I figured we'd get some food first," Sam said pouring soup into bowls.

Rose stared at Sam for a second then sat down with a shrug.  “I’m not hungry,” she murmured, petting Sookie absently as she jumped up to sit on the stool next to her.

Sam brought the soup over along with bread and drinks for both of them.  “Dean made me promise to make sure you eat.”  That earned him a dark scowl.

“What is with his obsession with me and food?” Rose grumbled.

Sam gave her an incredulous look as he sat down across from her.  “I’m sorry, have you met my brother?  Those are two things he’s always been obsessed with.”  Sam watched as Rose blushed but didn’t say anything.  She took a sip of her drink and toyed with her soup spoon but didn’t eat anything.  “Come on, Rosie,” Sam coaxed, using his best puppy dog eyes. “Don’t get me in trouble with Dean.”

Rose frowned at him a second then begrudgingly picked up her spoon and started eating.  “That’s not fair,” she mumbled.  Glancing up at Sam she asked, “Does that work on my sister?”

Sam grinned at her, dimples showing.  “More often than not, ya,” and Rose just shook her head.

The two ate in silence for a few minutes, Sam pleased to see Rose eating, knowing that would be something that would ease Dean’s mind at least.  To Dean’s way of thinking food was caretaking.  He couldn’t fix Rose but he could make sure she got food in her.

Once they had both eaten Sam cleared their plates then ushered Rose out of the kitchen, Sookie following close at their heels.  Charlie gave them both encouraging smiles as they passed by the library and Sam led Rose into the living room, where not so long ago they'd all watched Buffy re-runs together.  God, that seemed like a lifetime ago.

"I figured we'd talk in here," Sam said, sitting down on one of the couches.  Sam had thought it might be easier if it was just the two of them.  While Rose seemed to like Charlie she didn't know her well and this was going to be hard enough without bringing someone into it she wasn't close to.

Rose settled down in the corner of the couch opposite him, saying nothing, Sookie jumping up and sitting closely against her hip.

Sam fidgeted with his journal for a second then glancing up at Rose he asked, "Can I ask something else first?" Rose gave a hesitant nod and Sam asked something that he'd been wondering since Rose had mentioned it.

"You said you were there when Emma was born but nobody in your family knew Chastity even existed till just recently.  How did you pull that off?"

"I lied," Rose said bluntly and Sam looked surprised, not expecting the matter-of-fact answer.  Rose gave a small smile.  "There's a florist convention in December in Las Vegas and that's where everyone thought I was." She shrugged again.  "Why would anyone check my story?  I'm the responsible one, right?  I mean, it's not like I'd be sneaking off to meet a guy at a motel room or anything." Sam started at that, recognizing the dig at him and Lily.  He frowned at Rose and she looked instantly guilty.  "Sorry.  I didn't mean that."  She reached back and started pulling pins from her hair as she spoke.  "Chastity asked me to be there and there was no way I was going to miss Emma's birth.  I went down a few days before and stayed a week after Emma was born."

Sam stared at Rose as she continued to pull pin after pin from her hair.  "You were gone two weeks?" he asked.  He was no expert but that seemed like a long time for a work trip.

Rose nodded, her fingers digging into her hair. "The second week I told everyone I was visiting an old college friend who lived in Las Vegas." She gave Sam a crooked smile. "Come on, Sam, I'm the quiet one, the one who everyone trusts.  I don't do wild things or get into trouble.  Why would anyone question me?  I mean sure, I hadn’t ever gone on a work trip before but nobody thought twice about it.”

Sam stared at Rose as she shoved the hair pins in her pocket. She was right, of course.  Rose was the one people trusted, the dependable one.  No one would ever suspect she would lie about a work trip and sneak off to see a friend no one even knew she had.

"So you're Emma's Godmother."  Rose nodded, stretching her legs out on the couch in front of her.  Sookie took this as a perfect opportunity to climb up on her lap.  "You're good with her," Sam noted and despite herself Rose looked pleased. "You knew just what to do to calm her down and how to hold her and when to feed her..." Rose was giving him an odd look and Sam realized he was rambling and flashed Rose an apologetic smile.

“They hadn’t planned on having a baby together you know,” Rose said suddenly, stretching out even further on the couch, her voice sounding more relaxed now and Sam leaned back and listened, just happy to hear Rose talking.  They could get to the topic he needed to ask her about later.

“How’d they meet?” Sam asked, settling back on the couch and getting comfortable.

“He was the architect she hired to put an extension onto her club.” Rose smiled, her hand lazily stroking Sookie. “I don’t think Ryan had any idea what kind of club he was walking into.  Ryan was very um, traditional, very vanilla.” Sam quirked an eyebrow at that.  That description said way more about Rose than she probably realized he thought but didn’t comment. “And here he walks into this club with theme rooms, a room for every kink you can think of.” Rose laughed. “Chastity texted me about how uncomfortable this guy was.  She said it was a shame because he was really hot.  Apparently he got over his discomfort, took the job and he and Chas wound up having a meeting in her office that turned into way more than a business meeting.” She raised her eyebrows meaningfully at Sam and he chuckled.  “Next thing you know she’s pregnant.  Luckily they found out they got along really well.”  She wove her fingers in and out of Sookie’s fur for a moment.  “And once Emma was born she was the number one priority for them both.”

“Were they a couple?” Sam asked, noticing how tired Rose looked.  She looked close to falling asleep.

Sam listened as Rose told him about Ryan and Chastity, her eyes getting heavier as she talked, her obvious affection for them both coming across in her words.  Before long her words were slurring, her head was nodding and her eyes were shutting.  Sam watched her for a minute, feeling tiredness sweep over him as well.  He considered taking her to her room but she looked so comfortable he decided to leave her where she was. He got up and slipped her shoes off and then found a blanket and covered her with it. Then he slipped out of the room, leaving Rose to get some sleep.

He went out to the library to find Charlie working on something (“Give me time, I’ll know if I’m onto something or not soon.”), made her promise not to work all night and headed to bed himself.  It had been a long day.

He’d just opened the door to his room when his phone rang.  He couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face when he saw Lily’s picture pop up.

"Hey," he said, closing the door behind him and flopping down on the bed.

"Hey yourself," Lily said, coming out of the hotel bathroom.  She was showered and wearing flannel pants and Sam's red shirt, waiting for Dean to get back.  Since he'd just left she had time to talk.

"Everything go OK?" Sam asked, kicking his shoes off and stretching out on the bed.

"Yep, one spirit done and dusted.  Or salted and burned as the case may be." Lily sat down on the bed she'd claimed as hers, curling her legs up underneath her.

"And it went OK?" Sam asked anxiously. "Neither of you got hurt?  You didn't kill each other?"

"It went like clockwork," Lily assured him. "You know contrary to popular belief Dean and me do get along."

"Sure," Sam said. "When you aren't irritating each other or bickering like children." 

Lily ignored his comment, instead asking, "So how did things go for you?"

Sam sighed. "Good.  I mean as good as a funeral can go.  It was-" A beep let Sam know a text was coming in.  "Hold on a sec."

He pulled his phone back to see Dean was texting him.

_Did everything go OK?  Any problems?  Did Rose eat anything?_

Sam answered quickly.

_Everything went fine.  No problems.  Yes, she ate dinner._

"Sorry about that-" Another beep cut him off and with a growl Sam again pulled the phone away from his face to read Dean's text.

_Did she handle everything OK?  What's she doing now?_

Trying to be patient Sam texted his brother back.

_She did fine.  She's sleeping.  And I'm trying to talk to Lily.  I'll tell her everything and she can tell you when you get back to the hotel._

"Sorry, Dean decided to text me with a hundred questions.  Where is he anyway?"

"Getting food and bringing it back," Lily explained.  "So you were telling me about your day..."

"It went fine.  We went to the funeral, I met Chastity and Ryan's mother and-"

"What's she like?" Lily interrupted.

Ryan's mom?" Sam asked in confusion.

Lily rolled her eyes. "No you dork, Chastity."

"Oh," Sam thought about how to describe her.  He hadn't spent that much time with her really. "Nice um, classy.  Her little girl is cute."

Lily shook her head.  Men were the absolute worst at describing people.  "How's Rosie?"

"She's OK I guess?  I mean she got through the funeral OK and we talked a little when we got home after dinner.  Make sure to tell Dean she ate," Sam said. "He's worried she's not eating enough so tell him she ate all her dinner.  She fell asleep just a little bit ago in the living room."

Lily was quite for a few seconds turning all that over in her mind.

"Hey," Sam said his voice softer now. "I miss you."

That drew a smile from Lily.  "I miss you too.  And I'm sharing a hotel room with your brother.  This is all so weird."

Sam chuckled. "It is different," he agreed.  He looked at the empty pillow next to him.  "I think I'm mad at you."

"Huh?  Why?  What did I do?" Lily's confusion carried clearly over the wire.

"Well, Lil, I've slept in this bed for awhile now...for years in fact-"

"Yes, because you're so old," Lily interjected and Sam carried on smoothly as if she hadn't said anything.

"-and it's never once felt too big.  I've never shared it with anyone till a month ago." Sam paused and he could practically feel Lily waiting. "And now it just feels huge and empty because you're not here."

"You're right," Lily said, her voice soft. "You should totally be mad at me for that."

"I definitely am," Sam said firmly. "In fact it may take years for you to make it up to me."

"Guess you're stuck with me then, huh?" Sam could hear the grin on her face, could practically feel the happiness coming off of her.

"Aw, the hardship," Sam lamented. "So are you guys leaving in the morning?"

"Yep, breakfast at the diner around the corner and then we're hitting the road."

Sam calculated in his head, realizing this meant he'd have to talk to Rose in the morning.

Sam and Lily talked for a few more minutes before Dean got back with the food. They said their good nights and Sam got undressed and climbed into bed marveling at how big and empty the bed really did feel.  Just as he was about to close his eyes his phone dinged again.  Picking it up he was greeted with a picture of Lily in his t-shirt, sending him kisses to go to sleep on.

* * *

"This is kinda like our own weird version of wife swap," Dean commented from his bed.  They'd eaten dinner then Dean had changed for bed as well and they were flipping through the channels trying to find something to watch.  Lily glanced at him curiously over her shoulder from where she was laying on her stomach watching the various channels fly by.  “I mean you’re with me, Rose is with Sam.”

"OK first off none of us are married, so no wives to speak of."  She paused thoughtfully then added, "Well except Daisy and Cas and that's up for review.  And secondly you have horrible taste in television."

“Oh ya? You wanna compare junk TV watching?” Dean challenged and Lily just shook her head.  “Ya, I didn’t think so.  Dean was quiet while Lily flicked through channels, finally settling on an old horror movie they had both seen several times.  “Hey are you ever gonna talk to Sam about that prophecy?”

“Which prophecy?” Lily asked, her eyes glued to the screen as twin girls haunted a little boy in a long hallway.  Dean gave a little huff of laughter.  Only in their world would you have to ask which prophecy.

“The one about you,” and that got Lily’s head snapping in his direction.

“You know about that?” she asked and Dean nodded.

“Well it wasn’t exactly a secret was it? I mean Charlie knows because she deciphered it…”

“Well I knew Charlie knew,” Lily said, rolling on her side to look at Dean.  “I just didn’t think anyone else did.”

“Sam sent me all the stuff Charlie decoded,” Dean explained.  “And he talked to me about the part about you because he was worried about telling you.”

Lily stared at him a second then rolled on her back suddenly, staring up at the hotel ceiling, her hand pulling anxiously at the ends of her hair.

"You like being a hunter don't you?" she asked abruptly after she'd been quiet so long Dean was sure she wasn't going to say anything.

Dean started then replied affirmatively.  "Ya, it's all I know really."

"Ya, but if someone came up to you tomorrow and offered you a way out, despite the dangers, the risk, you wouldn't walk away."  Dean thought for a minute then slowly shook his head.  "It feels good, doesn't it?" Lily asked with a satisfied grin. "That feeling when you're out there facing something that most people you know don't even know exists and you're fighting it and the adrenalines pumping and you know, you just know that you're good at this.  That this is what you were born to do." Dean studied the smile on Lily's face and noticed the sparkle in her eyes.  He knew just what she meant.

"Ya, it's a pretty awesome feeling," he acknowledged.

"OK so imagine tomorrow someone shows up on your door step and says "Hey we know you're really good at this but we have a prophecy that says we got it wrong.  You shouldn't be a hunter, Dean.  You should be a farmer."

"A farmer?" Dean asked blankly.

"An accountant?" Lily suggested instead and Dean just shrugged.  "I don't know. Pick some career that's the exact opposite of everything you're good at."

"Well when you put it like that it does sound like a shitty deal," Dean said and Lily raised her eyebrows in acknowledgment.  “But you know if you talk to Sammy about it he’s pretty good at coming up with a different perspective on things.”  Lily gave a slight nod of her head, not ruling out his suggestion but not looking enthused at the idea either.

After a minute Lily rolled back over and fixed her gaze on Dean.  "So what are you gonna do to fix my sister?"

Dean was totally taken aback, though really he shouldn't have been.  Despite him telling her it would take time for Rose to feel more like herself Lily was someone who valued action. Dean was sure she believed there was some kind of instant cure.

"I told you, she's gonna need time," Dean began.

"Ya, I heard that but there has to be something we can do to move things along," Lily said. "You know about this stuff, what helped you?"

"Time, people being patient with me and not expecting me just to bounce back," Dean said firmly.

Lily sighed.  "Seriously?  There's nothing we can do to speed things up?"

Dean shook his head. "No magic cure for this, Lil."

"Damn, that sucks."  Finally with a frown Lily rolled back onto her stomach and focused on the TV.  "OK enough of the melodrama, come watch Jack Nicholson go crazy with me."

Dean chuckled and moved down to the end of his own bed as well.

"Jack is pretty cool," Dean commented after a minute.

"He's a letch, an old guy that hits on girls half his age," Lily countered.

"Ya but he does it with style," Dean said a definite note of admiration in his voice.

"Easy for you to say," Lily shot back. "You've obviously never been hit on by someone twice your age."

"Oh don't bet on it," Dean said, warming to the topic at hand.

The two bantered back and forth, finally falling asleep in front of the TV while another movie played.


	38. I'll Be Strong, I'll Be Wrong, Oh But Life Goes On

Sam eyed Rose speculatively across the library table.  He’d planned on talking to her alone again today but after she’d wandered down to her room and came back in the same clothes she’d slept in not long after she’d flopped down in one of the library chairs and muttered, “Just ask me, Sam.  Let’s get it over with.”

“How much of that stuff your mom made did you take yesterday?” Sam asked and he saw Charlie glance at him in surprise.  She was at the other table behind her laptop and she glanced at him now over the top of it like he was crazy.

Rose for her part didn’t react much, which seemed to be the norm for her these past few days.  She shrugged and admitted, “Too much,” catching Sam by surprise.  “Yesterday was rough.  I thought maybe a little extra would get me through."  Rose gave Sam a knowing look.  "I’m not stupid, Sam, it’s not something I plan on doing on a regular basis but I figured we didn’t need levitating furniture at the funeral.”

Satisfied with her answer Sam just gave a nod and got down to business.  “So speaking of your powers, what you did in Kansas City, walk me through that.”

Rose toyed with the mug of tea Sam had sat down in front of her.  (She’d nibbled at the toast he’d set beside it and Sam was counting that as a win. He could tell Dean she ate both days with a clear conscience.) “In the parking lot?”  Sam nodded and Rose frowned in concentration.  “I came out of the store and there was a girl by the car.  She looked weird, like she had an outline around her.”

“What do you mean an outline?” Sam asked curiously as he wrote quickly in his journal.  Charlie was watching them both now, any attempt to focus on her laptop forgotten.

“It looked like someone had drawn a line around her body and there were layers of colors,” Rose was saying, her eyes focused on the mug her fingers was wrapped around.  “There was red and black and blue.  I couldn’t touch the blue but I could touch the black.”

“When you say touch…”

“I mean with my powers,” Rose said, glancing up at Sam and he stopped writing and stared back at her.  Rose sighed, pushing the empty mug away from her, knowing she wouldn’t be able to describe this well.  She didn't really understand it herself.  She glanced down at Sookie who had trotted back in after eating her breakfast and Rose patted her lap and Sookie jumped up.  Rose stroked her coat, calming herself and trying to focus.  “I could reach out with my power and touch the part that was the demon.”

“How’d you know how to do that?” Sam asked.

Rose thought about it a second then shrugged.  “I don’t know.  Instinct I guess?  It just …felt right,” Rose summed up lamely.

Sam was scribbling furiously now.  “So you could distinctly see the demon?”

“Well I could see the black line and I guess my powers knew that was the demon.”

“What about the other two layers?”

“No idea," Rose shook her head.  “All I know is the black I can touch.  I knew I could control it."

That stopped Sam short. "You knew that?"

Rose thought for a second.  “Maybe knew is the wrong word.  I just had this urge to touch it and went with it.”

Sam studied her for a second then pointed out, “You said you knew you could control it.” Rose nodded reluctantly.  “How?”

Rose shook her head.  “I don’t know.  I just did.” Sam frowned at her and Rose returned it. “I’m not being difficult Sam, just honest.  I don’t have any idea how I knew it.  I understand next to nothing when it comes to my powers.”  Sam’s frown melted away to be replaced with a kind smile at the truth behind her words.

From her spot behind her laptop Charlie listened as Sam questioned Rose further about what happened.  She watched Rose’s face, watched the way she replied and it occurred to Charlie that Rose hated these powers.  She was the furthest from happy when talking about them.  She glanced at Sam and wondered if he had any clue about that.  He was firmly in his Man of Letters role, jotting down details and asking pertinent questions but Charlie felt pretty sure he didn’t notice Rose’s face, the look of pure unhappiness when she spoke.

Finally Sam glanced down at his journal, reading over his notes.  He felt he had a pretty clear idea of what had happened, as clear as possible given Rose’s less than precise answers.  Now to the hard part.  He glanced up at Rose who was staring down at Sookie.

"I thought before you told me anything about Aine maybe it would make sense if I told you what we know about the sisters."  Rose nodded and settled back and Sam told her all they had learned.  Rose took it all in, asking a few questions but being silent for the most part.  Once Sam had put all they knew out there he stopped, taking a breath and giving Rose a chance to ask any other questions she had.  When she was quiet he asked, “Do you need more tea or anything?” he asked and Rose glanced up and shook her head.  Before Sam could say anything else Rose was speaking.

“I know you need to know this stuff, Sam so I’ll tell you.  But I’m not going to go step by step through what happened to me,” Rose was looking up at Sam now and her eyes were shuttered.  “If you want that then talk to Cas.  He can have you talk to Daisy or I’m sure Dean’s told you whatever Cas told him.  I’m just not going through that again.”  Her words were iron, leaving no room for debate.

“I don’t want to make you go over it all again, Rosie,” Sam said, his voice gentle.  “I just need to know anything that can tell us about Aine or her sisters or anything important.”

Rose nodded then she glanced back down at Sookie and when she spoke her voice was wooden, emotionless.  “Aine was the one who put the spell on my mom.”  Her fingers stroked through Sookie’s fur, her eyes never lifting and Charlie was struck at the vast difference between this woman in front of her and the girl she’d met just a few weeks ago.  She’d been so full of life and laughter, so much light she’d seemed to glow.  The woman in front of her now was dull and lifeless except for brief flashes of anger or irritation.  It was sad to see and Charlie figured it must be killing Dean.

“Why your mom?” Sam asked gently and then clarified. “Why’d she choose her?”

“She was the weak link,” Rose said, a bitter smile on her lips. “She said she was the only one close enough to me that she could find a way to get to.  Apparently she tried a few others but my mom and I have a weak enough relationship she could get in.”  Sam nodded, not seeming surprised.  There was no doubt Erin loved Rose but the brick wall no one could breach, the real strength in the Sullivan family lie in the sisters.  There was no coming between any of them.  That was something Sam understood.  “Aine wanted my mom to kill me and she was really mad that didn’t work.”  Rose looked up and her smile was twisted.  “I guess I should be glad my mom doesn’t hate me enough to kill me, huh?”

Sam looked taken aback.  “Rose, your mom doesn’t-”

“I know,” Rose said, cutting him off and continuing on. “So that woman we saw in Daisy’s vision, the one in England?  That was one of Aine’s sisters.”

“The one who tried to put a stronger spell on your mom,” Sam filled in and Rose nodded.

“According to Aine that was stupid of her as Aine was a stronger witch.  But who knows if that’s true or not.  Aine wasn’t lacking in the ego department.”  Sam smiled slightly as he jotted that down, knowing a few demons like that.

Rose chewed on her thumb for a moment then cleared her throat and continued.  “Aine said they had powers from the time they were kids,” Rose said and Sam’s eyes widened.  “I’m guessing you didn’t know that?”  Sam shook his head and wrote feverishly while Rose filled in what she knew.  “Aine could touch things or people and tell things about them, where they’d been, what their weaknesses were.  She said she could get people to go along with what she wanted too, though I’m not sure if that was a power or not.  She was mad because Chastity didn’t go along and agree to let her possess her.”  Now that Sam had seen Rose and Chastity together he understood that.  Even though he’d only been with the two a short time it was easy to see the level of loyalty and devotion between the two of them.

Rose frowned and pulled her legs up and Sookie objected to the new position, jumping from Rose’s lap to the table where she spread out comfortably.  Rose wrapped her arms around her knees and went on.  “Aine’s power didn’t work on me, she tried.”  Sam stopped writing, thinking over what that meant and Rose added, “She seemed to think my powers might not work on her either.”  Rose watched Sam write that down and said, “I didn’t get a chance to try because of the stuff she gave me.”  Sam nodded, giving her a sympathetic glance. “My mom said that’s what’s messed my powers up again.  Or more I guess, since they were pretty messed up already.”

“You got a handle on them before, Rose, you’ll do it again,” Sam said in a confident tone.  Rose just looked at him blankly and Sam thought that she seemed different today.  She’d been sad yesterday as one would expect but today she seemed worn out, almost lifeless.  Sam wasn’t sure how to handle this.  Rose had always been the happy, steady one, the one who kept things running smoothly amidst the chaos. 

Without responding to Sam’s comment Rose continued on.  “The sister we saw, she can see things.”

“Like Daisy?” Sam asked and Rose shrugged.

“Kind of, though the way Aine described it sounded different.  She said she could see a person’s life path.  But it wasn’t certain and there were multiple paths.”  Sam jotted that down, knowing he’d have to do some research on that.

“Did you know there’s a prophecy about me having a good heart?” Rose asked suddenly and Sam looked up at her in surprise and shook his head.  “Something about the one who holds the key having a good and true heart.  But I can still be led of course by the darkness.”  Sam wrote this down, it being new to him.

“What about the third sister, uh Aideen?” Sam asked.  What’s her power?”

“Fire,” Rose said flatly and that answered the question Sam had about her power when he’d read about the sisters initially.  Before Sam could ask anything else Rose was pushing her chair back and starting to get to her feet. “We’re done here, right?” And for just a minute Sam thought Rose sounded like someone else though he couldn’t place who.

“One more question,” Sam said before Rose could get away from the table and she slumped back down in the chair. “The necklace you gave Chastity,” Sam said and Rose looked at him in surprise.  She’d obviously not realized they knew about that.  Sam had noticed Chastity wearing the necklace at the funeral, clearly being smart enough not to take it off.  “Where did you get it?”

Rose frowned and fidgeted biting her lip before saying, “From a voodoo shop in New Orleans.  We were out for the day sightseeing and I wandered off.”  Rose closed her eyes remembering why she went off on her own, wanting to give Ryan and Chastity time together.  Both Sam and Charlie winced at the obvious pain on her face.  She took a deep breath, opened her eyes and then continued. “There was a sales girl there who talked to me.  I could see her power, like I could with Heather.” She glanced up to make sure Sam understood and went on at his nod. “She told me there was a strong light in me but that there was a lot of darkness around me, trying to get in.  She gave me the necklace and told me to wear it, that it would anchor my life force.  She seemed to know about Cas or at least that I knew someone who could heal me.”  Sam looked surprised at that but Rose didn’t notice, just continued on with her story. “She told me I had power.  God, everyone just loves to tell me that lately.  They can have my power if they want it so badly.” Her voice was angry, not at all impressed by the power everyone else seemed so dazzled by.  Sam cleared his voice and asked:

“Did she say why she was giving you the necklace?”

“Just that I’d need it,” Rose said with a shrug.  Then she frowned and added, “She said something weird about ghosts from the past too, something about them not filling the same role as before.”  Sam looked confused at that and jotted that down.

“Didn’t you think it was weird this random shopgirl giving you this powerful necklace?” Sam asked.  Rose’s narrowed eyes clued Sam into the fact that maybe that hadn’t been the best way to phrase the question.  Before he could backtrack she was answering him in a heated voice.

“Well let’s see, in the last month I got powers I didn’t think I was ever supposed to have, been attacked by demons so many times I’m starting to lose count and been attacked by a hunter-you know, the people I thought I was on the same side as.”  Rose leveled him with a look that made him want to retract the question completely.  “So no, Sam, in the list of weird things in my life the salesgirl giving me the necklace didn’t even break the top ten.”

“I wasn’t trying to be a jerk,” Sam said, holding his hands up in a placating manner and Rose just rolled her eyes at him.

“Why didn’t you keep it?” he asked next and Rose gave him a look that clearly said she was questioning his sanity.

“I don’t know, Sam, why didn’t I keep it?” And Sam was pretty sure from the sarcasm in her voice that Rose was about done with this topic.  And him.

“You wanted to protect Chastity,” Charlie said softly and Rose glanced her way and nodded.

“Chastity wanted me to stay and that put her at risk.  The least I could do was keep her as safe as I could.” Rose shrugged as she stood back up.  “If I got hurt or killed that wasn’t a big deal.  After all this is all on me anyway.  My life has pretty much been up for grabs since this started.”  Without another word she walked out of the room and Sookie jumped down to follow her out.

Sam winced. “God, I hope she never says that to Dean.  He’ll lose his fucking mind.”  Charlie nodded easily able to imagine how Dean would react.

A half hour later Sam was pouring over his notes, making sure he got all the details down and noting things he needed to research.  Charlie had gone back to her project on the laptop and both were engrossed in their work when Rose appeared in the doorway suddenly.

“Danny’s on the way here, a few minutes out with Lily’s car and my stuff,” she said.

Sam frowned, not looking forward to the distraction of Danny when he wanted to focus on what he’d learned today.  He needed to put all Rose had told him into context of what they already knew and see if he could figure-

A loud banging on the door told him that would have to wait.

* * *

Much later that night, so late in fact that only Sam and Dean were awake as far as they knew, the two were filling each other in over beers in the kitchen.  Lily had predictably drug Sam off to their room when she'd gotten home and the two had spent several hours together, with Sam even going out and bringing dinner back to their room.  Lily had fallen asleep not long after they ate and once he was sure she was sound asleep Sam had slipped out knowing Dean would want to talk.  For his part Dean had been in the garage since they had gotten back, working out what a strange noise coming from the Impala's engine was, only venturing to the kitchen once he had fixed the problem.

"Your girlfriends a damn good hunter," Dean said now.  "You kinda forget with her diva attitude and smart ass comments how good she really is."  Sam just grinned proudly and took a sip of beer, not pointing out that Dean rivaled Lily in the comment department.  “And not at all as lazy as some people are when it comes to digging up bones,” Dean added with a smirk and Sam happily flipped him off.  "So what did I miss?" he asked, stretching his legs out.

Sam filled him in on the funeral and the goings on there, ending with the comments he'd heard between Chastity and Rose.  Dean mulled over that for a bit then put it on the back burner to think about later.

"Thanks for the picture by the way," Dean said, tipping his bottle in Sam's direction. "That was some dress."

"I thought you'd appreciate that," Sam said with a grin.

"I hated her hair though," Dean said with a frown and Sam just smiled.  He knew his brother too well. "She uh, she didn't cut her hair, right?" Dean asked nervously.

"What?" Sam asked, looking and sounding confused by this odd question.

"Nothing, never mind," Dean said quickly, cursing Lily in his mind.

Giving his brother an odd look Sam got them back on track.

"So today things got really interesting," he said.  Sam told Dean what Rose had told him, seeing Dean's surprise that mirrored his own at the fact the sisters had powers not unlike Rose and her sisters.  "Then Danny showed up."

"Ya, I saw Lily's car was back," Dean commented. "I was surprised she wasn't down there checking it over."

“She’s not quite as obsessed with her car as you are, Dean,” Sam said then he flushed and admitted, "And I may have gotten distracted and forgotten to tell her."

“Atta boy, Sammy,” Dean chuckled. "You two are like teenagers, I swear."

"Getting back to the topic..." Sam said, clearing his throat.

"Right, right.  What happened?"

"I don’t know if she asked him or if he just got the brilliant idea to tell her but from the sound of things Rose knows about Danny being a guardian."

Dean's eyes widened.  "Oh shit."

Sam nodded. "Oh shit is right.  She threw him out.”

Dean stopped with his beer bottle halfway to his mouth.  He placed it back down on the table carefully and looked at Sam. “When you say threw out-”

“I mean he did not walk out the door under his own power.”

Dean’s face split into a wide grin. “Aw, couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.”

“Dean,” Sam said, a disapproving note in his voice, realizing his brother wasn’t taking this seriously.

“What?  She didn’t hurt him did she?” Dean asked and Sam shook his head.  Danny had looked fine, if shaken, when Rose “pushed” him out the door.  “Then what’s the big deal?”

“She can’t just use her powers to move people around when she wants to or whenever she’s mad,” Sam explained with a look that said he couldn’t believe he _had_ to explain this.

Dean raised an eyebrow at him.  “Your girlfriend has a tendency to hit people when they piss her off.  I think that counts as using her powers when she’s angry." Sam looked none too happy at this comparison but didn’t argue.  “Where is Rose anyway?”  Dean had checked her room just after he’d gotten home before heading down to the garage after not finding her in the main part of the bunker.

“I’m not sure where she is exactly.  She took off downstairs somewhere after Danny left," Sam said. "She spent a lot of time in the living room so maybe she wandered back there.  She could be back in her room for all I know."

Dean nodded, finished off his beer and went in search of Rose.

* * *

Rose had indeed fled downstairs to get away from everyone, wanting no one to talk to her after Danny’s revelation.  She had wound up in the gym where Dean and she had trained, sitting on a stack of mats that were piled near one side of the room.

She couldn’t believe Danny had lied to her, had kept this secret from her all these years.  Wrapping her arms around her knees and drawing them close to her chest she rested her head against her knees, hating how hurt she felt.  She’d trusted him, had been so close to him once and the whole time he knew all about her family, about her, things she had never shared.  Tears of anger and pain filled her eyes and she let them fall, spilling out across the denim of her jeans.

After she’d cried for what felt like a ridiculously long time over an old boyfriend Rose lay back on the mats and stared at the ceiling, contemplating the mess her life had become.  It wasn’t actually Danny himself she was crying over but what he represented: One more thing she’d taken at face value and found out the reality was much different.  She stayed there for a few hours, doing nothing but stare at the ceiling.  Finally with a resigned sigh she got up and started back upstairs.  She was thirsty and wanted to go curl up in her bed with Sookie and a drink.

As she made her way down the hallway the faint sounds of music reached her ears coming from the direction of the garage.  Stopping and peaking in the door she saw Dean standing in front of the open hood of the Impala, staring at it thoughtfully.  So he and Lily were back.  Rose studied him, noting no bruises or visible trauma so things must have gone OK.

With a soft sigh she pressed her forehead against the glass, like a child looking longingly in the glass case of a candy store.  She wanted more than anything to go to him, to wrap her arms around him and rest her head against his chest.  He’d wrap his arms around her making her feel safe, he’d kiss her forehead and ask her what was wrong  – she knew all those things as surely as she knew her own name.  Even if he was mad at her, even though she had hurt him, if he saw she was in pain he’d offer her comfort.  Was that love?  Or was that just Dean?  Rose shook her head, not knowing the answer to that question.

The one thing she did know is that she couldn’t have what she wanted.  She needed to keep her distance from Dean, to not put him in any more danger.  She'd brought danger and misery into enough lives now.

So with one last longing look thrown Dean's way Rose headed back upstairs.

* * *

After looking for Rose in the living room and doing a quick sweep of the lower levels he tried her bedroom again.  He heard the soft murmur of voices while standing outside her door that stopped when he knocked.  Not waiting for her to say anything he opened the door and poked his head in.

Rose was lying on the bed covered by her purple blanket with Sookie by her side, her laptop open on the bed next to her, a TV show frozen mid scene.

“Hey,” Dean said, leaning up against the doorframe.  Rose glanced up and he gave her a small smile.  She didn’t return it and Dean’s heart clenched when he saw the obvious signs that she’d been crying.  He hadn’t stopped to think about how Danny’s deception would make Rose feel aside from angry.  Damn it.  He really wanted to kill that asshole now.  No one made his girl cry and got away with it.

“Hey,” Rose said, sitting up.  She knew that Dean would be able to tell she’d been crying.  It wasn’t something she could hide.

“You OK?” Dean asked and Rose just nodded. Dean hesitated, unsure what to do here. Obviously she wasn’t all right but he wasn’t sure if he should push the issue or not. He’d comforted Rose in the past when she’d been hurt and been a shoulder to lean on when she needed support but she’d always come to him willingly then, seeking his comfort.  He’d never had to guess at what she needed, never had to try and figure out what he should do.  Right now she was guarded, not giving him anything and he’d never been on this side of things with her before.  The one message he was getting from her loud and clear was that she wanted to be left alone.  Maybe he should listen to her.  There were definitely times in his life when he'd needed space and she'd always been good at giving it to him.

“You need anything?” His eyes took in the mug on her table.  Rose shook her head.  “OK, well I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”  Dean was turning to go when Rose’s voice stopped him.

“Are you OK?  Did the hunt go all right?” Rose cursed at herself internally but couldn’t help asking.  She needed to know he was OK, was safe.  Dean turned in the doorway and gave her a cocky grin, obviously pleased she’d asked.

“The hunt went fine, smooth and easy.”  Dean did a little turn in the doorway, trying to pull a smile from her. "Not a scratch on me or Lily.”  Rose nodded and gave him a small smile that made Dean want to wince, not realizing till now how unhappy a smile could look. 

"That's good," Rose said softly, her eyes drifting back towards her computer.

“Hey Rosie?” Rose looked up at him curiously and Dean couldn’t help but ask, “If you need something you’ll tell me, right?”

Rose looked at him for a minute, her eyes and face giving nothing away.  “The only thing I need is to be left alone.”  If her voice had been stronger it might have sounded surer, more certain.  As it was her voice was just flat, wavering slightly at the end as if it was out of energy.  Dean watched Rose lie back down, pulling her blanket tightly around herself and turning back to the laptop.  He said goodnight to her softly and close the door behind him and headed to his room.

As much as he didn't want to he'd give her time, give her space.  But only so much of it.  And when he felt like it had been long enough he’d push her if he had to.  He’d keep an eye on her and get others to help out with that too.  She wasn’t self destructing if he had anything to say about it.


	39. The Days Go By

If Dean was OK with giving Rose time and space Lily was most definitely not on board with that plan.  In theory yes, she agreed Rose needed time; It was the space part she was skeptical about.  She knew she couldn’t begin to understand what Rose had gone through but she couldn’t believe that Rose didn’t need her by her side to get through this.  So Lily pushed and prodded (As being subtle was not in her makeup).  Sam tried to warn her that she needed to back off, that pushing wasn’t the way to handle Rose in this situation but Lily was convinced she knew her sister best and what she needed.

Lily eyed Rose who was curled up in bed watching something on her laptop and sighed.  Normally her plan would have been to just curl up next to Rose and watch whatever bit of TV she was watching with her.  Only she’d tried that on Friday and it hadn’t worked.  Lily frowned now, remembering how badly it had gone.

She’d come into Rose’s room and found Rose watching a perfectly trashy bit of TV, just the thing that the two of them would normally watch together.  So Lily slipped her shoes off and climbed up onto the bed next to her sister, curling up behind her like she'd done a million times before.  She’d stroked Rose’s hair and for just a second Lily had felt a moment of triumph.  Dean was wrong, she thought.  Rose doesn’t need space.  She needs the people who love her most with her.  And then Rose had stiffened suddenly and pulled away, jumping up off the bed, her eyes wide with alarm.  “Don’t do that!” she had snapped, standing with her arms wrapped tightly around herself, looking as shaken as if Lily had tried to choke her, not just lightly touch her hair.  Lily had been left at a loss for words, confused by Rose’s response.  Her reaction had been strong enough to make Lily retreat, leaving Rose to herself for a day.

Sam had patiently explained that Rose might not want to be touched and Lily had looked at him askance.

“Sam, this is Rose we’re talking about.  She’s always hugging and cuddling people.” Lily sat in the center of their bed, looking aghast at Sam’s words. “She’s always been that way, you know that.”

Sam nodded, having sat by Rose through enough movies through the years to know this to be true.  Inevitably she would wind up cuddling with whoever she was sat beside.  It wasn’t chance that it was most often Dean; He’d learned early to grab the spot closest to her.  “Rose isn’t herself right now though, Lil.  What she went through,” Sam ran a hand through his hair nervously. “Well it can change a person.  It’s going to take her awhile to get back to herself.” Sam didn’t even mention that sometimes these changes were permanent; that the Rose they all knew might be changed forever.  Lily had just frowned at him and he could tell she was still sure she could get through to Rose.  Sam just hoped it didn’t blow up in her face.

Up until now Rose hadn’t been seen out of her room much and Lily was determined to change that.  Rose had been spending way too much time on her own in Lily’s estimation and she was sure that wasn't good for her.  It was the early evening of the Sunday after the funeral, a few days had passed and Lily was hoping if she could get Rose to come out with her she would feel a little better.  If nothing else a night out might distract her.  Lily breezed into Rose’s room intent on getting her to go out.

“It’s Sunday night…Let’s go out!” Lily exclaimed, in her best excited but determined tone.

Rose raised her head up and looked at her in confusion.  “What?” she asked in a sluggish voice.

“Go out,” Lily repeated. “You know, dress up, go out for drinks, maybe some dancing.”  She motioned to her own sequined top, tight jeans with strategically placed rips where more sequins shown through and high heeled boots - A perfect outfit for going out in Lily's eyes.  She eyed Rose’s t-shirt (Which informed her that money couldn’t buy happiness but it could buy cake - Neither of which seemed to be in Rose's grasp currently.) and jeans distastefully, realizing they were the same ones she’s been wearing Friday when Lily had seen her last.  A change of clothes was definitely a good idea.  “It will do you a world of good to put some pretty clothes on and get out around some people.”

Rose sat up and blinked at her as Lily turned to open her closet.  “That’s your cure, clothes and people?”

Lily nodded, not catching the incredulous tone in Rose’s voice. “You might want to jump in the shower beforehand.  Your hair is a mess.”  She pulled the closet open and frowned when she found it empty.  “Why aren’t any of your clothes in here?” she asked, turning to look at Rose curiously.

Ignoring her question Rose asked her own.  “You understand that someone I cared about was killed, right?”

Lily nodded, looking sympathetic.  “I do, Rosie and I’m so sorry but well it’s not like he was someone you saw all the time or anything.” Realizing immediately how awful this sounded Lily tried to recover.  “I mean, I never even heard of the guy before last week.”  Before Rose could respond Lily spotted her suitcases in the corner of the room and headed towards them, her intent clear in her movement.  Just as she went to lay a hand on them Rose spoke up, stopping her in her tracks with her steely tone of voice.

“Don’t.”

* * *

In the kitchen Dean was hovering nervously in the doorway, repeatedly glancing down the hallway.  Sam had told him what Lily was doing and he just hoped it worked.  Or at least didn’t go as badly as he feared it would.  Lily could be pushy which usually wasn’t an issue for Rose as she was used to it and took it in stride, but this wasn’t Rose at her norm and who knew how she would react.

“Leave them, Dean,” Sam said from his spot at the table.

"I am," Dean argued, straining his ears for the slightest sound that would give a clue as to how things were going.

"You can't get in the middle of them," Sam pointed out.  "You know that." Dean nodded the unspoken rule of not trying to get between Rose and Lily as true now as it had been when they were children.  It never ended well when one or both of the boys attempted it and more often than not ended with both the girls turning on them.  Both boys had agreed years ago that a horde of angry demons were preferable to having both Lily and Rose angry with them.

"They'll work it out," Sam said, sounding more certain than he actually was.

"Easy for you to say," Dean said shooting Sam an irritated glance which Sam responded to with a deep frown.

"It's not easy at all," Sam shot back.  "It's not just Rose who's in pain you know.  This is horrible for Lily too."

Dean nodded and with a deep sigh came to sit across from his brother.  "I know," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck agitatedly.  "I just..."Dean floundered and Sam stepped in.

"You don't want things to get worse," he suggested and Dean nodded, his eyes darting towards the doorway.

“And come on, Lily’s not known for her tact,” Dean pointed out and Sam couldn’t help but smile.  Truer words were never spoken.  “Or subtlety.”  Dean frowned.  “Rose is just so on edge at the moment I don’t want a blow up,” Dean said.

“Maybe they need to have a blow up,” Sam said quietly and Dean’s head whipped in his direction.

“You want those two fighting?” Dean asked, looking at his brother as if he’d just said he wanted to bring a live nuclear weapon into the bunker.  Sam shook his head quickly.

“No, of course not.  But maybe if they talk it will help-”

A loud bang interrupted Sam and both boys’ heads turned to the doorway and the hall where the noise had come from.

"Get out! Go out and get drunk and hook up with whatever random guy comes your way."  Rose’s voice carried up the hallway and Sam winced at her words.

"Wow and people think you're the nice sister.  I know you're messed up right now but you're being a real bitch."  That was Lily’s voice and Dean was the one doing the wincing this time.  Both boys glanced at each other uneasily and got to their feet, going to the doorway.

Charlie appeared next to them suddenly, coming from the library obviously drawn by the loud voices.  “What’s going on?” Before either could respond Lily appeared in the hallway, staring in the open doorway none of them could see, her words directed at her sister.

“People are just trying to help you, Rose.  You could be nicer you know.”

“I don’t want any of your help.”  Rose’s words were harsh and loud in the quiet.  “I didn’t ask for it.  Stop pushing and helping and bothering me.  Just stay away from me.”  A loud slam echoed throughout the bunker as Rose slammed the door in her sister’s face.

Dean patted Sam on the shoulder.  “Ya, that talking thing worked like a charm, Sam.  Great plan.”

* * *

Lily was staring up at the stars making their way across the night sky.  When she’d said she wanted to go out this wasn’t what she’d had in mind.  After her blow up with Rose she had definite plans for going to the nearest bar and getting as drunk as possible.  But Sam had way laid those plans.

She’d been standing by her car in the garage, her hands resting on the top of it her head bowed, trying to slow her heart rate and even her breathing out.  She was so mad she could feel herself shaking.  And upset.  And disappointed, thought whether it was herself or Rose she was more disappointed with she wasn’t sure.  She heard footsteps behind her and didn’t bother to look up.  She knew who it would be.

Sure enough a few seconds later a pair of large hands was at her waist, long fingers stroking her softly.  Lily didn’t move, just let herself feel his hands on her, hoping his touch would ground her, center her a bit.  Neither of them said anything for several minutes then finally Sam spoke.

“I brought your jacket,” he said and she slowly raised her head and turned to face him, leaning her body back against the car.  “Come on.  Let’s go out.”  Lily just nodded and slipped her keys into his hand, catching his look of surprise; it was rare for her to give up the keys to her car but she was in no condition to drive and she knew it.  He recovered quickly, giving her hand a small squeeze and moving to the driver’s side. Sam drove them to town, stopping at the liquor store she had stopped at with Dean all those weeks ago.  He was in and out quickly, exiting with a bag he slipped in the backseat.  Then they were back on the road.

“Where are we going?” Lily asked when they had gone past all the local bars she knew and were well onto the highway.

Sam had been quiet since they got in the car, leaving her to her thoughts.  Now he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and gave her a small smile.  “Somewhere quiet.”

Lily frowned.  Quiet didn't usually feature in her idea of a night out.  “Sam, I don’t want to talk-"

“And you don’t have to,” Sam said smoothly.  “I just thought a quieter spot where it’s just the two of us might be a nice change of pace.”  Lily hadn’t looked convinced and Sam had promised her that if after giving his spot a try she wanted to go somewhere else he’d take her, no arguments.  So Lily had leaned back and watched the road fly by till they pulled up to an entrance to a park and Sam rolled his window down.  There was a lone guard at the entrance, a young blond guy who looked at the car warily, sweeping his flashlight over it as he walked towards them.  When he saw Sam his face broke into a wide grin as he stuck the flashlight back into his belt loop.

Sam had a collection of spots that no one really knew about, Dean only having the very vaguest idea.  Generally they were parks or reservoirs, always near some body of water and generally secluded.  These were the spots he went to when things got too much, when he wanted to be someone other than the guy who hunted the monsters.  The quiet, the openness of these spots soothed him.  Mostly no one knew he went there.  This was the exception.

“Sam!” the guard said now, reaching out and shaking Sam’s hand enthusiastically.  “How’s it going buddy?  I haven’t seen you in ages.”

Sam smiled back at him and Lily saw it was his real, genuine smile, not the polite one but the truly warm one.  Whoever this guy was Sam really liked him.

“It’s going good, Kyle.  Just been busy.”

“I didn’t recognize the car,” Kyle said, leaning down and glancing in his eyes widened when he saw Lily.

“Kyle, this is my girlfriend, Lily,” Sam said, a small, proud smile on his lips that Lily caught.  It sent a little ripple of warmth through her.  Sam was proud of her.  She liked that.

“Hi Kyle,” Lily said, flashing him a smile.  Kyle beamed at her, surprising her by running around to her side of the car.  He stood there for a second till it occurred to Lily that he wanted her to roll her window down.  Once she did he grabbed her hand and pumped it just as enthusiastically as he had Sam’s.

“Pleased to meet you, Lily,” Kyle said.  He studied her face for a minute, making Lily feel like he was looking for something.  After a moment his grin grew and he glanced at Sam.  “And you’re even prettier than your picture.”  Lily started at that and glanced at Sam, who she found was blushing profusely.  Sam cleared his throat nervously.

“Is it OK if we just head down to the lake for a bit?  We just need some fresh air, a little peace and quiet,” Sam asked and Kyle nodded enthusiastically.

“Oh sure, sure,” he said, hurrying to open the gate and then jog back to them.  “Go right on in.  And you two will have to come for dinner sometime.  Connie would love to see you again Sam and to meet you, Lily.”

Sam nodded and smiled at Kyle and they drove on into the park with Kyle waving at them.  Lily waved back and then glanced at Sam curiously.

“So what’s the story there?”

“You mean why are we being allowed into a state park way after closing hours?” Sam asked with a smirk and Lily nodded.  “There was a Vamp nest near here a few years ago.  They were using the park as their personal hunting grounds,” Sam explained as he drove the car through the park.  “Dean and I showed up just in time.  Kyle’s wife, Connie was visiting him bringing him dinner and a Vamp grabbed her.”

“So you two swooped in and saved the day,” Lily surmised and Sam nodded humbly.

“And now what, you have free reign of the park for late night hook ups?”

Sam raised an eyebrow at her as he pulled her car up to the lake.  “Kyle doesn’t mind letting me in after hours when I need a quiet spot to think.”  Sam gestured to the scenery out the front window.  “It’s quite a view.”

Lily turned to look and took a quick breath.  She had to admit he was right: The view was stunning.  The lake was surrounded by a dense forest whose leaves were just starting to change, giving the area a secluded, intimate feel.  The moon was full tonight hovering above the still lake and there were a multitude of stars out as well, joining in the light show reflected on the water.

Sam had pulled out the bottles he’d purchased and he and Lily had settled on the hood of the car, stretching out their legs and taking in the scenery.  He was as good as his word, not talking just taking occasional sips from the beer he'd brought.  Lily drank deeply from the tequila Sam had brought her, feeling the warmth flow through her.  Slowly she felt the ball of tension inside her start to loosen.

“So do you show my picture to a lot of people?” she asked glancing at him and she grinned as she saw the flush come back to his cheeks.

“Kyle and his wife were high school sweethearts.  They’re of the firm opinion that everyone will be happier as part of a couple,” Sam explained, then shifted uncomfortably.  “When I had come by a few times on my own Kyle started pestering me about fixing me up with Connie’s sister.”

Lily’s eyes sparkled.  “So I was your blind date repellent?”

Sam chuckled.  “Something like that.”  Sam gave her an apologetic smile.  “Sorry, I should have warned you.  I had forgotten about showing him your picture when we came here.”

“Just please tell me it was a good picture.”

Sam chuckled and dug his phone out of his pocket, scanning through till he came across the one he'd used then turned it to Lily for her approval.  It had been taken a little over a year ago, in one of the hotels they had spent the night in.  Lily was dressed in one of Sam’s shirts, sitting cross legged in a chair, staring at her phone in her hand.  Her hair was tousled, her cheeks flushed without a speck of makeup on her face.  She gave Sam a nod, not despising the picture and he grinned and slipped the phone back in his pocket.

“I wonder if ol’ Kyle knows I wasn’t wearing anything under that shirt.” Lily mused and Sam grinned around his beer bottle.

“Maybe that’s why his smile was so big when he saw you,” Sam shot back and Lily laughed.

“See, I love that about you,” Lily declared and Sam raised his eyebrows in question.  “Other guys would have freaked at my question, got all annoyingly jealous.  Not you.”

Sam shrugged.  “It probably helps that I’ve been watching people drool over you since we were kids.  You get used to it.”  Sam gave a wicked grin then and said, “Besides you don’t ride around in a shiny, red sports car and expect no one to look at it.  You just figure you’re lucky to get to drive it and you enjoy the envious stares.”

Lily raised her head and blinked at him slowly.  “Did you just compare me to a car?”

Sam winced, realizing suddenly how that sounded.  “Ya, I kinda did.  Sorry?” he said, not sure if he’d managed to piss Lily off with his comment or not.

“I’m a shiny red sports car,” Lily said, leaning her head back again, taking another drink of tequila and looking up at the stars.  “Hmmm, I think I like that.”  Sam gave a sigh of relief.  The last thing he wanted was to upset Lily tonight.

“Oh whoa,” Sam said in surprise as Lily made a sudden move and settled herself on his lap, his hands automatically settling on her hips.  Her eyes were big and glossy, the tequila working its way through her system.  She smiled at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, the half full bottle of tequila still held tightly in one fist.  “Hey there.”

“I don’t wanna think, Sam,” she said, leaning in and kissing him.  There was no talking for a moment as their lips met and Lily lost herself in Sam’s lips.  When they pulled back for air Lily took a sip of tequila then put the lid on tightly and leaned it against the windshield.  She wrapped the fingers of one of her hands in Sam’s hair and leaned against him.  “You’re even better than tequila.”

Sam raised an eyebrow at her.  “That’s high praise coming from you, Lil.”

Lily smiled.  “I want just this.  Nothing else.  I want everything else to just go away, disappear.”  She waved her fingers in the air in a flying pattern.  “Just poof, gone.”

Sam smiled at her, wishing he could make that happen.  “This is good though, huh?  Us, I mean."

“This is the only good I can think of right now,” Lily said, then shook her head.  “So nope, not gonna think of anything else.  Just us.  And here, this pretty spot.” Lily laughed softly then and flashed Sam a wicked grin.  “And how I think we should do horribly wicked things to each other right here." She gave Sam a look that set his heart racing. "I'm really interested to see how you can drive, Sam."

* * *

Dean debated with himself for a good half hour before making his way to Rose’s door.  He’s been trying to give her space, to give her time but after the fight she and Lily had he couldn’t keep away from her.  He needed to see she that was OK.  He knocked softly and was answered with a frustrated “What?”

Taking that as the only opening he was going to get Dean opened the door and walked in.  His eyes widened slightly seeing the disarray of the room.  There were clothes strewn all over the floor- Was that the dress she wore to the funeral? - suitcases piled in the corner of the room and an assortment of mugs on the dresser.  Rose herself was sat in the middle of the bed amidst the rumpled bedclothes looking at him in irritation with her laptop beside her, the screen frozen on some TV show he’d never seen.  Dean petted Sookie who jumped up on the dresser and greeted him with a happy meow then he took a breath and dove in.

“I just wanted to check on you, see if you needed anything,” he said, glancing Rose’s way.

“I’m fine,” Rose said.

Dean frowned.  She definitely wasn’t making this easy.  “You OK after your argument with Lily?”

Rose shrugged.  “I’d be better if she’d just stop bothering me.”

“She can’t help it really.” Dean found himself defending Lily’s actions which surprised him.  Then again he understood her motives.  “She’s worried about you.”

“Whatever,” Rose said with a roll of her eyes and Dean felt a stab of irritation go through him.  Rose was reminding him of a petulant teenager at the moment.  God, was this what he was like after that horrible case in Monterey?  He felt a sudden rush of empathy for Sam.  And Rose too he added reminding himself she’d put up with his crap as well.  “She should just get on with her life and leave me alone, make us both happier.”

“Ya, have you even met your sister?” Dean asked folding his arms and leaning back against the wall.  “That’s never gonna happen.”

Rose shrugged again.  “We’ll see.”

Figuring they'd covered as much of that topic as they were going to Dean asked. “How about I make you some dinner?”  From the accumulation of mugs around the room it was apparent she was drinking (Most likely tea, knowing Rose.) but he didn’t see any sign of plates or anything else that would make him think she was eating; He certainly hadn’t seen her in the kitchen at all.

“Thanks, I’m not hungry,” Rose said, pulling her blanket back over her legs.

“When’s the last time you ate?” Dean asked and Rose just shrugged again.  Dean was seriously beginning to hate that mannerism.  “You need to eat, Rose.”

Rose glanced up at him, her eyes dark.  “Actually I don’t _have_ to do anything.  Aside from stay here because you won’t let me leave.”

Dean made himself count to ten and bite his tongue to keep from snapping at her.  “We’ve already had this conversation, Sweetheart.”

“Right, so why don’t you just leave me alone then too?” Rose drew her knees up and scowled at Dean.

Rose watched Dean’s jaw clench and his eyes narrow and for just a second she felt a flash of panic, fearing she’d pushed too far.  But after studying her for a minute Dean just nodded and pushed himself away from the wall.

“You know where I am if you need anything,” Dean said before leaving the room.  He made his way to the library and poured himself a shot of whiskey and threw it back before pouring himself another and making his way to the table.  “I fucking hate this,” he muttered earning a sympathetic glance from Charlie.

Back down the hall Rose sat with her head resting against her knees.  This hurt.  It was so much harder than she thought it was going to be, pushing those two away.  The anger helped, because God, she really was just angry in general but when they were nice, when Lily was sweet to her or Dean was trying to take care of her it was so hard not to just crumble.  Even though she was sure if they knew everything that she knew they would never look at her the same again she still wanted to give in and talk to them.  She wanted to cry on Lily and tell her how scared she had been, how scared she was still, how messed up she felt.  She wanted to tell Dean how sorry she was for hurting him, how sorry she was even now and how happy she’d been at the thought of coming back to him.  But more importantly than her feelings she needed them to be safe.  If she pushed enough, if she kept them far enough away eventually she’d wear them down and they’d let her leave.  They had to.  It was the only way for her to keep them safe.  And if some small, logical part of Rose’s brain tried to point out that either of them letting her leave (The two most protective people she knew) was about as likely as a snowstorm in Texas in July she was in enough pain and desperate enough that the voice never had a chance.

* * *

The next morning Sam walked out of the hotel room he and Lily had spent the night in, planning on getting some breakfast for them both before Lily woke up.  They'd made out on the hood of Lily's car like a pair of teenagers for hours and then did a few things past making out before checking into the closest hotel.  He stopped short when he caught sight of the hood of Lily's car then let out a soft curse imagining her reaction.  There was a nice dent in the hood of the car but even more obvious were the deep scratches made from the heels of Lily's boots.  Sam drug his hand over them and winced at the marks, remembering Lily thrashing about in reaction to a certain something he'd done.  Rose had driven the car hundreds of miles and brought it back without a scratch and they'd driven it just a few towns over and done some major damage.  No doubt Dean could fix it but he would take great delight in teasing them about it every chance he got.  Sam got behind the wheel with a groan.  They wouldn't live this down anytime soon.


	40. September Saw a Month of Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AKA Ice Cream, Tea and Wine  
> Some people take a trip or two...and Sam gets some answers

Time passed.  The boys and Lily took more jobs when they came up, sticking as close to home as possible.  More often than not it was a combination of Lily and one of the boys who went out.  Lily and Rose had little contact since their big blow up, the few interactions they had since leading to either Lily getting frustrated and leaving the room or Rose prickling at Lily’s pushing and snapping at her.  So Lily was more than happy to be away from the bunker and by unspoken agreement the boys felt better if one of them stayed behind.  Yes, the bunker was incredibly safe but if there was one thing this life had taught them it was that anything could happen and too much had gone wrong with Rose already.  Both Winchester’s felt better if there was one of them around just to keep an eye on things.  And Sam knew how hard it was for Dean to see Rose and not be able to help her so he stayed back at the bunker more and let Dean go.  He hated being away from Lily but at this point no one seemed to be getting what they wanted so that was just par for the course.

Rose spent most of her time in her room, venturing out mostly at night when most everyone else was asleep.  Since Charlie was a night owl she saw her more than anyone and what she saw concerned her.  Rose would usually appear sometime near midnight, like a visiting specter, her skin pale and eyes glassy.  More often than not she wore the same set of clothes for days at a time and her hair was in an amazing state of disarray.  Charlie remembered noticing how curvy she was when she first met her and thinking Dean must love that. Now her clothes just hung on her and Charlie wondered just how much weight she had lost.  Rose was usually coming from the kitchen with a mug of tea in her hands (The only thing Charlie ever saw her consume these days.) and she'd nod at Charlie in a vague way and then disappear into the living room with Sookie at her heels.  A minute or so later Charlie would hear the TV come on and when she headed for bed in the early hours of the morning Rose would still be there.  Occasionally she'd be asleep but more often than not she'd be sitting in the corner of one of the couches, curled up and watching whatever was on the TV with a blank expression on her face.  Charlie assumed Rose was sleeping during the day as the times when anyone had gone to look for her she'd been fast asleep.

A few weeks after the funeral Dean and Lily were on a job in Oklahoma. Late in the evening Charlie was at her normal spot in the library, a pleased smile on her face as she’d finally perfected what she’d been working so hard on.  And here was the perfect person to share it with she thought as Sam came into the library.  He took a spot across from her at the table and seeing the pleased expression on her face Sam couldn't help but smile.  He knew that look.

"What did you do?" He asked and Charlie couldn't help but bounce in her seat a little in excitement.  Creating something amazing was always exciting but sharing it with someone who would truly appreciate it just made it that much better.  When Charlie told him the program she'd created Sam's eyes widened then he smiled at her proudly.  "Charlie that's brilliant."  Then he paused.  "What did you use-"

"Dean let me scan some of his journal pages," she explained with a proud grin.

Sam gave Charlie a charming smile and she wondered suddenly what she'd just walked into.  That was definitely the smile Sam used when he wanted something.

"Well it just so happens I have a perfect opportunity for you to try this out," Sam said and filled Charlie in on what he needed to do at Chastity's house.  He’d contacted Chastity earlier and had been planning on going when Dean and Lily returned.  Charlie having finished this program was perfect timing.

Charlie agreed readily, eager to both try out her program and to meet Chastity.  “Is she as hot in person as she looked on her website?”

Sam blinked.  What was with people asking him about how Chastity looked?  “I don’t know…um, I didn’t see the website…” Before he could finish his sentence Charlie was pulling up a webpage (That she had bookmarked and why that was Sam wasn’t even going to ask.) and turning it for Sam to see. His eyes widened and Sam had to admit he got what Charlie meant.

“I see what you mean.  She is hot,” Sam muttered, then his eyes flew up to Charlie’s, realizing what he’d just said.  “Don’t ever tell Lily I said that.”

Charlie grinned.  “Your secrets safe with me.”  She paused then added, “Dean didn’t think she was hot.”

Sam snorted. “Yeah, he wouldn’t.  You said Rose had a type, well Dean does too.  Compare her and Rose.  Could they be more opposite?”  He studied the picture of Chastity in front of him mentally comparing it to the woman he’d met.  She was polished and refined in both but in person Chastity had seemed warmer, more emotionally open and the blatant sexiness so apparent in this picture hadn’t been on display (Obviously since he’d met her at a funeral.)  “You can decide for yourself if you think she matches up to the picture,” Sam finally said, not making a call either way, turning the laptop back Charlie's way.  "We can go once Dean and Lily get back, which last time I talked to Lily sounded like tomorrow.”

"You're not going to take Lily with you?" Charlie asked in surprise and Sam shook his head.

"Chastity's not her favorite person."

Charlie looked confused.  "But she hasn't even met her..."

"That doesn't really matter," Sam said with a wry smile. "She's someone her sister didn't tell her about and she's obviously important to Rose."

"Lily's jealous," Charlie surmised in surprise.

"Oh yeah she is," Sam confirmed.  "So I don't really think taking her with me is a good idea."

"You think she's going to take that news well?" Charlie questioned and Sam shook his head.

"No, probably not," Sam said with a sigh.  "But it can't be helped."  Sam hesitated, wanting to ask Charlie something but unsure if he should.  Lily had been quieter than normal the last few weeks.  Sam was sure part of it was worry over Rose but he also had to wonder if there wasn't something else going on with her.  Charlie might know since she and Lily talked quite a bit but Sam felt like he should be able to figure it out himself.  Once they got back from New Orleans he'd sit down and get Lily to talk to him he decided.  And if that didn't work then he'd turn to Charlie for help.

A sudden noise caused them both to look at the doorway to find Rose standing there, mug in hand, looking as out of it as she did yesterday when Charlie saw her last.

"Hey Rose," Sam said, frowning as he took in her disheveled appearance.  Rose just stared at him blankly and shuffled off towards the living room without responding.  Sam watched her go, a worried frown still on his face.  He cursed softly once Rose was out of sight and turned to Charlie, an inquisitive look on his face.

Before he could ask Charlie said, "This is her normal routine." She glanced at the clock, seeing it was just after eleven. "A bit earlier than normal but other than that this happens most nights."

Sam ran a hand through his hair nervously.  "God, she looks a mess.  I didn't realize..." His words trailed off and Charlie looked at him knowingly.

“Because when you try to find her during the day she’s asleep, right?  So you don’t bother her and then she gets up after you’re in bed.” Sam nodded. “You think that’s a coincidence?”

Sam blinked at the tone in Charlie’s voice.  Was she upset with him?  What had he done? “You’re saying it’s on purpose?”

God, for a smart guy... Charlie resisted rolling her eyes.  Barely.  “Would you say Rose is smart, Sam?” When Sam immediately nodded Charlie continued. “And you said she was quiet so I would guess she notices a lot and she knows you all really well,” Charlie mused.  She gave Sam a probing look.  “Doesn’t it seem likely that she’d know how to get around you guys?  That if she slept during the day and stayed out of sight that you all wouldn’t notice how bad she’s doing?”

Sam shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  “Well maybe…-”

“And of course Lily doesn’t want to fight with her so she’s out hunting with Dean.”  Sam opened his mouth to speak but Charlie rolled right on.  “I get it, I get that Lily doesn’t want to fight with her.  I’m not blaming her.  And Dean, the one person I thought would do something is out chasing ghosts!”  Charlie’s voice had risen as her emotions got the better of her and seeing Sam’s startled expression she lowered it, getting a handle on herself.  “Do you think it’s a coincidence she pushed both Lily and Dean away?  I mean they know her best, right?  They’re more likely to catch onto the fact that she’s doing badly.”

Sam frowned.  “Dean wants to give her space, give her time before he steps in if he has to,” he started and Charlie snorted derisively.

“That sounds all logical in theory but it’s been weeks and she’s getting worse, not better, Sam.”  Charlie looked at him, her expression gentling as she saw the concern on his face.  “I’m going to go out on a limb and say he has to do something.  If he doesn’t soon I’m worried it’s going to be too late.”

Sam glanced at the doorway Rose had walked through.  “I didn’t realize how bad she was…”

“I don’t think she’s eating much if at all, Sam.  And her eyes…” Charlie shook her head, not wanting to say what her concern was.

Sam nodded slowly.  He’d noticed her eyes too, going back to the funeral.  He knew she’s taken extra tonic her mother made then but she swore it was a onetime thing.  He hadn’t seen her enough since then to judge if she’d quit.  From the look of her eyes tonight he doubted it.  And if she wasn’t eating like Charlie feared and was taking extra…

Sam put his head in his hands.  This should be Dean having this conversation.  He wasn’t the right person to talk with Rose about any of this.  Dean was the person Rose listened to.

“I'm sorry, Sam,” Charlie said meekly and Sam glanced up at her.  “I didn’t mean to unload on you.  It’s just well, I’m pretty sure I’m the only one who’s actually seen her and I’m worried.  I mean, I’d tell this to Dean but I haven’t exactly seen him much.  And I’m not blaming him,” Charlie hastened to add, not wanting Sam to get the wrong idea. “I’m not blaming anyone,” she said on a sigh.  “I’m just worried.”

Sam smiled at her.  “No, it’s OK.  You were right to say something.”  He paused, turning something over in his head.  “I noticed how strongly she’s reacted to Dean and Lily though too.  I mean she’s downright vicious with Lily and just stonewalls Dean completely.  I was kind of thinking there may be something more to it actually.”  Sam picked up a pen and started doodling idly as he talked.  “Something Chastity said at the funeral made me think…” Sam filled Charlie on what he’d heard and finished by saying, “I was kind of hoping to talk to Chastity about it and see if she’ll tell me.”

Charlie nodded her eyes wide.  “Oh ya, that does put a different spin on things.”

“Don’t be too rough on Dean though, OK?" Sam said, and Charlie smiled at the protective tone in his voice.  She did love that about them.  "I mean to a certain extent he’s right, Rose has got to be at a point where she’s ready before she can get better.  And well, seeing her hurt at all is hard for him and seeing her hurt and her not letting him help is just painful.”

Charlie smiled sympathetically.  “I get it.  And you know I’m always on Dean’s side.  I’m firmly Team Dean,” Charlie said emphatically.  "I just kind of feel like I somehow got a ringside seat to all that’s happening here and wasn’t sure anyone else even knew.  I’ve been worried Rose is going off the rails and no one but me has noticed.”

“And you were right to point it out to me.  You have a way less biased view than we do, Charlie.”  Sam got up and hugged Charlie.  “Thanks, Your Highness.”  Charlie laughed and then Sam straightened with a sigh.  “And now I’m gonna see if I can get her to eat anything.”  And he headed towards the kitchen.

* * *

Charlie's guess was right; Rose was sleeping during daytime hours though it was for different reasons than Charlie imagined.  Rose had learned pretty quickly that sleeping at night led to horrific nightmares. During the day the noise of people moving about the bunker seemed to calm her and she slept better, if not free from bad dreams, at least they were rarely bad enough for her to wake in tears, unable to breath.  The headaches she’d had since the attack at the hotel had returned, worse than ever.  For the first week or so the tonic had helped and held the headaches off but all too soon Rose had to take more than before to keep her head from feeling like it was going to crack open.  She was hesitant and cautious, realizing she liked the numb feeling an extra dose gave her a little too much but the crushing pain was enough to convince her to give in.

Having always been the quiet one of her sisters had led Rose to believe she’d be fine without talking to anyone.  Unfortunately all the dark thoughts from all the horrible things that had happened had lead Rose down some dark paths in her mind and with no one to vent to all those thoughts just stayed in her mind, pulling her down further.  All the usual things that would soothe her – reading, food, Dean – either weren’t available or failed to offer their usual comfort.  She’d quickly discovered she couldn’t concentrate enough to read anything.  Food tasted like nothing to her, offering no draw or comfort.  And Dean, well she’d well and truly pushed him away and truth be told he’d gone much easier than she thought he would.  She had no idea Dean was biding his time, giving her time and space.  She just knew he wasn’t here.

She’d try to stay as far away from Lily and Dean as possible.  It just hurt too much to see them.  She had heard about the hunts they’d been going on from comments she’d picked up on from Charlie when she tried to chat with Rose at night and had been able to discern the two were doing a great job.  Them being out so much made avoiding them that much easier.  Lily still pushed at her whenever she saw her and thought on some level it bothered Rose, annoyed her, on a larger scale it made it clear how determined Lily was to get through to her.  The few times she’d seen Dean she’d done her best not to look at him too long but she’d seen enough of his eyes to see the hurt there, hidden behind the cool exterior he put up.  She was hurting him and she knew it and she hated herself a little more every time she saw the evidence.  She didn’t deserve either of them, Lily or Dean, that much was very clear.

So that was another bonus of the extra dose of the tonic – After it kicked in she didn’t feel that hurt either.  It just all got covered over by a nice blanket of numbness, which seemed to cover all of Rose’s life these days.

* * *

While Sam was trying to coax Rose to eat a peanut butter sandwich without much success Daisy and Cas were eating something completely different: Borscht.

Daisy was looking at the red soup with a confused look on her face as if she was quite certain someone somewhere was playing a trick on her.  “This is really what they eat here?”  She gazed around herself, taking in the snow covered streets.  She shook her head.  She had mentioned to Cas she wanted to see the Kremlin and a moment later he’d whisked her off here.  (It had in fact been quite warm and sunny when they’d arrived but Daisy herself had soon changed that.  It may be misinformation but in her mind she was in Moscow and it should be cold.  So it was.  These powers of her definitely had some perks.)

Cas nodded at her soberly from across the small table they were seated at.  “It’s standard Russian food. And quite tasty I’m told.”

Daisy gave him a disbelieving look and put her spoon down, gazing instead at their surroundings.  The café they were in was overlooking Red Square with a stunning view of the building she pictured when she thought of the Kremlin.

“When I was little I was convinced the Kremlin was an ice cream palace,” she confided, drawing a smile from Cas.

“Why would you think that?” he asked, sounding as amused as he was curious.

“Whenever we went to Omaha we’d stop for ice cream at this really amazing ice cream shop and they had these big towers at the front that looked kind of like those.” She pointed to the brightly colored turrets.  “So when I saw the Kremlin I assumed Russia had a huge ice cream palace in their capital.”  She laughed then. “I was so disappointed when my Dad explained it was a government building.”  She leaned forward to say to Cas, “I have a theory that the world would be a much better place if we had more ice cream palaces and a lot less government buildings.”  She paused then added, “With free ice cream of course.”

Cas' smile grew.  He’d found he loved Daisy’s whimsical way of thinking.  She looked at the world just a little differently than most humans he knew and her view point was generally new and refreshing to him.  He was fairly sure she’d wanted it to be winter here just so she could wear the winter outfit she had seemed so happy to model for him.  His eyes scanned over her now, still unsure if what she was wearing was a coat or a dress.  She looked adorable in it whichever it was, the hood covering her head with some stray curls peeking out and framing her face and the short skirt flaring out over black tights.  He frowned at her shoes though, thinking the high heels were impractical for the weather. 

Daisy grinned at him suddenly.  “I wasn’t planning on walking anywhere, Cas,” she said, then raised a foot up and studied her shoe.  “They’re awfully cute though.”

Cas smiled at being caught critiquing her clothes.  Maybe her love of fashion was rubbing off on him.  Then again he’d felt no need to change his own clothes he thought, glancing at his loosened tie and rumpled  trench coat, so maybe he just appreciated the way Daisy looked in hers.  He knew she’d heard that thought when she smiled and a soft blush covered her cheeks. 

He watched her concentrate on the bowl of borscht and transform it into a banana split alongside a mug of hot chocolate.  “That’s better,” she said, glancing up at Cas.  “I don’t really like beets,” she confessed with a small smile.  Cas watched her dig into the ice cream with gusto trying to think of the best way to say what he had planned on telling her today.  He knew Lily was right, that he needed to tell Daisy about their married state before she found out for herself but things had been going so well between them, he hated to upset her.  Then again maybe she wouldn’t be upset, Cas mused, watching her eat a spoonful of pineapple.  Maybe she would see it as a good thing, as a romantic gesture given their continued growing affection for each other.  Daisy was out of the ordinary, maybe her reaction to this news would be too.  Cas winced remembering how Lily had reacted.  He just hoped Daisy’s response was very different from that one.

“So what did you want to tell me?” Daisy asked as she licked the last little bit of strawberry ice cream from her spoon.  Cas looked at her in alarm, opening his mouth and then shutting it again, drawing a giggle from Daisy.  "Come on, Cas, it can't be that bad, right?"  She sobered suddenly, a panicked look in her eyes suddenly.  "Unless it is.  Did something happen?  Is everyone OK?"

"Everyone's fine, Daisy," Cas rushed to assure her, grasping one of her hands and berating himself for not being better at guarding his thoughts when he needed to.  Daisy looked at him suspiciously and Cas blurted out, "We're almost done with your training."

Daisy blinked at him then smiled happily.  "We are?"

Cas nodded.  That hadn't been what he planned to say of course but it was in fact the truth. "There's more you need to learn but you'll need to be awake for that." Cas thought for a second then added, “And we’ll need some willing volunteers.”

"So I'll wake up soon?" Daisy asked looking happier by the minute.  She’d be sure to ask about that volunteer bit later.  She wasn’t sure what that was about but right now she was just happy to hear she’d soon be back among the conscious.

Cas nodded.  "A week?  Two at most.  We can fit in all we need to in that time I think."

Daisy cheered and Cas couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm.  Then it occurred to him he'd unwittingly given himself a deadline.  Daisy had to know about their marriage before she woke up.  And now he really didn’t have long to tell her.

* * *

Charlie winced as a door slammed and a few minutes later Sam appeared looking like he’d been thoroughly chewed out.

“It went that well, huh?” Charlie asked with a sympathetic look.

Sam nodded, running a hand through his hair.  “I’m officially in the dog house.”  He’d known Lily wouldn’t take him going to see Chastity without her well but she’d been even more upset than he’d anticipated.  He knew he was doing the right thing here, knew taking Lily with him would be a disaster especially as on edge as she was right now.  But God he hated upsetting her.  With a sigh he pulled his phone out and texted Cas who appeared a moment later.  “You have everything you need?” Sam asked Charlie, who nodded and patted her laptop case.  “Let’s get this show on the road then.”  Cas placed a hand on both their shoulders and a second later they were standing on a wide porch that ran along the front of a large house.  Another second and Cas was gone, leaving Charlie and Sam standing at the front door.

A short while later found Charlie setting up her laptop in the living room.  She had explained to Sam earlier that eventually she hoped to turn this into an app they could have on their phones but she needed to make sure it was up and running properly first, work all the bugs out before they got that far.  Charlie plugged in what she needed to and got to work while Sam followed Chastity into the kitchen.  She’d greeted Sam with a friendly smile and invited them both in, thanking them both for coming.  She’d told him over the phone that she was going to make them dinner.  “You’re coming all this way to help me out, Sam, the least I can do is cook for you.”

Chastity motioned to the table and Sam took a seat while Chastity headed to get him some iced tea.  “Do you know if Charlie wants sweet or unsweet?” she asked and when Sam said he wasn’t sure she hurried back to the living room to check herself.  She was back quickly, filling two glasses and taking one back to Charlie before coming back to place one in front of Sam. 

"So what's she doing in there anyway?" Chastity asked curiously as she moved back behind the counter and returned to what she’d been prepping before they got here.  The summer weather was still hanging on in Louisiana and Chastity was dressed accordingly, in jeans and a white summer top, looking much younger and more casual than the last time Sam saw her.

"She running a program she created that's going to compare all the wards Danny put up against all the ones we know exist.  It’ll make sure he didn’t miss anything, check that there are no gaps, no weak spots," Sam explained and Chastity looked impressed.

"She created that?" Sam nodded. "Well isn't she a smart cookie?  Pretty too," Chastity mused then asked, "Is she always this quiet?"

"Charlie?" Sam asked looking surprised, realizing Charlie had in fact been uncharacteristically quiet since they arrived.  "No, not normally but she's focused on the program," Sam offered up, having no idea if that was actually the reason for the hackers sudden shyness.

Sam took a sip of his tea and raised an inquisitive eyebrow and Chastity smiled. “I got it right, didn’t I?”  Sam nodded and she laughed softly.

“So what’s the trick?  How did you know I’d want unsweet?” Sam asked.

Chastity shrugged.  “I read people.”  She looked Sam over quickly then went back to chopping.  “You obviously work out, probably are a bit of a health nut.  It was a pretty safe bet you weren’t gonna be a sweet tea drinker.”

“Maybe sweet tea is my one vice, maybe it’s the sugar kick I just have to have,” Sam suggested with a grin.

Chastity just laughed and looked up at him with a twinkle in her eye.  “But it’s not, is it?” Sam shook his head and Chastity went back to her prep work. “It does help I know a fair bit about you and Dean from Rose,” Chastity admitted after a minute. “Though obviously a lot more about your brother.”

“Oh ya so what do you know about me?” Sam asked, genuinely curious.

“You’re smart, you like to read, Rose thinks you’re a good listener.  Last I heard you were hooking up with Lily,” Chastity said as she made short work of the vegetables she was chopping then added them to a large stock pot that was simmering on the stove.  “Though I think you two are actually a couple now if I remember correctly,” she mused and Sam nodded.  Chastity smiled at him warmly then before adding, “And Rose thinks of you as her little brother who she loves very much.”

Sam smiled with pleasure at Chastity’s last comment, looking around the large kitchen as he did.  His eyes lit on the obviously newly added door that led outside on the far side of the room, the wall around it in need of paint and touch up work that gave away the new addition.  Chastity caught where he was looking and sighed.

“I had the room where it happened taken out,” she said softly, her eyes focusing on the wall.  “I couldn’t stand to see it every day.”

“That’s understandable,” Sam said softly, his gaze sympathetic and Chastity gave him a tight smile in return.

“I had a pool added to the backyard and a deck put in where the room was.  I always wanted a pool for Emma.  I just didn’t figure it would be happen this way,” she murmured.  She stared at the door for a few minutes then seemed to shake herself, pulling out a small smile.  "Besides I figured I'd never get Rose back here if I didn't change things."

Sam frowned.  "That might take awhile."

"Oh I know," Chastity said. "I'm not rushing her."

"I'm guessing she didn't tell you what Dean did."

Chastity looked startled. "No we haven’t talked for a bit.  I needed some time.  But that's awfully ominous sounding," she said and Sam laughed softly.

"It's not really, I swear.  It's just, well Rose can't go anywhere on her own right now."

Chastity furrowed her brow, gave the pot a stir and wiped her hands off on a dish towel before grabbing her own glass of tea and joining Sam at the table. 

"Because Dean what, told her she can't?"

Sam looked startled.  Chastity seemed to think that would work, that Dean would say that and Rose would listen.  What exactly had Rose told her about their relationship? "No, he got her mom to put a spell on her so she can't leave the bunker without one of us."

Chastity stared at Sam for a solid minute, obviously taken aback by his words.  Finally she shook her head slightly, took a sip of her tea then asked, "And that's just something y'all do?  Have family members put spells on people?"

Sam grinned.  "OK I'll admit: When you put it that way it does sound crazy."

"Oh good, it's not just me," Chastity said dryly.  Sam laughed and Chastity shook her head. "I'm just not used to just casual mentions of people putting spells on people.  A month ago I didn't even know that was a real thing." Charity toyed with the necklace she still wore.

"I would imagine it takes some getting used to," Sam suggested and Chastity nodded.

"Just a little," she admitted. After a minute she asked, “So how did Rose take Dean doing that?  The spell thing I mean.”

Sam winced.  “Badly.  There were some things thrown around and some pretty heated words.”

Chastity nodded, not seeming surprised.  “She does have a hot temper.”

Sam looked at her curiously.  He was beginning to feel like Chastity knew a completely different side of Rose than he did. 

“We were all really shocked Rose told you about her powers,” Sam admitted and Chastity smiled.

“There’s very little Rose and I don’t tell each other,” Chastity said, and it wasn’t said with any arrogance or gloating, just a simple statement of fact.  Which made Sam wonder…the curious little brother side won out and he had to ask.

“So what did she tell you about Dean then?” And that got a wide smile from Chastity.

“Oh Sam, I can’t tell you everything.” She toyed with her glass for a minute then looked up at Sam, seeming to be weighing her words.  Finally she spoke. “Dean’s bossy and funny and Rose loves both of those things about him.  He’s smart and Rose can’t get around him like she does with most people and she’ll never admit it but she really likes that about him.” That first part fit; Dean was definitely a joker at times and being in charge was as normal to him as breathing.  Thinking about the second part of Chastity’s statement Sam realized she was right again; Dean always did seem to get things about Rose that others missed.  He’s just assumed it was because Dean was so hyper aware of her but maybe it was because he actually saw a lot that others didn’t.  He looked up to find Chastity grinning wickedly.  “And I could tell you way more about their sex life than you would ever want to know and probably change the whole picture you have of them as a couple.”  Sam smiled and put up his hands in a warding off manner and Chastity laughed.  “Don’t worry, I won’t,” she said with a laugh.  “Rose would kill me.”  She sobered then.  “Rose was adamant she didn’t want Dean to get hurt because of her.  I’ve seen pictures of your brother; he doesn’t look easily breakable but you’d never know it to hear Rose talk about him.” Chastity shook her head.  “She’s fiercely protective of him.”

Sam smiled. “Funny, he’s the same with her.” 

“She’d break her own heart to keep him safe,” Chastity said quietly and Sam gave her a sad smile.

“The problem is she’s breaking his in the process too.”

Chastity shook her head again.  “She’s the most stubborn person I’ve ever met.”

“Then again, you’ve never met my brother,” Sam responded and Chastity smiled.

“Good, maybe he’s a match for her.”  She took a sip of tea then asked, “So what did you want to ask me, Sam?” He looked slightly surprised and Chastity smiled.  “I don’t think you brought me in here to just gossip about Rose and Dean.  Especially since you don’t want to hear anything juicy,” she teased lightly.

Sam grinned nervously and cleared his throat and jumped in. "So things have been rough since Rose got back." He saw Chastity frown but continued on before she could say anything. "She's angry and I would guess depressed though she's not talking to anyone enough for any of us to really know." He fixed Chastity with an intense look then. "Lily and Dean are taking the worst of it and I was hoping you could help me with that."

Chastity's frown deepened. "Me?  How I can I help?"

Sam toyed with his glass of tea before speaking, not sure how Chastity would react to his request. "You're the only one who knows everything that happened that day.  With Aine, I mean." Chastity nodded slowly.  "Do you know if there's a reason Rose would be so openly hostile towards Lily and Dean?   You obviously know how she feels about my brother and I’m assuming you know how close she and Lily are."  Chastity nodded. “So there has to be a reason and aside from Rose you’re the only one who would know.”

It was Chastity's turn to fidget now, obviously torn.  Finally she sighed. "Look Sam, I want to help you. I do.  But it feels like this is Rose's to tell."

Sam nodded, leaning forward.  "Normally I would agree with you.  But Rose is in no position to tell anything.  She's still really shaken up from what happened.  She's shut everyone out."  Sam glanced down then back up and it was easy to see the turmoil in his eyes when he did.  “I’ve known Rose my whole life and right now it feels like she’s a stranger.  She’s obviously in pain and she’s shutting everyone out and hurting everyone around her in the process.”

Chastity winced and got up suddenly to go stir the pot on the stove.  Sam had the feeling it was more to be moving, to be doing something than because it needed done.  She seemed to be thinking over what Sam said and he left her to it.  She finished at the stove and went and got a bottle of wine and two wineglasses, bringing them to the table and filling the glasses.  She put one in front of Sam, took a big sip from her own then stared into it for a moment.  After a few seconds Chastity looked up, her decision obviously made. 

"I think anyone who talks to Rose for even a little while can see that she absolutely adores Dean and that she has the biggest case of hero worship when it comes to Lily that I’ve ever seen.  She wears those two facts; they make up a part of who she is.”  Sam nodded, agreeing with her completely on this.  She looked intently at him then.  “So I just want to make it clear that I’m not sure if what was said was truth or just said to hurt and scare Rose.”  Sam nodded again and Chastity took another sip of wine, sighed deeply and finally said, “Aine brought up Lily and Dean to Rose, told her that the feelings and connection she had with them were going to get in the way of the plans her sisters had for her.  Once her sisters found out how important Dean and Lily were to Rose they’d be on their hit list.  She said that unless Rose had a way of making the both of them to stop caring for her that her sisters wouldn't stop till they were dead." Sam drew in a sharp breath and Chastity gave him a twisted smile. "I think that would definitely explain Rose's behavior towards them, don't you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what's Sam going to do with this information?


	41. But the Words Come Out Too Rough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some anger, some secrets and some advice

Not long after that Sam excused himself to check on Charlie and see how things were going while Chastity finished up dinner.  He found Charlie sitting in front of her now closed laptop checking her phone.  It turned out she’d finished already, had found only one sigil that Danny had missed (And it was a rare one so over all Danny and his cousin had done a good job.).  Sam got to work, quickly adding the markings that were needed and filled Charlie in on what he’d learned.

Sam was distracted all throughout dinner, his mind racing as he considered the implications of what Chastity had told him.  He heard Chastity drawing Charlie into a conversation, asking her questions about the program she’d created and after a few hesitant answers Charlie was off and flying, spewing out information about the program that Sam didn’t understand the half of.  He was fairly sure Chastity didn’t either but when he glanced her way she was listening to Charlie ramble on and watching her with a charmed smile on her face that made it clear she was enjoying Charlie’s enthusiasm.  Sam wondered idly if cooking was something that Chastity and Rose had bonded over because this food was wonderful.  Chastity could definitely cook.  Charlie was well and truly caught up in her topic so Sam just ate the delicious jambalaya and cornbread Chastity had made and let his mind work.

On one hand he understood more why Rose had pushed Dean and Lily away so harshly now.  He could empathize with the panic she must have felt when Aine put that threat out there; the two people most important to Rose being in danger because of her must have sent her into a tail spin.  Add to that all the anger and out of control emotions he was sure she was feeling after what happened and Sam felt he had a better handle on why Rose had reacted as she had.

But on the other hand Sam was well and truly angry.  It had to have occurred to Rose at some point the danger Dean and Lily were in if what Aine said was true.  But she’d never uttered a word of warning and here Dean and Lily were out hunting, out there without any extra warning to be careful.  Sam knew he had to talk to her, to see where her head was at but he was going to need to wait a bit, otherwise he was fairly sure he would say or do something he’d regret.  Right now he really felt like shaking Rose.

Just as they were finishing up their dinner the doorbell rang.

“Oh good,” Chastity said getting to her feet.  “I have something for you to take back with you for Rose.”

* * *

Sam and Charlie went back to the bunker with not only something for Rose but also enough leftovers from dinner to feed them all for several days.  That would be a nice change of pace as frozen dinners and sandwiches were getting old.  Sam hadn't realized how quickly he had gotten spoiled with Rose's cooking and it wasn’t like Dean was around enough to even make them burgers.  Charlie headed to her room and Sam dropped the food off in the kitchen before going in search of Lily.  He came up empty, not finding anyone at all in the bunker aside from Rose who was asleep in her room so finally he gave in and texted his missing girlfriend.

_Hey, I’m home.  Where are you?_

_Out_

Sam sighed at the short response.  OK so she was definitely still mad at him.

_Is my brother with you?_

A few minutes passed, during which Sam began to wonder if she was ignoring his text.

_No_

Sam rolled his eyes and felt a shot of irritation go through him.  Somehow he’d wound up in the middle of everyone lately and everyone seemed to be either irritated or angry with him.  He’d tried to talk to Dean before he left, had mentioned he thought Rose might be over using the tonic and Dean had just waved him off.  When Sam had suggested maybe he should try talking to her again he’d gotten a short “She’s not ready yet,” and nothing more.  Sam may have told Charlie to go easy on Dean but he knew better than anyone that when Dean didn’t want to deal with something he avoided it.  There was no doubt in his mind that Dean, most likely unconsciously was avoiding dealing with Rose.  Sam figured if he had no idea how badly Rose was doing up until yesterday then Dean definitely didn’t have a clue. And as long as he didn’t know he didn’t have to do anything about it, like step in and possibly be the bad guy with Rose.  Sam sighed and texted Dean only to find out he was at on his way back from Donnie’s.  Sam was just texting him back to say they needed to talk when he got home when his phone rang startling him enough that he almost dropped it.  A short conversation later Sam texted his brother to let him know they were expecting company.

* * *

“Was that Sam?” Erin asked and Lily nodded.  She was stretched out the full length of the couch with her phone in hand and her feet propped up on the back, twisting her body into a position that Erin didn’t think could possibly be comfortable but Lily seemed to like it.  Then again knowing her oldest daughter it was completely plausible that she just liked the position because they showed off her shoes.  Erin shook her head fondly at her daughter.  Lily loved what she loved and there was no dissuading her from it.  And she’d loved shoes since she was little, stumbling around in her mother’s high heels as soon as she could walk.  Eyeing Lily’s t-shirt that proclaimed "For me their ain't no high heel high enough” Erin thought that there were no truer words ever spoken.  At least these were a somewhat practical pair, she thought eyeing the boots with multiple buckles wrapped around them.  Some of the shoes Lily wore Erin didn’t understand how she even stood in them, much less walked or ran. 

Erin studied Lily’s face now, easily seeing the pain and unhappiness there.  She’d known something was wrong the second Lily showed up at her hotel door tonight.  She'd handed her mom a cup of tea, took a long sip from her cup of coffee then proceeded to throw herself down on the couch and not explain why she was there.  She’d spent an hour on her phone showing her mother various pairs of shoes, then proceeded to ramble about her hair for awhile and how she should really get it cut again, then for the last hour she’d been mostly quiet, only answering Erin’s questions with short, nondescript answers.  Then her phone had alerted her to a text from Sam and her face had settled into a dark scowl telling Erin what was really wrong.  But before they dealt with that Erin had to at least ask one thing.

“How’s your sister?” Erin asked and Lily frowned.

“Fucked up.”

“Lily,” Erin admonished gently and Lily shrugged.

“Well it’s the truth,” she said stubbornly, refusing to budge from her initial description.  Her mother may not like the term but it summed up Rose perfectly right now.  Lily was beyond frustrated with her sister.  The one thing she’d never expected was for Rose to just shut her out like she had.  It was the one thing Lily had no idea how to handle.

Erin sighed not having an answer for Lily on this.  She’d tried to talk to Rose as well and had gotten shut down.  She’d been busy at the hospital the last two weeks with the doctors changing Daisy’s medications and such so she hadn’t been to see Rose in the last few days but she wasn’t sure it would have made much of a difference.  It was highly unlikely she was going to be the one to get through to Rose.

Erin put down her knitting needles and got up coming closer to the couch.  She sat down on the chair closest to Lily and gently took her phone from her hands.

“Hey!” Lily protested but her mother ignored her and sat her phone aside.

“Now what’s really bothering you?” Erin asked.

“What there has to be something else?  My sister hating me isn’t enough?” Lily demanded.

“Rose doesn’t hate you, Lily.  What’s going on with her has a lot more to do with what happened to her than anything to do with you.  You’re just getting the fall out.”  Erin reached out and stroked Lily’s hair.  “But if that was what was bothering you then you would have been here weeks ago.  And you wouldn’t be giving your phone a death glare when Sam texted you.  So what’s going on?”

Lily bit her lip for a minute then admitted, “Sam went to see Chastity.”

“Rose’s friend?” Erin asked and Lily nodded her head sharply.

“Yeah, the friend no one knew existed.” And her tone carried the full weight of how much that fact bothered her.  Lily reached a hand up and tugged on the ends of her hair then said, “He took Charlie because she designed something that will help see the wards and sigils, make sure they’re all done properly.”

“Oh that’s clever,” Erin said and Lily nodded.

“It is.  Charlie’s super smart.” Her tone wasn’t jealous so she wasn’t upset over Charlie going Erin surmised.

“But he didn’t take you,” Erin said and the look that flashed across Lily’s face said it all.  She was hurt, not just angry but her feelings were wounded.  When she spoke her voice was softer than normal, reminding Erin of a twelve year old Lily telling her tearfully that Rose didn’t want her to help make cookies.  It didn’t matter that Lily didn’t have any interest in baking; it was the fact that she felt Rose didn’t think she was good enough to help.  And oh that was Lily’s Achilles heel.

“He said that I was too upset with Chastity, that she had been through a loss and he didn’t want me making her feel worse.”  Erin raised an eyebrow at that, finding it hard to believe those were the exact words Sam had said.  He was generally more sensitive than that.  “He said he needed to talk to Chastity, to find something’s out and that I would just be in the way.”

Erin looked at Lily sharply.  “Sam said that?”

Lily squirmed a little before admitting, “Well maybe not those exact words but it’s what he meant.  It’s how he made me feel, Mom.”  Lily’s face took on an offended look.  “Which is totally ridiculous, because I don’t even know her.  Sam made it sound like I was going to, I don’t know, just walk into her house and punch her or something.” Lily waved her hand, conveying the obvious lunacy of Sam’s thinking she would do such a thing.  “And I mean, he can just do whatever he wants.  I don’t own him or anything.” Erin hid her smile, wondering if her daughter was aware how unconvincing she sounded.

“And how do you feel about Chastity?” Erin asked gently.

Lily's face took on a vexed expression, the one she usually wore when she realized that what she was about to say could land her in hot water.  “Well I mean, obviously I don’t like her.  She’s this big stupid secret Rose was keeping.”  Lily’s frown deepened.  “And now apparently my boyfriend is meeting up with her and having conversations I’m not allowed to be a part of.”  Lily seemed to realize this wasn’t helping her argument and shook her head.  “But I can totally be professional and fake it when I have to.  That one stupid cheerleader I had to be lab partners with in high school, I was nice to her.  She had no idea I thought she was an idiot.”

“Isn’t she the one whose boyfriend you stole at the winter dance after your project was done?” Erin asked and Lily looked at her in shock, sitting up finally so she could look directly at her mom.

“You knew about that?”

Erin couldn’t help but laugh.  “Lily, you may well be the least subtle, sneaky person that’s ever been born.  Everyone at our house knew about that.”

Lily folded her legs under her and chewed on that bit of information, not sure if she liked that idea or not.  Finally she just shook her head and said, “But see she had no idea the whole time we had to work together that I didn’t like her.” Erin gave her a skeptical look.  When Lily didn’t like someone it was written all over her face.  It was hard for her to imagine the girl wasn’t aware of Lily’s feelings for her.  “And why does Sam care so much about this stupid girls’ feelings?  I’m his girlfriend.  I’m supposed to come first.”

Erin listened to Lily gripe about how unfair this was as she mulled over how to answer her.  Lily obviously felt slighted, pushed aside and she was likely more sensitive at the moment because of her issues with her sister.  Lily hated to feel excluded at the best of times.  Leaning forward Erin caught Lily’s eye.

“Lily, did you tell Sam any of this?”

“Oh sure,” Lily said with a firm nod of her head. “He definitely knows I’m mad.”

Erin smiled gently.  “But sweetie, you aren’t just mad.  You’re hurt.  I’m positive Sam didn’t mean that to happen but you need to talk to him, tell him how you’re feeling.”

Lily looked at her mother with a disgruntled look on her face and then she started fidgeting with one of the buckles on her boots.

“Yeah, no I can’t do that.”

Erin raised an eyebrow at her.  “And why not?”

Lily threw her head back against the back of the couch dramatically.  “Because I don’t _do_ that.  I don’t have relationship conversations.  I’m not good at that, Mom.  That’s Rose’s thing, not mine.”  Lily looked thoughtful.  “Though hey at the moment I may be winning in the girlfriend category.  I haven’t thrown Sam across the room and we’ve actually talked.  That’s better than Rose and Dean are doing right now.”

Erin frowned at that then focused on the daughter in front of her at the moment, the one she could help.  “Lily Anne, look at me.”  Lily’s head shot up at the use of her full name and her mother smiled at her and took her hands in hers.  “Now listen to me.  You _are_ in a relationship now so you have to have these kinds of conversations.  No matter how special he is Sam can’t read your mind.  You have to talk to him.”

Lily blinked, bit her lip and then said softly, “But I’m scared.  And I don’t like being scared.”

Erin felt her heart give a painful lurch.  In so many ways that weren’t immediately apparent Lily was so much like her.  She understood all too well the anxiety and trepidation Lily was feeling.  She pulled Lily into a tight hug now and said, “Oh I understand that, Baby.  I do.”  She pulled back and smoothed Lily’s hair back behind her ears.  “It’s a lot easier to face monsters than to open your heart up to someone you love isn’t it?”  Lily blinked at her mother’s clear understanding but then slowly nodded.  Erin smiled and toyed with the ring she wore around her neck.  When she spoke her voice was soft, lost somewhere in the past.  “When I met your father I was so guarded, so hesitant to let anyone in and certainly not a hunter.  I wanted no part of this man who seemed to see through all my defenses." Erin gave a little laugh.  "I swear any other man would have given up and walked away.  I didn't make things easy for him." Erin shook her head.  "But he just hung in there, giving me time and letting me get used to the idea that I could trust him, that I could be vulnerable with him." She looked at Lily now, her gaze knowing. "In the end I realized he was worth the risk. So you have to ask yourself that, baby.  Is Sam worth making yourself vulnerable?"

Lily nodded her head slowly.  "He is," she said softly but certainly.

“Does Sam make you happy?” Lily nodded again.  “Do you trust him?” Lily nodded even harder.  "Then do what you've always done best, Lily.  Be brave."

Lily smiled at her mom, her smile a bit watery around the edges.  "Maybe I can do that." Erin smiled back at her proudly, thankful that she knew the man Lily loved well enough to feel sure in giving her daughter this advice.  "You and Dad always seemed so happy.  It's hard to imagine you started out with doubts."

Erin laughed.  “Oh baby we fought, don’t you remember that?” 

“Sure,” Lily said, smiling fondly at her memories of her parents.  “You guys argued but it always felt safe.” Her mother looked at her quizzically and Lily tried to explain.  “Some of my friends had parents that fought and it felt like they were always on the verge of a divorce.  And they never seemed to like each other even when they weren’t fighting.  Even when you guys argued it was clear you loved each other.  It just seemed like a normal thing, like no you didn’t always agree but you always were in love.” Lily couldn’t resist teasing her mom then.  “Of course Dad always said it was just because you had such a bad temper…”

“He would,” Erin said with a laugh.  Both women sat there for a minute remembering happy moments.

“Dad always looked at you like you were just perfect,” Lily said after a minute.  “I think, well I know I’m not perfect and at some point Sam’s going to figure that out.”

Erin looked at her daughter thoughtfully.  She had a strong hunch some of these fears were brought on by some things that had been said recently.  But then again these fears were all there to begin with; this had just brought them to the forefront and that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.  Better Lily and Sam dealt with them now than further down the road.  “I hate to burst your bubble but I’m fairly certain Sam knows you aren’t perfect, baby.  He’s known you a long time.” Lily made a face somewhere between a smile and a grimace, acknowledging the truth of these words.  “Nobody’s perfect, Lily.  But when you love someone it’s amazing how a person’s faults fade into the background.  I could tell you six things off the top of my head that your dad did that made me nuts and not a single one of them made me love him any less.  And he loved me just as much despite the fact I have a temper and am a terrible cook.” Lily giggled at the truth of that.

Erin stood up and drew her daughter to her feet and then into a hug.  “Now go home.  Go work this out with Sam.  You’ll feel better once you do.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Lily said, squeezing her mom extra hard.

“Anytime, baby,” Erin said. “I love you.”

“Love you too, Mom,” Lily said, grabbing her things and hurrying to the door.  She could do this, she told herself as she got into her car.  Her mom said to be brave and that was something she knew how to do.

* * *

“Sam!” Danny greeted the younger Winchester with a broad smile when Sam met him at the bunker door.  “Good to see you!”

“Hey Danny,” Sam said, giving him a thin smile before leading the way down the stairs to the library.  He couldn’t say he was a fan of Danny (The guy brought out a surprisingly jealous streak in him he hadn’t known he possessed.) but he didn’t despise him like Dean did.  But tonight he was just really not in the right frame of mind to deal with the guy.  Honestly he wasn't in the mood to deal with much of anybody.  He was tired and irritated and wanted a long, hot shower and his bed.  Still when Danny called and said he had some files he thought might help Sam couldn’t say no.

“All quiet here tonight, eh?” Danny said, looking around when they got to the library.

Sam nodded but didn’t offer up any more information.  “You said you had some files?” he asked, leading Danny to the topic at hand.

Danny nodded and pulled some out of a leather satchel.  “I know you were looking into that bit of prophecy about the timing of the sisters returning to power.  I mentioned it to my brother and he dug these up.”  He handed Sam a stack of papers that Sam immediately started glancing through them.  “They’re copies of some of the priests’ notes.”  Danny shrugged.  “I don’t know how much use they’ll be but Sean thought they might help.”

Sam took a seat at the table and Danny sat across from him, watching Sam as he began to pour over the notes.  He chuckled and Sam glanced up at him curiously.  “You and Sean would get along great, two peas in a pod.”  Danny glanced around the library.  “There’s nothing he loves more than researching some obscure bit of information.”  Danny paused.  “Well his wife, yeah I guess he loves his wife more.  She gets pissed when I forget about her.”

“Sean’s married?” a voice asked from the doorway and both men turned to find Rose standing there watching them both curiously.

Sam watched as Danny’s eyes widened in surprise at the state of Rose and that was just confirmation that she looked as bad as he and Charlie thought she did.  It must be a shock for someone who was used to the usually always put together Rose.  She’d changed her shirt at least (This one bore the name of Shermer High School, a high school Sam knew Rose had never attended  which meant it must be a reference to a movie Sam couldn’t place.) but looked as if she’d yet to drag a brush through her hair. It took Danny a second to find his voice but eventually he did.

“Yeah, he married Sara a few years back, um I guess it’s been three years now,” Danny said.

Rose practically floated into the room and if Sam had any doubt before that she was taking too much of her tonic he didn’t now.  Though if he had to guess he was thinking some alcohol might have helped Rose along tonight.  She seemed more cheerful than normal.

“I always liked Sara,” Rose said, sitting down in a chair at the table. “She was nice.”  Danny was just watching her, looking confused and a bit shell shocked.  “And she and Sean always seemed happy together.”

Danny finally gathered his wits about him. “Yeah, they’re happy.  They have a little boy who just turned one.”  Danny dug into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, finally producing a picture of a chubby dark haired toddler.  “Emmet Michael.”

Rose studied the picture while Danny continued to study her.  Knowing how mad Rose had been with him the last time he’d seen her Danny had fully expected that to carry over to today.  Then again seeing her now she seemed out of it enough that he wasn’t sure what she remembered.  “He’s adorable,” Rose declared handing the picture back to him with a hazy smile.

Sam cleared his throat, not really in the mood to discuss a toddler of someone he’d never met. “Does Sean have an email I can reach him at?  I’d like to talk to him about some of the things in these files.”

Danny scratched the back of his head and looked perplexed.  “Well see, that’s the thing.  Sean is a bit of a conspiracy nut when it comes to things to do with the special ones.” He nodded at Rose. “Especially you, love.” And Rose just nodded her head like this all made perfect sense. “He won’t talk about anything to do with them over email or phone.”

“Oh well that’s just a joy,” Sam muttered, shuffling through the papers.

“But he does live in Lincoln now so not too, too far,” Danny offered.  “Maybe next time you’re back in Hastings you can swing by and talk to him?  Or I can take back any written questions you have.”

Sam nodded.  “Are you sticking around or going right back?” he asked.

“Well I was planning on heading to Lincoln tonight.  But I can always stay around if you need me to.  Or I can stop by on the way back to New Orleans in a few weeks time.”

“Can I text or call you?” Sam asked, not really wanting Danny to hang around if he was honest.

“Oh sure,” Danny said.  “I’m not a weirdo when it comes to this stuff.  I leave that area to Sean.”

“I’ll do that then,” Sam said decisively.  He stood, papers in hand, ready to head to his room then glanced at both Rose and Danny.  “Sorry guys, I’m heading to bed.  It’s been a long day.”  Sam waved the papers. “Thanks for these Danny.”

Rose just watched Sam walk away as Danny called his farewells then he turned to face Rose. 

“So, Rosalie.  What’s going on with you?”

* * *

Dean was making his way up the stairs from the garage, hoping he’d somehow managed to miss Danny’s visit.  He had drank a few drinks at Donnie’s and was feeling pretty mellow, not drunk but more relaxed than he had been before he’d left the bunker.  All he wanted was to head to bed and sleep.  He stopped on the stairs though when he heard voices in the library and knew instantly that one was Rose and after a second it became clear who the others was.  Danny. 

“Nothing’s going on with me,” Rose said and Dean frowned.  She was…tipsy?  Drunk?  Something was off in her voice.  As if reading his mind Danny asked:

“You been spending time with our friend vodka?”

“Na, just taking the fancy potion my mom made me.”  Dean inched forward so he could just see Rose’s profile without her seeing him.  “Which by the way doesn’t work so very good.  Least not if I take what she said I should.”

“So you take extra,” Danny filled in and Rose nodded enthusiastically.

“Yep, cause otherwise things fly.  And it just doesn’t work.  ‘Cause ya know, I’m so powerful.  Yae.”  Rose shook her head then smiled.  “But tonight I did take a little bit of tequila too.”

Damn it, Sam was right, Dean thought to himself.  And looking Rose over, watching her now it was pretty clear he was right about it all.  Rose looked bad; she was pale and looked like she’d possibly slept in her clothes.  And God she was just off, just not her at all.  Fuck.  Dean had been hoping Sam had been overreacting.

“Well that seems very much out of character for you, love,” Danny said. “You always were so concerned with rules and regulations, in doing the right thing.”

“Yeah and that worked out great for me, didn’t it?  I was always such a good girl and look where I wound up – Tied to a chair being tortured by a demon.”  Dean winced at her words and if he’d seen Danny he would have known he did the same.  “Lily could have gotten out of that you know.”

“Come again?”

“Lily would have figured a way out,” Rose said patiently.  “She would have known how to get loose or she would have figured a way to get away or trick Aine or something.”  Rose shook her head.  “If it wasn’t for you showing up I would be dead and I know I’m supposed to care about that but I just don’t.  I’m not grateful you saved me.  I mean if I’d died then this would all be over, right?”  Rose shrugged.  “That just seems easier.”

As much as Dean understood the feelings Rose was voicing he couldn’t help the surge of anger that went through him at her words.  He had to stop himself from rushing to her side, dragging her out of her chair and shaking her.

“I’m pretty sure life isn’t supposed to be easy, love,” Danny said and Dean was able to pick up on the concern in his voice.  “You’re just feeling down because of what you went through but things will get better.”

Rose just shrugged.  After a moment had passed Rose looked at Danny curiously.

“Is that why your mom never liked me?  Because of the prophecy and all,” she clarified when Danny looked confused.

“My mom liked you-” Danny started and Rose snorted derisively.

“She looked at me like I was going to steal the silver every time I was at your house or-” and Rose broke off abruptly, not finishing her sentence.

“Or like you were gonna seduce her baby boy?” Danny asked with a smirk and Dean rolled his eyes as he took a seat on the step.  God, he hated this guy.  “Never had to work at that one, did you?  Though if memory serves correctly you were always damn good at it.”

“Danny,” Rose groaned and covered her face with her hands.  Dean watched her closely.  Was she flattered?  Uncomfortable?  Did she actually like him flirting with her?”

Danny chuckled then finally said, “Sorry love, couldn’t help myself.”  Rose moved her hands and glared at him and that made Dean feel a little better.  That wasn’t a playful glare. That was Rose’s cut-the-crap-now look.  “Na, honestly my parents were more worried about what I would do to you.”

“To me?” Rose asked blankly.

“Well yeah, I mean you weren’t just some girl.  You were one of the precious ones.  I wasn’t supposed to date you and I sure as hell wasn’t supposed to get serious about you.”  Danny shook his head, remembering his parents’ displeasure.  “Truth be told my parents were terrified I was either gonna get you pregnant or run off with you.”  Danny gave her a grin.  “Least I only did one of those, right?”

Dean felt his breath catch at these words and Rose’s response put the final piece in place of the puzzle of her running away as a teenager.  Of course it had been with Danny.  Who else?

“I honestly thought my dad was going to kill you.  And me.  Probably both.”

Danny chuckled.  “Believe me when I say I’ve seen my share of things that would give you nightmares.  Though not as many as your boyfriend since I’m not a hunter.”  And something about the way he said that made Dean want to punch him again, preferably breaking something this time.  “But your dad standing in the doorway of that motel?  Still the scariest of them all.”

Dean watched Rose give a small smile then fall silent again, pulling her knees up to her chest.  Sookie chose that moment to stalk into the room, survey the occupants and jump up on the table by Rose, stretching out in front of her and Dean took a small amount of satisfaction that she completely ignored Danny.  Rose reached out and stroked her fur distractedly.

“You eating anything, Rosalie?” Danny asked then and Dean’s eyed widened.  Danny must have a death wish.  Didn’t he know the cardinal rule that you never mentioned a woman’s weight to them?  “’Cause you look like you’re nothing but skin and bones, love.”

Rose just shrugged, surprisingly not seeming to care about the question.  She’d seemed somewhat clearer headed for a bit there but now was back in her hazy state.  After a minute she looked up at Danny.

“I am still mad at you, you know,” she said.

“I gotta admit, I was half expecting things to fly at my head when I saw you,” Danny said with a grin.

“Aw see, that’s the upside of the tonic and tequila combo,” Rose said with a grin.  “I couldn’t reach my powers now if I wanted to.”  She sighed then, toying with the hem of her jeans.  “Being mad is tiring, did you know that?  It’s just exhausting.”  She shook her head then.  “But you lied to me for years, Danny.”

“I didn’t have a choice, love.  You know that.  It wasn’t like you were sharing your family secret with me either.”   Rose looked unconvinced and Danny looked at her shrewdly then.  “You really want to talk about lies, love?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rose asked a touch of heat in her voice and Dean’s ears perked up.  Whatever Danny was about to say Rose seemed sure she wasn’t going to like it.

“Well let’s see, did anyone here know about Chastity?”

“Dean did,” Rose said, lifting her chin defiantly.

“And did he know about her baby?  About you being her Godmother?  I mean that’s pretty big stuff.”  Rose reluctantly shook her head.  “I didn’t think so.”   Rose watched warily as Danny got up from his side of the table and walked around to lean against the side she was on, unknowingly putting himself in Dean’s line of sight.  “Lily told me why you borrowed her car, about your license being suspended and that no one here knew about that.”  Danny looked at her closely. “I’m guessing no one else knows the last time we saw each other either.”

Rose scowled at him.  “Why would they?  It was years ago.”

“Yep, but it wasn’t in high school like everyone thinks it was either.”

Rose looked up at Danny and from where he was Dean could see she was fighting back tears.  Whenever this meeting had been it was obviously painful for Rose. “Why would you bring that up?  It was a horrible time, Danny and you being there was-”

“Hey,” Danny crouched down by her then, taking one of her hands in his. “I’m not saying all this to be a jerk.  I’m just trying to point out that you hide things.  You lie by omission, you always have.”  Danny reached out to brush her hair back and Rose jerked away from him, pulling her hand back and Danny sighed, standing back up.  “My point is, knowing you like I do I’m gonna bet there’s some stuff with Aine that you haven’t talked about, maybe not even told anyone about.”

Rose glared up at Danny and Dean watched her face closely.  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.  You still think you know me so well but it’s been years.”  Rose was a damn good liar, she always had been but Dean knew her well enough to know that what Danny had said had hit home with her.  She was keeping things back.

“Some things don’t change, Rosalie,” Danny said, giving her a crooked smile.  “Who you are is who you are.”

Rose looked at him then with narrowed eyes and Dean could tell she was mad.   Danny should be grateful she couldn’t use her powers right now.  “Oh ya, you want all your secrets out on the table?  Let’s see who you are, Danny.”  And she reached out snatching his phone from his hand swiping at the lock screen.  Danny tried to grab it back from her but she had frozen staring at the picture on the screen and Danny stopped too, the look on his face one of remorse and shame.  Dean sat up straight wondering just what the hell she had seen.

“Why is…” Rose cleared her throat then tried again. “Why is her picture on your phone?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any guesses on Shermer High?


	42. Once Upon a Time a Few Mistakes Ago

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secrets come out, tempers flare and conversations are had.

_“Why is…” Rose cleared her throat then tried again. “Why is her picture on your phone?”_

“It’s not what it looks like,” Danny hastened to assure Rose, taking his phone back and putting it in his pocket then glancing up at her nervously as she pushed her chair back and stood, backing away with a confused, wary look on her face obviously wanting to put distance between the two of them.  Whoever Rose had seen was making Danny nervous.  Or maybe it was her reaction that had him worried.  For her part Sookie just watched the two humans interact and stretched lazily on the table.

"Really?" Rose asked, her voice shaking with fear or anger Dean couldn't be sure which.  "Because that sure looked like the salesgirl I saw in the voodoo shop on your phone.  The same sales girl who sold me the necklace I gave to Chastity." Deans’ eyes widened in surprise.  He hadn't seen that coming.

"I can explain if you'll just give me a chance," Danny said, sounding desperate.

"Oh please do," Rose said, crossing her arms.  "I can't wait to hear this."  Dean didn't even try to suppress his grin.  He knew the tone in Rose’s voice and Danny was in deep shit now.  Dean eased himself back to a standing position just in case things got out of hand he could get in there quickly.

Danny shuffled his feet nervously and fidgeted with one of his bracelets before saying, "When I found out you very likely would be coming to New Orleans I knew it was a chance for me to keep you safe or to at least try.  I had the stone from my mother and I talked Celeste into giving it to you."

Dean turned that over in his head.  Danny must have laid the ground work with the shop girl months before Rose had even gotten her powers.  Still he must be pretty damn persuasive to get a girl he was obviously involved with to give another one a piece of jewelry.  Despite himself Dean was mildly impressed, though he’d never admit it.

"How'd you even know I'd go into that particular shop?" Rose demanded. "There are hundreds of them in New Orleans."

"I'd watched Chastity and her boyfriend enough that I knew the areas they went," Danny admitted. "I knew where they went out to eat the most, the parks they went to with Emma.  That shop was a safe bet since it was on their normal route."

"And you what, just started going out with her to get her to do that?"

Danny shifted his weight from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable. "When you say it like that it sounds really bad," he finally said and Dean winced.  He knew Rose wasn't going to take that well.

"Jesus, Danny," Rose said, her disproval evident on her face and in her voice.  If nothing else she seemed sobered up from the shock of all this.  "My God, you used this poor girl."  Rose shook her head then looked at Danny sharply.  "Please tell me you actually like her?"

"Sure," Danny said offhandedly.  "I mean, she's pretty and she's nice enough."  Danny gave Rose a beseeching look. "Look Rosalie, I did it to protect you.  I had to."

Rose shook her head at him. "But it didn't, Danny.  Even if I'd worn the necklace it wouldn't have stopped Aine from...from doing what she did." Dean cringed at the way Rose faltered over the words, hearing the pain in her voice loud and clear. "And even if it did you can’t do that, you can't just use someone like that just to try and protect me."

"But I had to," Danny repeated, trying to explain in a way that would make it clear to Rose.  Dean could have told him that ship had sailed, that Rose wasn't going to be listening to any logic from him tonight.  In fact Dean figured Danny should just be grateful Rose had taken enough tonic to shut her powers down otherwise he might find himself thrown out of the bunker again. "You're my priority. I had to try to keep you alive.  It's...you're important and I just had to.  It's my job."

Rose just stared at him for a second then shook her head again and turned to walk away.  Sookie realizing her human was leaving stood and jumped down, coming to Rose's side.  When Rose reached the doorway she turned slightly and said, "Well consider yourself fired.  I don't want you guarding me anymore.  I don't want you anywhere near me."

Danny let out a softly muttered curse as Dean watched Rose walk away and turned back to find Danny looking straight at him.

"You do that a lot, don't you?  Eavesdrop on private conversions?" Danny asked and Dean gave him a smirk, strolling into the library as he did.

"It's my house.  You want privacy go somewhere else," he said then gestured to the hallway Rose just walked down.  "You do _that_ a lot, don't you? - Show up and upset her." And Dean had the satisfaction of seeing Danny wince.

A second later though Danny was sizing him up and saying, "You know I expected more from you.  I mean all these years I've heard all about the great Dean, how perfect you are, how much you care for her."  Danny shook his head and Dean was surprised to see actual disappointment in his eyes.

"You saying I don't?" Dean shot back, his jaw clenching, hands balling into fists at his sides.

"I'm saying I left a few weeks ago and she was a mess, obviously hurting and with good reason.  But I thought it was fine, I was leaving her here with her white knight, the guy who would do anything for her. So what the fuck have you been doing?  Because you sure as hell haven’t been taking care of her." Danny glared at Dean, anger coming off of him in waves and Dean felt his spine stiffen as he drew himself up to his full height.  Oh if this jackass wanted a fight he could have one, Dean had no problem with that.

"You know you're really starting to piss me off," Dean growled, narrowing his eyes at Danny. "You think-"

"She's a fucking wreck!" Danny interrupted, his voice rising as he slammed a hand down on the nearest table. And despite what he thought of him Dean had to admit he was legitimately upset, not just deflecting like Dean initially thought.  That set him back a step. "She obviously hasn’t been eating at all and she's fucking higher than a kite.  And your brother didn’t seem at all surprised to see her so out of it, to see her looking like such a mess so that must be the norm these days.” Danny shook his head.  “You were supposed to take care of her," he said, pointing an accusing finger at Dean. He shook his head, his disappointment in Dean clear.  "I thought...you weren't here the last time I stopped in but I thought oh that's a one off.” Danny waved his hand, dismissing what he obviously perceived as Dean’s lapse in judgment.  “Then I realize, I hear things that you're out fucking hunting and I come back to find her worse than when I left."  Danny started pacing around the library angrily and Dean just watched him in shock.  This guy was actually telling him off!  Who the hell did he think he was?  Danny’s teeth were gritted in frustration when he spoke next.  "I don't know what the hell you're doing, what your plan is but whatever it is its not working.  She's falling apart."

Danny stopped midway across the room and slumped against a table, the fight seeming to suddenly go out of him.

"That mess of a conversation you just heard?  That's us.  We can't ever argue or even discuss anything without it blowing up.  It's always been that way with us."  Danny shook his head, his expression one of sad resignation.  "But fuck, the way she's always talked about you...I figured you'd step up.”

"It's not that simple," Dean started, wondering why he was even bothering to defend himself to this asshat.  He didn't owe him anything.

Danny cut him off. "Of course it's not simple.  She's in fucking pain." And Dean winced at the truth of that. "And be honest, she's not simple at the best of times." Dean tipped his head in acknowledgment of the truth of that statement.  Rose was many things – Passionate, kind, smart.  Simple was not one of them.

Danny fidgeted with his necklace for a second then finally seeming to summon what he had to say he looked back up.  "Look if I thought I could help her I would.  If I thought she'd listen to a word I say I'd argue with her till I was blue in the face.  I wouldn’t care if it pissed you off and made you hate me even more because let’s be honest: we’re never going to be friends.” Dean gave him a nod, that being the truest statement yet.  Danny was silent for a minute, his eyes fixed on the ground, finally choking out, “But she doesn't love me." Dean's head came up sharply at this statement to find Danny giving him a crooked, knowing smile. And damn if Dean didn’t recognize the pain behind that look all too well. "So it doesn't matter how I feel, doesn't matter that I'd do-" Danny cut himself off with a grimace.  When he started speaking again his voice was rough, hoarse with repressed emotion and despite his best efforts Dean found himself feeling for the guy. "She'll listen to you.  Me, she'll just argue with.  You can get through to her.  I can't.  It has to be you." And maybe that was the reason Dean was listening to this cocky bastard - Because there was genuine concern for Rose in his eyes.  Asshole or not he obviously truly cared for her. "If you screw this up, if you don't even try to do something to help her then you're an even bigger idiot that I initially thought."

Danny picked up his bag and headed toward the stairs, stopping when he got there to look back at Dean.  "The moment I realized she was never gonna love me?  I was seventeen and she’s telling me all about how fucking heroic and smart you are and then she says: "There's nothing I wouldn't do for him.  Nothing at all." Danny gave a grimace and hoisted his bag on his shoulder and turned to the stairs before saying lowly, "I was under the impression you felt the same way about her."  And with that parting shot Danny let himself out.

Dean stood there for several minutes feeling utterly blindsided.  Did that conversion actually happen?  Did he actually just stand there and get told off by Rose's ex-boyfriend?  And he let him do it; he hadn’t punched him or thrown his ass out.  What the hell?  Dean dropped into a chair letting the surreal feel of this whole night wash over him.

His phone beeped suddenly and a text from Bobby asked him if he was gonna be there soon.  Damn it, he'd told Bobby he'd stay the night, give him a break.  He texted Bobby back, said he was leaving now and headed out, his mind a jumble of all that had happened that evening.

* * *

Sam had glanced over the papers Danny had given him then set them atop his dresser.  They were detailed, with lots of equations and time tables on them; he'd have to look at them in further detail and get a few more sets of eyes on them too.  But for now he headed for the shower, letting the hot water pour down on him, washing away the day.  It had been a long one.

"Well that's a sight worth coming home to," a voice greeted him when he exited the bathroom in a cloud of steam, a towel wrapped around his waist.

He looked up in surprise to find Lily sitting on their bed watching him with a small smile on her lips.  Her eyes raked up and down his frame, obviously enjoying what she saw.

Sam raised an eyebrow at her. "Thought you were mad at me."

Lily shrugged.  "I am.  Doesn't mean I don't appreciate the view."

Sam gave her a small grin as he went and pulled a t-shirt and sweat pants on.

"Spoil sport," Lily complained softly with a pout.

"That's me," Sam said in a tired voice, taking a seat in the chair across from the foot of the bed.  "Bad guy, resident person in charge of pissing everyone off."

Lily frowned, not sure where that was coming from.  "I wouldn't say that."

"Well what would you say then, Lily?" Sam asked. "Because aside from yelling at me today you haven't said much to me recently."

Lily toyed with the blanket on the bed, saying nothing. She knew she'd been keeping her thoughts to herself lately and of course Sam had noticed.  After a minute of silence she said softly, "I'd say that I'm not good at talking about things that scare me."

Sam blinked, not having expected that answer. "You're afraid?"

Lily nodded.

"Of what, Darling?" Sam asked gently.

Lily bit her lip then looked up at Sam.  "I'll tell you but first can I..?" she motioned towards him and Sam held his arms wide and Lily was on his lap in a matter of seconds, Sam's arms wrapped tightly around her.  Lily just sat there for a minute, soaking up the strength and love Sam offered her so willingly.  Her mom had said to be brave.  So with a deep breath Lily began to speak.  She started with the things that made her feel the least vulnerable first.

“I'm afraid Daisy won't ever get better, that she'll be in a hospital the rest of her life and I won't ever get to hear her laugh again."

"Daisy's getting better,” Sam said confidently. “Cas swears it, the doctors are easing her off some of the medications and she's improving all the time.  She'll be back soon, making you crazy and laughing till you want her to shut up." Lily smiled softly, then sobered and moved onto her next big fear.

"I'm afraid that Rose is gone, that this is how she'll always be, that I've lost my best friend.  I'm afraid she blames me, that I let her down and she hates me for it." Sam started to respond but Lily barreled on, the dam of her words bursting open finally so he just sat back and let her speak.  "I'm afraid she's broken, that she'll never be the Rosie I grew up with and laughed with and love.  And I don't know if I can take that."

Lily finally paused and Sam rubbed soothing circles on her back trying to think of how best to reassure her about Rose. He didn't want to lie. "Rose is, well she's gonna take time." And Sam winced, knowing he'd said this before. Lily had to be as sick of hearing that as he was of saying it.

"It's been a month, Sam," Lily said, her voice pained and raw sounding.  "She won't talk to me, she won't do anything."

Sam hugged her tight. "And it hurts, I know.  I've been there with Dean.  I wish I had a better answer for you but I do think, seriously that in time Rose will get better.  You just gotta hang in there."  He pulled back so he could see her face.  “I can tell you for a fact that the whole reason she’s being so awful to you isn’t because she hates you, in fact it’s just the opposite.”  Lily looked at him curiously and Sam explained what Chastity had told him, making sure she actually took in how aware Chastity was of the way Rose idolized her.

Lily looked confused when Sam was done.  “So she’s trying to what, make me stop loving her?”  Sam nodded and Lily snorted and Sam was happy to see the relief on her face.  If nothing else knowing why Rose was lashing out at her so harshly had given Lily some comfort.  “Well that’s just plain idiotic.  I mean, I’m pissed as hell at her but I love her.  She’s my sister.  There’s nothing she could do that would make me stop loving her.”

"I'm guessing she panicked.  She's not been in a situation like this before and she's not thinking straight either." He stroked Lily’s cheek softly.  “She doesn’t just love you, Lil, she idolizes you.  You’re her big sister and she’s looked up to you her whole life.  Pushing you away to keep you safe would make perfect sense to her.”  Lily smiled, resting her head against Sam's shoulder.  She needed to hear that reassurance at the moment.  Sam frowned then.  “Of course if she would have told anyone this was going on it would have helped.”

Lily shrugged.  “You said it, she panicked.”

“Hmm,” Sam said, noncommittally, not ready to let Rose off the hook that easily.  “I had planned to talk to her before I talked to you but then Danny stopped by and-”

“Danny was here?” Lily asked drawing her head back and looking at Sam in surprise.  She hadn’t seen anyone aside from Dean when she came home and he was headed out to the hospital.

Sam nodded.  “He dropped off some papers his brother found he thought might be useful.  He was in the library talking to Rose when I left them.”

"Huh, must have been a quick visit.  The library was empty when I came in," Lily mused.

"He did say he was heading to Lincoln tonight," Sam said then looked at Lily thoughtfully.  “You know if what Aine said is true, it means you and Dean really shouldn’t be out hunting so much.  Keeping a low profile for a bit wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

Lily didn't look convinced but she didn't argue.  Yet.  Instead she just nodded then bit her lip and Sam knew they weren't done.  The fears she’d confessed to him weren’t anything surprising.  There had to be more. "OK what else?" he asked gently.

Lily tugged on her hair and tried to work up her nerve, to get the words right.  This was the hard part.  She was going to have to bare the deepest, most vulnerable part of her heart, something she rarely showed.  But Sam was worth it, she reminded herself, glancing up into his eyes that were watching her patiently, full of love and support.  Finally she spoke. "I'm afraid you'll realize I'm not the girl you want to be with, that I'm terrible at relationships, that I don't have a clue what I'm doing and then you'll run as far as you can from me."

Sam was stunned, not seeing this answer coming in a million years.  "Why would you think-"

"You heard what Rose said," Lily burst out. "I don't have this great track record of relationships. I don't even know how to have one, not a real one.  I'm a girl for a good time, not a girl to get serious about."

So that was it, the seed that had started it all, Sam realized.  And putting two and two together Sam realized that Rose had known just where to hit Lily to push her away.  That was the thing with fighting with your sibling; they knew just where to get you, the most vulnerable spots that would make you withdraw from them.  Because if he was right, and he was fairly sure he was, Lily was on new ground here, actually wanting a relationship for the first time.  Of course she would feel unsure and vulnerable.  He knew Lily's usual modus operandi with men; what they had was completely off the map for her. He understood why that’s where Rose had gone for Lily but it didn’t mean he didn’t want to shake her for it.  Taking a breath he focused back on the woman in front of him.

"But I _am_ serious about you, Lily," Sam said sincerely and Lily chanced a glance up at him to find him looking at her in a way that made her feel warm all over.  "I look at you and I don't just see a beautiful girl that men drool over.  I see the woman I love waking up next to, the one who has my back and who owns my heart."  He cupped her face in his hand. "I love you, Lily, truly and deeply.  It’s not a temporary thing.  I look at you and want you with me, not just today or tomorrow but always.”

Lily was smiling, her face soft and her eyes full of wonder.  But then she looked hesitant, biting her lip again.

“But Sam, I don’t know how to do this.  I mean I haven’t dated anyone longterm.  Ever.”

Sam grinned at her.  “I know you're dating history, Lil.  I saw a lot of it, remember?  You're not going to shock me." Lily smiled at that, glad for that fact.  "I knew exactly who you were when we started this thing.”  He smiled at her and brushed her hair back gently. “I didn’t know it would become serious, that it would become so much more.  But it did and I’m glad.”  Sam took a breath.  He knew this wasn’t easy for Lily, baring her heart didn’t come naturally to her.  If Lily was being so open he could be vulnerable too.  “If I’m honest, and it’s kind of selfish, but I’m glad you didn’t have other guys you were serious about. “ He smiled at her, the warm smile that never failed to make her heart skip a beat.  “I like that I’m the only guy to ever own your heart.  If there had been others I have to admit, I’d be jealous.”

“You would?” Lily asked and Sam had to smile at the wonderment in her voice.  He nodded.

“Danny makes me jealous,” he admitted and Lily’s eyes widened.

“Danny?  Why?  He’s not…I don’t like him like that.”

“He has a past with you that I wasn’t a part of.  You two are easy, comfortable with each other.”  Sam shrugged, unable to explain it exactly. "It surprised the hell out of me too but it’s there.”  Lily just shook her head and Sam continued.  “I know I don’t own you; you’re your own person and always will be and I love that about you.  But I have to admit, I love that I own your heart.”

Lily smiled at him, placing a hand over his heart.  “You do.  Totally.”  She frowned then, looking thoughtful.  “I love you, Sam and I just want to do this right.  I don’t want to mess up.  I don’t want to hurt you and I don’t want to get hurt either.”

Sam placed his larger hand over her small one.  “I’m pretty sure we’ll screw up and wind up hurting each other.  We’re human, it happens.  But if we talk, if we’re open with each other and we let each other know how we’re feeling I think we can do a pretty damn good job of this.” Sam grinned at her.  “We seem to be natural at loving each other.”  And Lily couldn’t help but smile back.

Lily shifted, moving so she was facing Sam, straddling his hips, his hands naturally going to her waist.  She toyed with his t-shirt, then met his eyes and said, “I felt left out when you went to see Chastity without me.  I guess I understand why you did it, but it hurt.”

Sam leaned forward, brushing a soft kiss against Lily’s forehead.  “I’m sorry, Darling.  I didn’t want to hurt you or leave you out.  But I needed to talk to her, to find out what she knew that Rose wasn’t telling us.”

“I know,” Lily said softly. “I understand it.  But I don’t like her.  And I hate that you went to see her without me.”

“If you met her I think you’d like her, Lil.  Really.”

Lily frowned, pursing her lips in distaste.  “She has this secret friendship with Rose I know nothing about and she gets you to go see her and leave me behind.  Nope, I don’t like her,” she said stubbornly, then added under her breath, “And she’s pretty.”

Sam blinked in surprise.  Sam stroked a hand under her chin, slowly tilting her head back so their eyes met.  “Lily, are you jealous?”

Lily squirmed a little, looking uncomfortable.  “Maybe,” she finally admitted.

Sam grinned.  “Maybe?” he pushed.

“Well she’s hot,” Lily defended herself, a pout on her face.  “Even Charlie said so.”

“Mmm hmm,” Sam said, noncommittally, leaning forward and brushing his lips against Lily’s neck as his hands slipped under her shirt at her waist.

“And I bet she was being all flirty with you,” Lily said, gasping out softly as Sam suddenly tugged her t-shirt over her head.

“It’s a damn good thing I have a hot, sexy, gorgeous girlfriend then, isn’t it?” he asked with a grin as he moved his mouth down, drawing closer to her breasts.

“You’re distracting me,” Lily muttered, even as she arched her back, thrusting her breasts toward Sam.  He traced around the edges of her bra with his tongue earning a soft gasp from Lily.

"Is it working?" Sam asked grinning up at her, not looking repentant in the slightest.

Lily gave him a mock angry look.  "You know it is."

"I'm just proving…" Sam unclasped Lily's bra and tossed it aside. "That there's not another woman I want to touch." He drug his tongue down around one breast, teasingly making his way to a nipple.  He barely touched it, just teasing little licks that had her whining. "How could I want anyone else when I have you?" He asked, his lips brushing against her other breast now and Lily felt herself flush with pleasure.  She gasped again as he attached his mouth to a nipple, sucking while his hand stroked the other, his fingers lightly strumming against the sensitive bud.  She was writhing on his lap in no time and Sam looked pleased with the results when he pulled back to take in the picture she made.

Lily's skin was flushed, her eyes dark with lust and her hands were gripping his arms tightly.  Sam has no doubts or insecurities when it came to his skills in the bedroom. He'd had enough experience and been with enough women to more than know what he was doing and he felt certain he'd never left a woman unsatisfied.  But there was something about being able to get to Lily like this, to have this effect on her that gave Sam a certain thrill, a flush of pride that he carried with him.

Sam moved his head towards her, his lips brushing against her ear.

"I bet I could make you come just like this," Sam growled, one hand splayed across her back while the other pinched one of her nipples, then stroked it soothingly with his thumb. Lily let out a little moan and then she was leaning into him, kissing him and molding her body against him.

“Or we could save that for another night,” Sam muttered once she’d pulled back and smiled at him.  When she smiled at him like that any patience he had for teasing or taking things slowly went out the window.  Sam stood, picking Lily up and making the short trip to the bed where they proceeded to show each other without words, just how much they loved each other.


	43. Sometimes To Keep It Together, We Got To Leave It Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everybody Talks

Dean greeted Bobby when he made his way into Daisy’s hospital room.  The older hunter looked him over carefully, obviously sensing his strange mood.  Then again Bobby had been watching him closely anyway lately.  He knew how hard the mess with Rose was on Dean and hated that he couldn’t straighten it all out for him.

“You doing OK?” he asked, shrugging into his coat and Dean nodded.

“Yeah, just an interesting night," Dean said sitting his coffee cup down on the table next to Daisy's bed.

“You boys ever have anything but?” Bobby asked with a grin and Dean shook his head.

“If we do I can’t remember it.”

Bobby must have caught something in his tone because he paused and looked at him for a minute and then instead of heading out he clapped a hand on Dean's shoulder and said, "Let's talk." He looked at the angel who was watching them both with interest. "Cas, we'll be back."

Before Dean could muster up a reaction beyond a mild look of surprise Bobby was steering him out of the room and down the hall.  He grabbed them both cups of coffee from the machine and ushered Dean towards a seating area at the end of the hall.  It was set back on its own, tucked into a spot by the window overlooking the not so large skyline.  Glancing out at it Dean wondered if you could even legitimately call it a skyline; most of the buildings were no higher than a two story house.  Still, it was a welcome sight to Dean, the familiar buildings and streets always feeling comfortable to him.  He turned from the view when Bobby shoved one of the cups of coffee his way and watched the older hunter shrug his coat off and take a seat in the chair.  He took a sip of his coffee then leveled Dean with a gaze.

"OK Let's hear it."

Dean sighed, settling back on the couch.  He toyed with the paper cup, trying to decide where to start.  God, this was such an almighty fucked up mess.  Bobby was the best person to talk to though Dean figured, eyeing him as he sat there patiently waiting.  He'd give Dean an honest opinion.

So he spilled out the story of the night’s events, the revelations that had come out of Danny’s conversation with Rose and the eventual conversation he and Danny had.  Bobby watched him calmly, his face giving nothing away, just taking in what Dean said, until he got to the part where Danny told him off and berated him for not taking care of Rose.  Then his eyebrows rose slightly, the only indication of his surprise.

“Well he has balls, I’ll give him that,” Bobby said when Dean had finished.  Then he took a sip of coffee, his face thoughtful as he turned it all over in his mind.  “So now we know where the red jasper came from,” he said finally with a shake of his head.  “Erin will be interested to hear that.”  He considered a second then added, “And not too surprised Danny had a hand in it either." Erin definitely did not like Danny and had made that fact quite clear.  Bobby looked at Dean who was just staring into his cup of coffee like it might have all the answers he was looking for.  As gently as he knew how Bobby said, “He’s not wrong you know.”  Dean’s head snapped up in surprise, his eyes showing his immediate feeling of betrayal.

“You think this is my fault-”

Bobby raised a hand, cutting him off.  If Dean started ranting tonight he might never stop.  “Now wait a second, let me finish,” Bobby said calmly.  “I ain’t saying this is your fault, not at all.  Rose is an adult and her actions and choices are her own.” Bobby watched Dean’s shoulder relax just a touch.  He was always too ready to accept responsibility for things that weren’t his to answer for, Bobby thought with a shake of his head. “After Monterey, Sam pissed you off with what he did, right?  And Rose did too.”  Dean nodded his head.  "They also made it pretty clear how much they cared about you.  Being willing to put themselves out there, knowing you’d be angry with them but that you needed it.  You don’t do that for just anyone.”  Bobby watched a small smile flit across Dean’s lips and knew he’d got that point.  “Is there anyone else that could pull a stunt like that with you and get away with it?”  Dean shook his head, slowly starting to see where Bobby was going with this.  “And if they hadn’t done that, if they had just let you be, you think you would have gotten straightened out on your own?” Bobby asked looking at Dean shrewdly.  Dean hesitated then shook his head.  He had been going down fast and was headed for nowhere good. He honestly didn't want to think about where he'd be. "Right.  So that’s the part that cocky SOB was right about.  You can get through to Rose.  Lily has tried, Sam has tried, hell even Erin has tried.  Rose has managed to shut them all out.  It has to be you.”

Dean sat his coffee down and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.  “Yeah, but Bobby she’s so fragile right now.  I don’t want to make things worse.”

“How bad is she?” Bobby asked and Dean winced, burying his head in his hands. After a second he raised his head and looked at Bobby and God, the pain Bobby saw in his eyes just about killed him.

“She’s bad, real bad." And he proceeded to fill Bobby in on what he’d seen, what Sam had told him and what he’d heard Rose say with his own ears.  Bobby took it in, cursing softly at the picture Dean painted.

“OK so let’s play this out then,” Bobby said, going into his best planning mode.  Sometimes Dean needed the facts laid out in front of him.  Right now he seemed to be hiding from the emotion of all this and Bobby could understand that.  So they’d go with facts.  “You wanted to give Rose time, right?”

Dean nodded.  “Yeah, I mean she’s always been able to either sort things out herself or come to me when she needs help.”  Bobby resisted pointing out that they were dealing with a very different set of circumstances here than any Rose had dealt with before.

“So say you give her more time, you keep up your hands off approach.”  Bobby looked at Dean astutely.  “You think she’s gonna start to eat?  Gonna stop taking too much of the potion her mom made?  Actually show her face during the day?”

Dean was silent for a moment as Bobby’s words sank in.  His mind pulled up all too clear a picture of what Rose would be like with a few more weeks of this behavior.  It was an image that made his heart go cold.  Finally he took a sip of his coffee then met Bobby’s eyes.  “No, no I don’t.”

Bobby nodded, seeing that Dean was working this out in his head, seeing the course he had to take.  “You two have always had a connection.  It’s why she could get through to you.  Now it may take a bit more with her, she’s never been through anything like this.  And from what I’ve been told this demon was particularly vicious.”

“Yeah,” Dean said with another wince.  He took a sip of coffee then added, “Sam had said he had something to tell me about that too.  He went to see Chastity,” he explained.  He hesitated then said softly, “I just don’t want her to hate me, Bobby.”

Bobby snorted and Dean glanced up at him in surprise.  “Sorry, I just, have you never seen how that girl looks at you?  Boy, she adores you.”  The older hunter softened then.  “She may be angry at first, she'll probably fight you 'cause God knows she's as stubborn as can be but she won’t hate you, Dean.  I don’t think she has it in her to hate you for anything.”  Bobby took a sip of coffee and added, “Talk to Sam, see what he has to tell you and once you know all the facts think it over for a day or two.  Then do something.  Don’t wait any longer.”

“What if it doesn’t work?” Dean asked, voicing his other fear, his biggest one.

Bobby leaned forward and patted his shoulder reassuringly.  “It’ll work.  It may take time and a whole lot of work but she’ll get there.  She’s her father’s daughter, Dean.  She’s got grit in her; she just can’t find it at the moment.  You just gotta help her find her way back.” 

The two talked for a few more minutes and then headed back to Daisy’s room and Bobby finally left for the night.

“You seem troubled,” Cas said, studying Dean who in turn simply raised an eyebrow at him and Cas amended his statement, “Well more so than normal.”

“It’s been a long, night,” Dean said, dropping onto the couch.  “Hell, it’s been a long fucking month.”

Cas kept studying him and Dean was starting to feel like he was part of some kind of exhibit.  “I was wondering if I could ask your opinion on something,” Cas said finally and Dean sighed.  He was drained and unbelievably tired.  He wasn’t up for another conversation with Cas tonight.  Before he could ask Cas if they could wait the angel seemed to actually catch onto that fact.  “Or we can wait.  You look tired.”

Dean looked up at the anxious tone of Cas’ voice.  “You sure?  I mean we could talk now.” Dean grimaced and added, “Not sure how much use I’ll be but we can talk if you need to.”

“No, you get some rest, Dean.  We’ll talk when you wake up and feel more refreshed,” Cas reassured him and Dean smiled at him gratefully.

Without another word Dean stretched out on the couch and closed his eyes.  This had been way too emotional a night, way too tense of a month.  What he needed was some sleep and maybe when he woke up he’d have a plan.

* * *

Curled up next to Sam in their bed something was bothering Lily.  Something Sam had said was sticking with her and wouldn’t leave her alone to sleep.

“Sam?” she asked hesitantly, not sure if he was still awake.

“Hmm?” he asked, sounding right on the verge of sleep.

“What did you mean when you said you were a bad guy, that you were pissing everyone off?” She propped her chin on his chest and looked up at him questioningly.

Sam sighed and Lily watched his eyes open, staring up at the ceiling.  His hand that was resting on her back started moving, his fingers dragging up and down her back.  He didn’t speak right away and Lily just watched his face, felt his fingers continue their track up and down her spine.  Sam measured his words more than she did and she’d learned over the years to give him time, to wait for him to be comfortable with whatever he was going to say before the words actually came out.  Finally he sighed again and said, “It just seems like every since Rose got back I somehow got in the middle of everyone, trying to keep everyone happy and no one is and I just seem to always wind up getting bitched at by people.”  Lily could tell he wasn’t done so she waited.  After a few minutes he continued.  “I just seem to be continually telling people things they don’t want to hear and routinely getting yelled at by someone or other lately.”

“Including me,” Lily said softly and Sam glanced down to find her looking up at him with a guilty look on her face.

Sam grinned and reached out and tugged at a lock of her hair.  “Eh, you yelling I’m used to.”  He winked and Lily rolled her eyes but didn't deny it.  They were both quiet, Sam’s fingers still dragging up and down her back and Lily started tracing a random pattern on his chest.  She glanced back up at Sam finally.

“You did kinda get left keeping everything together here.  Sorry about that.” She gave him an apologetic smile and Sam responded with an understanding one.

“I get it, why it’s so hard on you and Dean being here right now.  But well It’s just a lot, I mean with Dean and Rose and you,” he tapped the end of her nose gently and Lily smiled.  “Then throw in other assorted characters…” Sam shook his head.  “It’s been like trying to keep peace at a three ring circus.”  Sam’s fingers picked up tempo, moving a bit quicker and Lily could feel the tension there.  “I can’t keep everyone happy and I’m trying and in the process I’m making nobody happy.”  Lily could hear the frustration in Sam’s voice and she felt a huge wave of guilt wash over her.  She knew how important it was to Sam that people were happy.  He was so much more of a people pleaser than he ever cared to admit but Lily knew it, hell everyone closest to him knew it.  She had been so wrapped up in how hard this whole mess was on her that she hadn’t caught onto the fact that Sam was struggling in a tough position.  She should have been more aware of that.

“Hey,” Lily reached out to hold Sam’s face in her hands.  “You make me happy.  Even when I bitch and gripe at you, well that’s just what I do.”  That got a small grin from Sam.  “This whole situation sucks and you’ve done an awesome job of keeping everything from falling apart. But that’s not your job, Sam.  You don't have to take care of everyone."  She smiled at him while her thumbs swept over his cheekbones.  “You have to talk to me too, tell me when you’re unhappy.  I can’t read your mind and I’ve been pretty wrapped up in what’s been going on.”  Guilt flashed across her face again.  “I’m sorry about that.”

“Hey, no, don’t apologize,” Sam said, reaching out and dragging one of her hands to his lips to place a kiss on the palm.  “You were focusing on what was most important.  That’s what you should do.”

Lily frowned thoughtfully up at Sam.  “You’re important, Sam.  I need you to be happy too.  I’m just good at getting lost in stuff when I’m upset.  Hunting is good for that.”  She smiled up at Sam regretfully.  “Sometimes you need to grab my attention and let me know if you aren’t happy.  Promise me you’ll do that from now on?”  Sam hesitated and Lily frowned at him.  “You said we’re supposed to talk and tell each other what’s going on, that go both ways.  I’m serious, Sam.  I’ll be really mad if you don’t.”

Sam grinned at her then and Lily was relieved to see his eyes looking happier.  “Well we wouldn’t want that, now would we?”  Lily’s frown deepened and Sam sobered.  “I promise I’ll tell you if I’m unhappy,” he said.

Lily scanned his face, obviously checking that he was being honest with her.  Deciding he was she nodded and rested her head on his chest.  “Good.” 

Sam wrapped his arms around her and they settled back down to sleep.  Sam smiled when he heard Lily mutter, “You’re a damn, stubborn, man, Sam Winchester.”

Sam chuckled and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.  “And you love me.”

“Damn right I do.”

* * *

“Well this is pretty,” a bubbly voice said and Dean’s eyes flew open to find himself in a dream he’d had several times before.

This dream was based on a common occurrence in his life.  One of the nicer aspects about being on the road so much was there generally wasn't a strict time table.  A lot of times he and Sam had time to pull the Impala over and stretch out on the hood, crack open a beer and just look at the stars.  This was one such occurrence from a spring night a few years back when the whole sky had been so full of stars there hasn't seemed room for a single one more to be added.  It had been a night with no special occurrence or significance, just a quiet, peaceful night that he and Sam had both enjoyed.

Dean was fairly certain Daisy had not been on that particular trip but here she was, sitting cross legged on the hood, leaning back on her hands and staring up at the sky.

"Daisy?" Dean asked in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"There's like a hundred bazillion stars," she leaned her head back even farther to take them all in.  Then she straightened and smiled at him. "Cas said you were upset so I figured I'd just pop in and check on you."

"And by pop in you mean come into my dream," Dean said, shaking his head.  He'd never get used to this. "God, you Sullivan girls like to do that."

"Well it is part of my power, Dean," Daisy said reasonably.  "The fact that Rose can do that...that's a whole different thing." She studied Dean before asking, "You do know how rare that is right?  What it means?"

"Yeah, I read what it meant and your boyfriend was kind enough to enlighten me in case I didn't know," Dean said with an eye roll.  He couldn’t help but mutter, "Not that it's happened recently."

"It can't," Daisy said shortly and when Dean looked at her inquisitively she explained. "The tonic my mom made her, the amount she’s taking now, it blocks her from doing it.  I can't even get in her dreams right now." Daisy hesitated a second then amended her previous statement.  “Well, I can but it’s like a bad acid trip.  I can’t really talk to her because it’s all too jumbled.”

Dean frowned, taking that information in.  It made sense he supposed. This tonic for all it helped had certainly caused its fair share of problems too.

Daisy was back looking at the stars.  "I like this dream.  It's relaxing." She smiled mischievously then. "I figured it would be easier to talk here than in some of your other dreams."

Dean jerked back at that. "Wait, you can what, flip through my dreams like a play list?"

"Well not all your dreams," Daisy demurred. "It has to be one you've either had several times or one that's left a really strong impression." She cocked her head thoughtfully.  "You have some very...colorful dreams, Dean." Dean shifted uncomfortably, obviously uneasy at the idea of Daisy seeing what he dreamed about. "The strip club dreams I get," and Daisy did her best to hide her smile at Dean's pained expression and the dull flush that was slowly creeping up his neck.  "I mean you're a guy, you like women, especially curvy redheads apparently.  I’m sure Rose will be glad to know that." Daisy figured Dean might fall off the car if he kept up this level of squirming. "But some of your dreams about my sister...wow, now those are really interesting.  Educational even.  Some of them, well let’s just say it clears up any questions I had." Daisy leaned towards him and said conspiratorially, "I'm sure somewhere in that massive closet of hers Rose has a plaid schoolgirl skirt like the one you picture her in. ”She's got glasses too," Daisy added thoughtfully.  "And I'm sure she'd have no problem putting her hair in pigtails for you." She smiled at Dean brightly.  "She could pull off your naughty schoolgirl fantasy easy peasy."

"OK you can stop right there," Dean said holding up a hand to which Daisy just grinned unrepentantly. "Quit snooping in my dreams and talking about strip clubs and fantasies.”

“I’m just trying to help, Dean,” Daisy said, her smile growing even wider.  “I mean, I already ruined your cheerleader fantasy so it’s the least I can do.”  Dean glared at her and Daisy just giggled at how red his face was.  It was a well known fact that Dean had always had a thing for cheerleaders and then Daisy had tried out and made the squad all four years in high school.  Having someone he looked at as his baby sister becoming a cheerleader had tainted the whole thing for him.  Instead of luscious women in short skirts he now pictured sweet little Daisy waving a pair of pom-poms.  Completely ruined.

"Yeah, I still haven't forgiven you for that," Dean muttered and Daisy laughed softly.  Dean shook his head at her and going back to the original topic said gruffly, “You’re a baby; you're not supposed to know about stuff like that."

Daisy just laughed again. "I'm not a baby, Dean.  I know all about fantasies and fetishes and se-"

"Nope, no I don't want to know," Dean said cutting her off, his tone adamant. "It doesn't matter how old you are in my book you're still a baby.  So no...No fantasy talk, no sex talk of any kind.  Got it?"

Daisy just smiled and nodded at Dean, indulging him.  She was well aware she was stuck as a little kid in his mind and nothing she could do or say would change that.  She could be an eighty year old grandmother and in his book she’d still be a child who most definitely had never had sex of any kind or even knew what it was.  It was sweet, silly, but endearing too.  She stretched out on the hood next to Dean, resting her head on his legs just above his ankles so she had a good view of his face.

“What am I, your personal pillow?” Dean groused and Daisy just smiled at him.  He always griped that she used him and Sam as her personal pieces of furniture but there was no real complaint there.  It wasn't just Lily and Rose who spoiled Daisy.  The boys would never admit it but the youngest Sullivan girl could get away with just about anything with them.

“Something like that,” Daisy said, then added with an impish grin, “And Sam never complains.”

“That’s because you have Sam wrapped around your little finger.  I on the other hand know just what an awful brat you are," Dean said with a knowing look.  “Cas have any idea how truly bratty you are?”

Daisy shot him an indignant look.  “Cas thinks I’m perfectly sweet.”

Dean chuckled.  “Sucker,” he said and Daisy stuck her tongue out at him.  “OK you’re a sweet brat,” he conceded reaching out and tugging one of her curls, earning himself a smile in the process. “Gotta admit I missed teasing you, munchkin,” he said with a wink.

Daisy shook her head.  “You’re horribly mean to me,” she said but she grinned up at him, having missed the teasing too.  Her fingers started fidgeting with one of her rings, drawing Dean’s eyes to her hands.  Daisy had always worn different bits of jewelry, changing with her moods and outfits.  Even now in a dream she had several different rings on, most with some sort of Daisy on them.  Dean couldn’t help but notice she had nothing on the finger that in reality bore the wedding rings Cas had put on her. He had to wonder if that was some subconscious thing on her part, that on some unconscious level she knew that finger was taken.

"So you can do this with everyone?  Just go through their dreams like a Rolodex?" Dean asked curiously and Daisy nodded an excited smile on her face.

"Since I'm still learning it's easier with people I know right now because I know where to look.  Like obviously I knew you'd have dreams about Rose.  And aside from your lecherous dreams about scantily clad women you dream a lot about happy moments in your life.  Not everyone does that so you're easier than most." She smiled happily at Dean. "I liked the ones you had about me.  Oh you don't remember most of your dreams," Daisy hastened to explain when Dean looked confused. "But I'm in there.  There's one of me learning to walk, which wow, I didn't know you remembered that and one of my birthdays when you took me out for ice cream."  Daisy's smile grew wider.  "My personal favorite?  Baton lessons."

Going into her freshman year of high school Daisy had wanted desperately to be on the twirling squad.  She loved the cute outfits they wore and thought the idea of twirling and throwing a baton in the air while everyone watched sounded fun.  How hard could it be?  The only problem was Daisy didn't know anyone who knew how to twirl a baton.  Enter Dean who had a habit of twirling whatever was in his hands and Daisy was certain he could teach her.  Sure he was usually twirling a knife or gun but Daisy just figured that meant a baton would be a piece of cake for him.  After she'd begged and pleaded nonstop for days he'd finally given in.  He'd sworn her to secrecy and then proceeded to spend hours trying to teach her.  It turned out she was right: a baton was easy for Dean but not so much for her.  In the end Daisy was hopeless with a baton (and thus went out for cheerleading instead) but she had enjoyed the lessons and the chance to have Dean laugh and be silly with her.  She'd always wished she'd had a picture to prove it actually happened, not that Dean would have ever allowed that.  The fact that image was frozen in one of Dean's dreams was a nice consolation.

Dean groaned and buried his head in his hands.  "You swore you'd never tell a soul about that."

"And do you see anyone else here but us?" Daisy demanded. "I've never told anyone."

"Make sure you keep it that way," Dean muttered.  Dean studied Daisy as she tipped her head back to look at the stars again. Her t-shirt was fitting he thought with a grin.  "We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams."  And she looked happy too he thought, much more content than she usually was.

"You like your powers don't you?" he asked and Daisy nodded without hesitation.

"I could do without the visions," she admitted.  "They're pretty creepy and I can't control when they happen or make them any clearer.  But the dream part, this part," she motioned to their surroundings. "Well it's pretty cool isn't it?  I mean I'm in a coma, Dean.  But here I am, hanging out and talking to you."  She smiled. "And Cas has helped me so much.  He's walked me through it all step by step." Daisy fidgeted with her rings again before saying softly: "Rose got the short end of the stick really when it comes to our powers.  I mean Lily's always had hers and she likes them and mine suit me I think.  I know it sounds crazy but all this just makes sense to me." Dean nodded thoughtfully.  Daisy always had been different, always happy with oddities.  "Rose's powers..." Daisy sighed softly. "They're a hard fit for her."

It was Dean’s turn to lean his head back and stare up at the stars.  After a minute he sighed and said softly, “I know.”

Daisy studied him a minute, this man who for all intents and purposes was her family.  They may not share the same blood but he’d been there for all of Daisy’s life, this protective, familiar presence.  She knew Dean in a different way than her sisters did.  She wasn’t on the same level like they were; there wasn’t the same kind of friendship between them.  He was her brother, he teased her and protected her and he’d act like a complete dork with her, being silly and stupid just to make her laugh.  Especially when she was very young Daisy had thought Dean was the coolest guy there was.  He knew all kinds of silly tricks and let her get away with things and do stuff her sisters and parents never would let her do.  She swore for the first ten years of her life she’d never walked anywhere when he was around, her permanent spot seemed to be on his shoulders.  Daisy loved him as completely as she did her sisters and there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he’d do anything for her.

Which just made all this so much harder to watch.  She knew he was hurting and she knew better than most how much pain Rose was in too.  She'd seen it, had witnessed the damage done.  She wished she has been able to change things.  This is why the visions sucked – What good was it to see something if she couldn’t stop it?

“I’m sorry I couldn’t stop this all, Dean,” she said softly, her tone matching his.

She saw Dean smile though he kept his eyes firmly fixed on the stars above.  “Not your fault, Days.”

“Cas said Sam went to see Rose’s friend in New Orleans.”  Dean nodded.  “Have you talked to him yet?” Dean shook his head and Daisy smiled.  “Talk to him.  It’ll help a little I think.”  That got him to look at her.

“Yeah, I forgot you know stuff you wouldn’t let Cas tell me,” Dean said, narrowing his eyes at her.  “What the hell is that about?”

Daisy twisted a ring on her thumb.  “Some things Rose needs to tell you when she’s ready, Dean,” she said finally, then looked up at him.  Whatever it was, whatever it was she knew, Dean would never admit it but the look in her eyes scared him.  "I can tell you that Aine tried to use you to hurt Rose, to make her doubt you.”  Daisy smiled then, her eyes clearer and less pained.  “That didn’t work.  She has so much trust in you, Dean, so much faith.  It’s rock solid.”

Dean quirked an eyebrow at her and Daisy finally saw the anger in his eyes that she knew he must be feeling.  “Oh really?  Is that why she isn’t letting me fucking near her at the moment?  All that overwhelming faith?”

“In a matter of speaking, yes.”  Dean blinked at her and Daisy just smiled.  “Talk to Sam,” she repeated.

“Talk to Sam, talk to Sam,” Dean mimicked, pulling a face.  “You sound like a damn parrot.”

Daisy smacked his leg.  “Be nice.”  Dean just rolled his eyes at her and went back to looking at the sky.

“You know I may be a brat but I’m not the spoiled one in my family,” Daisy said softly, watching Dean’s face.

Dean frowned for a second, knowing she was referring to Rose.  “Hmm, I know a few people who would disagree with you there.”  Daisy smacked his leg again and Dean sobered.  “I know,” he said with a sigh.  He knew Rose was spoiled, knew very well how much she’d been pampered.  He kind of loved that about her in a weird way.  She really was a princess.  “But I don’t see what that-”

“Because of how things were, or how we thought they would be my dad got to go easy on Rose,” Daisy interrupted.  “He didn’t have to push her to learn to fight, to do things she didn’t like.”  Daisy shot him a crooked grin. “Oddly enough because we all thought she was going to have my powers and I was going to have hers.  Which now is really hard to imagine,” Daisy said with a thoughtful look.  Dean figured she must be imagining how weird it would be for Rose and Cas to have a connection like they did.  He couldn’t even picture it.  Daisy twisted one of her rings nervously and Dean realized this must feel strange to her, like she was breaking some code talking about her sister like this.  He reached out and squeezed her leg, hoping she’d get the message that he understood.  She gave him a small smile in return then shook her head.  "Anyway, my point is people don't generally push Rose.  You're one of the only people I know who can push her and get away with it."

"I don't know-"

"You got her to be comfortable handling a gun," Daisy interrupted. "And you got her to learn to fight, something no one else did.  And she didn't even get mad at you about it."

It was Dean's turn to fidget now, twisting the bracelet on his wrist agitatedly.  Daisy did have a point.  Still this was different.

"I know this is a bigger deal," Daisy said as if reading his mind.  "But...OK when Lily's tried to push her in her oh so subtle and gentle way what's happened?"

"We've had blow ups," Dean said, grinning at Daisy's accurate description of Lily's prodding.

"Right," Daisy said with a nod.  "Because on top of Lily's lack of tact she's also angry at Rose and she's not good at hiding that or keeping it in check."

"And I'm what - the picture of self control?" Dean asked with a skeptical look.

"You are when it comes to my sister." Daisy looked at him knowingly.  "I know you're mad at Rose, Dean.  And you have every right to be.  But you can rein it in way better than Lily can."  Dean didn't dispute this fact, just leaned his head back again.  After a second Daisy continued.  "From what I can tell Rose is stuck.  She's angry and scared and she can't get past any of it.  She’s not used to these feelings.  She doesn't have the first clue how to handle this; she's never dealt with anything like this before.  She needs someone to show her the way out."  Daisy studied Dean for a second then said softly, "I did tell you this wasn't going to be easy."

Dean nodded but was silent.  Finally he said:

"You seem pretty damn certain things will work out."

"'Course I am," Daisy said cheerfully. "My sister isn't the only one who has faith in you."  And that caused Dean to glance at Daisy in surprise. Daisy wasn’t one to hand out compliments.  She just smiled at him and continued on.  "I kind of have an advantage here too, Dean.  Visions can occasionally be good things."

"Care to share?" Dean asked with a raised eyebrow but Daisy just shook her head causing Dean to roll his eyes.  "Of course not."

Daisy patted Dean's leg reassuringly. "Things will work out.  You just gotta have some faith too."

Dean glanced down at Daisy's smiling face.  He tried to hold onto some of that certainty she had.

Dean decided a change of topic was needed.  Between Danny, Bobby and Daisy he’s had a ton of information and advice thrown at him tonight and had a lot to think about.  "So you really like Cas?" Dean asked and watched as Daisy blushed and nodded.  She smiled shyly and Dean grinned.  "He's kinda weird you know."

"And I'm what?  Normal?" Daisy demanded and Dean couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, never mind.  You're a perfect pair."  Daisy grinned happily at him and Dean couldn't help but offer some brotherly advice.  "Just take things slow, OK?  There's no need to rush things."

Daisy rolled her eyes at him good naturedly.  "So if I promise to go to my wedding night a blushing virgin, will that make you happy?"

"Well technically that nights come and gone," Dean said without thinking then immediately froze.  Shit, he hadn't meant to say that.

Daisy looked at him in confusion.  "Wait - what?  What do you mean?"

"Just ignore that.  I didn't mean anything, I-" Dean sat up, alarm clear on his face.  "Shit.”

Daisy sat up too and stared at him.  "What do you mean?” she repeated.  “What are you talking about Dean?"  Her voice was tight, her eyes wide.  And suddenly she was glancing at her left hand, at the finger Dean had noticed just a short while ago that was bare.  It wasn't any longer. Now there was a set of sparkling, shining rings there and Daisy was staring at them in utter horror.

She scrambled off the car and before her feet touched the ground she was yelling loudly:

"Castiel!"

Cas was by her side in an instant, glancing from Daisy's shocked face to Dean's guilty one, his own expression one of a deer caught in the headlights.  Dean slowly slid to his feet but he needn't have bothered.  The last thing he saw was Daisy shoving her hand in Cas' face, saying, "Would you like to explain this?" before with a wave of Daisy's other hand he found himself back on the couch in the hospital room. 


	44. Breakin' Down and Coming Undone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A couple people talk and a couple people lose their tempers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Season 12 Premiere Night! I didn't plan on finishing this chapter today but I got on a roll and here it is.

The mind was an amazing thing, Cas mused.  Once Daisy pushed Dean out of his dream the landscape he and Daisy were in immediately changed.  They could have gone anywhere but Daisy chose to place them back at the ski lodge.  Even as his mind was racing, wondering just how to handle this, another part of his mind was marveling at how smoothly Daisy had transitioned them here.  Every detail he had originally placed there based on Daisy's memories was there now right down to the crackling fire in the fireplace and the snow falling gently outside.  She was getting better and better every time she used her powers.  Glancing at her face he realized this probably wasn’t the best time to focus on that.

"I'm waiting," Daisy said, hands on her hips, her foot tapping and glaring at him, bringing his mind back to the problem at hand.

"I can explain," Cas said, trying to sound calm and sure, neither of which he was at the moment.  Daisy just folded her arms and looked at him, obviously waiting to hear what he had to say.

"When we first brought you to the hospital you were gravely injured," Cas began.  "I needed to be with you constantly to help heal you.”

Daisy nodded her head sharply.  “Right, we knew that was going to happen.”

Cas nodded before continuing. “Your mother suggested it would be easier if we were married, that the hospital staff were less likely to question my presence and allow it."

Daisy frowned.  "So you what, bought some rings and made it look like we were married?"

Cas shuffled his feet.  "Not exactly," he said lowly.

Daisy narrowed her eyes at him.  "Then what _exactly_ did you do?"

Cas shifted his weight from leg to leg, more nervous than he could ever recall being.  He tried to remind himself that Daisy cared for him, she'd said as much.  He was sure if he explained it properly this would go all right. "Your mother said that she knew people who could file the needed paperwork.  It seemed best to be thorough...." Cas stopped as all the color drained from Daisy's face.  "Daisy, are you all right?"

"We're married?" she whispered.  "Legally married?"

Cas hesitated then nodded.  Daisy slumped down, sitting on the arm of the couch.  She was silent and Cas was hoping that was a good sign.  She wasn't yelling at him or crying so that must be good.  Maybe this would be OK, Cas thought.  Daisy seemed calm.

"My mother did this?" Daisy asked finally.  She glanced up and Cas nodded, glad to see some color returning to her cheeks.  "My mother who has spent my entire life telling me to make my own decisions?" Daisy's voice was rising and Cas felt a slight twinge of worry return.  "The same woman who was worried I would be influenced by others and make choices that weren't my own, who told me the worst thing that could happen to a woman was to lose their voice?"

"She was concerned for your well-being, Daisy," Cas tried to explain but Daisy was having none of it.  She was back on her feet, pacing around the room now.  He frowned as he thought over what she had said.  "And you haven't lost your voice.  I can hear it perfectly well."

Daisy just rolled her eyes and ignored Cas' comment, too angry to explain to him what she meant.

"I can't believe she did this," she fumed.  She whirled on Cas suddenly, once again shoving the hand with the rings on it in his direction. "Why can I see these all of the sudden?" Cas gave her a confused look and she made a frustrated sound before she explained. "I'm assuming these aren't new, that I’ve been wearing them before today.  So why can I see them now?"

Cas thought about that for a minute before saying, "I suppose it's because of our link.  Once Dean told you we were married your mind grasped onto what I see and filled the information in."  For a second Cas considered telling Daisy that he liked seeing the rings on her hand, that some part of him that had been around humans long enough to grasp at least a little of what marriage meant to them found the idea of this visible link a comfort.  Glancing at her face again he wisely held off sharing that information.

Daisy just stared at him for a second before whirling back around and pacing to the other side of the couch.  She grabbed one of the pillows as she passed by, squeezing it in her hands in frustration.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded.

"I didn't want to upset you," Cas said then ducked quickly when the pillow Daisy had been holding came flying swiftly at his head.

"You didn't want to upset me?" Daisy said her voice incredulous.  And loud.  She was much louder than normal Cas noted in alarm.  "You...you married me and thought I didn't need to know about it?  Were you ever planning on telling me or was this going to just be a secret everyone knew but me?"  She narrowed her eyes at him suddenly.  "Everyone does know, don't they?  I’m the only one who doesn’t."  Cas nodded as minutely as possible, knowing that was going to get a strong reaction.  Daisy did not disappoint.  "Oh my God!” she exploded, her voice even louder now.  “This is absolutely insane!  How could you do this?”

“I wanted you to heal, Daisy,” Cas said, feeling this all spinning out of control.  “I didn’t want anything to get in the way-”

‘Oh no,” Daisy held up a hand, stopping Cas mid sentence.  “You used that excuse for not telling me about Rose running away.  You do not get to use it again for this.”  She narrowed her eyes at him suddenly and Cas felt his nervousness grow.  “That’s what you were going to tell me when we were in Russia.”  Cas nodded, glancing down at his feet.  “That’s why I kept sensing you feeling guilty,” Daisy realized.  She started pacing again and Cas realized with alarm that instead of calming down she was getting more upset.  She was muttering to herself now, too quiet for Cas to hear and when he glanced at her mind out of habit, to see what she was feeling he was alarmed to find he couldn’t.  She’d blocked him somehow.   Cas was shocked, not even aware she knew how to do that.  He opened his mouth to say something but before he could Daisy was speaking again.

* * *

Dean jumped up as soon as Cas opened his eyes.

“Cas, you OK?”

Cas blinked at him slowly looking stunned and confused.  He didn’t answer and Dean kept talking.

“Man, I’m sorry.   I didn’t mean to spill the beans to Daisy like that.”  Dean looked at him nervously and Cas nodded.  “Is she, well I mean obviously she was upset.  Is she OK?  Are you OK?”

Cas took a moment to gather himself before saying, “She threw me out.”

Dean winced, knowing Daisy’s temper.  “I’m sure she didn’t mean it,” Dean tried but Cas looked at him, not buying it at all.

“Her exact words were “Get out!” and she repeated them several times.”  Cas shook his head in regret.  “She was very angry.  She yelled a lot and threw things.”  He looked thoughtful.  “I was informed several times that she was not a child which I don’t understand.”  He looked at Dean in confusion.  “I never said she was.”

Dean leaned against the end of Daisy’s bed and though that over.  “She’s the youngest, Cas the baby.  Everyone treats her younger than her age, me included,” Dean admitted.  “I would guess she took you and Erin making the decision about the marriage thing without her as treating her like a child.”

Cas frowned in confusion.  “But she was hurt and unconscious.  I was trying to do what was best for her.”

“I get that.  It just may take Daisy some time to understand it.”  Dean moved to sit in the chair on the other side of the bed, feeling horribly guilty for letting the cat out of the bag.  “And finding out this way didn’t help.  Sorry about that.”

Cas gave him a pained smile.  “It’s all right, Dean.  I know you didn’t mean any harm and I should have told her.”  He glanced at Daisy, his face full of remorse.  “I meant to, I tried.”  He shook his head.  “Things were just going so well.”

“And you didn’t want to upset her because she seemed really fragile,” Dean said, hearing something in Cas’ words that hit home with him.  They were in completely different situations but there was a similar vein of truth in both their thinking.  “And you knew she’d be mad at you.”

Cas looked at him and nodded.  “How do you-”

“Know how you’re feeling?” Cas nodded and Dean leaned back, admitting for the first time, “I have to do something with Rose.  She’s not doing great and she needs some help.  She seem so…so breakable right now and it worries me.”  Dean gave him a half smile.  “And trust me when I say I’m pretty sure she’s going to be pretty angry with me.”  And he fucking hated Rose being mad at him.  Most people Dean didn’t give a damn if he upset them.  But Rose well he liked being the good guy with her, liked the way she smiled at him.  Though to be honest he hadn’t seen a real smile from her in ages.

Cas nodded in understanding.  “I never realized how complicated relationships were,” he admitted after a minute and Dean laughed softly, coming out of his own thoughts.

“Oh Cas, man, they’ll tie you up in knots and drive you out of your mind.”  He gave a small smile after a minute and said softly, “But when they’re good they’re pretty fucking awesome.”

Cas smiled too.  “Yes, I can see how that would be true.”  He glanced at Daisy and there was no denying the real emotion on his face.  “She makes me very happy.”  He frowned then.  “Well except when she’s yelling or throwing things at me.”  Dean gave a small huff of laughter at that and then the two men were silent for a few minutes, both their minds turning over the mess they were in.  Finally Dean cleared his throat and said:

“Give her time to calm down, Cas.  Knowing Days she’ll talk to Lily.  She can do that on her own now, right?” Cas confirmed this with a nod and Dean continued.  “Good.  Let her have a little time.  And when she’s ready to talk really listen to her.  Let her explain why she’s mad and upset and explain honestly why you did what you did.  If you give her time she’ll listen to what you have to say.”  Dean looked at Cas for a second, wondering something.  Should he ask?  Oh why the hell not?  “Hey Cas, do you want to stay married to Daisy?”

Cas looked thrown by the question, then he turned it over in his mind.  “I don’t…I’m not sure.  I haven’t really thought about it.”  Cas truly hadn’t, had only thought as far ahead as telling Daisy they were married.  He hadn’t considered what would happen after that or what he wanted to happen.

“Well you might want to know the answer to that before you two talk again,” Dean advised.

Cas inclined his head in acknowledgement.  “Thank you, Dean.  I’ll think about it.”  He looked at Dean curiously then.  “Do you know what you’re going to do about Rose?”

 “Honestly?  No.”  Dean sighed and leaned back in the chair.  “I mean, I have some vague idea of what I need to do but no idea how to start or what to say to her.”

Cas nodded thoughtfully.  “Looks like we both have some thinking to do.”

Dean sighed and gave Cas a small smile.  “That we do.”

* * *

Dean got back to the bunker early the next morning and finding no one awake he headed straight for him room.  He hadn’t gotten any rest after he and Cas had talked, spending the night drinking coffee and turning over in his head all the different things people had said to him that night.  He was no further along in his plans for Rose other than being aware he had to do something.  When he woke up he’d be able to think clearer, he decided.  The he kicked his boots off, fell on the bed and was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

* * *

Rose woke up to a giant shaking her shoulder.  Or that’s how it looked at least to her sleep muddled eyes.  It took her a minute to clear her head and blink her eyes enough to realize it was Sam who was waking her.

“Sam?”  What are you doing?” she asked, her voice sounding sluggish to her own ears.  The mixture of the alcohol, the potion from her mother and the blowup with Danny had done her head in last night.  She felt like she’d been hit by a truck.

“We need to talk,” Sam said, straightening up and crossing his arms.  Rose sat up and looked at him, catching on quickly by the look on his face that he wasn’t playing around.  Further proof of that was that he didn’t even give her a chance to answer him before striding to the door.  “Throw some clothes on.  We’re going for a drive.”  He paused and said, “You have 10 minutes.  If you're not ready I’ll just take you to the car in whatever you’re wearing.”  And he left without another word, leaving Rose gaping at the spot where he stood. 

Rose got out of bed slowly and threw on jeans and the first t-shirt she touched (One that proudly proclaimed “A woman’s place is in the house and the senate.”) and socks and red sneakers.  She tried to remember just how much of the tonic she had taken the night before but couldn’t.  She couldn’t feel her powers so she that most likely meant it hadn’t worn off so she figured she was good for now and she went out in search of Sam.  She was confused and she wasn’t sure how much of that was because of the night before and how much was Sam’s odd behavior.  He was never like this, so cold and hard.  She felt shaken and off balance.

She found him in the library, looking over his journal and he looked up when she entered.  He just nodded and stood and headed toward the garage and she followed behind him.  He stopped at the entrance to the garage and grabbed a jacket and realizing she wasn’t wearing one grabbed one of Dean’s and handed it to her.

“You’ll need a jacket,” he said when she just stared at it in her hand.  “It’s getting cooler out.”  Finally she nodded and slipped it on and if Sam noticed her pulling the coat around herself tightly to inhale Dean’s scent he didn’t comment.  He led her to a blue, nondescript car and ushered her inside and they were quickly on the road.

She studied Sam’s profile from the corner of her eye and was able to get nothing from him, aside from the fact he was obviously upset about something.  Looking out the window she realized they were in town and pulling into Starbucks.  She watched in surprised as Sam ordered her coffee perfectly and he shot her a little grin afterwards.

“You’re not the only one who pays attention, Rose,” he said and Rose just nodded and took the coffee from him, warming her hands with the hot drink.  Sam was right; it really was getting cooler as Fall was just around the corner, chasing away the last remaining remnants of summer.  Once they both had their coffees Sam started driving again and this time Rose didn’t recognize where they were going.

“Sam,” she asked finally.  “Where are we headed?  What’s going on?”

Sam just shook his head at her.  “Not yet.  We’ll talk when we get there.”

Rose gave him an irritated look which he ignored and realizing she wasn’t going to get an answer Rose just settled back and sipped her coffee.  In a short time they were pulling into a park which in a different season would have been full of people.  The only cars they passed were empty, belonging to people who were out in boats fishing on the lake.  Sam pulled the car up as close to the lake as possible and got out, his long legs taking him quickly to a lone picnic table near the water and after a moment’s hesitation Rose hurried to catch up with him.  She took a seat when she got there, pulling her knees up and pulling Dean’s coat tightly around her.  It was chilly out here and she didn’t like this, not knowing what Sam was doing, what he was up to.  Rose took a sip of coffee and eyed him nervously.  Not wanting him to see how unsure she was she crossed her arms and schooled her features to look irritated, not at all impressed by this whole situation.

Sam was leaning against the table, staring out at the water, reminding himself he had to rein his temper in.  He was angry and he had a right to be but Rose was still family, was still hurting and he didn’t want to make things worse.  Finally with a sigh he turned to face her. He caught sight of her expression, at her crossed arms and something clicked suddenly.  He knew what Rose was like when she was really angry, he recognized that. But he’d thought before when she was so guarded and angry with him with little reason that her actions, her body language reminded him of someone.  Now he realized who it was: Lily.  Rose was mimicking Lily’s actions when she was in her most angry, belligerent mood.  And Sam understood that all too well.  When he’d first gone out hunting with Dean and their dad as a kid, when he hadn’t a clue how to act and had been so unsure he’d mimicked Dean, viewing his older brother as someone who always seemed able to handle a situation and come off badass too.  Instead of Rose’s façade of anger irritating Sam it touched something in him, understanding all too well what it was like to not feel able to handle a situation and mirroring the person you most admired to try and pull it off.  He settled down at the table across from Rose and began to speak.

“I went to see Chastity yesterday,” he said and Rose startled at that, her angry expression instantly slipping away.

“What?  Why?”

“I wanted to make sure that Danny and his cousin did a thorough job on the warding they put up at her house, wanted to make sure she and her daughter were safe,” Sam explained, watching Rose’s face closely. “They did a pretty good job.  I had to add one thing but other than that it was well done.”  Rose nodded, not meeting his eyes.  She knew that wasn’t what had Sam so on edge.  She wasn’t sure what it was that did but it wasn’t that.

“Thank you,” she said softly and Sam just nodded, hearing the genuine gratitude in her voice.

“We had a long talk while I was there,” Sam said.  “I learned some very interesting things.”  He watched as Rose’s eyes flicked up to him nervously then glanced away just as quickly.  “The thing that I found most interesting was why she figures you’re being so fucking awful to Dean and your sister.”  Her eyes got huge at that, glancing up at him again and he was able to see the real fear there before she glanced back down at her coffee.  “Chastity said Aine threatened them, said her sisters would come after them both if they realized how much they cared for you.”  Sam paused then said, “But I figured that must not be true.  Because if it was you surely would have warned them or told me or told someone.”  He saw Rose’s brow furrow at this and he continued.  “I mean, knowing the two of them have been out there hunting without any extra precaution, you would have definitely told someone.  You wouldn’t have taken a chance and put them in more danger, right?”

Rose was staring up at him now, her eyes huge as a look of horror washed over her face.  She hadn’t thought about that, not once.  She’d been so focused on getting them to be angry at her, to shut them out and push them away so they’d stop caring about her that she hadn’t thought about warning them.  My God, what had she done?  How could she have been so stupid?

"Why didn’t you tell me, Rose?” Sam asked, his voice gentling a little as he saw the realization wash over her.  “I could have warned them.”

“I…I didn’t think…,” Rose stammered.  “I mean I just figured if they weren’t with me they would…” her words trailed off as she realized how stupid she’d been.

“God, Rose, you can’t just not tell people things like this,” Sam said, his temper flaring again as he thought of Dean and Lily out there completely ignorant of the larger than ever targets they might be.  “I expected you to know that.”

“I’m, I’m sorry,” Rose said and Sam looked up to see genuine remorse in her eyes.  That was the first real emotion aside from anger he’d seen in her in a long time and it surprised him.  “I just thought if I could get them to be mad at me and stop caring so much they would be OK.”

Sam snorted.  “Yeah, like that’s going to work.  People don’t stop caring about you just because they’re mad at you.”

Rose was twisting her hands together now, her agitation evident.  “No, but I figured with enough time they would.”

Sam just stared at her in disbelief.  She really thought that would work?  Finally he said, “Rose, how stubborn is Lily?”

Rose blinked then said softly, “Pretty stubborn.”  Then she lifted her chin defiantly.  “But I’m more stubborn.”

Sam rolled his eyes.  Only in their family would that be a badge of honor.  “And Dean?  How stubborn is he?”

Rose bit her lip and stared at her coffee cup, finally saying, “Really stubborn.”

“As stubborn as you?” Sam asked softly and Rose hesitated.

Finally she said softly, “Maybe.”

Sam leaned across the table so she couldn’t escape his eyes.  “They are not going to give up on you just because you’re treating them like shit.  They are both determined and stubborn and they fucking love you, you idiot!”

Rose looked at him in shock for a second (Sam never raised his voice to her.  Ever.) and then burst into tears.  She dropped her knees and laid her head on her arms on the table and just sobbed like her heart was breaking.  And Sam despite his best efforts to stay mad at her couldn’t let her cry without comforting her.  He didn’t have it in him.

So he went to her side of the table and gathered her up against his chest and just let her cry.  She cried without saying anything, just sobbed and sobbed into his chest and Sam just stroked her hair and hugged her, figuring words wouldn’t help right now.  Finally when her tears were slowing she pulled back from him and Sam let her go.

She took a sip of her cooling coffee and then said softly, “I don’t deserve either of them.”

Sam stared at her for a second before saying, “Last time I checked love wasn’t about deserving it.”

Rose gave him a small smile then said, “Yeah, but the people you love, you’re supposed to make their lives better, not worse.”  She shook her head.  “I’m all screwed up, Sam.  Neither one of them needs that.”

Sam shook his head at her. “Look, I love both of them but neither of them is perfect.”

“No, not perfect but they’re strong.”  Rose chewed on her thumb nervously then said, “They could handle this, they would be able to get past it.  I can’t.”

“Are you forgetting how Dean was after the case in Monterey?” Sam asked, nudging her with his knee.  “He was a mess.  If it wasn’t for you he probably still would be.”

Rose shook her head.  “That’s sweet of you to say, Sam but it’s not true.  Dean would have found a way to get past it.  And Lily would have bounced back.”  Rose fidgeted with one of the buttons on Dean’s coat and Sam thought how tiny she looked in his brother’s coat.  It swallowed her up, making her look smaller than ever.  God, she looked vulnerable.  But she sure did seem to like wearing Dean's coat, Sam thought with a smile.  Speaking of which…

“So if Dean decides to move on,” Sam said casually.  “You’d be OK with that, wish him well with some other woman?”

Rose’s head snapped up and her eyes flashed and in the in the distance, out of the corner of his eye Sam saw something go flying in the air.  He realized it had been another picnic table when it landed in a pile of wood and he flinched.  Rose’s eyes got big and she immediately looked contrite.

“Sorry,” she said, flushing scarlet.  “I didn’t take anything this morning.  I thought I was OK.”

“Well I’m gonna guess your feelings for my brother can override the tonic,” Sam mused.  Then he grinned triumphantly at Rose.  “And I guess that answered my question.”  Not that Sam was surprised in the slightest by Rose’s reaction.  OK maybe the flying furniture had caught him off guard but the spike of jealousy, the possessive glint in her eyes – That he expected.  That was Rose and Dean to a tee.

Rose just looked embarrassed and drank the last sip of her coffee.  After a second she said softly, “I’m sorry, Sam.  I should have told you about the threat to them.  You’re absolutely right.  I wasn’t thinking clearly but that’s no excuse.”  She glanced at Sam apologetically.  “I really screwed up.”

“Yep, you did,” Sam said, bluntly.  Then he reached over and hugged her, feeling her stiffen at first but then slowly relax a little into the hug.  Not like she normally would but still it was something.  “But I can be angry at you and still love you.”  He leaned back and tapped her nose.  “Remember that.”

“Was Chastity all right?” Rose asked after a second had passed.

“She was,” Sam said with a smile.  “And she sent me a present for you.”  Sam pulled his phone out then hesitated.  “But before I show it to you I have to say one thing.”  Rose looked up at him questioningly.  “I know you’re hurting and I’m gonna guess that’s why the tonic is your best friend these days.  But for the record?  It’s nice to see a little glimmer of the real you again.”  He reached out and gave her a one armed hug. “We all really miss you, Rosie.”

Then Sam handed his phone to her, a video ready to play and he walked back to the car, giving her time to watch it on her own.


	45. Are You With Me So Far?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some catch up and some planning

Dean got back to the bunker and caught a couple of hours of sleep.  He woke up a few hours later and after grabbing some coffee and a quick bite to eat he headed for the garage.  He needed to think and this was where he did some of his best thinking.  He could do any work a car routinely needed by rote, so while his hands where moving on auto pilot his brain was free to work over whatever was eating at him.

Sam found him there a few hours later after changing the oil on Lily's car.  He'd parked out front, figuring he'd most likely be making a trip out somewhere to grab food later.  Rose had been quiet on the way home and Sam was trying to believe that meant he'd gotten through to her.  She'd headed straight for her room when they got back.

Sam had been torn between going to check on Lily or talking to his brother.  Figuring that Lily had most likely fallen back asleep (He hadn't left till late morning but Lily hated mornings.) he went in search of Dean.

"Hey," he said giving Dean's foot a kick as he walked in.

"Hey yourself," Dean said, coming out from underneath the car.  "Where were you?"  He’d been the only person around when he woke up.

Sam grabbed a beer from the fridge and tossed one to Dean before taking a seat on a nearby stool.  Dean caught the beer easily and sat back against the side of the car.

Sam took a long sip before answering.  "I was out with Rose," he said finally, drawing a surprised look from his brother.  And Sam laid it all out for him: what Chastity had told him, how he'd confronted Rose and how she'd reacted.  Dean took it all in, his face not giving anything away.  Finally when Sam had finished and was waiting on his response Dean got to his feet and took a drink then slowly said:

"Well that explains a lot."  Sam waited, figuring there would be more and sure enough a minute later Dean asked, "She really thought that plan would work, just pushing us away and pissing me and Lily off?" Sam nodded and Dean snorted derisively.

"She's not thinking straight," Sam reasoned.

"Yeah, that much is clear," Dean said, leaning up against Lily's car.  He understood now what Daisy meant about Rose not letting him near her having to do with her faith in him.  She knew he wouldn't walk away on his own so had resorted to trying to push him.  Oddly enough that fact did help some, making him feel a little better. 

"You know you have to do something about her, right?" Sam asked, looking at his brother with an anxious look in his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah I got the message," Dean said with a roll of his eyes.

Usually the boys read each other well, so well in fact that Lily would sometimes accuse them of mind reading.  If Dean was pissed and trying to hide it Sam knew it, if Sam was stressed and trying to appear calm Dean could tell.  But today whether it was because of Sam's anxiety that Dean wasn't fully aware of how bad Rose was or just a buildup of the months stress Sam didn't catch onto the fact that Dean was on the same track as him, well aware he had to take action.  He just heard the dismissive tone in Dean's voice and reacted to that.

"Dean, I'm being serious here," Sam said, his agitation bleeding into his voice.  "You need to talk to her, to make her listen.  You're the only one-"

"Oh for fucks sake!" The nearly empty beer bottle in his hand went flying towards the wall as Dean’s frustration overflowed.  "If one more person-" Dean cut himself off and started pacing as Sam watched wide eyed.  "I've had three different people in one night tell me that very same thing.” Dean’s voice rose as his irritation found voice.  “I get it.  I do.  I'm not an idiot you know."

"I never said-" Sam started only to be cut off by his brother.

"I got the message loud and clear," Dean said.  "And in case I didn't believe you that she's a mess I saw it firsthand last night."  Dean spread his arms wide.  "So mission accomplished.  I got the fucking memo."

"Dean," Sam said placatingly.  "I didn't mean to...it's just you two are so goo-"

"Sam," Dean said, raising a hand to stop him. "I swear if you give me the Romeo and Juliet line again I'm not going to be held responsible for my actions.  Alcohol gets you a pass one time only on that." Sam shot him a sheepish look as Dean stopped and leaned back against one of the cars.  "You think I don't know we need each other?" Wait, Dean just admitted he needed someone?  Sam stared at his brother in surprise.  That was a first. "This last month has been utter hell.  I've kept hoping she'd come around and I just..." Dean reached up and rubbed the back of his neck.  "I didn't get how bad things were and I guess I really didn’t want to see it either," he admitted softly.  Dean hesitated and Sam had a strong hunch that Dean wanted to say something but wasn't sure he should so Sam just waited patiently, giving him a chance to say whatever it was.  Finally with his eyes firmly on the ceiling Dean said, "This is probably gonna make me sound like a total dick but I never wanted Rose to be a part of all this." He glanced at Sam quickly to see if he looked disgusted but seeing no judgment there he went on. "I always liked that she knew what I did so I didn't have to hide it from her but I didn't have to worry constantly what could happen to her either."  He took a drink then continued.  "I mean, yeah things can happen to anyone, I know that. But she always seemed to have this fairly safe life.  A pretty normal one all things considered."  Dean looked down, switching his gaze to the ground now.  "I always liked that," he said lowly and Sam winced at the raw emotion in his voice.

When Dean stayed quiet Sam cleared his throat and spoke.  "I don't think that makes you a dick, Dean.  I think it just shows how much you really care about her.  Given the choice I don’t think anyone would wish this life on someone they cared about."  Sam wondered idly how Rose being kept separate from hunting had figured into Dean's plans for their future.  Dean may have never said as much but Sam had always known who he wanted to be with.  He guessed it didn't really matter now since Rose was in this life whether anyone liked it or not.  Getting back to Dean's original comment Sam said, "I understand not wanting to see how bad Rose is, I do," he said when Dean looked at him disbelievingly.  "It was hard for me to see and she's not my girlfriend."  Dean went back to staring up at the ceiling and Sam thought carefully what to say next.  "When she realized that she screwed up by not telling anyone about you and Lily possibly being targets she was upset, really upset like you would expect Rose to be."  That got an interested look from Dean and Sam grinned then.  "And damn did she react when I even dared hint at you being with some other girl."

“Why’d you-” Dean started to ask then stopped short when he saw the devious gleam in Sam’s eye.  “Well aren’t you sneaky, Sammy,” he said with a smirk and a definite note of pride in his voice.

Sam shrugged.  “Hey words can only say so much.  But the reaction she had that was honest.  A picnic table went flying and God if she wasn’t angry.”  Sam chuckled and looked at Dean knowingly.  “Your girlfriend’s just a little bit possessive.”

Dean just gave a small smile in response but Sam knew him well enough to know he liked that fact.  He and Rose _were_ possessive of each other, they always had been.  Confirmation that hadn’t changed must be nice to hear.  After a minute Dean commented:

“She’s a lot angrier than before, isn’t she?’

“Yeah, that whole controlling her temper thing seems to have gone out the window.  Though it makes sense really.  I mean she went through a hugely traumatic event.”  Sam thought a second then added, “Plus that demon messed with her powers.  I guess that could have an effect on her emotions as well.”  He saw Dean wince at the mention, a reminder of how painful this was for his brother.  Hoping to get the focus off that Sam asked quickly, “So three people?  I’m blanking on who that could be.”

“Bobby, Daisy,” Dean counted off on his fingers then with a twisted smile he added, “And my personal favorite, Danny.”

Sam looked shocked then shook himself and stood up.  “OK this I have to hear.”  Dean filled him in on the previous nights activities as Sam went and got a broom and dust pan and started sweeping up the broken bottle.  Dean came over to help, filling in details as he did.  He started with the easiest - Bobby.  Nothing too surprising there, Sam thought as he listened to Dean's recap of their conversation.  What Dean said sounded like good, sensible Bobby advice.  Then Dean shared his conversation with Daisy, leaving out a few embarrassing things (Including the fact that he'd let the cat out of the bag about her and Cas' marriage.  He'd get to that later.) but adding in the interesting fact that Daisy could rifle through their dreams which got a concerned look from Sam which Dean understood all too well.  He made sure to tell him that Daisy couldn't get into Rose's dreams due to her overuse of the potion too.

"I was really hoping you were wrong about that part by the way," Dean admitted as he grabbed two more beers and they went back and took a seat.  He shook his head then moved onto the Danny portion of the previous evening.  Dean filled Sam in on the conversation between he and Rose that he'd overheard, watching Sam's surprise when he heard the truth about the origins of the necklace.  Then he told him about the conversation they had after Rose left and Sam's face took on a look of pure astonishment. 

"And you didn't hit him?  Not even once?" Sam asked his amazement clear in his voice.

"I was surprised, OK?" Dean said defensively.  "I mean who the hell expected that conversation to happen?"  He took a sip of beer before adding, "It's not every day someone's ex comes along and goes off on fucking crazy rant."  Sam just nodded and Dean continued in a less angry tone.  "It's not like I didn't know it was gonna have to be me.  I was just trying to give her some time."  He took a sip of beer then looked at the bottle thoughtfully before saying lowly, "I just, I have to do this right."

Sam looked at his brother thoughtfully, hearing the concern in his voice.  "You will," he said certainly.

Dean looked up and quirked an eyebrow at his brother.  "You sound pretty damn certain about that fact."

Sam smiled.  "That part Daisy said about having faith in you?  She was right."  Dean squirmed a little at the unexpected praise but Sam moved on quickly.  "You and Rose have always understood each other.  And you've always read her amazingly well.  You connect; you get what the other needs." Sam sipped his beer and added, "Don't over think it, Dean.  Go with your instincts.  When it comes to Rose they've always been right."

Dean tipped his beer Sam's way in appreciation and then changed the topic, deciding a lighter one was needed.

"So you met the famous Chastity," he said with a grin.  "How'd that go?  What's she like?"

Sam thought that over.  "It went well.  She's nice, pretty easy to talk to, really cares about Rose.  She can cook to rival your girlfriend too." Dean gave him a dubious look at that but before he could say anything in response Sam was grinning mischievously.  "She has an interesting outlook on your relationship with Rose.  Oh and apparently she knows all kinds of intimate details about you two." 

Dean looked startled at that. "Say what?"

"Oh yeah," Sam said scarcely able to contain his glee.  He might have no desire to know said details but Dean's took so much delight in teasing others it was nice for the shoe to be on the other foot for once. Finally Sam relented. "She was disappointed to find out I wasn't interested."  Dean gave a sigh of relief though he still looked discomfited to hear Chastity knew details. 

Finishing off his beer Sam got to his feet.  "I'm going to go see if Lily wants to go with me to grab some food.  Unless you wanna go?"

Dean shook his head.  "I'm gonna finish up here and then maybe go for a drive."  Sam nodded in understanding.  He went outside to think, Dean drove. 

Dean looked suddenly guilty.  "So um yeah, one thing I left out about my conversation with Daisy?  I inadvertently let her know she's married.  She didn’t take it too well."

* * *

After that bombshell Sam went in search of Lily and Dean finished up the oil change and then got behind the wheel of the Impala and hit the road.  He drove with no destination in mind, the feel of the steering wheel in his hands and the road under the tires enough to soothe his mind.  He let his mind wander, the different bits of advice he'd been given tumbling easily in his mind.  Out of everything what Sam had said stuck with him.  _Go with his instincts._  He could do that.  Though maybe what he needed was a mixture of instinct and knowledge of Rose, the two such a mix it was hard to know where one ended and the other began.  He'd been so worried about hurting her all this time that maybe he'd been too careful with her.  But no, she was fragile especially at first.  And he still thought she’d needed time, though maybe not quite as much as he’d given her.  Either way he was done with giving her time and space.  Now it was time to take action.  He turned that over in his head, deciding what and how best to go about it.

Over an hour later he found himself in a town that he happened to know had a good diner and stopped in to grab some dinner.  Having ordered his favorite bacon cheeseburger with a side of fries he sat back in the corner booth, sipped his coke and looked around.  A couple seated on the other side of the diner caught his attention.  They looked to be a little older than he and Rose and from the looks of things had been together for awhile.  They had that look he'd seen in longtime couples, a familiarity, a comfort and ease with each other.  The woman was sharing some story that Dean was too far away to hear but she was fun to watch.  She was animated and exuberant in her telling, reminding Dean of Rose when she was telling him a story.  The man with her was watching her with rapt attention, completely focused on her, none of this half listening bullshit that Dean saw so many guys do. (That always irked him.  If you were with a woman she should get your full attention, she deserved to know you thought she was worth focusing on.) The guy was stroking her hand that was resting on the table softly and after a second she moved her fingers to entangle with his.

"They're sweet aren't they?" a voice asked and Dean jerked back in surprise.  He looked up to find the waitress standing next to him having caught him watching the couple his burger in her hand. 

"Yeah, they are," Dean conceded as she set his burger down in front of him.  "They regulars?"

"Oh yeah.  Glenn and Maggie have been coming in here together since high school." The waitress studied them for a second and then added softly, "He almost lost her a few years back."  Dean looked at her in surprise and she just shook her head, not divulging anything more.  "It's in the past, she's fine now." The waitress (Lori her name tag read Dean finally noticed.) looked at the couple again, a slightly envious look on her face.  "Who wouldn't want a person to look at you like he looks at her?"  She shook her head, asked Dean if he needed anything else and then wandered back behind the counter leaving Dean to eat his burger in peace.  And keep watching the couple.

The looks weren't one sided, Dean noticed.  When Maggie finished up her story Glenn made some comment that made her laugh, then brought a breathtaking smile to her face.  That smile, that look, left no doubt that the man sitting across from her was her entire world.

Dean felt his breath catch at that.  He _knew_ that look.  He'd been on the receiving end and God, he'd do anything to be there again.  That feeling when Rose looked at him like that, he'd never felt anything like it.  In those moments every bit of evil in the world seemed insignificant in the face of that pure emotion that was directed solely at him.

He finished his burger and made his way to the register.  As he was paying the couple was getting to their feet and it was only then that Dean was able to see that she was pregnant.  Glenn's hand was on Maggie's back as they came towards the register and he was murmuring for her to go slowly.  She was smiling up at him with a patient, indulgent look that let Dean know instantly he must be very protective of her.  He understood that.  You came close to losing someone it was hard not to be. 

The couple tore their eyes off each other long enough to flash him friendly smiles and Dean returned them with one of his own before he headed out.  He found himself wishing the couple well as he pulled out of the parking lot, feeling eager to get on the road, eager to get back to the bunker.  He had someone to get home to.

* * *

When he got home Sam's car was gone and pulling his phone out Dean saw he had a text from a few hours back saying Sam had taken Lily and Charlie out.  Normally Dean was good at answering his phone but he'd been so wrapped up in his thoughts and plans he hadn't even noticed he'd gotten a text.  Dean walked into the bunker and saw a soft light from one of the desk lamps spilling out of the library, the only light on that he could see.  Walking into the room he found Rose there, sound asleep at the table with Sookie curled up on the table next to her, watching over her. 

Dean crouched by her side, his hand going out of its own accord and brushing her hair away from her face.  Her head was pillowed on her folded arms, her hair spilling out across the desk and despite the pain of this last month he couldn’t look at her without feeling that pull that had always been there.  Sam was right; Dean knew Rose, knew how to get through to her.  And as much as it galled him to admit it Danny was right too: There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her. 

Dean watched her for a few minutes, taking in the dark circles under her eyes and how drawn and pale she looked.  Yep, he was done with waiting.  With a sigh he stood up and reaching down he lifted her into his arms and a scowl quickly appeared on his face.  He'd picked Rose up more times than he could count and never had she felt this light in his arms.  She really must not be eating.  Dean added that to his list of things to fix.

Rose stirred in his arms as he carried her down the hall, her eyelids fluttering open.  "Dean?" she asked, looking up at him with sleepy eyes.  "What are you...where are we going?" 

"I'm taking you to bed," Dean said, glancing down and noticing her eyes how glassy and unfocused they were.  That wasn't just sleep.

"You are?" she asked, sounding confused and Dean just nodded and kept moving.

"I'm sorry," she said just as they reached her door, her voice sounding similar to last night which now Dean could clearly tell was from however much of the potion she'd taken.  But maybe without the alcohol this time, he mused.  She seemed drugged, not drunk.

"For what?" Dean asked curiously as he opened her door.

"I'm not...I'm not right," Rose said and glancing down at her now Dean could see she was quickly edging back towards sleep.  Her words were softer and less clear when she spoke next.  "I know I'm supposed to be different."  She looked up at Dean with sorrowful eyes. “But something broke and I think all the good parts of me got cut out." And just like that she was out like a light.

Dean shook his head, making himself ignore the pain that shot through him at her words and lay Rose down on the bed.  Sookie had followed behind them and jumped up next to Rose, purring and rubbing against Dean as she did, as if to say how happy she was to see him back.

Dean covered Rose with a blanket and settled down in the chair by her bedside.  The words Daisy had said to him in that long ago dream came back to him then.  _“When you see Rose next she’s going to be broken into so many pieces.”_  Well she’d certainly gotten that right he thought with a sigh.  He sat there watching Rose, his feet propped up on the side of the bed and his mind wandered.  Before, back before she’d been hurt, if she’d woken to him sitting with his boots on the bed… He shook his head with a grin, able to hear her voice perfectly saying, “Dean Winchester get your boots off the bed!” And he would have teased her, telling her to make him and Rose would have leaned over and kissed him, making him move his boots off the bed at the speed of light.  Or maybe he’d have winked at her and said “Yes Ma’am,” and she’d have blushed so prettily at that that Dean would have had to kiss her.  Either way they’d have laughed and they’d have wound up kissing each other and been happy.  Because they had been happy, really and truly happy despite everything that was going on.  And damn if Dean didn’t want that back.

If there was one thing Dean was good at it was making things happen.  He was stubborn and he was good with a plan, even if the plan wasn’t completely formed yet.  He was going to fix this, he was going to get Rose back to herself. 

So with a small smile on his lips Dean leaned his head back and let his eyes fall shut.  He was going to be here when Rose woke up and they were going to talk.

* * *

Less than two hours later a phone call from Sam shot the first part of Dean’s plan all to hell.

Dean had drifted off, sleeping lightly and dreaming that Rose had woken up and climbed onto his lap.  She’d wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled her legs up so she was curled up against him, all soft and warm.  He was thinking how much he’d missed her, missed the feel of her against him when an insistent buzzing woke him up and made him realize that it was all just a dream.  He ran a hand over his face, saw that Rose was still sound asleep on the bed and the buzzing was in fact his phone. 

“Yeah?” he asked after picking it up and sliding it on.

“Dean?” Sam said, sounding anxious.  “Were you asleep?”

“Uh yeah, it’s...” Dean glanced at his watch, “One thirty in the morning.  Where the hell are you at?”

“We’re headed back to the bunker,” Sam said and Dean was able to hear voices in the background now.  “Is your bag packed?”

“Of course,” Dean said automatically.  “Wait, why?”  Dean was not going anywhere.  He was staying here and…

“We need to go, need to be on the road tonight.”

“What?  Why?”

“Jody called.”  As Sam filled Dean in on the details of what was going on in Sioux Falls Dean realized he _was_ going.  So was Bobby.  It was bad and everyone that could help needed to be there.  Erin was staying with Daisy and Charlie was staying at the bunker so Rose wouldn’t be on her own but everyone else was going and they were leaving that night.

As Dean hung up he cursed softly.  Why did demons and vampires and all the evil shit in the world have the worst timing?  With one last glance at Rose’s sleeping form he slipped out and grabbed his bag, making sure everything he needed was in there.  He dropped it in the map room just as Sam, Lily and Charlie came barreling in the door.

“We’re picking Bobby up on the way,” Sam said as way of greeting.  “He’s leaving his truck here for Erin.”  Dean nodded and Lily and Sam headed straight for their room to get their own bags. 

Dean looked at Charlie who was watching the entire goings on with a bit of a windblown look.  “You OK, Kiddo?” Dean asked and Charlie nodded.

“Oh yeah.  It’s just wow, when you guys need to get somewhere you move.”

Dean just nodded and then said, “Hey, if they get back here before I do tell them I’ll be a minute, OK?  There’s something I have to do.”

Charlie nodded and watched him with interest, going so far as to trail after him to peer down the hallway to see which door he went into.  She smiled when she saw it was Rose’s room he went into.  That was progress.

Rose was still sleeping and Dean hated to wake her but he needed to say something before he left.  He needed just a little contact.  So he sat down on the side of the bed and reached out and brushed his fingers over her cheek lightly.  He said her name a few times and finally she opened her eyes, still seeming to be half asleep but awake enough to hear him at least.

“Hey Baby,” Dean said when she looked up at him.  “I was hoping to be here when you woke up but we have to go take care of a problem.”

“A problem?” Rose repeated dazedly. 

“Yeah, someone we know really needs our help,” Dean said, the regret at that fact clear in his voice.  He hesitated then added, “I don’t know how long we’ll be gone but when I get back we’re going to talk.”

Rose blinked at him in confusion.  “We are?” she asked and Dean couldn’t help but smile at how sleepy she sounded.  She always had woken up slowly.  She was really only half awake for this entire conversation but maybe she’d remember it anyway.

“Yep, we are,” Dean said, his voice certain and sure.  He hesitated then, really wanting to kiss her good bye but somehow that didn’t feel right.  They hadn’t kissed since she’d been back and kissing her while she was half asleep when he wasn’t sure she would be OK with it felt wrong.  Finally he settled for leaning down and kissing her forehead gently.  He stroked her hair once then said softly, “Be good while I’m gone, Rosie,” and then he was up and out of the room, moving down the hallway to meet the group waiting for him. Five minutes later they were in the Impala flying down the road to get Bobby and then to help Jody.

OK so this was a delay in his plan, Dean thought.  That irked him but nothing could be done about it.  Jody never asked for help unless she really needed it and from the sound of things she definitely did.  He had to go and help; there was no way around that.  So it was a speed bump.  He’d just use the time to work on his plan further, to perfect it.  That could be a good thing.  Because once Dean had a clear plan there was no stopping him.  He was determined and once he set his mind to something not even the devil himself stood a chance against him.  He knew that from experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you'll forgive me my little indulgence here. The couple in the diner needed a name and my aching heart couldn't resist.


	46. State the Obvious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some sisterly advice gets doled out.  
> And God, I love Charlie.

Once they picked up Bobby they had a quick discussion about who had the most sleep.  Dean swore he was fine to drive for now and would let them know when he needed to switch off.  It turned out Sam and Lily had been at one of the local bars and while they weren’t drunk or even buzzed they were tired.  So they took the backseat planning to sleep a much as possible and Bobby said he would take over from Dean once he got tired.  Dean agreed, having no plans to give up the wheel.

Sam stretched out in the backseat and Lily made herself comfortable lying on top of him.  Dean made a smart comment (“I want sleeping only back there, kids.”) which Sam answered with a raised middle finger but was otherwise ignored and quicker than she would have thought possible Lily was asleep, lulled by the smooth movement of the Impala and the warmth and feel of Sam.

The very first thing Lily was aware of was the smell of chocolate.  And not just a light, wafting scent but a strong, rich bodied smell that filled her nostrils and made her feel as if she was back in her kitchen in Hastings with Rose baking cookies.  When she opened her eyes she half expected to see her sister standing behind the counter smiling at her as she mixed up another batch.

It was indeed her kitchen she saw when her eyes opened and it dawned on her immediately that she must be dreaming.  And instead of Rose it was Daisy who came into view – A very agitated, very upset Daisy who was pacing the length of the kitchen and muttering to herself and gesticulating wildly with her hands.

Lily had woken up when Sam had left earlier that morning.  He'd told her the previous night he was going to talk to Rose, to confront her with what Chastity had told him.  He'd known Lily would want to say something to her and he'd asked her not to.  Lily hadn't liked the idea but Sam had asked her so sincerely, laying out his reasons so carefully that she'd given in.  She wasn't sure she was thinking straight when it came to Rose anymore honestly so Sam talking to her probably wasn’t a bad idea.  So she hadn’t dealt with Rose today. 

But now she found herself faced with an agitated Daisy.  If it wasn't one sister it was another she thought idly.

Eying her youngest sister cautiously, Lily asked "Days?  Are you OK?"

Daisy stopped her pacing and turned to look at Lily.  Her eyes were flashing and her cheeks were flushed, her whole body practically radiating with her anger.

“Not even close.  What I am is married!  What the hell is that even about?”

Lily’s eyes grew wide.  “Cas finally told you?”

“No, Cas didn’t tell me!” Daisy exploded.  “Dean did.”

Lily felt a surge of irritation go through her.  The chances that Sam didn’t know about this were slim to none.  Yet he’d mentioned nothing about it tonight.  Oh, he was in so much trouble.

“Dean told you?” Lily questioned, taking a seat at the table.  She might as well be comfortable.  Something told her this could take awhile.

“Not on purpose.  He totally didn’t mean to tell me and he looked like he was going to have a stroke when he realized what he'd said.”  Back and forth Daisy went in front of the counter, her steps angry and hard on the tile floor.

“You waited long enough to come see me, Days,” Lily commented.  If Dean had told Daisy in a dream that must have been last night she figured. 

“I was mad,” Daisy said.  “And busy.”

“Busy?  So you talked to Cas?” Lily asked, wishing suddenly that Rose was here.  This was a sister conversation.  They all should be here.  They’d had countless conversations in this room, sometimes because one of them was in the middle of a personal crisis, sometimes because they had gossip they needed to share and sometimes just because it was where they naturally gathered to talk, to be with each other.  If the canopy under the stars was Lily and Rose’s spot with the boys then the kitchen was the sisters’ special place.

“Oh I “talked” to Cas,” Daisy said, making air quotes.  “I “talked” to Mom too.”  Lily’s eyed widened.  So that’s what Daisy meant by busy.  She’d been making the rounds, telling people off in their dreams.  Only in their family would that make any kind of sense.  Daisy vented for several more minutes then slowly she wound down, finally slumping against the counter and staring at her sneakers.  She looked up at Lily then, her green eyes shining with unshed tears.  “Lil, how is this even my life?  How could they do this to me?”  She sank down to the ground and Lily was on her feet immediately.  She took a seat next to Daisy on the ground, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and Daisy laid her head in Lily’s lap and cried.

“I’m sorry, baby,” Lily soothed, stroking Daisy’s unruly curls.  After letting Daisy cry for a few minutes she added, “I think they were trying to do what they thought was best for you to keep you safe.”  Lily winced realizing that sounded silly and trite.

“And you agreed with them?” Daisy asked, turning her head to look up at her oldest sister in horror.

Lily shook her head.  “Nope, not even a little bit and I told them that.”  Appeased by this Daisy settled back down.  “But hey, you got pretty rings out of the deal, right?” Lily teased.

Daisy held her hand up, studying the rings.  “They are pretty,” she conceded.

“Of course they are.  I picked them out.” Daisy’s head whipped around to look at her quickly. “You were already married.  I figured you might as well get something pretty out of it,” Lily justified.  Lily didn’t feel the need to tell Daisy that she and Cas had been initially wearing their parents rings.  That was just too wrong.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Daisy asked, rolling onto her back so she could see Lily’s face.

Lily shrugged.  “It was a weird enough situation without me telling you “Oh hey, while you were unconscious Mom married you off to an angel.”  Lily smoothed Daisy’s hair back off her face.  “I kind of thought he would tell you.”

“Apparently not."  Daisy chewed on her lip, looking thoughtful.  After a second she asked, "Do you think-” She stopped, frowned and then tried again.  "I mean was this all…” She waved her hand in the air as if that would conjure the words she was looking for.  Lily just stroked her hair, giving her time.  For someone who was generally impatient Lily had all the patience in the world when someone she loved was hurting or needed her.  Finally Daisy closed her eyes, took a breath and said, “I thought he really liked me.”

“Wait, are we talking about Cas?” Lily asked in confusion.  She hadn’t seen that coming.  Daisy nodded her head as she opened her eyes, her curls spilling all over Lily’s lap. “Days, I do think he likes you.  What would you being married to him have to do with that?”  Oh God, that sentence sounded so wrong, Lily thought with a wince.

Daisy sat up suddenly.  “Well he married me to keep me safe, right?  That was the line him and mom both used.”  She crossed her legs and fidgeted with the lace of one of her sneakers.  “So maybe that’s just what all this was…keeping me safe.”

Lily was shaking her head before Daisy was even done with the sentence.  “Nope.  No way.  First off Cas has left your side like next to not at all since you’ve been in the hospital.  And it’s not like there weren’t other people with you.  You had protection.  He didn’t want to be away from you.”

“Yeah, but he needed to help me learn about my powers,” Daisy said, a frown on her face.  “He had to be with me a lot of the time.”

“Oh and did kissing figure into that training?” Lily asked and watched as Daisy turned a brilliant shade of red.  “I mean, he didn’t have to kiss you, Days.  Call me crazy but I kind of get the feeling your angel doesn’t run around kissing every blond he meets.”  Daisy didn’t respond, just twisted her rings nervously.  Lily reached out and tapped Daisy’s leg, getting her to look at her. “Days from what I can tell angels aren’t real big on caring about people’s feelings.  I saw what he was like when you were upset with him about Rose.  Trust me, he cared.  I thought he was gonna have a panic attack on me.”

Daisy was quiet, turning all this over in her head.  Lily sat back and wished there were any actual cookies here.  Of course Daisy had made the dream smell like chocolate – She would live on the stuff if she could.  But the smell was making Lily hungry. 

Finally Daisy gave a small smile.  “Thanks, Lil.”

Lily shrugged.  “I just call it like I see it.  You wouldn’t happen to have any actual cookies or something to eat would you?”  Lily blinked as a plate of cookies appeared next to them.  “Shit, that is cool,” she breathed, reaching out and snagging a chocolate chocolate chip one.  Daisy grabbed a chocolate peanut butter one and they both ate in silence for a few minutes.   Before Lily could ask two glasses of milk were sitting next to the plate.  “I swear, if reincarnation is a thing I am so asking for your powers next time around,” Lily said and Daisy laughed.

“So what do I do now?” Daisy asked once they had eaten their fill of cookies.  Lily looked at her curiously and Daisy said, “I mean, I’m married.  Do I stay that way?  Can mom make this go away?”

“I’m sure she can,” Lily said thoughtfully.  “She said she could.  But I’m guessing you’ll have to stay married till you’re out of the hospital at least.  A disappearing husband would be hard to explain.”  Daisy was staring intently at the floor and twirling her hair and Lily had a sudden memory of a thirteen year old Daisy who had “borrowed” Lily’s favorite lipstick and lost it.  Daisy only did the hair twirling thing when she was nervously trying to hide something.  Lily narrowed her eyes and asked, “Daisy, do you want to be married to Cas?”

“I, I don’t know,” Daisy stammered.  “I mean, he’s…I really like him, Lily.  A whole lot.  What do I do?”  She looked at her older sister, obviously expecting her to have the answer to this problem.  Lily had three thoughts go through her head at a rapid fire pace as Daisy looked at her beseechingly.  _1\. God, she looks so young.  She’s still such a baby.  2. Damn, I wish Rose was here.  She’s had a lot more experience at this relationship advice thing. And 3. Suck it up, buttercup.  Rose isn’t here.  You are.  And hey, last time I checked you’re in a relationship – an actual good one.  So use that, think of what Rose would say and say it.  Quick, before Daisy starts crying again!_

Taking a deep breath Lily thought quickly of what Rose would say, of what she would need to hear if she were Daisy.  It took her a second (She so badly didn’t want to say the wrong thing here.) but it came to her then.  And Lily reached out and smoothed her youngest sisters’ hair behind her ears and smiled at her. 

“Talk to Cas, Daisy.  Give him a chance to explain.  He cares about you and you care about him.  That’s a good place to start.”  Daisy nodded and Lily was heartened by that.  She obviously wasn’t sucking too badly.  “You don’t have to decide what to do tonight.  You have time so don’t rush to any decision.”  She took Daisy’s hands in hers and squeezed them gently.  “Think about it and decide how you feel and then talk to Cas some more.  I’m going to let you in a little secret that I just recently learned.”  She leaned closer to Daisy, speaking in a confidential tone.  “Making decisions together?  It’s pretty cool.  If you two really want to have a relationship, whether you’re married or not, together is the way to do things.”

 “But he made decisions for me,” Daisy protested.  “That’s not doing things together.”

“And you should tell him that,” Lily said smoothly.  “Just because he’s this heavenly being, Days, it doesn’t mean he knows what he’s doing relationship wise any more than you do.  So you two will have to learn together.”  Lily paused and asked in a softer voice, “Do you trust him?”

Daisy frowned.  “I’m mad at him.”

“Not what I asked, Days,” Lily said, reaching out and tugging on one of Daisy’s curls.  “Do you trust him?”

Daisy hesitated then breathed out, “Yes.”  Mad or not there was no way she could say she didn’t trust him.  He’d had her back through all the upheaval of the past few months.  He’d earned her trust.

“Good,” Lily said with a nod.  “That’s important.  It’s easy to find someone to like, not too hard to find someone to love.  But to find someone you really trust?  That’s where the good stuff is.”  And if you can find all three of those in one person, Lily thought with a smile then you’d really hit the jackpot.

Daisy was chewing on her lip thoughtfully.  Finally she asked softly, “But what if I make the wrong choice?  What if I decide wrong?”

God, she sounds like Rose Lily thought.  Rose was the perfectionist, the one who always wanted the right answer.  She hated messing up and Lily had a sudden flash of insight that the situation Rose was in must be her own personal hell.  Knowing what she did now about Rose’s motives she felt confident why she was acting as she was.  But despite the fact that Rose was trying to do what she thought was right she was inevitably doing it all wrong.  And there was no way you could convince Lily that somewhere deep down Rose didn’t know that, even if it was buried so deep she couldn’t face it yet.  She had to sense it.  Lily felt a wave of sympathy wash over her for Rose.  God, this nightmare had to end soon.  Focusing back on her youngest sister Lily smiled.

“So what if you do?”  Daisy looked startled by this answer and Lily couldn’t help but laugh.  “A whole hell of a lot of life is making the wrong choice.  You’ll mess up.  We all do.  It’s kind of how it goes.”  She leaned back against the counter.  “Just don’t make the safe choice.  Don’t pick what you _think_ you should do.  Choose what your heart and your mind can agree on.”

 Daisy was looking up at her with a slightly awed expression.  “You’re pretty good at this relationship stuff, huh?  I mean you and Sam are so happy together.”

Lily snorted.  “Na, that’s all him.  He’s the one who’s good at the relationship stuff.  I’m just following his lead.”  She paused then added, “Just don’t ever tell him I said that.”

Daisy laughed.  “Lily, you couldn’t just follow someone if you tried.”  Daisy looked at her shrewdly.  “And if you’re so clueless then maybe that wasn’t such good advice you just gave me…”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Fine, I may have figured some of this relationship stuff out.” She kicked Daisy lightly.  “Quit being so damn smart.”

“I can’t help it,” Daisy said with a smirk and Lily was happy to hear Daisy sounding more like herself.  “I was just born brilliant.”  She sobered then and asked in an almost reverent tone, “You really are happy with Sam, aren’t you?”

Lily’s first instinct was to make a flippant remark but for once she stopped herself.  When she answered she answered honestly.

“I really am.  He has this smile he gives me that just makes my heart melt.  He gets me, he doesn’t try to change me.  He loves _me_ , not some vision of who he thinks I should be.”  Lily smiled softly and Daisy couldn’t help but smile herself.  “He makes me a better version of me.  And I kind of love that.”

 “I’m so glad, Lil,” Daisy said, reaching out and giving Lily’s leg an affectionate squeeze.

“Me too, brat,” Lily said.  “Now, when exactly are you gonna be waking up?  I kind of miss seeing you, you know, when we’re both actually conscious.”

* * *

Rose woke up feeling confused.  For some reason she couldn't understand she had half expected Dean to be in her room when she opened her eyes.  And that made absolutely no sense.  Dean hadn't spent any amount of time in her room in over a month.  But something nagged at her mind, the feeling of being held by him, the image of him leaning over her with a tender look on his face.  _Be good while I'm gone, Rosie._   Rose sat up suddenly, her body then going completely still, desperately trying to grasp where that had come from.  Dean hadn't talked to her in weeks and he certainly hadn't called her Rosie.  It had been just Rose when they had talked, no nicknames, no affectionate terms.  And the last time he'd told her to be good in that tone of voice, the one that rang of possessiveness and sent a shiver down her spine?  She couldn't even guess how long it had been.  And that's completely your own fault she reminded herself.  She knew Sam had been right when he'd said she was treating Dean and Lily horribly.  She'd hurt them and screwed everything up and now she was just stuck.  When Sam had confronted her yesterday it had felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on her.  Before that she'd been so numb that she hadn't realized that she was drowning.  Now she knew she was.  And she was dragging the people she loved most into the water with her.  But she had no idea how to fix that.  She didn't even know if she could fix things if she tried.  And even if she could she'd meant what she said when she told Sam she didn't deserve them.   Not just because of how she’s treated them.  No, there was another reason but they didn’t need to know about that.  She didn’t want them to ever know.

She'd tried yesterday when she got back to hold off on taking any of the tonic her mother had given her.  She figured after screwing up so badly she deserved to feel the pain.  She'd held off over an hour trying to ignore the pounding headache but then things started flying around.  First it was just an item or two but soon enough it was half the furniture in the room.  Sookie had wisely taken refuge in the bathroom and Rose had sat there praying it would stop and willing her powers to just disappear.  But they didn’t.  So she'd tried taking just the dose her mom had originally given her and it was like she's taken nothing at all.  She'd eventually ended up taking triple the dose before the pain lessened and things stopped spinning and crashing around the room.  She remembered going to the kitchen sometime after that to make some tea and settling in a chair in the unusually empty library but the rest of the night was a blank.  She must have come back to her room sometime in the night and dreamed about Dean.  That would explain the image of him in her mind and the feelings it brought up.  It definitely wasn’t the first time she’d dreamed about Dean in the last month though it was the first time she’d had the leftover feeling of it being real.

This morning she had what felt like the world’s worst hangover, the only upside of which was her powers weren't flaring up.  They were dampened, beyond her touch.  That was about as good as it got.

Her phone buzzed and she picked it up to find a text from someone she hadn't heard from in awhile.    Immediately joint feelings of relief (She was texting her!  She wanted to hear from her!) mixed with awful guilt (After the trouble she’d brought to her life how could she not hate her?) flooded through her.

_Hey are you awake?_

Rose immediately texted back that yes she was up and a few seconds later her phone rang.

"Chas?" she breathed.  "Are you OK?"

"Well sources tell me I should be the one asking you that," Chastity said and Rose frowned wondering what exactly Sam had told her. "We need to talk.  Any chance you can come visit?"

* * *

Dean had sent Charlie a text when they'd gotten to Sioux Falls in the early hours of the morning knowing she wouldn't see it till she woke up.  It was after eleven when she did and after responding she stumbled to the kitchen in search of coffee.

"Oh hey," she said, stopping short at the sight of Rose sitting at the table with a mug in front of her.  She walked to the coffee pot, pouring herself a cup and glancing at Rose.  She took a long gulp then leaned up against the counter. "You're up early."

"Where is everybody?" Rose asked.  Normally Sam was up before everyone else with Dean not that far behind him.  But Rose had been up for close to an hour and she hadn’t seen anyone.

Charlie looked surprised then said, "They all had to go help Jody on a case."

"Who's Jody?" Rose asked in confusion.

"She's a cop up in Sioux Falls," Charlie explained, eyeing Rose curiously.  It was odd to see her up during daylight hours and she seemed different today.  She still looked awful but she didn’t seem a drugged as she had recently. "She knows Bobby and-"

"Oh the sheriff," Rose said in realization.  "Right, OK, now I know who you mean.  They all went?  Even Sam?"  Charlie nodded.

"Mmm hmm.  Bobby too.  It sounded bad,” Charlie said then added, “I thought you'd know that though."

Rose looked at her in confusion.  "Why would I know that?"  For the last little while Charlie had been her only link to what was going on in the bunker.  She would ramble about what kind of case Dean and Lily were on when Rose would ghost through the library at night, sometimes getting her to take a seat to hear more details.  If it wasn’t for Charlie Rose wouldn’t have had any clue what was going on.  So her belief that Rose would already know that they had left on a job confused her.

"Well I um, saw Dean go into your room before they left last night.  So I figured he must have told-" Charlie stopped short at the expression on Rose's face.  She looked confused, then surprised and then as if a sudden realization had just dawned on her.  "Didn't you see him?" Charlie asked hesitantly.

"I thought that was a dream," Rose said softly.  Charlie watched her bite her lip, a sudden bloom of color coming to her pale cheeks and Charlie wondered just what she was realizing wasn’t a dream.  She wasn't sure what to say to that but before she could come up with a response Rose was looking at her closely.  "So they'll probably be gone a few days then?"

"Oh yeah, I would think so.  It sounded big and bad and complicated," Charlie said and Rose smiled at that in a way that suddenly had her feeling very nervous.

"Charlie, I have a favor to ask."

* * *

Charlie laid her overnight bag next to her laptop bag on the library table, glancing at the doorway nervously as Rose walked in a bag over her shoulder.  She wasn’t the only one who was nervous Charlie realized.   She couldn’t decide if that was a good or a bad thing.

"All ready?" Rose asked and Charlie frowned.  She got now why Sam was so bad at saying no to Rose.  She was really persuasive when she wanted to be.  She'd laid her plan out so clearly, so neatly, saying that to tell Dean or anyone else in the group would just distract them from what was obviously a very dangerous job.  With Cas' help they could be in New Orleans and back without anyone else having to know.  Honestly though what had sold Charlie on the plan was the look in Rose’s eyes.  She looked desperate and Charlie could see how much she needed to do this.  Maybe this would help.  Maybe this would bring Rose back to herself a little, making things better for everyone.

Charlie had toyed with the idea of calling Sam to let him know where they were going.  She felt horribly guilty doing this and also a little nervous in case something went wrong.  But that would put Sam in the horrible position of keeping that information from Dean and maybe Lily too and he'd been put in the middle so much this last month Charlie didn't want to do that to him.  So she hadn’t assuaged her guilt and had told herself she was taking one for the team.  Now she just had to hope Dean never found out because he would kill her.

"Almost," Charlie said.  "I just, I need to say something first."  Rose nodded and sat down at the table, looking at Charlie expectantly.  Charlie had already gotten Rose to agree to eat a meal if she went along with her.  Dean had asked Charlie to try and get Rose to eat in his text and Charlie figured if she could get that done it would ease her guilt a little.  Rose had agreed easily, obviously more concerned with getting Charlie to go with her than anything else.  Considering that Charlie figured this was as good a time as any to say what she needed to say.  She swallowed nervously and then dove in.  "I realize I don't know what it feels like to go through what you went though.  And God I'm awfully sorry about that, that it happened to you I mean.  And I'm sure, I mean you're probably still in a lot of pain.” Charlie frowned. Quit babbling and get on with it, she commanded herself.  "But you're hurting Dean.  And I know what happens between you two isn't really my business but he's...I love him.  He's my family.”  Charlie straightened up and looked Rose in the eye, needing her to know that she was serious.  “And I know I'm not some supernatural being and I don't have any special powers.  But so help me, if you break his heart, Rose, somehow, I don’t know how, but somehow I swear I'll find a way and I will hurt you."  Rose had been quiet throughout Charlie's speech and Charlie gulped nervously once she was done, pretty sure she was going to feel the full force of Rose's temper unleashed upon her now.

Instead Rose gave her a small smile and said quietly, "I really do like you, Charlie."  Then she stood up, picked up her bag and walked towards Cas who had just then popped into the map room.

Charlie stood there, stunned.  That most definitely wasn't the reaction she was expecting.  If she didn’t know better she would swear Rose actually looked pleased with her.  With a shake of her head she picked up her bags and followed Rose, hoping she was making the right choice.


	47. Well I Know it Wasn't You Who Held Me Down

Cas delivered them directly into Chastity’s living room this time.  Charlie wasn’t sure why he didn’t take them to the porch like he had when Sam was with them but it definitely surprised Chastity.  She had been moving from the kitchen into the living room when they appeared and she gave a small, startled yelp and froze.  Charlie had to hand it to her – She got her shit together quickly.  She smoothed the skirt of her striped summer dress, straightened her shoulders and just like that she was over it.  In less than a minutes time she was as calm and poised as she had been the last time Charlie had seen her.  Impressive.

Chastity headed towards them with a welcoming smile on her face which quickly turned to a look of concern.  She looked so worried that Charlie turned to glance at Rose and it became clear then what the issue was.  As Charlie watched Rose appeared to crumble completely.  She started to tremble and any brave face she had been wearing disappeared completely.  Before Chastity could even reach them Rose had tears streaming down her face.  By the time Chastity got to her Rose was sobbing.  Chastity calmly enveloped her in a hug and smiled at Charlie over her head.

“Hi Charlie,” she said.  “There’s tea in the kitchen if you want.  Make yourself at home.”

Charlie gave her a grateful smile and headed that way, setting up her laptop at the table and pouring herself a glass of the aforementioned tea.  Before they had left the bunker Rose had asked her one more favor.   “You may hear some things that are kind of personal and private when we’re at Chastity’s.  Could you please not repeat any of what you hear?”  Rose had hesitated and then added, “Especially not to Lily.”  Charlie understood wanting to keep some things private and she readily agreed but she had to admit Rose’s request had piqued her interest.  She was guilty at how pleased she was when she found she could hear the conversation from the living room clearly with the kitchen door open, something she was fairly sure neither woman was aware of.  She made sure to sit as close to the door as possible.

Chastity had led Rose to the couch and held her while she cried.  She didn’t seem in the least surprised by Rose’s reaction.  If anything she seemed to have anticipated it.

“I’m so sorry, Chas,” Rose choked out between sobs.  “I should never have come here and put you all in so much danger.  I ruined everything for you.  You must hate me.”

Chastity wisely let Rose say whatever she wanted while she cried, stroking her hair, rubbing her back and making mental notes of what Rose was saying and what she needed to correct her on.

For her part Charlie was amazed at how long Rose could cry.  God, she hadn’t seen her shed a tear since she’d been back, not even when she talked about the demon putting a spell on her mother to try and kill her.  She’d heard how Rose had broke down the day Cas and Daisy had removed the demon’s imprint on her but she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes.  If it was her in Rose’s shoes she’d have been a weeping, sobbing mess more often than not.  Charlie listened as Chastity let Rose get out all that seemed so bottled up in her.  She was softly saying things Charlie couldn’t hear but it seemed to be working as Rose's sobs seemed to be slowing.

Finally when Rose had calmed down a little Chastity pulled back and looked at her.  “A little better?” she asked and Rose nodded.  “OK stay here, I’m going to get us a drink and then we’ll talk.”

Rose felt rung out already and they had barely said anything, she thought leaning back against the couch.  God, she hadn’t planned on falling apart on Chastity the minute she saw her.  But being back here, remembering how things had been when she’d first turned up and how they’d been when she’d left it had all just overwhelmed her.  Way to handle things, Rose, she internally berated herself.

“Stop that,” a smooth voice commanded and Rose looked up in surprise to find Chastity taking a seat again, wine bottle and glasses in hand.  “You’re beating yourself up and you know my feelings on self flagellation.  You’re allowed to cry and fall apart, Rose.”  Chastity filled their glasses and looked at her sagely.  “It’s the first time you’ve been back here since.  If you hadn’t fallen apart I would have been shocked.”   She handed Rose a glass then sat back with her own and smoothed her skirt out.  “Now where do we begin?”

“With me saying how sorry I am,” Rose said immediately.  “I can’t apologize enough.  If I hadn’t come here-”

“Then you would most likely be dead,” Chastity cut her off smoothly.  Rose drew back in surprise.  “Have you thought about what would have happened if you hadn’t come here, if you had gone somewhere else and Aine had found you?”  Rose shook her head dimly.  She had only thought about the pain she’d brought Chastity and how she could have avoided it.  She hadn’t considered what would happen to her.  “Well I have.  I had her in my mind, Rose and she was very clear.  She was determined to find you and kill you.  And if you were anywhere else it was lot less likely that someone like Danny would have been there to save you.”

Rose looked thrown by this idea but not for long.  With a slight shake of her head she said, “But Ryan would still be alive and Emma would still have a father.”

“But I wouldn’t have my best friend and Emma wouldn’t have her Godmother,” Chastity said lowly and Rose glanced at her, surprised to find tears in Chastity’s eyes.  “Do you want me to say I would choose your life over his?” Rose shook her head vehemently.  “Then don’t make me, please,” Chastity said.  “Either way I would have lost someone I loved.  This was an awful situation that was never going to have a good outcome.  That’s it.  ”

Rose was frowning, obviously not OK with this.  “But Chas, I took Ryan away from-“

“No, no you really didn’t,” Chastity said firmly.  “You came here because you needed help.  That’s all you did.  The demon killed Ryan, not you.”  Rose was still frowning.  “Will it help if I say I forgive you?”  Rose shrugged, unsure.  “I do, you know.  I did right away.”

“But you didn’t want to talk to me,” Rose said, cursing how weak and vulnerable her voice sounded.  “I mean, I don’t blame you but-“

“I just needed time, Rose.  I wasn’t mad at you and I did tell you that,” Chastity reminded her, earning a small nod from Rose.  "I just needed some time to get my bearings, to figure out how things were going to go and how my life was going to look.  And you weren’t the only one with things to deal with.”  Chastity took a big sip of wine before continuing. "I had to get a handle on the fact that it was my hands that killed him.”  Oh that must hurt.  Charlie winced at that statement and from Chastity’s response she was pretty sure Rose did too.  “Well it’s the truth, isn’t it?  I mean it was my hands.”

“But it was my fault,” Rose said and Charlie was pretty sure she was crying again.

“No, it wasn’t,” Chastity said.  “And he wasn’t Dean you know.”  Charlie’s ears perked up at that while Rose looked confused.  “You seem to equate Ryan with Dean, that he was the great love of my life.”  Chastity refilled her glass and Rose’s then leaned back.  “I loved Ryan, you know that.  I miss him.  But I wasn’t in love with him.  So please stop acting like you stole my one true love.”  Charlie mouthed a silent Wow to herself.  Chastity was blunt.

“So you can just forgive me?  You don’t hate me?  You don’t want to kick me out of your life?”  Rose seemed stunned by this.

“Yes, No and No in that order,” Chastity said.  When Rose just looked at her Chastity sighed and setting her wine glass down she turned to Rose.  “When you turned up on my doorstep that day what were you thinking?”

Rose was silent for a minute then said, “I was thinking I needed a place to figure out what to do.”

Chastity nodded.  “And anywhere in your mind did you think “Oh I know, I’ll bring trouble and violence into Chas’ life?”

“Well no but I knew-”

“Was that in your plans?  Was that what you wanted to do?” Chastity demanded her voice firm and unyielding.

“No, of course not,” Rose said.

“Of course not,” Chastity repeated.  “Then why on earth would I hate you?”

“Because meaning to or not I brought evil into your house!” Rose said, her voice rising.  Charlie winced, waiting for things to start flying.

“Things happen all the time because of our actions that we don’t mean,” Chastity said calmly.  “I don’t blame you.  If you came here expecting me to rip you apart and beat up on you then you thought wrong.”  Chastity paused then added, “From the looks of you you’ve been doing a bang up job of that all on your own.”

“How’s Emma?” Rose asked after a few seconds had passed in silence.   She obviously didn’t want to talk about her lack of care for herself.

“Emma is doing wonderfully.  She’s at her grandmother’s now but she’ll be back this evening.”  Chastity smiled at her.  “Did you like the video?”

Rose smiled.  “It was amazing.  I can’t believe she’s walking.  Isn’t it early?”

“A little.  What can I say, my child’s a genius.”  Chastity refilled their glasses and then eyed Rose.  “So how’s Dean?”

Rose studied her glass.  “Dean’s fine.”

Chastity raised an eyebrow at her.  “And how are _you_ and Dean?”  Rose shrugged, giving Chastity all the answer she needed.  “Well that explains at least part of you beating yourself up.  I told you how to fix that,” Chastity said with a smile.

“It’s not that simple,” Rose said, squirming in her seat.

“Oh it is that simple,” Chastity said.  “It really, really is.  And from what I’ve heard you’ve made it even easier.  You’re down right deserving, Rose.”

Rose was silent and Charlie was confused, feeling she was missing a key element of this conversation.  What the hell was Rose so deserving of?

“You look awful you know,” Chastity said after a minute.  Charlie’s eyes widened.

“Gee, thanks,” Rose said dryly.

“Have you been outside anytime in the last month?” Chastity asked.  “I mean I know you’ve always been pale but this is reaching vampire levels.  And the circles under your eyes add a nice touch.”  Chastity looked her over and shook her head.  “Do I even want to ask how long you’ve been wearing that set of clothes?”

Rose glanced down at her jeans and Hunger Games t-shirt.  Sure it wasn’t fancy but it’s not like she’d been going anywhere.  “What’s wrong with it?” she asked petulantly.

“Aside from the fact it looks like you slept in it?” Chastity asked with a raised eyebrow.  “Nothing at all.”  Rose gave her a frown.  She had in fact slept in these clothes but she didn’t think they looked that bad.  Not that she’d paid much attention to anything she’d worn lately.  She just couldn’t seem to care.  Chastity obviously did.  “You’ve lost weight, your hair looks like you haven’t brushed it in a month.”  Chastity shook her head again.  “I recognize self destruction when I see it, Rose.  I’ve been down that road and it’s not one you want to go on.”

“Why not?” Rose shot back, her temper flaring up a bit.  “Why shouldn’t I?  Are you going to try and tell me I don’t deserve it?”

“You don’t,” Chastity said simply.

“I do,” Rose said heatedly, getting to her feet.  “I deserve every bit of pain and misery that comes my way.  I brought all this down on you, all this down on the people who love me.  I don’t deserve any kind of happiness.”  She stared down at her wine glass then sat it down and slowly raised her eyes to Chastity.  “I should have died that day.”

“I let you in,” Chastity said softly and Rose looked at her in confusion.  “I knew you were in trouble, you told me as much. I knew there was a risk.  And I still let you in.  Even after you told me about your powers and that demons were after you I still told you to stay.  So you should blame me for putting Ryan at risk, for putting Emma at risk.”  She got to her own feet, setting her wine glass down.  “And while you’re at it, blame me for killing Ryan because I’m as much to blame by your reasoning.”

“I never said that,” Rose protested.

“While you’re at it go right ahead and blame me for the pain and agony you went through,” Chastity said, her voice rising in anger, getting right in Rose’s face.  “Those were my hands.  I held the knife, I cut you and I choked you.  I made you pass out. I carved into your skin, Rose.  I made you bleed with my own hands.  So if we’re handing out blame then please don’t leave me out!”

Rose blinked, staring at Chastity for a heartbeat.  Then she took a breath and took a seat back on the couch.  Chastity watched her, gave a nod and sat back down.

“Damn it,” Rose said softly.

“Not so fun heaping blame on when it’s not just you is it?” Chastity asked wisely and Rose shook her head.  Chastity refilled their wineglasses and pushed Rose’s into her hand.  “Drink.”

Rose took a sip.  “This still helps,” she murmured and Chastity cocked her head questioningly.  “I wasn’t sure it would.  My powers have been out of control since I got back.  My mom made a potion to help control them and it did.  For awhile.”  Rose shook her head.  “Now, not so much.  I have to take so much its crazy and then it makes me feel like a zombie.  Not that I’ve minded that feeling,” she admitted.  Charlie filed that info away.  Maybe that would help somehow.

“Wine is the answer,” Chastity said with a smile, leaning back.  “You have a mother that makes potions,” she said with a shake of her head.  “How very Harry Potterish.”  She narrowed her eyes at Rose.  “I swear if you tell me you went to some Hogwarts school I’ll never forgive you.”

“Aw yes, having a mother who dabbles in witchcraft is such a joy,” Rose said dryly.

“Yes, Sam told me about Dean having your mom put some kind of spell on you so you can’t run away again.”  Chastity took a sip of wine and looked amused.  “A dominant man with witchcraft at his disposal.  That’s a dangerous combination.”  Charlie thought back to the text conversation Dean and Chastity had had.  _Sorry, I don't do submissive, sweetheart._   Charlie guessed he'd really meant that.

Rose frowned.  “Dean doesn’t even like witches.  I can’t believe he did that.”

“I can,” Chastity said.  “I mean I don’t technically “know” him but yeah, I get it.  Hell, if I had a witch at my disposal I’d have done that.”

“Chas!” Rose looked horrified at her friends’ confession.

“You ran away, Rose and almost got yourself killed.  And if Sam’s to be believed, which from the looks of you, yes, he definitely is, you haven’t been acting like yourself.  So tell me how what Dean did was out of line?”

Rose glared at her, putting her wine glass down, her expression finally softening into a pout.  “You’re supposed to be on my side.”  Chastity laughed.

“I am on your side, Rose.  It just happens to be the side that firmly believes you’ll feel a whole lot better once Dean gets his act together and spanks the hell out of you.”  Charlie choked on the sip of tea she was taking at Chastity’s statement.

Rose was burying her face in her hands, her cheeks flushed crimson.  "Jesus, Chas."

"See you complicate things," Chastity said.  "You ran away, which I think we can all agree is a bad thing." She looked at Rose, waiting for her to agree.

"But I had a good reason," Rose argued and Chastity sighed.

"Again, you're complicating things.  Generally if someone says they ran away people view that as bad, agreed?" Rose begrudgingly nodded.  "And when people do bad things they should be punished.  Especially when they have a boyfriend they belong to who they gave the right to spank them."  Charlie was pretty sure she couldn’t look more surprised if she tried.  She was definitely learning more than she bargained for.

Rose glared at her.  "Yeah, Chas, that's great and all but we're not even talking."

"Who needs to talk?  Let him spank you," Chastity said.  "Then talk."

"And that's your solution?" Rose asked, looking at Chastity like she was nuts.  "That'll just fix everything?"

"Nope, not everything.  But it's a start and it will make you both feel better."  Rose just shook her head at her and Chastity softened her voice.  "You know how I know what people really want?  Not what they _say_ they want but what they truly want?" Rose looked surprised at the change of topic but shook her head.  "Generally when people come to the club they have a pretty good idea of what they want but some people have a harder time than others asking for it." Charlie was listening to this with rapt attention.  God her life looked boring compared to these people.  "Now if I ask a client if spanking is an important part of their fantasy and they nod and say yes I can be pretty sure that spanking is OK in their book but it's most likely not essential.  If I move on and ask them if bondage is important and they blush, look uncomfortable and stammer all over the place I know I've most likely hit on what they really want."  Chastity was looking at Rose with an intense expression and Rose was feeling a bit like she was under a microscope. "When some people really want something, I mean when they crave it so badly they'd do just about anything to get it they find it hard to admit.  And a lot of people have a preset idea of what’s acceptable to desire and what isn’t.  Now I've known you a long time, Rose and you can talk about sex about as openly and honestly as anyone I know." Chastity leaned forward with a knowing smile on her face.  "But if I mention Dean punishing you or dare to call him dominate, even mention you _possibly_ being submissive you suddenly turn into a blushing schoolgirl who can't carry on a coherent conversation.  If that's not a tell I don't know what is."

Rose squirmed and frowned and generally looked the epitome of uncomfortable.  "I'm just not good at talking about it," she finally admitted.

"Maybe because that small little submissive streak you have isn't quite so small when you're dealing with the right guy.  And maybe you need that feeling right now more than ever."  Chastity's smile softened.  "There's nothing wrong with admitting that you know."

Rose gave her a grateful smile.  "I know."  Then her smile disappeared and her face took on a forlorn look.  "I can't though.  I mean, I'm not what Dean needs."

Chastity looked confused.  "OK you need to explain that."

"I'm messed up," Rose said simply.  "And he doesn't deserve that.  He deserves someone perfect."

"Rose, there's no such person," Chastity said in exasperation.  Her eyes narrowed then.  "This is because of what that demon told you isn't it?"

Rose hesitated, then nodded and Chastity sighed.  "What part of not your fault don't you get?"  Rose just shrugged and pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them tightly.  "So if it hadn't been you, if it had been Lily that was the cause of that would you think she should be shunned?  Treated horribly because of something she had no control over?" Rose slowly shook her head but Chastity could tell from her eyes she hadn't changed her mind.  And this was the crux of everything. Until Rose got past this she was going to be in pain.  Chastity sighed again.  "The problem with being a martyr, Rose is that it's not only you that suffers.  All those people you love including that guy who deserves the perfect girl?  You're hurting them too."  Chastity stood and offered Rose a hand.  "Come on, let's get some lunch.  And then you, little miss ragamuffin are going to get in the shower and change your clothes.

* * *

Rose had balked at the door to the kitchen before Chastity had said softly, “It’s not there anymore.”  She’d lead Rose into the room, showing her the new door and the view of the pool in the backyard.  There had been more tears and a grateful hug before they moved on.

Lunch was a simple affair of salad and soup.  Rose kept up her end of the bargain and ate.  It wasn’t with enthusiasm but she ate and that was enough to make Charlie happy.  She even snuck a picture as proof.  She happily sent it off to Dean in a text with the caption "Mission Accomplished!" underneath.

As soon as they were done eating Chastity hustled Rose off to the bathroom.  She came back moments later.

“So how much of our conversation did you hear?” she asked leaning against the counter, crossing her arms and fixing Charlie with a hard look.  Charlie had caught the sharp look Chastity had thrown her way when she’d entered the kitchen, realizing where Charlie was seated and seeing the open door.

“Um, most of it?” Charlie admitted guiltily, her face flushing a bright red.

“And what do you plan to do with what you heard?” Chastity demanded.

“Nothing!” Charlie said her eyes wide.  “I swear!  I’ve just been worried about her and she doesn’t exactly talk to anyone right now.”  Chastity continued to study her and Charlie admitted, “And I’m nosy.  It’s a character flaw.”

Chastity looked surprised by this admission and laughed.  “I like you, Charlie,” she said after a second. “Just don’t repeat anything you heard, please.”

 “Everything I heard stays with me,” Charlie assured her. “Promise.”

Chastity finally gave a small smile.  "If Rose brought you with her she must trust you.”

Charlie fidgeted and said, “Well, I mean she didn’t really have a lot of options.  Everyone else was gone.”

Chastity started to clear the table, motioning to Charlie to stay seated when she moved to help.  “You don’t know Rose like I do.  If she didn’t trust you then she just wouldn’t have come.”

Charlie considered this a minute then said, “Well Dean trusts me.”

Chastity nodded as she topped up her glass of tea.  “That explains it then.”  She filled Charlie’s glass then asked, “So is she right to trust you, Charlie?”

Charlie nodded her head eagerly.  “Oh definitely.  I can keep a secret.”

Chastity studied her again, murmured a soft, “I hope so,” and went back to clearing the dishes.  After a second she said, "So I imagine you're wondering why I decided to talk to Rose about her sex life."

Charlie smiled and said, "Um yeah."

Chastity started loading the dishwasher as she spoke.  "My guess is that Rose hasn't had a lot of normal conversations lately.  I figured it couldn't hurt, might make her feel a bit more like herself."   Charlie thought that over.  It made sense actually.  “And if there’s one relationship Rose needs to fix it’s the one she has with Dean.” Chastity considered a second then said, “Well him and Lily.  But something tells me her and Dean are a bit more complicated.”

“Oh definitely,” Charlie agreed.  She hesitated a second then said, “She listens to you. She’s kind of shut everyone else out.”

Chastity laughed.  “She brings the out the um, bossier side to my personality.” She smiled at something and Charlie figured it must be an inside joke she didn’t know.  “Good friends fill in our gaps.”  Charlie looked at her in confusion and Chastity explained.  “Rose tends to mother other people.  It’s her natural instinct, at least when she’s not falling apart like she is now.  She cooks, she nurtures, she tends to her flock.”  Charlie nodded, the little bit she’d seen of Rose falling into that nicely.  “I mother exactly two people in my life – my own daughter and Rose.  It’s not on purpose; it’s not something I planned to do.  It’s just the way we’ve always been.”

“You two are really close,” Charlie said and Chastity smiled and nodded.  “Were you two ever, um, I mean…” Charlie trailed off and Chastity’s smile turned into a grin.

“Are you trying to ask if Rose and I were ever a romantically involved?” Charlie nodded, fairly sure her face was once again crimson.  “Do you have a big family, Charlie?” Chastity asked, throwing Charlie for a loop.

“Um, no I have…I mean, my parents are dead.  Sam and Dean are my family,” Charlie finally managed.  Chastity gave her a kind, empathetic smile.

“Then you’ll understand.  My parents were killed when I was in college.  I have one lone relative, an elderly aunt who just so happens to live in a small town in Nebraska. That’s where I met Rose.” Chastity smiled and Charlie could practically see her going back in her memories.  She closed the dishwasher and turned to wipe the counter off as she took Charlie down a path.  “I was coming off a really hard time in my life and was just trying to get everything together again.  I wasn’t the friendliest person and I certainly wasn’t looking for a friendship but that’s what I got.  I walked into this class and here was this friendly looking redhead reading a book that I knew.  She looked, well you’ve seen Rose, but imagine her about eight years younger.  She looked sweet and innocent and I honestly thought she would annoy the hell out of me.  I had no idea she’d wind up being my best friend.”  Chastity finished with the counter and moved to take a seat at the table.  “We started talking and before I knew it Rose had worked her way into my life.  She was friendly and warm and didn’t judge anything I’d done.  She’s the person who taught me,” Chastity shook her head, correcting herself. “No, she _showed_ me that family is a lot more than the people you happen to share blood with.  She’s my family.”

She gave Charlie a warm smile that Charlie couldn’t help but return.  She knew exactly what Chastity meant.  Just then Rose called out to her and she got up with a smile.  She stopped at the door and turned to Charlie with a grin. “Oh and just because Rose and I were never a thing doesn’t mean I don’t have a weakness for redheads.  Because I definitely do,” she said and winked at Charlie before heading to help Rose, leaving Charlie blushing once again.


	48. I Can Read You Like a Magazine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Best friends give the best advice

The next time Charlie saw Rose she was dressed in a clean pair of jeans, a Drusilla t-shirt and her hair was clean, brushed and in two neat braids and Chastity was griping at her gently.

“Someone with hair like yours does not let it just go like that.  I didn’t think I was ever going to get some of those knots out.”  Chastity was ushering Rose out into the backyard.  “Charlie, we’re going outside, do you want to come soak up some sun with us?”

Charlie followed the two outside with a happy nod.  They spent the afternoon sitting on lounge chairs by the pool and while Rose was quieter than she normally would be she was there, she was with them and she was at least a part of the conversation.  Chastity was an expert at bringing up topics she knew Rose would take part in.  Finally the fact that no one but Cas knew where they were came to light and Chastity laughed.

“Is my house on some map I don’t know of for destinations to run away to?”

“I didn’t run away this time,” Rose protested.

“Yeah, I’m with her so we’re cool,” Charlie agreed.

"Oh so we could just call up Dean or Sam and say hi," Chastity suggested with a sly grin, then laughed when both Rose and Charlie looked alarmed.  "That's what I thought.  Naughty redheads…that what I attract,” she murmured with a shake of her head.

Rose grinned at Charlie suddenly.  “Dean did tell me he thought the two of us together might be overwhelming.” After her surprise at seeing Rose actually grin Charlie giggled and not longer after Rose joined in.

“Something tells me he was right,” Chastity murmured.

Later when Emma was dropped off by her grandmother Charlie got to see Rose smile.  Her whole face lit up at the sight of her Goddaughter.  She was snuggling her and kissing her and Charlie couldn’t resist snapping a picture of the two of them together.  It was the first time she’d seen Rose look anything close to happy in ages. 

Emma gave a fine display of her walking skills which earned smiles and applause from her captive audience.  Rose held Emma every chance she got, oohing and awwing over her at dinner and helping her eat.  Rose drank wine and to Charlie’s delight even ate some dinner.  Charlie was patting herself on the back for making the right call with this trip.

* * *

Rose woke up with a start as grief flooded through her body.   She’d been sleeping so soundly and then pain had sliced through her body as a nightmare gripped her.  There was noise all around her, a panicked voice that she couldn’t make out, then a soft noise reached her ears and hands were on her shoulders.

“Rose, Rose, Wake up!” She opened her eyes to find Chastity shaking her then looked around in confusion.

“Why am I on the floor?” she asked dazedly.

“That’s really not the most pressing question, kiddo.  You think you could put my bed down?”  Rose looked past Chastity to see the bed they’d both been sleeping on floating a few feet above the ground.  Rose closed her eyes, trying her to best to focus but it did not good.  A few drops of her mother’s potion later which Chastity dutifully drug out of her bag, plus a glass of wine and the bed finally lowered back to the ground.

“Sorry,” Rose said, her face full of remorse and embarrassment.

“Hey, if you think that’s the worst thing someone’s done in my bed you have no imagination,” Chastity teased lightly, drawing a small smile from Rose.  She reached out a hand and helped Rose to her feet.  She studied her for a second then steered her towards the kitchen.

“Where are we going?” Rose asked in confusion.

“I figured we could both use some tea,” Chastity said as Rose took a seat at the table and Chastity put the kettle on.  Charlie was staying in the guest room while Rose had been sharing Chastity’s room so it was just the two of them awake for which Rose was grateful.  She didn’t need an audience for a display of how out of control her powers still were.

“Sorry.  I’m not a fun roommate right now,” Rose said, pulling up one knee and resting her chin on it.

“Stop apologizing.  You went through something awful, Rose,” Chastity said as she got milk and sugar out.  “If it didn’t affect you then you wouldn’t be human.”

“You seem OK,” Rose pointed out.

Chastity shook her head.  “First off we went through different things.  You were tortured.  I mean, that’s not something you just brush off.”  Chastity got mugs out of the cupboard, put teabags in them and leaned against the counter as she waited for the kettle.  “And it affected me - A lot.  I had nightmares for awhile, still do occasionally.”  Chastity shrugged.  “I’m better at letting things out than you are though.  Plus I don’t have some powers I’m trying to control on top of that.”

Rose stared at the table for a beat then said, “I just want to go back to being that person I was before all this happened, before I knew all this.”

The kettle whistled and Chastity poured the water into the mugs then brought them over to the table.  “Oh kiddo, I know.  I wish it worked that way.”  She fidgeted with her teabag for a second before asking, “Have you thought about talking to somebody?”

“You mean like a therapist?” Chastity nodded. “I don’t really think there are any that wouldn’t lock me up at the first mention of a demon.”

Chastity nodded at that and they both busied themselves with fixing their tea.

“So what helped you?” Rose asked as she stirred her tea, blending the milk and sugar in.

Chastity grinned.  “Well I got a little more hands on at the club for awhile, opposite side of your coin obviously.  It helped get out some of my aggression.” Rose just smiled and shook her head.  When Chastity spoke next her voice was softer, more emotional. “I tried to think about what I could learn from it, what I could take away and how I could be better from it all moving forward.”  Rose was silent, listening to Chastity speak.  “I’m a more cautious parent now because I figure I’m doing both our jobs.  And I try and think of what I loved about Ryan and try to let those qualities come out in myself more.”  Rose winced at that but made herself hear what Chastity was saying.  They both drank their tea and after a moment Chastity said, “And you know what really helped?”  Rose shook her head.  “I realized how amazing it was that we both survived.  I mean what are the chances of that?  I don’t think that anyone would look at either of us in a lineup and pick us out as the two who would survive something like that.  I was possessed by a demon, Rose and you were tortured by one.  And we survived, we lived.”  The awe in Chastity’s voice bled over into Rose a little, bringing a tear to her eye.

“And you fought her enough to try and save me,” Rose said, the meaning behind that coming across loud and clear in her voice.  Chastity nodded and found tears in her eyes too.

“And you were willing to die for Emma,” she choked out, reaching out and squeezing one of Rose’s hands.  “So whoever says we aren’t strong doesn’t know a damn thing.”  Chastity cocked her head to the side thoughtfully then added, “And I kind of pity them too.”  Chastity took a sip of tea.  "If we were strong enough to survive that then we're damn well strong enough to live."

Rose smiled at her wishing she could feel that strong.  As if reading her mind Chastity said, “You’ll get there.” Rose smiled at her gratefully though she didn’t really believe it.  “But you have to let some people in, Rose.  You have that whole bunch of people back at home who love you and want to help you.”

“Been listening to Charlie?” Rose asked curiously, wondering what she’d said.

“Sam, actually,” Chastity admitted.  “He was really worried about you when he came here.”  Rose was silent and Chastity laughed softly then said, “And damn, he’s tall.  You’re "little" brother is kind of a giant.”  That got a laugh from Rose.

“What can I say?  The Winchester’s grow them big," Rose said with a smile.

“I’m assuming we’re talking in all areas here,” Chastity said sweetly and Rose laughed again but nodded.

“Please tell me you weren’t flirting with Sam,” Rose said and Chastity just smiled noncommittally.  “Oh Chas.  Seriously, Lily will have a fit.”

“I was actually surprisingly good,” Chastity said.  “Besides I have my eye on someone else.”

“Oh?” Rose asked, then at Chastity’s smile her eyes widened, “Oh!”

“Finished with your tea?” Chastity asked and she swept their cups up and away before Rose could ask any more questions.  “Then let’s get some sleep."

* * *

Chastity made them all breakfast the next day and they spent the morning playing with Emma and talking about inconsequential things.  Cas was arriving after lunch and Rose hated to admit it but she was dreading going back.  She’d felt better here and she felt guilty about that.

Emma went down for a nap a little before lunch and Chastity drew Rose away to her room to talk to her privately.  Rose packed up the few belongings she’d brought with her and Chastity made her sit down so she could re-braid her hair before she went.

“Promise me you’ll take care of yourself,” Chastity said as she brushed Rose’s hair out. "That you’ll change your clothes and wash your hair and go outside once in awhile.”  She swiftly made one braid. “And no more unbrushed hair.  And eating, that would be a good thing to do.”

“I’ve eaten while I was here,” Rose pointed out.  “Hey!” she yelped when Chastity tugged on one braid before going to the next.

“Yes and Charlie told me why too,” Chastity said as her fingers swiftly wove Rose’s hair into another braid.

“Traitor,” Rose said without any heat in her voice.

Having finished with Rose’s hair Chastity took a seat next to her on the bed.  “So before we eat lunch and you go poof off with the angel let’s talk.”

Rose looked at Chastity suspiciously.  “Why do I have a funny feeling I’m not going to be doing much talking here?”

“Because you’re smart that way,” Chastity said with a smile.

“That’s called a lecture, Chas, not a conversation.”

“Yes, well you could do with a lecture or two,” Chastity said and Rose simply rolled her eyes and waited.  She knew trying to get Chastity off this track was no good.  Better to get it over with.  “I mentioned last night you needing to let people in.” Rose nodded and Chastity continued. “I meant that, Rose.  You can’t just shut everyone out.  It’s not healthy and it’s not helping anyone.”

Rose studied her hands that were neatly folded in her lap for a moment and Chastity studied her as she did.  In her jeans and Orphan Black t-shirt (“Well, that’s disturbing.” Felix exclaimed dryly.) with her hair in the braids she looked so young.  And so sad.  Chastity wished she had some way of fixing things completely but all she could do was give the best advice she knew.  Finally just when Chastity was convinced she wasn’t going to respond at all Rose cleared her throat and said,

“What if they hate me?  I mean, I would if I were them.” She glanced up at Chastity and she was able to see the nervousness there and the real genuine fear.  Then she looked back down at the floor. “I kind of do.”

“And that’s a big part of the problem,” Chastity said quietly.  “You’re putting your emotions on them, assuming they’ll feel the same way.  You’ve always been your own worst critic, Rose.”  She nudged Rose with her knee making her look up.  “Look I’ve met Sam and Charlie.  They both seem like kind, caring people who obviously care about you.  And I’ve heard enough about both Dean and Lily to get the very clear image that there’s nothing you could do that would make them stop caring for you.  I mean being the wicked step sister to them didn’t work did it?”  Rose shook her head ruefully.  “You have to trust people, Rose.”  And oh the irony of that, Chastity though, considering Rose was usually the one telling her that.  Speaking of which… “So I want you to think back to when we first became friends.   Could you have ever pictured me as a mom then?”

Rose smiled.  “Honestly, no.”  Chastity had been rougher, a lot angrier and definitely not someone who had her act together.

“Me neither,” Chastity said with a shake of her head.  “But now I’ve got this beautiful daughter and an amazing faux mother-in-law, not to mention you.”  Rose smiled at that and Chastity returned it.  “The thing is I wouldn’t have any of this if it wasn’t for you.  I would have never even given Ryan a shot, never had Emma or found out what it was like to have people I can depend on if it wasn’t for me learning what family really is.”  Chastity looked at Rose, praying she’d really hear this.  “I learned that from you, kiddo.  You were the one who showed me family isn’t just the people you’re born to, that there are people out there who will have your back and that you can trust.  You’re a big reason that I have the life I have and I’ll never stop being grateful for that.”  Rose was biting her lip and Chastity could see she was emotional which she understood.  “But the thing is you have a group of people like that.  You have Dean and your sisters and Sam and Charlie, this whole mass of people who want to help you and be there for you.  But you won’t let them.”  Chastity took a deep breath and said, “What you have is priceless.  There are people who would give anything to have it and you’re pushing it away from you with both hands.  And that’s just stupid, Rose. ” She reached out and grabbed one of Rose’s hands and squeezed it, seeing the slightly stunned look on Rose’s face.  “And the thing is, if you keep this up if you push all those people away and basically wreck your family then I really will be angry with you.  I still love you but I’ll be really angry and I’ll be disappointed in you.”

“Chas,” Rose said, her eyes filling with tears.  “I’m not trying to…I just don’t know what to do.”

“You try,” Chastity said.  “You go home to all those people who would do anything for you and you make an effort.  They’ll meet you halfway.  Hell, they’d probably carry you if you’d let them.”

“But I’m a mess, Chas.  You saw what I’m like, I can’t get it together and I’m just all screwed up.”

“We’re all a mess of some sort or other, Rose.  But the lucky ones of us have people who will help us get patched up when we’re really bad.  You’ve got that Rose, don’t throw it away.”  Chastity reached out and pulled Rose into a hug.  “I love you, you know. That’s why I’m saying all this.”

Rose hugged her back, a few tears spilling over.  “I love you too.”

Chastity hesitated, not sure if she should say what else was on her mind.  In the end she decided no one else would so she went for it.  “I watched you wait a long time to be with Dean, you know.  And when you were here last time even though everything was a mess and you were on the run, when you talked about him you were so happy, Rose.  Don’t throw that away.”

“But I’ve hurt him.  And I’m a wreck, Chas and he deserves so much more,” Rose protested.

“He wants _you_ , silly girl.  Quit telling him what he deserves.”  Chastity frowned at her.  “You can be quite the bossy brat you know.  Dean really needs to do something about that.”  Her eyes twinkled when Rose glared at her.  She sobered then.  “If we all got what we deserved most of us would be a lot worse off.  Don’t question love, Rose.  Just appreciate it.”

“Before he left this last time he came to say good bye to me.”  Rose smiled and Chastity marveled at how Rose’s whole face changed when she talked about Dean.  It was obvious how much she wanted to be with him.  “I thought I dreamed it till Charlie said he came into my room.”  Rose looked down at her shoes then back up at Chastity.  “I’m pretty sure he actually carried me to bed because I don’t remember getting there on my own.”  Rose fidgeted with the end of one of her braids then said, “It’s a little hazy because I was pretty out of it but I’m pretty sure he said we were going to talk when he got back.”  Chastity watched as Rose blushed as she said, “He kissed my forehead, I know that for sure and he told me to be good while he was gone.”  Rose looked up at her with a look that clearly showed her amazement.  “Through all of this he’s never really lost his temper with me.  I kept waiting, figuring at some point he would just flip out and yell at me but he hasn’t.  He’s been patient and calm and given me time and space.”  Rose bit her lip.  “That’s not like him.”

“You’ve always said Dean is smart.”  Chastity tugged on one of her braids playfully.  “It sounds to me like he thinks you’re worth the effort, Rose.”  Chastity gave her another quick hug, knowing she wouldn’t be the person to convince Rose of this fact.  That fell to one person and one person only.

Chastity pulled back and smiled at Rose.  “Let’s go get some lunch,” Chastity said getting to her feet.  When she got to the door she stopped.  “I’m gonna guess you haven’t found your present I put in your suitcase yet.”  Rose shook her head.  She hadn’t even been in her suitcases aside from grabbing a t-shirt or two.  “Let me know when you do,” Chastity said, her eyes shining mischievously. “I want to see your reaction.”

“That’s alarming sounding,” Rose said, looking at Chastity with a wary look as she joined her at the door.

“Sounds fun to me,” Chastity said with a grin.

They ate lunch and Cas showed up right on time.  Before he could say anything Chastity went over and thanked him for saving her life.

Cas looked at her curiously, eyeing Emma in her arms then nodded.  “You’re very fruitful,” he said then turned to Charlie and Rose.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Chastity whispered to Rose as they hugged good bye.  “Did he just call me a bunch of fruit?”

“Beats me,” Rose said with a shrug.  “I don’t speak angel.”

* * *

At the same time that Charlie and Rose were hugging Chastity and Emma good-bye, Sam, Dean and Lily were headed to check out a lead while Jody and Bobby handled research.  Lily was stretched out in the backseat sleeping.  They’d been up most of the night before trying to get a handle on what was going on.  And what was going on made no good sense.  They’d had a horde of vampires descend on a bar, a boutique taken over by at least a dozen ghosts and then a local Wal-Mart had been swarmed by zombies.  (Lily had a good time with that one, commenting that it was hard to tell the zombies from the normal Wal-Mart patrons.  “Oh look, that one has on pajamas – zombie or shopper?”  “That one’s obviously never owned a bra.”)  The masses of monsters were weird enough but in each case whenever they showed up to try and fight them almost as soon as they got in one punch the monsters disappeared in a cloud of smoke.  Whoever they’d hurt was still dead or injured but there was no lasting sign of the creatures that had done it.  None of them had seen anything like it and there was no lore that seemed to shed any light on it. The best guess was it had to be some kind of spell so while Bobby and Jody were researching what they could the trio in the Impala was headed to a town a little over an hour away called Spirit Lake.  Erin knew a coven based there and was hopeful they could help.

Lily had flopped down in the backseat and was asleep before they were even on the road and Sam didn’t blame her.  This was a frustrating case and they were all tired.  Sam glanced at Dean who looked as frustrated as he felt.  This case sucked.

“You know I thought you’d be pissed at me for confronting Rose,” Sam said and Dean glanced at him in surprise.  He hadn’t seen that topic coming up.  But he was sick to death of talking about this case so why not.

“Aw see, I’m pretty sure you’re extra careful with Rose. I have a secret weapon to pretty much guarantee that." Dean said and Sam just looked at him with a blank expression. “You screw up with Rose it’s not just me who’ll be pissed at you.  You’re dealing with her too,” and he jerked his thumb in the direction of the backseat.  “And she’s fucking terrifying when she’s pissed at you.”

Sam glanced back at Lily who was sound asleep, curled up on her side.  In sleep Lily looked like nothing more than a beautiful woman any guy would love to be with.  None of the fire and sass came through but oh it was there. 

“I mean, look at how she reacted to you not telling her about Cas and Daisy having that fight,” Dean continued with a smirk and Sam winced.  Lily had sat up straight out of a deep sleep and smacked Sam hard in the chest and then started yelling at him for not telling her.  Dean and Bobby has been in shock in the front seat, having no idea what the hell was happening other than Lily seemed to have lost her mind.  The fact that Sam had been sound asleep as well when it started made it worse.  It was up there with worst ways he’d ever been woken up.  “Kinda nice, you having a girlfriend who keeps you in line,” Dean mused and Sam glared at him.

“Yeah well, your girlfriend throws you out of rooms,” Sam pointed out and Dean shot him an evil glare.

“Shut up,” he muttered and Sam just grinned.

“Charlie said things were OK?” Sam asked after a minute has passed.  He knew Dean and Charlie had texted a few times since they left.

“Yeah, she said it’s just been quiet.  She managed to get Rose to eat some,” Dean dug his phone out of his pocket.  “See?”

Sam took his phone from him, opening up immediately to the pictures and seeing four different pictures of Rose in succession, each one of her eating.  Sam took in the first one of Rose eating a salad.  The next one was of her eating something else but with the same background.  Sam froze at the third one but moved onto the fourth one to be sure.  Damn it.

“She’s eating…four different times.  That’s a good sign,” Dean said.  He glanced at Sam when he was silent.  “What?”

“Nothing,” Sam said quickly.  “That’s really good she’s eating, Dean.  See, put Charlie on the case-“

“Cut the bullshit, Sam,” Dean cut him off.  “You look like you saw a ghost.”

“No, no just surprised she’s eating and do-” Sam stopped short at the look on Dean’s face.  He wasn’t buying it.  Shit.  “Did Charlie by any chance say where they were?”

Dean looked startled by that.  “What?  No.  They’re at the bunker. Why?"

Sam pulled up the first picture again and held it up for Dean to see.  “You remember us having any walls that color in the bunker?”

Dean glanced at it.  “Well yeah, it’s yellow.  The kitchen walls are yellow.”

“Not that shade of yellow,” Sam corrected him and Dean looked at him like he was wondering if his brain had fallen out somewhere along the way.

“OK Sam, I don’t want to talk about color palettes here,” Dean retorted.  “What are you getting at?”

Sam cleared his throat, cursing the fact that his brother knew him well enough to know when he was lying.  He was going to have to get better at hiding his expressions.  Maybe he could put that on his list of lifetime goals – Be able to lie to Dean without him knowing.  Of course he’d only been trying for well over twenty years now and he hadn’t gotten any better at it.  Shaking his head to clear his thoughts Sam glanced at his extremely agitated brother.

Sam swiped till the third picture was on Dean’s phone.  He held it up.  “This picture was not taken at the bunker.”  Sam paused and he saw Dean’s jaw clench.  Oh this was going great.  “But I’m pretty sure I know where it was taken.”

“You planning on telling me anytime soon?” Dean ground out.

“I’m pretty sure it was taken at Chastity’s house.” On the wall behind Chastity’s kitchen table there was an assortment of artwork showcasing magnolias.  Sam had commented on them and Chastity had told him that the magnolia was the Louisiana state flower and her personal favorite.  One picture had stood out to Sam of a magnolia tree in bloom with an assortment of Mardi Gras beads hanging from its branches.  In the third and fourth pictures on Dean’s phone you could barely see the edge of the painting, enough that taken with the different wall color Sam was fairly certain that’s where the pictures had been taken.

“Son of a bitch!” Dean exploded.  Lily turned over making a soft noise in her sleep and Sam motioned to him to keep his voice down. Dean frowned in annoyance but spoke softer.  “I left Charlie there to keep her out of trouble, not so they could go out looking for it.”

“Well did you tell Charlie not to go anywhere?” Sam asked and Dean frowned.

“Well no, but I figured she’d have enough sense to know not to go back to New Orleans with Rose.  It’s where she was attacked, for fucks sake.”

“Chastity is important to Rose, Dean.  Maybe if they talked, maybe that’s a good thing,” Sam reasoned.

“Yeah, well good thing or not I’m gonna let our little hacker know what I think.”  Dean reached to grab his phone from Sam, obviously intending to call Charlie and read her the riot act but Sam held it out of his reach.  “Sam, give me my fucking phone,” Dean said warningly but Sam stuck to his guns.

“How about instead of yelling at Charlie you let me call Chastity and get to the bottom of this?” Sam suggested.  Dean glared at him for several seconds during which Sam wasn’t sure if he was going to go for his plan or just demand Sam hand his phone over again.  Finally he relented.

“Fine, call her.  I need to concentrate on driving anyway,” Dean muttered.  He listened as Sam dialed then carried on a friendly conversation with Chastity.

“Hi Chastity.  It's Sam.  We’re good, thanks.  So listen, I was just wondering if by any chance Charlie and Rose happened to be there.  Mmm hmm.  I see.  Yes, I saw.  Yeah you're right - she’s not very good at it.  Yeah, he’s right here beside me.  OK, yes, I’ve got it.  I’ll pass the message on.”  Sam hung up and looked at his brother.

“Well,” Dean said impatiently.  “What did she say?”

“Charlie and Rose were there.  They stayed the night and Cas took them back to the bunker a little bit ago.”

“So they’re OK?” Dean asked anxiously.

“They’re fine.”  Sam grinned.  “I got the distinct impression Chastity wasn’t overly surprised that we found out they were there.  She seemed to think Charlie was less than stellar at being sneaky.”

Dean laughed.  “Yeah, truer words were never spoken.”  He paused, waiting, then when he realized Sam was going to make him ask he impatiently demanded, “So what’s the message you’re supposed to pass on?”

Sam glanced behind him making sure Lily was still asleep.  “It was pretty simple.”  Dean raised a questioning eyebrow and Sam filled him in. "Take care of what’s yours.”


	49. Put Your Hand in Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A crack in the wall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hadn't planned on posting this today. But last night was awful and distractions are a good thing. Part of this chapter I wrote ages ago, knowing where it would fit in and seeing the scene clear as day. (It's the very last section.) I've waited a long time to finally get to post it and figured today was the perfect time. So I hope y'all enjoy.

Five long days after they had left for South Dakota the foursome was finally almost home.  It had taken a lot of work but with the help of the coven Erin knew they’d finally figured out what was causing the masses of monsters to appear, wreak havoc and then disappear.  There had been a group of local teenagers who had stumbled across a spell book and thought it would be cool to bring to life all the monsters from their favorite video game.  They hadn’t counted on the repercussions or that the monsters would be hard to control.  The spell wasn’t strong and had needed constant chanting to keep going (Thus why whenever someone tried to fight the creatures they had disappeared.  The teens weren’t strong enough spell casters to hold it against any fight.)  but it had caused a lot of chaos and lost a few lives in the bargain.

“Teenagers are the real evil,” Bobby had muttered as they dropped him off at his hotel.

Lily had been quiet for the last hour or so, staring out the window in the backseat.  Sam glanced at her now.  “You OK, Lil?”

Lily nodded.  “I want her to play her stupid music,” she blurted out, causing both boys to glance at her oddly.

“Come again?” Dean said and Lily sighed.  She had a habit of thinking something and then blurting out the end of her thought, confusing people in the process.  Rose usually got her thinking without having to explain too much.  She missed that.

“Rose, whenever she’s been upset in the past she plays music.  I mean it’s sometimes truly awful crap,” Lily said with a grimace.  “Really maudlin and depressing stuff or loud and angry.  But it’s what she does.  When she went through a bad breakup or when our dad died.  It’s like her way of working it out.  And she’s not doing that now and it’s just wrong.”

Sam sighed, knowing he needed to be the one to tell Lily to hang in there.  But God, he was tired and he wasn’t sure he had it in him to say.  Dean surprised him by speaking up.

“What else does she do?  When she’s really down I mean?”

Lily thought about it.  “She watches certain TV shows she loves, certain episodes even, sometimes over and over.”

“Like Buffy?” Dean asked, knowing how much Rose, well all the girls really, loved that show. Lily nodded.

“Or Gilmore Girls,” Sam winced at that one and Lily went on.  “Doctor Who, Firefly.  She can quote some episodes from all of those.”

"So comfort TV viewing and obnoxious music.  Got it,” Dean murmured to himself.  Then he glanced at Lily in the rear view mirror.  “She’ll get there, Lil.”  He frowned then added, “Of course it would be nice if she ate something in the meantime when she’s at home.”  He hadn’t gotten anymore pictures from Charlie or mentions of Rose eating since they’d returned to the bunker.

“What’s that mean?” Lily asked, leaning forward with a frown of her own.  “She’s not eating?”

Sam and Dean shared a glance.  Dean had forgotten Lily had seen Rose even less than he had.  She obviously had no idea about Rose’s apparent food strike.  Sam took this one.

“Yeah, I guess she just really hasn’t felt like eating much,” he said, trying to sound calm and like it was no big deal.  Either he failed or Lily just wasn’t going to take that information calmly.

“Well that’s just not…she can’t do that,” Lily said.

“We’re working on it,” Dead said, trying to smooth Lily’s ruffled mother hen feathers.

“What’s that mean?” Lily asked suspiciously.

“It means that Charlie got her to eat a little while we were gone,” Dean said.

“While she wasn’t home…” Lilly said putting together what Dean had said before and Sam winced.  “She wasn’t home this week?”

“Uh, no she and Charlie went to visit Chastity,” Dean said.

“And she ate there,” Lily surmised and Dean nodded.

Lily didn’t seem comforted by this fact.  In fact she seemed more upset by the fact that Rose had eaten at Chastity's than she was by the fact that Rose hadn’t been eating in the first place. She crossed her arms and leaned back staring out the window again.  A few moments passed and then Lily announced:

“I’ll make dinner tonight.”

In the entire time dealing with the zombies, vampires and ghosts in South Dakota this last week there hadn’t been a moment where Sam and Dean had looked as scared as they did now.  The matching looks of horror that crossed their faces made it clear that they’d rather deal with the undead.  Finally Dean muttered, “She’s your girlfriend, dude.”

Sam cleared this throat and said, “Um, Lil are you sure that’s such a good idea?”

“Sure, it’s a great idea,” Lily said, looking more excited the more she thought about it.  “Rose cooks for people she loves so I’ll cook for her.  She’ll like that so much she’ll eat and things will get better.”  Lily beamed at this idea then added, “And you two get to eat too.”

Dean was pretty sure he already looked sick when he muttered, “Oh lucky us.”

* * *

Rose had spent a lot of the time the last few days thinking.  She was trying to take the tonic her mother had given her as little as possible but since coming back to the bunker her nightmares had gotten worse.  With just her and Charlie there it was quiet which probably wasn’t helping.  She should have brought more wine home with her she thought.  She’d gone through all she had already.  Chastity was quick to point out that she tried to send more with her in one of her hundreds of texts.  That was one of the good things - they were back to talking like before and that helped Rose feel not so alone.

Chastity kept nudging her to talk to Dean, to Lily and not shut them out.  Rose had promised to try, though the fact that they were all still gone made it easier in theory.  She’d talked to Charlie a little since coming back, nothing big, no earth shattering revelations just small talk about things.  That felt huge in itself to Rose.  It was a step, a start and that felt good.

Charlie had told her that they were all getting back this evening.  Rose was nervous but not really sure how to explain why.  She was glad they were coming back, ready for the noise and activity that they would bring with them.  But she was worried that she’d get scared and retreat into her shell.  Hopefully if they went slow then Rose would feel brave enough to try.  That’s what Chastity had said to do- Try.  Rose just hoped she didn’t lose her nerve.

* * *

The first person Dean saw when he came in was Charlie sitting in the library.  He pointed a finger at her as he came down the stairs.  “We need to talk,” he said giving her a meaningful look.

Charlie gulped.  Sam had given her a heads up that Dean wasn’t happy with her decision to go off to New Orleans with Rose.  Charlie was determined to come back at Dean with all the good that had come from the trip.

“Hey Charlie,” Sam called as he and Lily went past.

“Hey guys,” Charlie called as Lily drug Sam towards the kitchen.  “What are they up to?” She asked curiously.

“Trust me you don’t want to know,” Dean said, taking a seat across from Charlie.  “But you’ll have the pleasure of finding out later.”  Charlie stared after them nervously.  That didn’t sound good.  “Where’s Rose?” Dean asked, stretching out his legs.

“In her room,” Charlie said.  “She was out here for most of the day though."

Dean looked surprised at that then got back to the business at hand.  “So kiddo, going to New Orleans with Rose, think that was a good idea?”

Charlie squirmed then remembered that she wasn’t going to feel guilty.  “I do actually.”  That got a surprised look from Dean and Charlie continued on before he could interject.  “Rose needed to see Chastity, they needed to talk.  And I think it helped, Dean.  She ate while she was there and she played with Emma.  See?”  Charlie picked up her phone and pulled up a picture before handing it to Dean.  “She got a lot of stuff out and she and Chastity both got to kind of deal with some of their guilt and it was good for them both.”  Charlie decided to leave out any intimate details she now knew about Dean and Rose, figuring that wouldn’t win her any points.

Dean was staring down at the picture in his hand.  Rose was holding a chubby redheaded baby in her arms.  Emma was staring up at Rose with a happy smile on her face, a purple toy of some sort in her hand and Rose was smiling back at her.  It wasn’t a big smile, wasn’t huge and beaming like his favorite smiles of hers were but it was a smile.  And it was the first one Dean had seen on her face in over a month.  He glanced up at Charlie.

“See?” Charlie said eagerly, desperately wanting Dean to see that she’d done the right thing here. “She loves that little girl a lot.  And it was good, Dean.  We sat outside and she got some sun and we talked.  Well, I mean she didn’t talk a lot but she talked some.  And it felt like a good start.”

Dean nodded slowly.  “You get why I hate that you went though?  You should have told one of us, Charlie.”

Charlie nodded.  “I get it, I do.  But I was afraid you would flip out and if I told Sam that put him in a bad spot and he’s been there enough lately.”  Dean reluctantly nodded, knowing Charlie was right on both counts.  “You’d like Chastity, Dean.  She’s funny and man she doesn’t pull any punches.”

“Yeah?” Dean was still trying to come to grips that this had all gone OK.

“Yeah and she’s all motherly with Rose.  I think that helped.” Charlie smiled then.  “I think I figured out something that may help Rose too.”  Dean sat up straight at that and listened to what Charlie had to say, deciding when she finished that maybe this trip hadn’t worked out so badly after all.

* * *

Sam was standing helplessly by while Lily rummaged in the freezer.  This was a bad idea.  Such a bad idea.

“Lil, maybe we could go get take out and bring it back,” Sam said. "You must be tired after this week and the long drive back."

Lily dismissed his idea with a wave of her hand.  “No, I’m going to cook.  I can do this, Sam.”  She brought out two bags of frozen raviolis from the freezer and then dug out a box of frozen garlic bread as well.  “I can read directions and follow them,” she said, lifting her chin defiantly as if challenging Sam to argue with her.

“I know you can, Darling,” Sam said, coming up and easing his arms around her waist.  “No one’s saying you can’t.  But Lil, you don’t have to.  You hate cooking.”

Lily pulled away from Sam with a scowl.  “You know what I hate more?  Her being like this.  I want my sister back.”  And she slammed the pasta down on the counter along with the box of bread.   That was the point when Sam realized there wasn’t a single thing he could say that would dissuade Lily from this course of action.  He had no idea what she was thinking here or why but she was bound and determined to do this and the only thing he could do was try and help make it less of a disaster if possible.  So he plastered a smile on his face and tried to do just that.

“Right, what can I do to help?”

* * *

Charlie got the job of going to get Rose for dinner.  Lily had wanted to but Sam had convinced her she needed to serve the food.  He figured the longer he could keep her from combusting the better.  And there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that this was going to blow up.  Lily had a certain air about her, an I’ve-reached-the-end-of-my-ropeness that Sam knew was not going to end well.  She was on edge and everyone who came into the room could sense it.  Dean had stopped when he came in the doorway, looking at Sam with a questioning glance.  Sam had just shrugged, looked at him wide eyes and mouthed, “I’m trying.”  Deciding saying nothing was the best bet Dean just took a seat and waited.

A few minutes later Charlie arrived with Rose and both of them stopped in the doorway, sensing the weird vibe as well.  It gave Dean a chance to study Rose, to see if Charlie had been right that maybe the trip had done her some good.  “Live like there is no midnight” her sweatshirt proclaimed underneath a shoe, a carriage and a girl in a dress -Cinderella his brain filled in.  She looked more together than he’d seen her lately, her hair neatly in two braids, her clothes actually looking like she hadn’t slept in them.  He missed her in her cute little dresses he thought idly but this was definitely an improvement.  She was still pale, still too thin and she looked unbelievably nervous but it was a start like Charlie said.  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen anything aside from anger or apathy on her face so while nervousness wasn’t what he wanted to see at least it was a change.  She and Charlie were both watching Lily until Charlie caught sight of Dean and pulled Rose over to the table.

Rose was on edge.  Whatever was going on here felt weird and wrong.  Lily’s back was ramrod straight, her nerves so frayed you could practically see them.  Rose's first instinct was to run, to get out of the room before this went badly.  But Charlie had talked her into coming, saying it was important to Lily so she reluctantly took a seat at the table.  She wound up next to the wall across from Dean who gave her a smile when she sat down.

“Hey,” he said softly and she glanced up at him.  There was so much on her face so fast he couldn’t catch it all.  She gave him a small, tremulous smile then nervously glanced back at Lily who was dishing up what looked like some kind of pasta into bowls.

Sam put a platter containing some kind of bread in the middle of the table.  “Sorry, guys,” he said softly before hurrying back to Lily’s side.

The table’s occupants stared at the “bread” with mixed expressions of concern and confusion.  Maybe at one time it had been bread.  Now it looked like a pile of black bricks that would make better weapons than food.

Lily came over then with bowls in hand, Sam behind her holding even more.  “I made ravioli,” Lily said, a brittle smile plastered on her face.  “Everyone likes ravioli, right?” Charlie and Dean gave murmurs of agreement while Rose just watched her sister with a worried look in her eye.  Once all the plates had been served Lily and Sam sat down as well.  It was unnaturally quiet then, like everyone was here because they’d been told to be but no one had gotten any instructions beyond that.

Everyone seemed to be studying the food.  Dean poked at a ravioli in his bowl that was swimming in a red sauce that was flaked with green.  It couldn’t be that bad right?  I mean how badly could a person mess up frozen pasta and sauce from a jar?

“Everybody eat up,” Lily encouraged, though Rose noticed she wasn’t eating any herself.  “The bread got a little overdone but it’s still good.”  Lily grabbed a piece of bread and took a bite, made a face and quickly put it down on her plate.

“So you went to see Chastity,” Lily said suddenly, staring at her sister.  Rose frowned and nodded her head.  “I heard you ate when you were there so I figured I’d make you dinner tonight.”

Rose was staring down at her plate.  Lily sounded weird and this whole situation was just strange.  Since when did Lily even attempt to cook?  Everyone at the table looked miserable, like they'd been forced to this dinner at gunpoint.

Dean meanwhile had worked up the nerve to take a bite.  He had an iron stomach; he figured he could take anything.  What he didn’t have was iron teeth and he practically chipped one on the still semi frozen ravioli.  Then the heat from the sauce hit him and he was grabbing for a glass of water.

“Right, so why aren’t you eating?” Lily demanded, her gaze fixed determinedly on Rose.

“She’s not eating because this tastes like shit,” Dean finally managed to gasp out after downing the entire glass.  Lily started to say something angrily in response and Dean cut her off, “What’s in the sauce?” he demanded, his voice hoarse.

“It was bland,” Lily said with a wave of her hand.  “I added some peppers to spice it up.”  Sam looked at Lily in dismay.

“Lil, I told you the sauce was fine-”

Lily cut him off with a wave of her hand.  “It was boring tasting, Sam.”

“What peppers?” Dean demanded of Lily and she got up and brought over a jar from the countertop slamming them down in front of him.  Dean looked the jar over and laughed.  “Oh you spiced it up all right.  These are ghost peppers, the hottest peppers known to man.”

"Oh come on, it can't be that spicy," Lily scoffed, sitting back down. She finally took a taste herself then immediately grabbed for a glass of water.  “Oh my God!"

Sam got up to get glasses of milk for everyone one who had dared try the sauce.  Lily and Dean drank them down and Sam was thinking maybe he’d try suggesting they go out to eat when Lily suddenly turned on Rose.  And everything she’s been holding in seemed to just pour out of her.

“What’s wrong with you?” she demanded.  “I try to talk to you and you won’t listen.  You’ll go off and talk to some, some stranger I don’t even know but you won’t talk to me.  It’s like your family doesn’t even matter to you.  I don’t even know who you are anymore.”

Rose looked as startled as if Lily had slapped her.  “She’s not a stranger.  She’s my friend.  And she understands what I went through.”  And it suddenly occurred to Rose why it was so much harder being here.  Lily.  She didn’t understand what she’d gone through, she couldn’t comprehend it.  The boys had both given her time knowing she needed it but Lily had struggled to do that right from the first.

“ _I_ don’t know her.  She’s a stranger to me,” Lily shot back.  Sam put a hand over Lily's to try to calm her down and she angrily brushed him off.   “You shouldn’t be talking to people outside of the family about any of this, Rose.  You see what happens.”

“What did you say?” Rose asked, getting to her feet slowly and Dean felt the entire room hold its breath as the plates in front of them all rattled.  Except Lily.  Lily was in her own stratosphere tonight and she gave no fucks whatsoever.

“You told her about us, about your powers and demons and look what happened to her.  You almost got her killed.”

“So you’re saying it’s my fault,” Rose demanded.  Her face hardened and Dean saw the start Charlie had mentioned disappear.

“You put her in danger so yeah, it’s your fucking fault,” Lily shot back, standing up. ”She’s a normal every day kind of person.  She shouldn’t be involved in this.”  The chair Lily had been sitting in rose and crashed to the ground, completely ignored by both sisters.  Dean figured a volcano could have erupted in the middle of the kitchen and neither one of them would noticed. 

“Well that normal every day person held off a demon to try and save me,” Rose snapped.  “I’d like to see you try and do that.”

“You should have never shown up on her door,” Lily said.  “You should have stayed right here like you were supposed to.”

Rose laughed.  “Oh that’s rich coming from you.  When have you ever done one thing you were supposed to?  You’re not in charge of my life, Lily.”  Rose moved towards Lily so they were standing directly across from each other now.

“Hey girls,” Sam interjected.  “Why don’t you both calm down before-”

Both girls whirled on him in unison.  “Shut up, Sam!”  Dean couldn’t help but look at Sam knowingly.  “Don’t get in the middle of them,” he mouthed to Sam.  Sam knew better.  Charlie looked worried so Dean reached out and patted her shoulder reassuringly.  He didn't like this but unless it got physical there was no way he getting in the middle of them.

“Well someone sure needs to be in charge of your life because you are a train wreck,” Lily said, turning back to Rose.  "You've fucked everything up!"

“You think I don't know that?" Rose shook her head.

"Why can't you just get over what happened?" Lily asked and Dean's eyes widened and his jaw clenched.  This time it was Sam reminding Dean to stay out of it with a shake of his head.

"You think I don't want to?" Rose asked.  "When was the last time you were tortured, Lily?” Rose asked, clenching her fists by her sides.  “When was the last time someone tied you up and cut you?”

Lily blanched at that image but pressed on.  “I just think-”

“Were you ever choked till you passed out?” Rose interrupted.  “Ever waken up in a pool of your own blood?  How about watching someone you love do that to you and knowing they can’t control it?  That it’s hurting them as much as it’s hurting you?”

“Rose, I-” It seemed to be dawning on Lily that what she’d said had stirred up a lot in Rose.

“Or how about hearing all the very worst things you can imagine about yourself?  That obviously you weren’t important enough to teach to take care of yourself so the people who were supposed to love you, they really didn’t.”  Lily let out a gasp at that but Rose continued.  “Or how about hearing that you’re actually the worst kind of person and that things happen-”

Rose cut herself off and Dean knew with a sudden clarity that whatever she hadn’t said, what she’d started to say and hadn't finished, that was the very root of her pain.  After a second Rose continued.

“I can’t control my powers at all.  And my head hurts all the time, Lily,” Rose said, getting right up in Lily’s personal space and Dean was thinking him and Sam having to get between them was looking like a real possibility.  He glanced at Sam and with a nod he knew he was thinking the same and was ready.  Neither of the girls was backing down and Dean just hoped it didn't come to that.  God knows they’d done enough damage to each other with just their words.  “And not just a normal, run of the mill headache but like hot knives are being pushed into my nerves.  Unless I take so much of mom’s potion that I’m a zombie.  Those are my two choices – pain and out of control powers or be a zombie.”  She stared into Lily’s eyes and a noise caught the attention of everyone else in the room, save the two sisters.  A knife that Lily had used to cut the bread with swung up in the air suddenly and sunk deep into the wooden cutting board, burying itself there.

Lily was just staring at Rose, a stunned expression on her face.  Knowing details was different than hearing them come from Rose's mouth.  Dean didn't know how Lily had thought this would go but he was fairly certain it wasn't like this.

“I’m really sorry I’m such a disappointment to you with the way I’ve handled things.  But I never had torture training.”  Rose was moving away from Lily now, towards the door.  “And I’m really sorry you don’t know who I am anymore but most days I don’t either.”

Everyone sat stunned by what had just happened, the closing of the front door seeming to jar them all from their stupor.

Dean got to his feet, shooting Lily a glare and muttering, “Great fucking job, Lily,” as he passed her exiting the kitchen.  Lily herself disappeared from the room a second later while Sam and Charlie stayed to clean up the mess that was their dinner.

* * *

Dean walked out to find Rose leaning against the trunk of the Impala, watching the stars.  He walked over and joined her silently looking up at the night sky.  She glanced at him and he knew she was waiting for him to say something.  Instead he just stood silently by her for a minute then fished his keys out and opened the back door of the Impala then he stretched a hand out to her.

"Come on."

She started, looking at his hand in confusion for a second.  Her eyes darted up to his, trying to figure out what he was thinking.  Hesitantly she slipped her hand in his and he led her to the backseat, slipping inside and tugging her in after him.  "Shut the door," he commanded once she was in and with another slight hesitation she did as he said.  Dean stretched out on the seat and pulled her towards him.  "Come here," he said, in the same no nonsense tone, tugging her so she lay nestled between his side and the back seat.

"Why would you want to be near me?" Rose asked, sitting up to look at him, her confusion clear in her voice.  "All I do is hurt you.  How can you not be mad at me?"

Dean chuckled darkly.  "Oh trust me, I'm mad.  I'm plenty mad.  And once you're back on your feet, once we're all settled down and we're back where we should be, we will have a very long, very serious conversation about your behavior, little girl and just how we're going to deal with it."  She blinked, her mind reeling back to the only other time he'd used that name with her. "I'm confident that by the time we're done...”  He paused ominously, shooting her a dark smile. “-Talking…you'll understand just how unacceptable your behavior was." His hand ghosted down to her bottom just for a second and then it was gone, back up to her waist and he caught her eye, his voice a low growl when he said "You might just rethink how fun you think spankings are by the time we're done." Rose’s eyes widened and she felt a chill go down her spine at his words and the look in his eye.  If she'd doubted if he was still angry at her for running away she had absolutely no doubt now.  That was barely restrained, simmering anger in his eyes.  The only other time he'd ever called her little girl has been when she'd bit him, after the incident with Daisy's vision.  He'd threatened to spank her then too.  But he wouldn't, not for real...right?   Looking up into his eyes now Rose realized she wasn't so sure about that.

She summoned up the false bravado that had been her shield these past few weeks.  "You seem pretty sure everything will be just fine, that we'll work things out and I won't be an eternal basket case."

Dean squeezed her waist gently.  "Patience." At Rose's confused look he explained.  "If all this has taught me nothing else it's patience.   Hell, we spent how many years building up to a relationship?  If that didn’t teach me patience nothing will.  You may be the one thing in this whole damn world I can actually be patient for."  Rose was at a loss for words at this and Dean tugged her back down.  "Right now you're hurting, really hurting and that trumps my anger.  Now, talk.  Tell me."

"Tell you what?" Rose asked irritably.  She was trying not to relax against him, not to meld herself against his side but it was hard.  She missed him.  Living with him but not being with him was killing her and her body was not buying into this keeping him at a distance stuff.  She missed his touch, missed touching him and right now she was physically aching for him.  His touch always made her feel better and it had been way too long since Rose had felt anything but bad.

"No more games, Rose," Dean said, his voice softer now, the anger gone, though it was no less demanding.  "You started to say it in there, what's been eating at you for weeks.  Now tell me."

Rose rested her head against Dean's chest, unable to resist.  He was so close and it felt so good just to lie against him, to feel his arms wrapped around her like she was the same person she had been a month ago.  "I can't," she said softly.

"You can," Dean said, squeezing her waist again.  "And you will."  His voice was gentle but there was a thread of steel underneath.  He wasn't backing off this time.  She needed to talk.

"God, you're bossy," she muttered.

"It's been said," Dean said mildly.  “And sometimes you need me to be.”  Rose snorted but didn't argue.  "I promise whatever it is I've heard worse," Dean said his voice still strong but gentle, coaxing her into sharing. "Hell, I've probably done worse."

"I doubt that," Rose said, chewing on her thumb.  Dean reached down and gently pulled her hand away from her mouth, entwined his fingers with hers and lay back to wait her out.  On any given day he couldn't say who the more stubborn of the two of them was.  But this time he knew she wanted to tell him and more importantly she needed to.  Whatever it was that she was keeping in it was tearing her apart so he was determined to out stubborn her.  They weren't leaving this car till she told him.

They lay there in silence for close to half an hour before Rose gave a sigh and quietly started to speak.

"Aine talked a lot when she wasn't...wasn't hurting me and sometimes when she was." Dean heard her voice waver and he shut his eyes, the idea of what she went through still unbearable to him.  He stroked her back soothingly.

"She said that her sister, the one who’s not trapped, that she wanted me watched."  Dean closed his eyes, afraid that he knew where this was going. "Twelve kids, from the time I was five till I was sixteen," Dean remembered her telling him that sixteen was when she'd had her first vision. He felt dampness on his shirt and realized Rose was crying silently as she talked.  "She had demons possess them and try to get near me.  They couldn't get into our house because of the wards my dad had up so they tried at school and at the park and Girl Scouts."  She was trembling now, the tears flowing freely down her face and Dean continued stroking her back, knowing she had to get this out.  "Every time they failed, when they didn't get her any information she felt was valuable enough she killed them.  Maybe not right away but eventually."  Dean winced, taking in a deep breath.  He wished he could bring back that damn demon from the dead all over again so he could have the pleasure of killing her himself.  There had been no reason to tell Rose any of this except to make her suffer.  The demon had certainly done a good job of that. "Aine said her sister has a temper, that this was her equivalent of a tantrum."  Rose laughed somewhat shrilly.  "It's always good to know the demon who wants you has a short fuse."  She was quite for a few seconds then said, "All but one of them she killed.  Some of them she killed their whole families.  One girl, I don't know what she told her but she didn't kill her.  She tortured her till she lost her mind.  She's been in a mental hospital every since.  I don't know if that was a gift or a punishment.  I mean, would you rather be dead or be crazy?"  Rose gave that same near hysterical laugh again.  "It feels like I'm going to find out so I'll let you know."

Dean wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly as she cried, rocking her slightly.  After her tears finally slowed she looked up at him and Dean had never seen sadder eyes in his life.  That spark that had always brought a surge of joy to Dean was nowhere to be seen.

"I knew them all, Dean.  She, she carved their names into my skin." Dean called up every ounce of strength he had not to visibly wince at this, not wanting her to see how that idea hurt him, to add any more pain to her. "She said their names to me while she did and I knew them all.  Some were my friends, some I went to school with, some I only vaguely knew, neighborhood kids we played with."  She was quiet for a few seconds, staring at his chest then looking back up at him.  "But I slept over at Sally's, she's the one who survived, I slept at her house so many times in seventh grade."  She was twisting her free hand in his t-shirt nervously as she spoke.  "She had long blond hair and she'd just gotten her ears pierced.  We sat by each other in English and were always getting in trouble for passing notes.  She was my friend, Dean and now she's locked up, out of her mind because of me."  She looked down at his chest for a second then back up at him. "I looked all of them up.  Twenty seven, counting the parents and brothers and sisters, counting Ryan I'm responsible for twenty eight deaths."  She lay her head back down on his chest and more tears came and Dean let her cry, rocking her some more.  Finally when her tears had slowed Dean spoke.

"No you're not," he said firmly.  Rose opened her mouth and Dean shook his head, saying gently, "Listen."  He smoothed her hair back from her face gently, looking into her eyes as he started to talk.  "None of those deaths are on you.  You did nothing wrong, did nothing to cause their deaths.  That's on a twisted fucking demon, not you."  He saw her jaw set stubbornly.  "You know why my mom was killed," he said, not a question.  Rose drew her brows together in confusion but nodded, obviously surprised.  His mother’s death wasn’t something he usually chose to talk about. "If you're to blame for those lives then do you blame Sam for my mom’s death?"

Rose drew in a sharp breath.  "No, of course not!  But Dean-"

"No but Dean.  It can't be both ways.  You had as much control over this as Sammy did our mom dying."  Dean cupped her face in his hands.  "It's not your fault, Baby."  He could see she was struggling with this, so sure it was on her but unable to argue with his logic.  Knowing he had said all he could for now but fairly certain he had said enough to sink in he settled back, pulling her so she was lying partially on top of him.  God, he missed lying with her like this.

Unable to argue with his logic Rose stared up at him.  She wasn't ready to let go of her guilt entirely, sure it was hers somehow but maybe she could just set it aside for a little bit. "Are we going to go back inside?" she asked quietly.

"Not yet," Dean said, his eyes closed.

"Why not?" Rose asked her voice softer than he had heard it in what felt like ages.  In fact she sounded more like the Rose he knew, the note of anger missing as well as the drugged, detached tone he'd heard so often the past few weeks.

"Because once we go inside you won't let me hold you like this," Dean said, opening his eyes and meeting hers.  He reached out and smoothed her hair back again.  "And right now I think we both need this."  Dean closed his eyes before she could respond.  He held his breath, unsure if she would insist on going in or not.

Rose bit her lip, fighting with herself.  She had been trying so hard to do the right thing, to keep herself distant, to hold herself apart so that whenever it was possible she could leave so she wasn't putting anyone she loved at risk.  But God that was killing her, ripping her heart apart a little every day and she knew it was hurting everyone else too. And she didn’t want to leave; she didn’t want to be out on her own again.  Dean deserved so much better than her, of that she was sure.  But she was so tired and tonight after her meltdown on Lily and her confession to Dean she was emotionally drained.  She didn't want to pull away and be strong on her own.  She wanted comfort.  She wanted to stay here with the one person whose mere presence alone soothed her.  Even if he didn’t say anything her body recognized Dean and took solace in him; it saw him as a safe haven.  So for the first time in a long time Rose gave in.  With a deep breath she laid her head back down, cuddled against Dean and allowed herself to melt against him like her body wanted to.

In the darkness Dean smiled as his heart swelled at having his girl back in his arms.  He knew this wasn't a done deal, knew that once they went back inside she would most likely be keeping her distance again.  But it was a start, a crack in the wall she'd built around herself and now he knew a few things too.

He knew what had been causing her the most pain and now that she'd told him maybe she could slowly start to heal.  He knew she hadn't denied that they would be together again, hadn't even argued with him when he said he planned to punish her for running away.  Reaching in the back window Dean pulled down a blanket and covered them both with it and Rose didn't offer up any protest, just settled against him, nestling her head under his chin.  Most importantly Dean knew that despite what she said she wanted to be in his arms.  She wanted him to touch her and that was something Dean could work with.


	50. Don't Know What's Down This Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh the games people play in dungeons

After Sam and Charlie cleaned up the mess in the kitchen Charlie headed to bed.  Sam wanted to give Lily time to calm down before they talked.  Rose and Dean had been gone a long time, he thought. Curious as to where they had gone he went and looked out the bunker door, figuring he'd find the Impala gone.  He'd figured Dean might have gone for a drive, maybe coaxing Rose to go with him.  He was surprised to find it still there.  Moving out into the night he peered into the backseat and was pleasantly surprised by what he saw.  Dean was in the backseat with Rose curled up against him lying on his chest, the two of them entwined under a blanket, sound asleep.  Dean's arms were wrapped tightly around her and Rose had her head nestled under his chin.  They looked content, like they were where they belonged - like they always did when they were together.  Dean might tease him about the whole Romeo and Juliet thing but there had always been a sense of destiny surrounding the two of them.  This last month had just felt wrong not seeing them together.  Sam grinned as he let himself back into the bunker.  Maybe Lily's breakdown had accomplished some good after all.

* * *

"I just need some time," Daisy was saying, in a calm voice.

Cas looked her over.  Sitting on a bluff overlooking the deepest canyon in Arizona was not where Cas had imagined himself talking to Daisy.  But it had been where he'd found her when she'd called him.  Wearing jeans and a t-shirt that for some odd reason proclaimed iFly (Cas just got images of Daisy being thrown in the air when he checked and that just left him feeling disconcerted.). and sitting with her legs crossed Daisy looked unflustered by what had happened.  A quick glance at her mind revealed the exact opposite and Cas felt a wave of guilt wash over him.  Not wanting to make things worse Cas nodded agreeably.

"I understand that, Daisy." Cas hesitated, remembering what Dean had told him. "Does this mean you aren't ready to talk?"

Daisy nodded, looking regretful.  "I need time to think." Cas wanted to point out that she'd had several days but he held back.  He had messed up, he knew that.  If being patient was part of what he had to do to fix things he could do that.  "I promise it won't be much longer," Daisy promised.  She hesitated then said, "I do need to ask you one thing though."

"Anything," Cas said eagerly, pleased to be able to do something to hopefully help.

Daisy bit her lip nervously and fidgeted with her rings.  "What you said to me," Cas looked at her curiously and Daisy gave a deep sigh.  "When you said you liked me." Daisy looked up at him, her eyes showing the worry she was trying so hard not to broadcast.  "Did you really mean that?"

Cas stared at her in surprise.  Hadn't he been clear?  He'd kissed her, he'd told her.  _Yeah, but Cas man, you lied to her._  Cas frowned wondering when he'd gotten an inner voice that sounded like Dean.  That was disturbing...and reassuring.  Dean would know how to make this right.  Dean had said on more than one occasion that sometimes you just needed to act, to quit thinking so much and go with your gut.  Looking at Daisy who continued to watch him with a hopeful but guarded expression Cas shut his mind off and let his emotions take charge for once.  He reached down and grabbing Daisy by the elbows he hauled her to her feet, pulling her body flush against his.  He wrapped his arms around her tightly and looking into those beautiful eyes that had gotten wider he smiled.  Her lips had parted in surprise at his actions and as Cas leaned down he took advantage of that fact.  His lips swept over hers, his tongue pushing between them, stroking and enticing and all out declaring his feelings.  Daisy's arms clutched at his chest for a second before winding around his neck.  Daisy let out a soft moan into his mouth and Cas deepened the kiss, needing her to feel, to know without a doubt that this was real.  There was nothing playful or teasing about the kiss.  It was a claiming, a bold statement of intent.  Cas wanted no questions about how he felt in Daisy's mind.  Daisy's body was soft and pliable against his and as Cas felt his body respond to the feeling he knew from Daisy's soft whine into his mouth that she'd felt it too.

When he finally pulled his mouth from hers both of them were breathing heavy.  Daisy looked stunned, her lips swollen and cheeks flushed.  Cas thought she’d never looked more beautiful.  Her eyes met his and Cas felt a rush of pleasure go through him at the look he saw there. Cas didn't want to stop, he wanted to kiss her more, to see what other soft noises he could pull from her with his mouth and hands.  But he'd said he'd give her time.

So he took a step back and cleared his throat.  "When I said I liked you I may have grossly understated my feelings." Daisy looked at him and Cas could see her catch her breath.  He reached out and touched her face lightly.  "You're everything to me, Daisy."  

And before Daisy could question him further he was gone.

Daisy put a tentative hand to her lips, still feeling his kiss there.  She’d never been kissed like that in her life.  After a second she smiled to herself.  She couldn't have hoped for a better answer.

* * *

Sam had checked their room, the library and all the rooms on the main floor of the bunker.  He hadn't found Lily anywhere.  Finally he gave up and texted her.  A few seconds later he headed towards the lower levels.

"Lil?" He asked, pushing the door open to the dungeon.  He saw her once he had the door fully open, sitting cross legged on the table in the middle of the room.  "What are you doing in here, Darling?"

Lily shrugged, turning her phone over in her hand.  "I was wandering.  I found this room."

"You OK?" He asked, coming forward cautiously.  Lily looked shut down.   She wasn't crying which Sam had half expected.  She didn't look mad which he would have understood.  She just looked done.

Lily shrugged and Sam reached out and gently stroked her hair back from her face but Lily kept her eyes on her phone, turning it over and over.  Finally after a minute Sam tipped her chin up gently.

"Talk to me, please."

"Why do we have to talk?" Lily asked with a scowl.  "I mean what's there to say?"

"Plenty," Sam said.

Lily gave him a look and setting her phone aside she reached her arms up around his neck.  "I'm sick of talking," she said. "I'm sick of words and feelings and everything being complicated."  Lily stretched up and putting her lips near his ear Lily said in a husky voice, "We're in a room with all these pretty chains, Sammy.  Is talking really the only activity you can think of?"  She pulled back and smiled at Sam with the smile that always meant trouble.  Sam hesitated.  He scanned her face, trying to judge what the best move was here.  He knew Lily was upset, knew they needed to talk but getting Lily to talk when she wasn't ready never worked.  And by the fact that she was kicking her shoes off and oh there went her shirt, she definitely didn't have talking in mind.

OK Sam, he said to himself.  There’s a gorgeous girl sitting in front of you in just a pair of jeans, and wait nope, she just pulled those off too.  OK try again, there’s a hot woman in front of you in just scraps of lace.  Do you really want to talk?  If there was ever a no brainer this was definitely it.  He gave Lily an assessing look, then walked over to the door and shut it.  Lily needed an outlet and Sam knew one that worked even better than words with Lily.

He walked back towards Lily with a smiled and pulled her towards him. “I don’t really trust you around chains, Lily.” One hand splayed across her back and the other swooped down under her hips, lifting her against him suddenly.  Her legs wrapped around him and he carried her and pressed her up against the wall.

Lily was giving him her best innocent look which wasn’t even in the same neighborhood as innocent.  “Sam, I can’t believe you don’t trust me,” she cooed, rubbing against him.

Sam laughed, reaching out and locking his lips on hers.  Their lips parted and tongues dueled for dominance, sparks of arousal flying between them.  Sam pulled away and slid Lily’s legs to the ground, his hand slipping up her back to quickly unclasp her bra.  He drew it down her arms and tossed it over his shoulder.

“You Miss,” he said as his hands came up to hold her breasts, “Are a very, very bad girl.”  His fingers pinched her nipples sharply and Lily cried out, arching her back.  “Luckily, that’s my favorite kind.”  Sam reached out a hand and grasped one of her wrists, holding it to the wall and quickly snapped one of the cuffs to it.  He repeated the movement with her other wrist and smiled a wicked smile at the picture of her before him, chained to the wall in nothing save for a pair of black lace panties.  “But you do need to be taught a lesson,” Sam said regretfully, as if this was the worst possible task imaginable.

“I do?” Lily asked her voice husky with need already.  Sam straightened to his full height, resting a hand against the wall above her head and leaning over her, towering over her and Lily felt a shiver go through her.  How the hell did he do that, make one small movement seem so sexy?  If any other guy had even thought about trying this with her she would have kicked the shit out of them.  He was intimidating like this and Lily couldn’t believe how hot it was.

“Oh you definitely do,” Sam purred, dragging a finger over her lips.”

“What…what lesson am I learning?” Lily asked as Sam’s finger moved over her neck before slowly moving down to her breasts.  He traced both in turn, grinning as she caught her breath.  He loved how sensitive her breasts were and he stopped there for a few minutes, tracing one nipple then the next, barely a whisper of a touch and Lily was whining at him for more.

“Hmm, there’s so many to choose from,” Sam said moving onto her waist.  He skipped from there to her thighs, missing all the important parts in between and Lily whined again.  “We could start with not whining,” Sam said, quirking an eyebrow at her, “But then again I kind of like the way you whine when you want me to touch you.”

Sam pulled over a chair and took a seat, pulling one of Lily’s legs up to rest on his thigh.  He trailed a finger from her ankle, slowly up her leg.

“You could do with learning some patience,” Sam said, his finger caressing the back of her knee making Lily squirm.  “And maybe some self control.”  Sam grinned suddenly in an evil, dark way that most people would never see on his face.  Soft, sweet Sammy had left the building and in his place was the man who made Lily come till she saw stars.  “Though let’s be honest here, beautiful.  You aren’t in control are you?”  His voice was a low, smooth purr and Lily found herself writhing just from the tone.  His hand drug up her thigh, long fingers tracing around the edges of the lace.  “Who’s in control here, Lily?”

“Sam,” Lily whined, trying to move her hips to get his touch where she wanted it.

“Good answer, Sweetheart!” Sam said proudly, winking at her when she glared at him half heartedly.  “And here I thought it would be a challenge getting you to admit that.”  He dropped her leg and stood up, once again towering over her.  “That turns you on, doesn’t it, Lily?  Not calling the shots, being chained to the wall at the complete mercy of me.”  Sam reached out and nipped her earlobe.  “You can admit it, Baby.  Come on, I know you’re dripping, just desperate for me to touch you….here…”  Sam’s fingers ghosted over the small piece of fabric just at her center and Lily’s hips jerked instinctively.

"Sam," Lily whined, "Stop teasing.  I need...." her words trailed off as Sam hooked his fingers in the fabric and tugged them off of her in one quick movement.

"What do you need, Lil?" Sam asked, his eyes locked on her face as he drug his fingers over her thighs.  Tormenting and teasing her and then drawing back from her completely and making her shriek in protest.

"Sam!"

"Hmm?" He asked sounding as disinterested as if they were discussing the weather.

"Stop teasing!" She demanded her eyes snapping fiercely at him.

Sam chuckled.  "Oh I don't think you're in any position to be telling me what to do, Miss." Sam reached out suddenly, gripping her hair and pulling her head back.  He bent down and drug his teeth over the soft skin of her neck. "In fact if this mouth of yours doesn't get just a little less bossy and a whole lot sweeter I might just have to find something to put in it to shut you up." Sam watched as a shiver went through Lily's whole body and her cheeks flushed dramatically.  He’d remembered how she'd reacted to him threatening to gag her before.  "Oh you'd like that though wouldn't you, Lil?" He asked, licking his way down her neck.  "Bad girl."  His teeth nipped at the side of her neck and Lily let out a moan as his fingers trailed down toward her breasts again.  "So it makes me wonder, what exactly turns you on so much about that idea?" His fingers brushed over her nipples and Lily's whole body jerked. "Is it the idea of having to be quiet?" His fingers pinched and tweaked the sensitive buds and Lily moaned. "I don't think that's it because God knows you hate being quiet." Sam's fingers were stroking her nipples softly now, then pinching, then stroking and Lily felt as if her entire body was on fire.  "Maybe it's because you couldn't argue with me, but you always seem to enjoy that," Sam mused.  Pinch, stroke, pinch, stroke.  Lily felt her whole body tightening.  If Sam didn't stop soon.... Sam leaned his head towards her ear, his words and breath brushing against the delicate skin as his fingers kept up their torment. "Or maybe, just maybe it's because I could do any nasty, wicked thing I wanted to you and you couldn't do a single thing about it." Sam pinched hard and Lily eyes flew shut at explosions went off behind her eyelids and her whole jerked as her orgasm ripped through her.

She swore the whole world actually fucking spun.  It took her a few minutes to catch her breath, to feel like things had stopped spinning. Finally she opened her eyes to find Sam grinning at her wickedly, a look of pure cockiness on his face.

"Told you I could make you come like that," he said with a smirk.

Lily licked her lips and blinked a few times then smiled at him.  "Pretty proud of yourself, aren't you?"  Sam gave a happy nod of his head and Lily giggled.  She glanced up at her still shackled wrists.  "You gonna let me out of here anytime soon?"  Sam grinned at her and shook his head.

"Oh no, I'm not done with you yet, Darling."  Lily watched as Sam stripped his shirts off and leaned back against the table, watching her.

"What ya doin', Sam?" Lily asked.  He just grinned and dug his phone out of his pocket.  "Sam..." her voice was unsure.

"You are so hot like this, Baby," Sam said as he held the phone up.  Lily hesitated a second then nodded.  As Sam took the picture he watched her blush - a rare occurrence for Lily and he was fairly sure it was due more to pleasure than embarrassment.  The image saved Sam walked towards her, palming his hard cock through his jeans.

"You're blushing, Lil," Sam said, slipping a hand around the back of her neck, his fingers stroking the sensitive skin there.

"You're taking my picture while I'm chained to a wall naked, Sam," Lily pointed out, closing her eyes at the feel of his fingers.  God, that spot was sensitive.  "And you're looking at me like you want to eat me up," Lily said with a smile.

Sam reached down and drug two fingers between her thighs, dipping between her folds and bringing them to his mouth where he sucked them clean while Lily let out a groan at the sight.

"As tasty as you are, sweetheart I was thinking more along the lines of fucking you." Sam leaned down and kissed her deep and wet then pulled back and stripped the rest of his clothes off.  He was back in front of her a minute later, lifting her legs and lining himself up with her and burying himself inside her with a deep, hard thrust.  Her legs wrapped around his hips and he rested his forehead against hers. 

“Oh fuck, Lil, you feel good,” he groaned.  Lily angled her head and caught his lips with hers and Sam moaned into her mouth as he thrust again, the feel of her around him overwhelming.  Sam lifted her a little, changing the angle of his hips and Lily moaned this time.  Sam pulled his mouth back from hers, watching her face as she closed her eyes.  Sam set a quick, hard pace, his hips snapping up quickly and Lily was clenching and unclenching her hands in her bonds, straining against them now.

"Fuck, Sam..." Lily moaned, her voice sounding wrecked.  Every thrust was pushing her closer to the edge.  She was so close now, his hips slamming into her and his cock hitting just the right spot.  One more thrust and Lily was shouting Sam's name as she came.  Her orgasm pulled his from him, a low cry leaving his lips as he spilled into her.

They came down slowly, both smiling at the other as they did.  Sam lowered Lily's legs to the ground and then unshackled her wrists.  They slipped their clothes back on slowly, shooting each other little smiles as they did.

"Better?" Sam asked, kissing the top of her head and Lily nodded.  "See what fun we can have when you give up control?"

"Only with you," Lily murmured and Sam smiled with genuine pleasure.   Lily wasn’t just saying that, he knew.  She meant it.

Lily slipped her hand into his and they headed up to their room.

"Talk?" Sam asked as he closed their door behind them and Lily shook her head.

"Tomorrow," she said, stripping her clothes off.

"Shower?" Sam asked and Lily shook her head again.

"Too tired," she said climbing under the sheets.  "Come to bed, Sam."

"Yes, Ma'am," Sam said, pulling his own clothes off, turning the light out and climbing into bed next to her.  She snuggled up against him, murmured she loved him, put a sleepy kiss on his lips and was asleep.

"Love you, Lil."  Sam shook his head, marveling at how quickly she could fall asleep.  He kissed her forehead, wrapped his arms around her and in a few minutes he was asleep as well.


	51. She Drove Herself to Madness

Dean woke up to sunlight streaming in the windows and it took a few minutes for him to remember where he was. Then he glanced down at the woman in his arms and it all came flooding back to him.  He was surprised by the fact that it was light out, that they'd actually slept the whole night out here.

 _Together, we slept out here together_ , he corrected himself.  And it had been far too long since they'd spent the night together, too long since they'd been this close to each other.  Dean smiled, loving the feel of her body on his.  It just felt right.  (Even if she was way too fucking light.) He missed this, missed falling asleep with her and waking up with her in the morning.  God, he missed way too many things way too much.  He'd gotten used to her being in his day to day life so quickly and when that changed it hit him hard, harder than he cared to admit.

Dean guarded his heart and his life closely.  When you were a hunter it was hard to trust and harder knowing anyone you let in could be gone in the blink of an eye.  Rose had always been in both but never to the extent she had been the last few months and Dean had been surprised how comfortable he'd been with it, how he'd loved having her here.

He watched Rose sleep and thought back to last night.  He'd gone on complete instinct when he'd come outside after her.  He hadn't thought out his actions, hadn’t planned, he’d just automatically slipped into the calm, commanding way that he'd instinctively known she needed.  Dean's hand automatically went to her hair, frowning when he realized that with it in braids it was difficult to play with.  He made do, running his hand down to the ends and fidgeting with the loose hair there.  He'd always been a weird combination of gentle and forceful with Rose he supposed.  How one woman could bring out the tender side of him and yet somehow make the bossier side of his personality come to the forefront he didn't know.  She made him comfortable showing the softer side he generally hid behind the more macho badass persona he displayed to the world.  He could be more vulnerable with Rose than anyone else.  Alternatively when Rose panicked or was truly upset Dean was the one who could calm her.  And even at other times he took control and more often than not Rose let him.  He’d seen her with other people, seen how she responded when most people tried to tell her what to do and it never worked.  Not to say that she didn’t argue with him and challenge him because God knows she sure as hell did that.  But Dean could get away with running things and taking charge with Rose more than anyone else.  Rose had her own set of the rules in his life; he supposed it made sense that he had his own set in hers.  Dean had never really thought about why that was or what it meant exactly until she’d run away.  Some of the directions his thoughts had gone in he was fairly sure weren’t the way most guys would think but then again they’d never been normal had they?  He’d said it last night and meant it: Sometimes Rose needed him to be bossy.  And if Dean was completely honest with himself he liked that.

 _Take care of what's yours._   Dean was sure Sam had half expected Chastity's message to piss him off but it hadn't.  He hadn't taken it as criticism, more as encouragement.  It had just confirmed what Dean knew, that Rose was his and both Rose and her closest friend knew that.  If what Sam had said about Chastity knowing intimate details about he and Rose was true then it was a good bet that belief had come straight from Rose herself and that just affirmed the fact in Dean's mind.   Dean ran his hands softly over Rose's back.  She was his and he'd be damned if he was going to lose her.

Rose moved slightly in her sleep, nuzzling against his chest, her body brushing over his and Dean bit back a moan.  God, she was so soft and warm.  He missed the physical side of their relationship so much it made him ache (some parts more than others.). The slide of her skin against his, the feel of her mouth when she kissed him, the sweet little whimper she made when he touched her.  Dean shifted uncomfortably as he felt himself grow hard.  OK picturing that really wasn't helping.  Dean closed his eyes, willing his mind to something else but instead he saw an image of Rose underneath him, her lips swollen from his kisses and her eyes dark with lust as she moved beneath him.  God, what he wouldn't do to feel those hands of hers moving over him.  OK he had to think about something else.  Go through the steps of cleaning your gun, he commanded himself, then frowned when that suddenly seemed way sexier than it should.  OK I'll just imagine I'm researching a case, he decided, pouring through dusty old books in the library, nothing sexy about that.  The library....Rose in a sexy little dress sitting on the table in front of him, smiling at him and him leaning forward and him running his hands up her thighs.  Dean gave a soft groan.  Fuck, this wasn't working at all.

Rose let out a soft noise then and Dean glanced down at her and realized she was waking up.  He shifted slightly, moving his hips away from her as much as he could without being obvious.  He watched as she blinked up at him sleepily.

"Hey," he said softly, smiling down at her.

"Hey," she said her voice rough with sleep. She looked out the window and then up at him curiously.  "We stayed out here all night?"

"Yeah, I guess we fell asleep," Dean said.  He could see her mind working away, slower than normal because it was morning and Rose was definitely not a morning person, but churning away all the same.

"I can't believe I slept," she said softly.

Dean frowned.  "You don't normally?"

Rose bit her lip and admitted, "Usually I wake up at least once with nightmares, usually more."

Dean’s frown grew.  Well that explained the circles under her eyes. Then he smiled.  “Dean Winchester, nightmare repellent,” he said, with a wink and Rose gave him a small smile.  She hadn’t pulled back from him yet and Dean was reveling in that fact (even if it wasn’t helping his jeans get any looser), soaking it up as long as it lasted.  When she put her head back down on his chest Dean felt a little ball of warmth spread through him.  He knew they weren’t fixed, had a pretty strong hunch she was going to have her wall back up soon enough.  But he knew there was a crack in that wall now and he was determined to chip away at it.  So he’d just enjoy this while he had it. He spread one hand out on her back and rubbed lazily.

For her part Rose was chewing on her thumb, turning over what happened last night in her head.  She didn’t want to think about it all, or deal with it.  She really just wanted to lay here with Dean for the rest of her life.  That sounded like a completely plausible plan.  She felt safe here in Dean’s arms, which was a problem because when he was touching her she couldn’t seem to get her defenses back up.  And she couldn’t seem to care as much as she should about that either.

After a few minutes Dean tugged on one of her braids.  “These are cute,” he said.

“Chastity’s work,” Rose murmured.  “I got told off for not taking care of my hair.”  She looked up at him in alarm suddenly, her head shooting up and her eyes wide.  “You know we-”

“-Went to Chastity’s,” Dean filled in dryly.  “Yep, I know all about your girls’ trip with Charlie.”

“Oh,” was all the response she gave and Dean considered what to say.  Should he tell her his first instinct had been to call Cas and have him zap him home so he could check on her, make sure she was OK and show her how displeased he was with her running all around the country?   “Are you mad?” Rose asked softly, pulling Dean from his thoughts.

“Why don’t we leave the subject of the list of things you’ve done to make me mad for another time?” Dean suggested with a raised eyebrow.  “It could take awhile.”  Rose bit her lip and Dean could practically see her trying to build that wall of defense up around herself.   She was fully awake now and trying to get her bearings again. Though from the look of things that wall didn't seem to be going back up too quickly, Dean thought, feeling his heart give a small leap of hope.

Dean wasn’t sure if he should suggest they go inside and leave things as they were for now or suggest they talk like he’d said they would.  Honestly neither of those suggestions was what he wanted but he had a strong feeling Rose wasn’t up for what he wanted to do.  He was pretty sure tearing each other’s clothes off and spending the day re-learning each other’s naked bodies wasn’t on the list of suggested activities to woo your traumatized girlfriend back.  And oh dear God, he’d just actually thought the word woo in his head.  Just shoot him now.

Rose was just watching him with big, wary eyes and Dean prayed he hadn’t been making faces to go along with his thoughts.  Rose started to sit up and Dean reluctantly let her go.  He watched her put her hand on the door handle and then he stopped her.  “We need to talk,” he said softly and Rose sighed but nodded and sat back.

She moved to the furthest corner of the backseat and pulled her knees up to her chest, her body language screamed self protection.  Dean covertly adjusted himself and straightened up, grabbing the blanket they had been covered with and concentrating on folding it up neatly and stashing it in the back window again then he sat back and gave Rose a small, questioning smile which she barely returned.   Dean stretched his legs out and Rose relaxed hers a little, still keeping her legs up in front of her but not so tightly.  She clasped her hands in front of her knees and Dean rested an arm on the back of the seat and studied Rose. He figured they could take this slowly, talk about some stuff now and other stuff later on.  God knows they had enough stuff to cover.  Taking a breath Dean asked one thing that was really bothering him.

“So the potion your mom made you, it’s not working?”  Rose shook her head.  “For how long?  How long has it been not controlling your powers?” he clarified and he saw Rose think about it.

“Um, for a few weeks,” Rose said, thinking back.  “It worked pretty good for the first week and then the headaches got worse and-”

“Wait, are you telling me that it only worked for about a week?” Dean asked his disbelief clear in his voice.  Rose nodded mutely.  “And you didn’t think maybe you should mention this to someone?”  Rose shrugged and Dean leaned his head back against the window for a second.  “Jesus, Rose.”  He was counting to ten, then twenty because God he wanted to yell at her now.  She hadn’t said anything.  Why hadn't she said anything? OK, be honest here, Dean.  You want to fucking spank her because what the hell was she thinking?  God, did she have no concern for herself?  Taking another breath Dean realized this explained why she’d been overusing the potion at least.  Finally feeling calm enough to look at her again Dean took a deep breath and raised his head.  “Right, OK well I’m going to talk to your mom and see what she can do.  Charlie said the wine helped when you were at Chastity’s?”  Rose nodded meekly, obviously aware that Dean was not at all pleased with her answer.  “She has some idea about that she wants to run by your mom,” Dean said, reaching out and snagging one of Rose's feet and pulling it down so her leg was against his.  She blinked in surprise but didn’t protest and Dean smiled at that, resting a hand on her ankle.  “We’ll talk about the rest of that later,” he said in a darker voice that had Rose glancing at him nervously.  He was moving on then before she could say anything else.  He didn’t trust what he’d do if she did.

“Charlie said your trip to Chastity’s was good, that she thought it did you some good to talk to her,” Dean said, watching Rose’s face closely.   Gotta remember to take things slowly, he reminded himself.  Despite the fact they’d slept in each other’s arms Dean wanted to make sure Rose was OK with being touched again.  He hadn’t missed that she’d kept herself physically distant from everyone and he figured it could take her a little bit to get comfortable again.  So small steps, baby steps really Dean thought, get her used to being touched again.  He could do that.

“Yeah, it was,” Rose said.  “Don’t be mad at Charlie for taking me, Dean, please.”  Dean startled at that.  She sounded so much like herself when she said that, more concerned about him being upset with Charlie than anything else.  “She was just trying to do what was best and I talked her into going.”

“She obviously has the Sammy disease of not being able to say no to you,” Dean muttered and he saw Rose’s eyes flick to his and he could almost see the comment on the tip of her tongue.  He gave her a second but when no comment was forthcoming he went on.  “I’m not mad at her.  I was,” he clarified.  “But we talked, we’re good.”  He hesitated then taking a chance he asked, “Can you understand why I hate the idea of you going there though?  Why it makes my heart stop in my chest?”  Rose nodded, biting her lip and glancing up at him, her face awash with guilt and Dean gave a sigh of relief.  He wasn’t trying to make her feel guilty but he needed to know that she got why he felt so strongly about it.  At least she got it.  Dean reached out and squeezed her ankle and Rose gave him a small smile.   Rose looked down for a minute, chewing nervously on her thumb.  Then she glanced up at Dean and asked,

“You’re gonna tell them, aren’t you?”  And Dean knew instantly what she meant and nodded.

“I need to, Sweetheart, they need to know.”  He watched as she tried desperately to bring back that apathetic mask she’d worn all these weeks and failed.  Her eyes filled with tears and she looked at him beseechingly.

“They’ll hate me, Dean.  They’ll blame me.  Look how Lily was last night and she doesn’t even know.” Tears rolled down her cheeks and Dean felt his heart clench.

He reached out and pulled her onto his lap.  “So Rule Number One,” he said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tightly against his chest.  “If you cry I get to hold you.”

Rose blinked in confusion and looked up at him.  “What?”

“I can’t watch you cry and not hold you,” Dean explained, brushing tears off her face gently with his thumb.  “I’m physically incapable of it.”  Dean rubbed a hand soothingly over her back.  “They won’t hate you,” he said.

“They will,” she argued in a pitiful voice.

“They won’t,” Dean argued back, his tone firm and sure.  “They know about demons.  They'll understand that you had no say in what happened.  You didn't even know it was happening, Baby.”  Dean shook his head thinking back to Lily’s behavior last night.  “And last night isn’t ever going to happen again.  I don’t have a fucking clue what was going on with your sister but it happens again and I’m stepping in.”

Dean held her for a bit longer, taking comfort in the fact that he comforted her and then finally he suggested they go inside.  Though honestly he could have just stayed there for the rest of his life holding her and been perfectly fine.

When they got out of the car to go inside Dean reached his hand out palm side up, offering it to her, hoping she'd take it as she had so often in the past.  Rose stared at it hesitantly for just a second and then glancing up at him she slipped her hand into his.  Dean squeezed it and gave her a smile.  Small steps, one small crack at a time he thought to himself.  That’s the way a war is won.

* * *

Sam woke before Lily and let her sleep while he went to go get some coffee.  It was early and he figured she’d probably be asleep for awhile yet.  He knew they needed to talk but that would go better if she was rested.  He made his way to the kitchen and turned the coffee pot on and sat at the counter waiting for it to be done.  He glanced up when he heard a pair of soft voices in the hallway and watched as Dean and Rose passed by.  He couldn’t make out what they were saying but the direction they came from made it obvious they must have just come in from the car.  And he couldn’t help but notice they were holding hands.  Sam smiled at that, knowing it was a good sign.  A few minutes after they passed Dean appeared in the doorway.  He nodded at Sam and joined him at the counter on coffee watch.  Sam studied his brother covertly while they waited.  He was definitely wearing the same clothes he’d had on yesterday.  He seemed different, better, Sam thought.  The last few weeks he’d been dark and pretty bleak when Sam saw him, drinking more and eating less - classic signs of Dean being really unhappy.  Now he seemed motivated and energetic.  Like he had a purpose, which Sam realized he did.  He was focused on Rose, helping her heal and getting her back to herself.

Sam cleared his throat and asked, “So am I seeing things or did you and Rose just come in from spending the night in the Impala?”  Dean looked at him curiously and Sam said, “I may have gone looking for you two last night.”

Dean smiled.  “Yeah, I just figured I could calm her down and we could talk.  We wound up falling asleep.  No, I mean actually sleeping, Sam,” he said, when his brother grinned mischievously at him.  The coffee pot finished and Dean got up to pour them both cups.  After they had both gotten a shot of caffeine in their systems he said, “So I know what’s been eating at her all this time.”  And he proceeded to fill Sam in on what Rose had told him about the children that were killed.  He watched Sam’s face closely, seeing nothing there but empathy and understanding there like he’d known he would.

“Oh God, that’s awful,” Sam said.  “No wonder she’s been so wrecked.”

“She’s convinced you all will hate her once you know,” Dean said, taking another sip of coffee.

Sam shook his head.  “Why the hell would she think that?”

Dean shrugged.  “Probably because she blames herself and figures everyone else will too.”

Sam shook his head again then he glanced at Dean.  “She seemed a bit more like herself last night, didn’t she?”

Dean nodded.  “Well until Lily went into a nuclear meltdown on her.  What the holy fuck was that about?”

“No idea,” Sam said.  “I’ll talk to Lily later and see what’s going on with her.  That was…weird.”

“I am never ever eating anything your girlfriend makes again,” Dean announced.  “That was hands down the most disgusting thing I’ve ever tasted.”  He took a sip of coffee then added, “I thought maybe she was trying to pull a Jim Jones on us and kill us all.”

“I miss _your_ girlfriends cooking,” Sam admitted with a guilty look.

“You and me both, Sammy,” Dean said.  He told Sam Charlie’s idea then and Sam was positive, thinking it sounded plausible.  “A week, a fucking week is all it worked and she didn’t mention it all this time,” Dean vented.

Sam raised an eyebrow.  “Do I even need to mention what that says about her powers?”

“Not if you don’t want me to hit you,” Dean growled, almost as sick as Rose was of hearing about how strong her powers were.  Sam gave Dean an irritated look and Dean went back to the plan.  “Charlie seems to think this could work.  I mean of course it depends what Erin thinks.  She’s the expert when it comes to this shit.”  Dean paused then, wanting to run his other idea by Sam.  It may be insane but something told him it wasn’t, it may just be a really good idea if they could somehow swing it.  “Hey um, so what’s your opinion of therapy?”

Sam looked at his brother in surprise.  That definitely wasn’t a question he saw coming.  Dean was doing his best to sound casual, like this was just a normal run of the mill question but it was easy to see (If you knew Dean and Sam definitely did.) that this was anything but routine.  Sam just wasn’t sure where he was going with this.

“In general?” Dean nodded.  “I think it can be a really good thing.  It helps to have someone to talk to that can be an impartial voice of reason.”  Sam hesitated himself then, fidgeting with his coffee cup, not sure how Dean would react to what he was about to share but since he’d broached the topic it made Sam feel safe enough. “When I was at Stanford I talked to one of the counselors there a few times.”  Dean looked at him in surprise.

“I didn’t know that.”

“Well no you didn’t because I never told you,” Sam said patiently, earning an eye roll from Dean.  “It helped.  I mean, it was a confusing time with me knowing Dad hated that I was there and hated what I was doing.”

Dean winced.  “Sammy, that was-”

“-Not the point,” Sam cut him off smoothly.  They had enough going on without opening up old wounds.  “The point is that I think talking to a therapist can be really helpful.  Why are you asking?”

Dean fidgeted with his coffee mug before saying, “I was just thinking it might help Rose.  She's not eating, not sleeping and she's carrying around all this God-awful shit that demon said and did to her.  I mean she’s got all of us but maybe it would be a good idea if she had someone who’s like an expert at this.”  Dean rubbed the back of his neck.  “But are there shrinks who won’t freak out if she mentions a demon?  I mean there has to be one somewhere who knows about all this right?”

Sam thought that over.  He’d carefully edited out any supernatural details when talking to the counselor in Stanford but that had been easier for him to do since his problems really lay with his father.  Rose’s issues had more to do with what was actually done to her.  Finally he shrugged.  “No idea but if anyone would know its Bobby or Erin.  Between them they know the hunter community better than anyone else and have countless contacts.”

“Good point,” Dean said, finishing his coffee.  “I’m gonna head over there in a bit to talk to them.”  He glanced at his watch.  “Of course I need Charlie to be awake for that…”  He grinned evilly. “Looks like I’ll have to wake her up.”

“Hey Dean,” Sam said stopping his brother when he got up.  “Go easy on Lily, OK?  I’m not sure what happened last night but whatever it was she didn’t mean to hurt Rose.  Those two have done a lot of that this last month on both sides.”

“Sam, she fucking told Rose she blamed her for Chastity getting hurt,” Dean said his agitation clear.  “You don’t think Rose blames herself enough already?”

“Of course she does and I’m not saying Lily was right for saying that,” Sam admitted.  “I’m saying that came out of a lot of pain and hurt for Lily and you saying anything isn’t going to help matters.”

Dean finally gave a begrudging nod of his head and headed for the door.  “But if she tries to poison me again I’m blaming you,” he shot back as he left.

* * *

“Why did it have to be so early?” Charlie whined in the elevator on the way up to Daisy’s room.

“I wanted to get Bobby and Erin together and they both tend to be here in the morning,” Dean explained, watching the redheaded hacker cradling her coffee like a precious treasure.  What was with redheads in his life who hated mornings?

Charlie grumbled behind him as he walked down the hall and almost ran into his back when he stopped short at the doorway to Daisy’s room.  “Dean, wha-” She peaked around him and let out a small, “Oh.”

Bobby and Erin were both on the couch asleep, Bobby’s head resting against the wall and Erin leaning against him with her head on his chest.  His arms were around her and it was a sweet picture, it being very obvious how comfortable they were with each other.  _They’re used to touching each other_ Dean thought idly then mentally kicked himself for thinking that.

“Hello Dean,” Cas said, causing Bobby to jump and his eyes to fly open.  He looked startled to see Dean in the doorway with Charlie peeking around his shoulder and it seemed to take him a second to get his bearings.   Dean turned to Cas, giving Bobby a chance to get his wits about him.

“Hey Cas,” Dean said, coming over to Daisy’s bedside.  “How’s the munchkin?”

Cas frowned.  “I don’t understand-”

“Daisy,” Dean said on a sigh, trying to not see Bobby gently waking Erin.  “I mean Daisy.”

“Oh,” Cas said, brightening.  “She’s well.”

“Are you two...you know, all good?”

Cas cocked his head to the side considering.  “Daisy is thinking but I am feeling more positive.”

Dean studied him for a second deciding that the smile on his face was probably something he didn’t want to question too much.  He did not need details.  Instead he just nodded and turned to face Bobby and Erin who were both awake now.

“You guys want some coffee?” he asked and at both their nods he left Charlie chatting to Cas and went out to get two more cups.  He deposited the cups in their hands then dragged the one chair over for Charlie and motioned for her to take a seat.

“Right,” Dean said, rubbing his hands together.  “So we have a slight issue with the potion you made Rose,” he said, looking at Erin who looked surprised.

“Are there side affects?”  Is she seeing colors?”

Dean drew back in surprise.  “What?  No.”  Dean stopped.  “I mean, not that I know of.”  He shook his head, promising to ask Rose about that.  Knowing her she could be seeing circus animals and she wouldn't tell anyone. "The problem is it's not working.”

Erin frowned.  “What do you mean it’s not working?  It was working perfectly well the last time I talked to her.”

“Right,” Dean said, “And that was when?”

Erin considered his question then admitted, “A few weeks ago?  I’ve seen her since but not for any great amount of time and she was too angry with me to really talk.”  Erin frowned, thinking over what Dean said. “Are you telling me that it hasn’t worked for weeks and she didn’t tell anyone?”

Dean nodded and watched as that realization hit everyone in the room.  Bobby swore, Erin’s face took on an angry expression Dean had seen himself a few times growing up and Charlie, well Charlie seemed to be the only one not surprised.  Dean made a mental note to talk to her later about that.  Dean glanced at Cas but he seemed to be only half listening to the conversation.

"Apparently she's having to take such a strong dose to get it to work that it's making her into a zombie," Dean used Rose's phrase from last night once everyone had calmed down.  "Should she be that strong?” he queried.  “I mean, I get that the prophecies seem to say she’s powerful but it seems kind of sudden, doesn’t it?  I thought her powers would grow stronger with time.”

Erin and Bobby exchanged a look and Dean had a sudden realization that they very well had discussed this very topic before.  These two probably both spent more time than he wanted to know discussing the four of them.  And wasn’t that a disconcerting thought.

“We think that what the demon gave her to suppress her power had a bit of the opposite effect,” Erin said finally.  “Not immediately.  At the time it did what she wanted, made Rose unable to use her powers.  But in the immediate aftermath Rose’s powers actually flared up stronger.  I think to combat what she was given they surged so to speak, growing extremely strong in a very short amount of time.”

“She was a witch, right?” Charlie asked and Erin looked at her and nodded.  “So wouldn’t she have known there was a chance that what she gave Rose could do that, could enhance her powers?  I mean that seems like a big risk to take.”

Erin considered her for a second then said softly, “She would have known it wouldn’t work that way quickly enough to matter.”

Charlie frowned.  “Because she didn’t expect Rose to-oh.”  A look of remorse immediately washed over Charlie’s face as Erin’s meaning sank in and she glanced at Dean and Erin in turn.  Erin just gave her an understanding smile while Dean looked anywhere else, refusing to focus on that thought.

After a second Bobby cleared his throat and said, “Rose’s powers were affected by the demons at the hotel as well, don’t forget.  So it kind of makes sense her powers being out of whack,” he said.

“She’s having headaches too,” Dean said.  "Really bad ones."  Erin shook her head and he could see the irritation at Rose’s lack of communication on her face which he understood completely.  “Charlie here has an idea she thinks might work.”

Every eye in the room turned on Charlie and she looked a little overwhelmed by the attention so Dean leaned forward and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.  Charlie took a breath and started to speak, sharing what she’d been looking into since going to New Orleans with Rose.  Erin and Bobby listened closely as Charlie spoke and Dean leaned against the wall and watched Erin’s face closely.  If her face was anything to go by she seemed to think Charlie’s plan may work too.

“Tannins,” Erin mused aloud.  “Charlie, that’s brilliant.”  Charlie practically preened under the praise.  “I’ll see what I can find out today and gather some supplies.  I’ll come over to the bunker tomorrow and see what I can do.  If you could help that would be wonderful.”

Dean glanced around at everyone in the room.  They all looked pleased and positive.  Now he had to tell them the worst part.  He sighed.  Nothing like being the bearer of bad news.

“So I talked to Rose and I found out something you all should know,” Dean said.  All eyes were on him and Dean focused on a point on the wall as he relayed what Aine had told her, about the lives taken and how Rose was blaming herself for it.  Erin gasped loudly and Dean noticed dimly that Bobby immediately grabbed her hand in support even while he himself looked shaken.  Charlie’s face took on a look of shock and only Cas looked unsurprised.  Dean glanced at him.

“You knew didn’t you?”  Cas nodded.  “Because of Daisy?”  Another nod.

"Rose told her the day we removed the demon imprint," Cas said, genuine sympathy in his eyes.

Dean nodded and decided to move onto the last order of business he needed to deal with so he could leave here and let Erin and Bobby deal on their own.

“I mentioned this to Sam and he thought you two might know someone who could help.”  Dean rubbed the back of his neck nervously half unable to believe he was asking this.  “With what happened to her Rose is really struggling.  I think she could do with someone to talk to.  Someone professional,” he amended.  “Is there any kind of therapist or counselor or something that knows about demons that could maybe help her?”

Bobby turned to Erin who was still looking shook up at Dean’s previous news.  She nodded after a minute and Bobby turned back to Dean.  “We may know a few people that might work.  Give us a day or so to make some calls.”

Dean nodded and he and nudged Charlie’s shoulder to get her to her feet.  As they got to the door Bobby stopped Dean, passing on a message from another hunter (Or Ex-hunter as the case may be) and Dean promised to give him a call.

“But Bobby, I’m out of commission for the foreseeable future,” Dean said and Bobby nodded in understanding.

“I told him as much but he was adamant he needed to talk to you,” Bobby said.

“I’ll call,” Dean promised.  “But that’s it.  I’m not going anywhere.  I have things to take care of at home.”


	52. We Tell Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some plans come to light

After his brother left Sam settled down at the table drank another cup of coffee, ate some cereal and looked the paper over.  He was just getting ready to head back to their room and wake Lily when she appeared in the doorway.  She was wearing a black t-shirt of his and her hair was sticking up every which way, giving her a look somewhere between sexy siren and sleepy toddler.  She shuffled over to him sleepily and unceremoniously deposited herself in his lap.  Sam’s arms instantly flew up to grab her and she buried her head against his neck.

“Morning, Lil,” he said, dropping a kiss on her head.  Lily pulled her head back and frowned at him.

“What did I do last night, Sam?” she asked and Sam blinked.  OK, so they were diving right into this conversation.

Sam reached around Lily and picked up his coffee.  “Drink this first,” he said and Lily gratefully took the cup and practically inhaled the dark brew.

“Needs sugar,” she said after she’d drank the last drop and Sam just shook his head at her affectionately.  Lily gave him a quick kiss on the lips.  “Thanks though.  I needed that.”

Sam smiled and tucked her hair behind her ears.  “So what was last night about?”

Lily frowned and pursed her lips.  She wanted to talk, she did.  The words just weren’t coming.

“Hold that thought,” Sam said suddenly and before Lily could say anything Sam was standing up with her in his arms.

“Sam!” she said in surprise, clutching at his shoulders.  “What are you doing?”

“Something tells me this isn’t a kitchen conversation,” Sam said.

Lily looked up at him curiously.  “You know I never let guys just pick me up and carry me around.”

Sam stopped dead in his tracks.  “Should I ask your permission, Miss?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Lily nodded seriously.  “You definitely should.”

Sam leaned down and asked, “Can I carry you to our bedroom?” And Lily refused to admit to herself that just hearing him say the phrase “our bedroom” made her want to shiver.

“You may,” Lily said imperiously with a little hand wave and a laugh.  Sam rolled his eyes at her laughter but he couldn’t hide his smile.

Once in their room Sam sat on their bed and settled Lily on his lap.  “OK talk, Babe.  Let it out.”

“I fucked up bad last night,” she said unceremoniously.

“Well it wasn’t exactly your finest moment, Darling, I’ll give you that,” Sam admitted.  “Where did all that come from, Lil?” Sam asked gently.

Lily was fidgeting “I was just so mad at Rose already and then Dean said she’d gone to see Chastity.”  She spit out her name like it was poison and Sam stopped himself from sighing.  Lily had very obviously made Chastity her scapegoat in all this.  “And he said she ate there and she wasn’t eating here.  And that just…it just pissed me off, Sam.”

“Why, Babe?” Same asked, not sure why Chastity was the bad guy here.

“We’re her family, Sam,” she said as if that was self explanatory.  “We’re who she’s supposed to lean on, who she’s supposed to trust.”  Sam studied Lily for a minute.  He wasn’t sure sometimes how much of Lily’s distrust  of Chastity and others was because of having that drilled into her head over the years by her mother and how much of it was jealousy.  Probably a combination of both he decided.

“You know a few weeks ago you didn’t trust Charlie,” Sam pointed out.  “And look at you two now.”

Lily frowned.  “Charlie’s different,” she argued.  “She’s your family so she’s my family.”

“You didn’t feel that way when we brought her in,” Sam said.  “You were upset with me, remember?”

“Yeah, so I was wrong about that,” Lily conceded, smacking Sam when he pretended to faint from shock.  “But Chastity isn’t family, Sam.”

“She is to Rose,” Sam said, hating that he had to say it but knowing it needed to be said.  Lily gave him a death glare.  “I met her, Lil, and she loves your sister.  She’s a good person.”

“I don’t care if she’s a fucking saint.  I don’t like her,” Lily said stubbornly.  Sam sighed, praying for patience.  He loved Lily.  He really did.  But her stubbornness sometimes made him crazy.

“You talk to Charlie,” Sam said, trying another angle.  “So when you and Rose make up are you just gonna ditch Charlie?”  There wasn’t a doubt in Sam’s mind that the sisters would make up but the road between her and there was rocky.

“Of course not!” Lily looked deeply offended that Sam would suggest such a thing. “She’s my friend.  I don’t just ditch my friends.”

“And you like talking to her, confiding in her, don’t you?” Sam asked and Lily nodded hesitantly sensing a trap.  “Sometimes you need other friends aside from your sister, Lil.  It’s not a bad thing.  It doesn’t mean that relationship is any less important.”  Lily nodded again, this time a little less hesitantly.  "You gotta let Rose have that too, Darling."  Lily frowned at him but didn't argue so Sam took that as a win.  He smoothed her hair back again.  “So last night was all about Chastity?”  Lily slowly shook her head and looked up at him.

“I can’t do it anymore, Sam.  I don’t…I don’t get what’s wrong with her.  I mean I get that she went through a horrible thing but...I just can't handle her pushing me away anymore." She closed her eyes for a second then opened them and said, “I said terrible things to her and I so didn’t mean to.  But I just don’t know what to do anymore.  It was like something in me just snapped,” Lily said.  She bit her lip then admitted hesitantly, “I…I wanted to hit her Sam.  And I don’t hit my sisters.”

A strong memory floated through Sam’s brain of Lily’s dad sitting at their kitchen table while a twelve year old Lily stood in front of him.  He was stroking her hair and asking her what the rule was and a serious faced Lily recited back, “I don’t hit my sisters.”  Her father had beamed at her proudly then, saying, “That’s right, Lily, you don’t.  And you didn’t.”  And Lily had kicked at the ground and frowned, a decidedly obstinate and unhappy look on her face.  “But I wanted to, Dad.  I really did.  She made me so mad.”  And Brendan Sullivan who had known his daughters so well had smiled and hugged Lily and said, “But you didn’t, baby and that’s what matters.  You girls protect each other and you make me so proud.”

 Sam stoked her back softly, thinking that we get older, we grow up, but deep inside we’re still those same kids.  For all her rebellious nature Lily had certain rules that were so deeply engrained in her that it would kill her to break them.

“But you didn’t, Babe,” Sam said, hugging her to him.  “You didn’t and that’s what matters.”  Lily gave him a tremulous smile and Sam realized how close she was to just falling apart.  They already had Rose in pieces; he didn’t think they could take Lily breaking too.  And Sam knew without a doubt that he definitely couldn’t.

“I just don’t know what else to do, Sam,” Lily admitted.  “I can’t fix her, she won’t let me help and I just can’t stand seeing her like this.”  Lily tugged on the ends of her hair.  “But I don’t want to keep hunting with Dean and leaving you here.  I miss you too much.”

Sam smiled, loving that she admitted that so readily now.  Her and Dean hunting together wasn’t going to be much of an option for awhile, he figured.  Dean had looked completely focused on Rose.  He hadn’t even really wanted to go help Jody and Sam was pretty sure Dean was going to be sticking close to home for the time being.  So maybe he and Lily could go out on some cases together.  Or just go somewhere.  She needed a break and he certainly wouldn’t mind one.  He’d run it by Dean and see what he thought.  Something told him Dean wouldn’t mind having Rose to himself for a bit so maybe that would work out too.  Though that still left Charlie here.  Hmm, OK so he’d have to think it through some more.

“It wouldn’t be a bad thing to have a break from the bunker,” Sam said, kissing Lily’s forehead. “Let me work on it and see what I can come up with.”  Lily nodded her head against his chest and Sam realized with a sinking feeling that he needed to tell her about Rose's secret about the demon and what she’d done when they were kids.  Shit.  Talk about awful timing.  But if he didn’t tell her and she found out it would be worse.  Taking a deep breath Sam said, “Lil, there’s something I need to tell you.”

* * *

“Did you know the potion wasn’t working on Rose?” Dean asked as they were pulling out of the hospital parking lot.

Charlie glanced at him as she sipped at her second vanilla latte of the morning, having stopped into the coffee shop in the hospital lobby on the way out.  Dean had rolled his eyes at her and called her a caffeine addict and she’d informed him that it was way too early to be out and about doing things.

“Not really,” Charlie said.  “I knew she was taking more than the normal dose, or I guess I should say I thought she was because of how she was acting.”  Charlie glanced at Dean before saying, “That part she said about being a zombie?  She was pretty much right.” Charlie gave Dean a brief rundown of her viewpoint of Rose’s behavior over the last month and Dean couldn’t help but wince.

“I should have been around,” he said finally.

Charlie shrugged.  “Maybe?  But maybe she needed to be at this point, you know?  If you’d try to push her earlier it may have just backfired on you.”  Charlie took a sip of her coffee then said, asked, “Hey can we make a quick stop on the way home?”

Dean agreed and pulled up in front of one of the shops on the main street Charlie directed him toward and waited as Charlie hopped out and went inside.   He studied the outside of what appeared to be an antiques store curiously.  He’d never been in this shop, hadn’t been in most of the shops downtown aside from the necessary ones.  He watched with interest as Charlie came out followed by an elderly woman with purple hair who waved at her happily as Charlie said goodbye.  She glanced at the car curiously as Charlie got in and Dean blinked when Charlie leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, angling her body so from the sales ladies perspective it looked like much more.

“What the-” Dean began and Charlie shushed him.

“Just go with it.  I owe Lily one.”

Dean drove away, catching the interested expression on the sales clerk’s face and glancing at Charlie in utter confusion.  Once they were on the road back to the bunker Dean said,

“OK what the hell was that about?”

Charlie laughed and told Dean about her and Lily’s first meeting with the sales lady.   She was thrilled to see Dean actually laugh for the first time in ages.  “So Lily now has this master plan to see just how many people she can make this woman believe we’re both in romantic entanglements with.”

“Oh God, Sammy sure got himself one hell of a girlfriend,” Dean said, still chuckling.  After his laughter died down Dean asked, “So you made me make a stop so you and Lily can keep up some elaborate prank?  Which hey, if that’s all it was about I’m cool with it.”

“No there was a point to it,” Charlie said, biting her lip nervously.

“Charlie, what’s going on?” Dean asked, glancing at her.  She looked really nervous.  “Hey,” Dean reached out and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.  “Whatever it is, kiddo you can tell me.  You know I got your back.”

 Charlie smiled at him gratefully.  “It’s not bad.”  She frowned.  “At least I don’t think it’s bad unless well you all feel really differently than I think you do in which case I may have just done something really monumentally stupid and hey, that’s not an impossibility.  I have been known-”

“Charlie,” Dean said loudly and she blinked at him in surprise.  “Focus.”

“Right.  Sorry.”  Charlie grinned sheepishly at him.  “I was talking to Mrs. Bouquet because she rents out the apartment above her store.”

“And you’ve got a sudden interest in real estate?” Dean asked with a confused frown.

“Well I do as far as finding a place to live.”

“You have a place to live,” Dean said.  “Here at the bunker.  And back in Michigan.  So two places actually.”

“Yeah about one of those..." Charlie said.  “Not so much anymore.”

“OK Charlie, can I get the whole story here, please?”  Dean was feeling like he was trying to follow breadcrumbs in an elaborate maze which may or may not actually lead to the way out.

“Well it turns out that when you don’t come back to see your girlfriend for weeks at a time and don’t call as much as she would like she gets the idea that maybe you aren’t really girlfriend material,” Charlie said, glancing out the window.

“Ouch,” Dean said with a sympathetic wince.

“She’s not wrong,” Charlie said, a touch of guilt crossing her face.  “I mean, I didn’t tell her anything about where I was going aside from that I was going to help someone out.  And I didn’t call her as much as I should have which you know, brings up the whole question of just how serious I was about her.”

“Were you serious about her?” Dean asked curiously.  Charlie hadn’t shared much about her girlfriend.  Dean wasn’t even sure he knew her name.

“Not really?” Charlie said.  “I think I wanted to be serious about her more than anything else.  I mean, I liked her and there was chemistry there, sure.  But could I see me being with her long-term?  Honestly, no.  And we were sharing an apartment more to save on rent than anything else.  Which FYI, so not a wise idea.”

 “Sorry, kiddo,” Dean said.

“It would have happened sooner or later, I guess,” Charlie said with a shrug.  “But now I have to go back and get my stuff pretty quickly before she decides to donate everything to goodwill.”

“So you’re moving here?” Dean asked, seeing the bright spot in this whole story.  He’d always wanted Charlie closer.  “You didn’t have to rent a place you know.  You have your room at the bunker.”

“Yep, put down a deposit and first month’s rent,” Charlie said, swinging her new set of keys in her hand.  “And thanks, seriously.  I’m sure I’ll still spend a crazy amount of time at the bunker with you all but I need my own space too.  And just think,” Charlie said with an impish grin.  “When you guys drive each other nuts you’ll have a space to stay.  I might just start charging overnight fees.”

Dean grinned at her plan. “It’ll be great having you close, kid.”  He added gruffly, “I hated having you up in Michigan.”  And Charlie smiled, happy to hear that she was wanted.  Knowing that and hearing it would never get old.

Charlie glanced at him after a second and said, “You seem better already you know.”

Dean glanced at her suspiciously.  “What’s that mean?”

“Quit giving me that look,” Charlie said. “I have no ulterior motive here.  You were getting broody there which I totally understand.   I’m just saying you seem happier and that’s a good thing.”

Dean was quite and Charlie just sipped her coffee, not expecting an answer so it surprised her when after a minute passed Dean said in a soft tone Charlie didn’t hear often:

“She makes me better.”  Charlie smiled at him.

“From where I stand I would argue you make each other better.”

Dean smiled at her gratefully.  “Yep, definitely a good thing having you close, kid.”

* * *

After Rose and Dean had come in that morning Rose had fed Sookie and headed straight for the shower.   She unbraided her hair and stepped under the steaming spray hoping it would help her mind slow down.  Her head was swirling, way too much having happened in too short of a time.  Her brain was on overdrive thinking over everything that had happened, all the changes that seemed to be occurring so quickly she couldn’t keep up.

She pushed the fight with Lily straight from her head.  She didn’t know how to deal with that right now.  And telling Dean her secret, she couldn’t handle that either so she just shoved it away.  Now Dean… that was what she’d rather think of.  And while part of her felt guilty for enjoying the time with him, and an insistent voice told her she didn’t deserve comfort or happiness another part of her was arguing back.  It hadn’t been just her who had enjoyed the time together.  Dean had too.  She’d sensed how much he’d wanted to hold her and how happy he was to be with her and that she’d confided in him.  So it wasn’t entirely selfish she told herself.  There was a small smile on her face the whole time she was in the shower, turning over everything that had been said and done.  It had felt good and right and like she was where she belonged.  She held onto that feeling as she got out of the shower and dried her hair.

She slipped into a soft peach sweater and a pair of jeans that were old, faded and comfortable.  Then she eyed her suitcases curiously.  Chastity had wanted her to find the present she sent her.  Maybe she should do that.  So with a determined and curious air Rose started to dig through her suitcases.  She supposed she should have put her clothes away while she was at it but that sounded way too tiring.  Energy was in short supply these days.  She was beginning to think Chastity had made the whole thing up when she got to the very bottom of her last suitcase.  Right between a pair of black leggings and a pink t-shirt she came across it.  She stopped, stared at it like it was going to bite her and then stared some more.  Then she picked up her phone to text Chastity, stopping only when she decided she needed to put _it_ somewhere in case someone walked in.  Without any other plan she shoved it right back into the suitcase.

_Seriously?_

_You’re going to have to be more precise than that.  What exactly are we wondering at?_

_That was your present?_

_Oh you found it!_

_That’s what you decided was the perfect present?_

_Well it did play into your favorite room._

_Chas…you have a one track mind._

_Only when some people are on the wrong track.  I don’t even get a thank you?  Hmmm, someone needs to teach you some manners.  Maybe Dean can help with that._

Rose groaned out loud.  Before she could respond another text came in.

_Speaking of which…how are things?_

Rose hesitated, unsure of how to answer that.  Finally she just wrote:

_I don’t know.  We talked._

Rose gave Chastity a brief overview of the night before and after getting an enthusiastic response she shut her phone off (Though not before telling Chastity she was not allowed to buy her any more presents.  Ever.)  She glanced around the room, taking in what a mess it was.  At some point she supposed she needed to clean up in here.  But not now.

With a sigh she took the lowest dose of the potion she could and settled down on her bed for a bit.  She pulled her laptop towards her and for the first time she went for a TV show she knew offered her comfort.  Sookie curled up by her on the bed as the opening words played on her speakers

“ _In every generation there is a Chosen One._ ”


	53. We Make it Harder Than it Has to Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #priorities

Sam left Lily curled up on their bed watching a rerun of The Walking Dead while he went in search of lunch for them.  He didn't see how that show could ever be comforting but Lily swore it was and Sam guessed he should just be glad it wasn't a Lifetime movie.  She hadn't taken the news about Rose well, feeling even worse for what she'd said in the heat of the moment and Sam had felt awful for telling her, even while he knew he had to.  This whole honesty thing was harder than it sounded.

"You just gotta hang in there, Coop.  It'll get better," Sam heard Dean say as he came into the kitchen.  "Trust me, I get it, I do.  Just give it time, give _her_ time."  A pause and then, "If she's the right one she'll come around."

Sam opened the fridge, deciding on grilled cheese and soup for lunch, a combo even he was capable of making.  Dean hung up with a sigh and Sam glanced back at him.

"Cooper?" he asked and Dean nodded.  "He doing OK?"

"He had a girlfriend," Dean said on a sigh.  "Who he decided needed to know the whole truth about him."

Sam winced.  "Oh shit.  Gonna guess that didn't go well?"

Cooper was a teenager who was a distant cousin of Garth's wife the couple had taken in after his parent’s death.  A pure-blood werewolf, he had taken to Dean when he'd stopped into see Garth a year ago.  The two had bonded, mostly over their love of cars and women and Cooper had been known to call Dean on occasion for advice.  Dean liked the kid and had happily taken him under his wing.

"She freaked, understandably so," Dean said.  "It seems young Cooper did a fine job of deflowering her and then decided to share this news with her."

"Talk about bad timing," Sam said, turning the stove on.

"Yeah, luckily Bess and Garth came home before she could leave and they got her calmed down before she could go broadcasting the news."  Dean leaned back and sipped at the beer in front of him.  "But she hasn't talked to him since and he's not taking it well.  Garth was worried about him, said he thought he was getting reckless, might do something dumb." Dean sighed.  "He's a good kid, just full of hormones and angst."

"Dean Winchester to the rescue as the voice of reason," Sam said with a grin as he opened up a few cans of soup.  He motioned to them and Dean nodded.  He wouldn't turn down lunch.

"Counselor to the young Romeos of the world," Dean said with a grin.  "It's a hard job but somebody's gotta do it."

"Hey how'd it go at the hospital?" Sam asked and Dean filled him in as Sam popped the soup into the microwave.

"Sounds positive," Sam commented and Dean nodded.  He started assembling the grilled cheese and ran his idea by Dean of him getting Lily away for a bit.  "She's really struggling," Sam said his concern obvious in his voice.

"Well it just so happens that Charlie needs to go back to Michigan to get her stuff," Dean said, then explained her plans.  Between the two of them they came up with a tentative plan for the trio to go and get Charlie moved in the next few days.  Charlie needed to hang around to help Erin with the potion but after that, assuming both she and Lily were OK with that plan they'd hit the road.

Dean had to admit the idea of having Rose all to himself with no distractions appealed to him.  Not that he thought they'd be having any sexy fun times but she would be easier to deal with if so many other people weren't around, especially Lily.  Those two just weren’t good together right now. 

"You could always hop on over to Wisconsin," Dean said. "Check on Cooper while you're there."

"A six hour drive is a hop?" Sam asked.

"Compared to eleven hours it is," Dean shot back.

Sam filled bowls of soup and flipped a sandwich onto one plate before he asked, "Is Garth really that worried about Cooper?"

"Yeah, but you know how he is," Dean said.  "The guy's the picture of an overprotective parent."  Sam couldn't help but grin at the truth behind those words as he made a plate for Dean and handed it to him.  "He seemed to think me stopping in would help."

"I don't think I'm really a stand in for you, Dean," Sam said with a frown, finishing up his own plate.  Cooper hadn't taken to Sam the same as he had Dean, viewing the younger Winchester brother as a "bookish dweeb."

"Aw Sammy, it's not your fault you just aren't as cool as me," Dean said with a smirk and Sam just rolled his eyes.  "I can't go," Dean said sobering.  "I've got things here to handle."

"You should go," a voice said from the doorway and both boys turned to find Rose standing there.  Her eyes were glassy again, Dean noticed.  Erin couldn't get that new potion done soon enough.  She walked further into the room and frowned. "You need to go help out if you're needed."

Sam tossed Rose a smile as he slipped out to give Charlie a plate, knowing he'd find her in the library.

Dean raised an eyebrow at her then shook his head.  "Not gonna happen, Sweetheart.  I have my priorities."

Rose's frown grew.  "Me?"

Dean nodded.   "Always have been, always will be.  I’m not going anywhere."

"No, you can't do that, Dean," Rose protested.

"Oh can't I?" Dean asked, raising a challenging eyebrow at her.  "Just watch me."

Sam slipped back in then, glancing uneasily between the two of them.  The tension between the two was palpable and he wasn't sure who he should wish luck but glancing at Dean's calm, unmovable look and Rose's stormy one Sam decided he was just going to get out of there as quickly as he could.  He knew both of their tempers all too well.  If things were going to blow up between the two of them he didn't want to be anywhere in the vicinity.  He grabbed his and Lily's plates and beat a hasty retreat.

"Dean, you can't put your life on hold to "handle" me," Rose said.  "Especially if...this is a kid we're talking about?"

"A teenager," Dean conceded.

"Who needs your help," Rose said with a nod of her head.  "You need to go."

"Nope," Dean said, taking a bite of his sandwich.  "Wanna share my lunch?"

"Agh!" Rose said, her frustration boiling over at the fact that Dean wasn't even considering going.  "You can't let this poor kid suffer because I'm screwed up."

"He's not suffering.  He has parents who love him," Dean said. "He's got people who can help and he knows I'm here if he needs me."

"But you're here, not there," Rose protested.  Seeing Dean's expression not budge an ounce Rose felt a trinity of emotions flood through her - anger, guilt and helplessness, all so strong she felt like she was drowning in them.  The potion either wasn't numbing her emotions as well as it had or last night’s breakdown had cracked them wide open.  Either way she wasn’t happy about it.  “God, I’m screwing everything up.  Not just my life and yours but this kid’s life too,” she exploded.  "I don’t even have to know someone to mess them up.  It would have been so much better and easier on everyone if I'd just died that day.  It would have-”

Dean froze then felt a shot of anger go through him so fierce that he was up and out of his seat before he even realized it.  He grasped Rose’s arms, surprising her and stopping her mid rant.

"Don’t say that! Don’t ever say that!” he growled, his eyes flashing dangerously.  “I've been patient," he said. "I gave you time and space and that ends right about fucking now."  He was glaring down at her, bending over her so that his face was just inches from her own.  "And that little statement and any others like it are not gonna fly."

Rose's eyes had gotten huge the second he grabbed her and she was staring up at him now in shock.  "You told me once I didn't get to self destruct.  The same goes for you."  Dean leaned down close to her ear and growled, "The difference is, little girl, I won't just threaten you with a wooden spoon.  I'll grab the closest one I can find and wear it out on your ass if you ever say anything again about wishing you would have died."  Dean pulled back and looked into Rose's surprised face.  "Understand?"

Rose nodded her head quickly, still looking stunned and after Dean saw she'd really heard him his face softened.  He hadn’t meant to lose his temper, to be so harsh but he couldn’t control the rush of fear and anger at her words.  He needed her to know saying shit like that wasn't OK.  He cupped her face in one of his hands and stroked her hair away from her face softly.

"That's my worst nightmare you're talking about, Baby."  Dean looked into her eyes and Rose felt another rush of guilt at the naked pain she saw there.  "Cas brought you back here unconscious after you were attacked, as still as if you really were dead and I see that image way too often in my head.  Every time you mention it everything in me just freezes.  So don't.  Please."  His eyes were pleading with hers and Rose felt her own well up with tears.  To see the pain and the fear in his eyes and know she’s caused it was like a knife to her heart.

"I'm sorry, Dean.  I won't," she promised softly. 

Dean slid his hands down her arms to her hands and squeezed them both then led her to the table and handed her half of his sandwich.  "Now eat," he ordered.

Rose looked at the sandwich apathetically.  "I'm not hungry."

"I didn't ask you that, Sweetheart.  Have you eaten today?"  Rose reluctantly shook her head.  "So you need to eat."

Rose thought about arguing but she knew the look on Dean's face well enough to know she wasn't likely to win this battle.  So she begrudgingly ate the sandwich, earning a pleased smile from Dean when she finished it.  He stood and cleared the plates, dropping a kiss on the top of her head and murmuring "Good girl."  Rose couldn't stop the pleased blush that brought to her face despite her best efforts.

"You always did have a thing with not wanting to be an inconvenience," Dean said conversationally, pouring himself a cup of coffee and starting to make Rose a cup of tea without asking.

"That's all I seem to be lately," Rose muttered.

Dean shook his head. "I keep hoping you'll get that there's a difference between being an inconvenience and being a priority.  'Cause trust me, Sweetheart, you are always one of those to me."

Rose considered that while Dean waited on the kettle to boil.  "I shouldn't be, Dean.  You...you save people, you make a difference."

Dean smiled at her.  "So I’m making a different here.  Maybe this time I'm saving you."

Rose frowned thoughtfully, trying to hide how much she wanted to be saved, how the very idea made her ache.  "I'm pretty sure you can't save someone from them self."

 "Why not?  You did," Dean shot back.

Rose ignored that, refusing to see that she'd made that much of a difference and Dean made a mental note that he'd have to drive that point home with her.

"You have important things to do," she pressed.  "You shouldn't have to be here babysitting me."

Dean walked over to stand by her side, leaning against the table so that she had to look up at him.  His hand came out to stroke her cheek softly.  "I don't _have_ to be anywhere.  This is important.  You're important." His voice was gentle and sincere, sneaking into the cracked parts of Rose's heart like a soothing balm she didn't know she needed.  Oh but God now that she’d had it she wanted more. "I'm right where I want to be with exactly who I want to be with."

"But this is all my fault," Rose protested and Dean gave a frustrated sigh.  "That poor little boy needs you."

Dean sighed, trying to hang onto his patience.  He'd already lost his temper with her once, he didn't want to again.  He reached down, hooked an arm around Rose's waist and tugged her to her feet, maneuvering her so she was standing between his legs and he looked her straight in the eye.  "That “little” boy you're so worried about is sixteen and with his family.  I'm not leaving some toddler out on an abandoned highway by himself."  He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her snugly against him.  "And everything that happened, it's not your fault so quit saying that.  OK?"

“But it _is_ my fault,” Rose said stubbornly.

“It’s not,” Dean said, with a frown.  “Now quit arguing.”

“Why would I do that?” Rose asked, looking genuinely curious.

“Because I said so,” Dean said with a grin.  He liked the verbal sparring he and Rose did.  He’d missed this more than he realized.

“And?” Rose challenged.

“Aside from the fact that “I said so,” should be reason enough,” That earned a soft “Ha!” from Rose which Dean chose to ignore. “This is one argument you won’t win,” Dean said smoothly.  “It’s not your fault and I want you to quit saying it is.”

Rose looked at him quietly for a second, sensing this point - her blaming herself - was important to him so she gave in and mutely nodded her head.  Dean gave her an encouraging smile as the kettle began to whistle and with another squeeze to her waist, another chaste kiss (to her forehead this time) and another softly murmured "Good girl," Dean was leading her back to her seat and moving to take the kettle off the stove.

Rose watched Dean as he fixed her tea, her mind a jumble of thoughts _. Good girl._ He could get away with so much with just those two words.  It was her kryptonite coming from him.  Dean set her tea in front of her (The perfect amount of milk and sugar added because Dean knew her.) then sat down across from her, cup of coffee in hand.  He smiled at her and told her about Charlie’s plan to move here and how Sam and Lily were probably going to go help her.  And while Rose heard what he said the whole time she was thinking how much she’d missed him smiling at her.  Such a little thing but when he smiled at her she didn’t feel wrecked or like a crazy person.  She felt like her, like the girl who’d always been happiest when Dean was happy with her.

This whole plan of hers, of staying away from Dean, of keeping him at arm’s length it was never going to work, not now that he seemed to be determined to help her and be near her.  She wasn’t going to be able to shut him out she realized with a blinding clarity.  She knew what Dean was like when he was determined, when he was sure and looking at him smiling at her from across the table she was certain he was both of those things.  And if she was honest with herself she didn’t _want_ to shut him out.  Staying away from him had been one of the hardest things she’d ever done.  She didn’t want to do it anymore.  She hadn’t wanted to begin with and now it just seemed like an impossible task, a fool’s errand.

Rose watched Dean sip his coffee, a small part of her thinking she should be mad, she should be horrified.  He'd threatened to spank her (and not in a fun way either), he was bossing her around and not listening to any of her arguments.  It should make her angry.  And yet it didn't.  In fact she actually felt exactly the opposite.  The emotion she felt strongest right now?  Relief. 

Rose had no clue what she was doing or how to get out of this awful, deep hole she'd fallen into.  But she suddenly didn’t feel so alone in it anymore.  And looking at Dean who was smiling at her over his cup of coffee she had a sneaking suspicion he just might know the way out.  And she realized she was more than ready to follow him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thanksgiving everyone! 
> 
> The last paragraph of this chapter is inspired by one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite TV shows. 
> 
> "This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out.  
> "A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on.  
> "Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on  
> "Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.'"


	54. Find Your Peace of Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Witchy goodness and some heartfelt convos

Cas delivered Erin to the bunker the next morning, early enough that only Sam was awake.  As she couldn't do anything till Charlie was awake Sam ushered her into the kitchen and poured her a cup of coffee.

Erin watched Sam as he moved around the kitchen, getting her milk for her coffee and trying to smooth his sleep disheveled hair.  It was amazing to her sometimes that this tall young man was the same baby who'd turned up on her doorstep so long ago.  That night was still as clear in her memory as if it had happened yesterday.  One of the worst nights of her life, such a huge gash of pain and violence that affected them all but especially the two young boys who'd lost their mother.  Wounds like that never completely heal and she knew the boys still felt it, that huge gap left by the loss of Mary.  She'd known she could never take her place, wouldn't dare try.  But she'd vowed that she would do everything she could, would fill every gap she was able.  Mary's boys were not going to grow up without love, not while Erin was alive.  A promise made was a promise kept, she though with a sad smile.

Sam poured the milk into her cup and sat down across from her and Erin smiled her thanks.

"It could be awhile," Sam said, with an apologetic smile.  "Charlie isn't a morning person."

"Just like my daughters," Erin said with a smile.

"I could wake her-" Sam started, ready to go rouse Charlie at the first nod from Erin but she shook her head.

"Not yet, let's let her sleep a bit longer," Erin suggested and Sam relaxed and sipped his own coffee.  "You always were an early riser," Erin noted.

"I used to like spending mornings with you before everyone else was up," Sam said with a shy smile and Erin smiled back.  "Dean should be up soon.  The girls...well it'll be awhile."

"I don't mind," Erin said. "We can talk.  So how are things, Sam?"

Sam sighed.  "Things are crazy," he said with a sigh. "Sometimes I imagine what it would be like to have normal worries and concerns."

Erin smiled in understanding. "But if you did those problems would seem just as big to you."  Erin sipped at her coffee.  "How's Lily?"

Sam frowned.  "Did Dean tell you about the blow up between her and Rose the other night?"  Erin shook her head, her eyes suddenly concerned and Sam proceeded to tell her about the sisters' harsh words.

"Oh girls," Erin said, shaking her head, her voice full of the pain she knew her daughters were feeling.  "I was always so lucky," she said after a minute and Sam looked at her curiously.  "I'd hear people talk about their daughters fighting, hating each other and I'd feel this little surge of pride." Erin clasped a hand to her heart.  "Not _my_ girls.  They always got along so well.  And then with the addition of you and Dean, well it was such a smooth, cohesive unit.  I mean obviously you all bickered...and Lord knows Dean and Lily fought." Sam chuckled, remembering how often those two had gotten the other in trouble.  "But there was never any doubt you all loved each other and would have each other's backs.  And you all doted on Daisy once she came along, spoiling her something awful."  Erin stared into her coffee then said softly, "I've often thought that I hope Mary can see you all together." She smiled up at Sam.  "We were both only children so having brothers and sisters were completely foreign to us.  She would be so happy at how close you all are, at how much affection and loyalty there is between you."

Sam felt a lump in his throat.  He didn't remember his mother at all and while he envied Dean the memories he had he sometimes felt guilty.  Erin was the only mother he'd ever known and sometimes that felt wrong, as if he was being disloyal to his own mom.  But when Erin talked about his mom it helped.  The two had been so close.  It helped knowing she knew his mom, had been her best friend.  Sam cleared his throat.

"I hope, I mean I know she didn't want us to be hunters.  But I'd like to think she'd understand and that maybe she'd be proud of us."

Erin leaned across the table grabbing one of Sam's hands in her own.  "Don't you ever doubt it, Sam.  You are a good man. You fight for what's right and you defend people who can't defend themselves.  Your mother would be so proud of you and your brother she'd be bursting at the seams."  Sam smiled gratefully and Erin smiled back, her face full of motherly pride.  "I never wanted any of my children to be in this life but there's not a moment I'm not proud of you all."  Erin squeezed Sam's hand then released it.  "What you do isn't easy, Sam, and I've seen a lot of people lose their humanity doing it.  You all have compassionate hearts and a strong moral compass.  A mother couldn't ask for more."

Sam smiled at her gratefully and found himself wiping moisture from his eyes.  "And we learned a lot of that from the people who raised us," he said, his gratitude plain on his face.

Erin smiled back and he watched her wiping her own eyes.  Once they'd both gotten a grip on their emotions Erin laughed.

"Mary and I used to joke that we'd had a perfect number of children, that her boys could date my girls.  This was before Daisy was born of course.  I never imagined it would actually happen." She paused then said, "Well not for all of you."

Dean and Rose had always been the given, Sam knew.  He and Lily were the surprise.

Before Sam could respond a noise caught both their attention and Dean stumbled into the kitchen dressed in a t-shirt and boxers, an open robe on his shoulders and yawning broadly.  He shuffled to the coffee pot, not even noticing Erin watching him with amusement.  He poured a cup, drank deeply and sighed.  The caffeine coursed through him and he felt himself come fully awake.  He turned to say something to Sam and jolted when he saw Erin sitting across from him brother and smiling at him.

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed as hot coffee sloshed on his hand.  He barely managed to keep from dropping the cup and set it down quickly on the counter, more coffee spattering onto the counter.  He wiped his hand off and tied his robe closed, looking completely off balance at seeing Erin here.

"Good morning, Dean," Erin said pleasantly.

"'Morning," Dean muttered, mopping up the mess he'd made on the counter.

"Erin came over to work on the potion with Charlie," Sam explained, seeing the confused look on his brothers’ face.  Dean before a full cup of coffee was a grumpy mess.

Dean nodded and leaned back against the counter, picking up his cup.  "You think it will work?" he asked after a minute, glancing up at Erin.  Despite the fact that he was trying to school his face to look unconcerned Erin could clearly see the hope and worry at war on his face.  _So like his mother_ , Erin thought.

She nodded.  "I do.  Charlie's idea is brilliant and there are several plants that have tannins that I can use."

"And it will be strong enough?" Dean queried, coming over and taking a seat next to Sam.  For just a second Erin had an image of the two of them as children, both so caring and earnest, looking at her so inquisitively.  Something's don't change.  She shook her head to clear the image.

"It should be, yes."  Erin took a drink of coffee and said, "Bobby and I think we may have an idea for a therapist for Rose too.  Bobby's calling him today.  If it works out he may be able to help her control her powers too."

Dean looked at her in surprise.  "How's that?"

"He shares a power with Rose - telekinesis."

Dean considered that.  "And you trust him?"

Erin nodded immediately.  "If I didn’t Dean, do you honestly think I'd let him anywhere near my daughter?"

Dean nodded, knowing that was the truth.  "I, uh I haven't mentioned the idea of therapy to Rose yet," he said.  "So if you could not either that would be great."  He glanced up at Erin then and said, "I'll tell her.  I'm just easing her into things."

Erin simply nodded, trusting Dean’s instincts when it came to Rose.

Dean nudged Sam then.  "Go wake Charlie up."

"What?” Sam look startled.  “Why me?"

"I woke her up yesterday," Dean said.  "She was grumpy."

"Oh so you want me to get griped at?" Sam protested.

They'd surrounded themselves with strong, competent women, Erin thought.  From her daughters, to Charlie to some of the other hunters she knew they were close with.  Mary would have definitely approved of that.

Sam finally gave in and woke Charlie up.  He worked in a quick check in about him and Lily going with her to get her stuff.  Charlie was more than happy for the company and after grabbing some caffeine and a quick breakfast she and Erin headed off to see what they could come up with.

Sam slipped back to he and Lily’s room then, cup of coffee for her in hand to run the idea by her.  Sam waited a few minutes after she’d woken for her to drink her coffee and really wake up before broaching the subject.

“So how would you feel about a fun filled trip to Michigan to help Charlie pack up her stuff?”

Lily looked at him for a second before smiling.  “And by that you mean bring it all back here?”

“Well, here as in Lebanon, not here as in the bunker.  She got an apartment downtown,” Sam explained.  “You can argue with her about that fact,” he said, seeing the expression on Lily’s face.  “I had no say in the matter.”

“When would we leave?” Lily asked, deciding she’d grill Charlie later.

“Well she’s helping your mom now so maybe tomorrow?”  Lily nodded and Sam glanced at her wrists anxiously.   There were vivid purple bruises on them from the manacles he’d discovered last night. “Maybe you could wear long sleeves today?”

Lily grinned wickedly.  “Aw Sammy, don’t you want my mom to know you chained me up?”

“Not really, no,” Sam said, looking pained at the idea.

"But I'll be sure and tell her you made me come twice and I truly enjoyed the experience," Lily said playfully.  Sam was always so funny about the topic of sex around her mom that Lily couldn’t resist teasing him.

“Not funny, Lily,” Sam said with a glare.  Lily just laughed, then stood and went to their closet.  She dug around till she pulled out a sweatshirt with the humorous phrase “Maybe she’s born with it, Maybe it’s caffeine,” on it and held it up for him to see.  “Does this meet with your approval?” she asked with a grin and Sam nodded in relief.  Lily laid it over the back of the chair and crawled back up on the bed to lean against Sam’s shoulder.

After eating lunch yesterday Sam and Lily had continued the marathon of The Walking Dead for several more hours.  When they’d gotten hungry later in the night Sam had popped a pizza in the oven and they’d eaten on their bed.  It was a day of binge watching and junk food and it helped Lily regain her equilibrium somewhat.  She seemed better today, but Sam knew there was still a lot of pain there and he was sure he was doing the right thing, getting her away from all of this for a few days.  It would do them both some good.

* * *

Dean waited a few hours then knocked and let himself into Rose’s room, figuring she’d still be asleep.  Sure enough she was curled up in a ball buried under the blankets with Sookie curled up next to her head.   Dean sat down on the bed next to her, reaching out a hand to stroke Rose’s hair.  She looked cute with the braids in but he had to admit he preferred her hair loose.

“Hey Sunshine, time to wake up,” he said softly, gently shaking her shoulder.  It took a few attempts before she slowly blinked her eyes open.

“It’s cold,” she murmured, burying down under the covers.  “And too early.”

Dean chuckled.  “It’s after ten, Baby.”

Rose peeked out at him over the blankets.  “That’s early,” she argued.

“Only for you, Princess.”  Dean grinned down at Rose.  He personally thought she was adorable, if a little grumpy sometimes, in the morning.  “Did you sleep OK?” he asked, pushing her hair back from her face.  Rose shrugged and Dean figured that meant no.  “Nightmares?”  She nodded and Dean frowned.  “Hmm we’re gonna have to figure out a way to stop those.”  Rose was silent so Dean changed the subject.  “I brought you some tea.”  That got a small smile from Rose and Dean moved back far enough that she could sit up and he handed her the mug.

“Cute pajamas,” he said with a grin, eyeing her Winnie the Pooh top and matching polka dot bottoms from his position leaning back against the foot of the bed.

Rose glanced down at what she was wearing, murmuring a soft thanks and that was something Dean immediately picked up on. Morning or not Rose usually knew exactly what she was wearing and why.  The amount of care and effort she normally put into her clothes was something he understood.  He wasn’t a fussy dresser but he was a neat one and he had to admit he secretly liked Rose’s attention to her clothes.  She seemed to be making more of an effort since coming back from seeing Chastity this last time (She did say Chastity had told her off for letting her hair get into such a mess.  Dean had to assume the same went for her clothes.) but it obviously still wasn’t coming naturally to her.

“I brought you some toast too,” Dean pointed out and Rose glanced at her night stand and the plate there.  That didn’t get a smile.  “You need to eat some breakfast, Sweetheart.”

“I’m just not hungry,” Rose said, sipping at her tea.

“I understand that,” Dean said, and he did, he really did.  OK maybe not to this level but food did lose its appeal for him too when he was upset.  Granted this was a bit extreme.  Dean could normally trace Rose’s curves by sight.  He loved the ample cleavage she had, the indention of her waist and the flair of her hips.  All of that was severely diminished now.  “But your body needs fuel and you need to make yourself eat.”

Rose frowned at him, her lips forming a pout.  “Why?  It’s not like I’m not gonna waste away or something.”

“Have you looked in a mirror lately, Sweetheart?”  Dean shook himself.  He was not going to go down that road with her.  Instead he smiled at her and said, “So Rule Number Two - You have to eat.”

“I have been eating,” Rose protested.

“Three meals a day,” Dean continued smoothly as if Rose had said nothing.  “And I get to decide what constitutes a meal.”

Rose’s pout was growing.  “Since when do you get to make rules for me?”

“Since you need them,” Dean said. 

Rose frowned and Dean figured she couldn’t argue with that.  So instead she asked, “And just _why_ do you get to make rules for me?”

“Because we belong to each other,” Dean replied simply.

“So I could make rules for you?” Rose challenged.

“Do you wanna make rules for me, Sweetheart?” Dean asked with a smirk and Rose looked thrown by this, obviously not expecting this answer.  Dean sobered then. “I told you I take care of what’s mine,” he said and he caught the small smile Rose tried to hide as she looked down at her mug.  “Consider this part of that.”

Rose was quiet for a minute and Dean could practically see the wheels in her mind turning.  She seemed to be fighting some internal battle.  Finally she reached out and snagged a piece of toast off the plate and took a bite.  She glanced up at Dean then and he smiled at her proudly. 

"So your moms here," Dean said while Rose ate the toast.  "She and Charlie are working on a new potion for you."

Rose chewed thoughtfully and after swallowing she asked, "What if it doesn't work?"  Dean could see the worry in her eyes and he hoped desperately that Erin would make the best damn potion she'd ever made.

"She was really positive, Baby." He leaned forward and gave Rose's knee an encouraging squeeze.

Rose kept silent, finishing off one piece of toast and when Dean motioned with his head to the plate she started on the other.

"You don't like witches," Rose said finally.  "Or witchcraft.  So what's with this sudden embracing of witchy ways?"

Dean thought about that.  She wasn't wrong.  Despite growing up around Erin he still tended to have a less than positive view of spells and witches in general.  Rose watched him with interest as she finished off her toast (Earning a smile and a soft “Good girl,” from Dean.) and finally he answered her with a question.

"What would you do for me if I was hurt?  Or sick?"

Rose looked surprised but immediately replied, “Anything."

Dean smiled unable to deny the warm feeling her answer gave him along with how definite and immediate it had been.

"There you go," he said simply.  "If keeping you safe meant joining a coven myself I'd do it."  Rose stared down at her tea cup and Dean asked, "You still mad about the spell?"

Rose sighed.  "Can I steal your answer and say we'll talk about that later?" Dean grinned and nodded.  After a second Rose added in a begrudging tone, "I will say that someone pointed out to me that your motives weren't without merit."

Dean thought about that a second then ventured a guess. "Chastity?" and Rose nodded.  "Oh I definitely like her. Remind me to buy her a bouquet of flowers," he said with a grin. 

Rose rolled her eyes at.  “She’d prefer wine.”

"Duly noted.  How is she?" Dean asked curiously.  She’d been through a shitload of awful herself.

"Surprisingly well," Rose said, after taking a sip of tea.  "But she's so strong.  I mean she just handles stuff."  Her admiration was clear in her voice.  "Unlike me," she added.  Dean frowned at her.

"Rose, you were tortured." And Dean felt himself wince at those words, hoping she didn't notice. "That's not something you just walk away from."

"You did," Rose said softly. 

"First off, no I didn't.  I have a whole multitude of unhealthy coping skills learned from years of being a hunter."  Dean stared at her for a second before coming to a decision.  Clearing his throat Dean asked, "You ever notice the times I showed up at your door beat up, looking like I went a few rounds with King Kong?" Rose nodded, looking at him curiously.  When Dean just looked back at her she felt her eyes widen as his meaning dawned on her. 

"That was...you'd been tortured?"

Dean nodded.  "Quite a few of those times, yeah."

Rose was thinking. This past winter the boys had turned up on their doorstep in the middle of the night.  Sam had been literally holding Dean up. He’d looked ready to pass out, been covered in blood and bruises and upon seeing him Rose had immediately gone into nurse mode.  Sam had helped him upstairs and she'd nursed Dean’s wounds and curled up next to him, keeping a watchful eye on him all night.  Dean had teased her when he woke, calling her his very own Florence Nightingale.  The boys had stayed over a week and Rose had hovered over Dean the whole time, feeding him, soothing his nightmares and just generally nursing him emotionally as well as physically.  There had been dark shadows in Dean's eyes, Rose remembered but he'd not elaborated on what happened when she’d asked other than to say that demons were a bitch.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Rose asked now then shook her head and added, "And you still handled that way better than I am."

"I was raised as a hunter, Sweetheart.  You got dropped into all this with little warning.  Being around it and being in it are two very different things."  Dean paused and then said, "And I didn't tell you about it because I never wanted you to have any knowledge of the darkest sides of this life."  Dean caught Rose's eye then said, "And I came to you out of anybody because you were the one person who could help."

Rose frowned.  "But Dean I didn't know, I mean maybe if I had I could have done a better job-"

Dean was shaking his head and moving to sit by her side.  He took her empty cup from her hands, setting it aside.  "You helped," he said firmly.  "You were the one person who could soothe every broken part I had," and Rose knew he wasn’t just talking physically.  He grasped her hands in his, squeezing them gently, his urgency no less apparent for his tenderness.  "These hands healed me, these lips," he traced a finger lightly over her mouth, "Said the words that helped me and this heart," he tapped her chest lightly, "Offered me the comfort no one else could." Dean stared into her blue eyes, seeing her surprise at his words.  "You've always known what I needed, Baby.  Instinctively.  You’ve always been the person who gave me comfort when no one else could.  No one else has ever understood me like you and I'd like to think that goes both ways."  Rose nodded her head in confirmation.  "Then you gotta let me help you, OK?"

Rose paused, biting her lip nervously.  "I'll try," she finally offered and Dean smiled.  He'd take that for now.

"And for the record?  You know how many people could handle taking care of someone after they'd been through the shit I went through?  Not many.  But you did, every time.  So don't doubt your strength."  Dean smiled at her.

"I don't know about that," Rose said.

"I do," Dean said firmly.  "So hang onto that for now, OK?"

Rose nodded offering Dean a timid smile.  She didn't feel strong but she'd try to hang onto the fact that Dean thought she was.  That would have to be enough for now.

* * *

Charlie and Erin were in the lab for several hours, appearing just before lunchtime looking victorious.   By that time Rose was up and dressed and was in the kitchen with Dean.  (She was wearing a t-shirt that Dean definitely didn’t understand, featuring a woman wearing a crown with the words “Notorious R.B.G.” on it.  Dean didn’t even try to figure that one out.)

Dean was working on making mac and cheese for lunch and Rose was sat at the table texting with Chastity.

“I know it’s not homemade,” Dean was saying, “But it’s still pretty good.”

“Lily loves that stuff,” Rose was saying.  “I think she actually prefers it to homemade.”

Charlie and Erin swept in the room then a look of triumph on both their faces.  The look didn’t last long for Erin, whose face softened into motherly concern as soon as she saw Rose.  She’d known details of what Rose had gone through because of Cas and that had been bad enough but what Dean had told them yesterday was far worse.  Erin had gone through shock, grief and anger in a very short time.  Now she just wanted to protect and comfort her daughter.  Without thinking Erin crossed the room and pulled Rose to her feet and into a hug.

Rose stiffened at the embrace.  It was so much easier to hang onto her anger at her mother than with Dean (and she hadn’t completely forgiven him yet either).  Things were never easy with them at the best of times.  But then Erin pulled back and the genuine pain and remorse on Erin’s face hit Rose full on.

“I’m so sorry, Baby.  If I could have stopped it and protected you from all this…” Erin’s words trailed off, a look of helplessness taking over her face.  And that feeling Rose understood all too well. 

“You would have Mom, I know.” She reached out and hugged her mom lightly.  “It’s OK, Mom.  You couldn’t help it.”

Erin hugged her back, pulling her to her tightly and Dean gave Rose an encouraging smile.  He knew things were always prickly with the two of them and this was an effort on Rose’s part.  He was proud of her for trying.

Erin finally pulled back and both women took a seat at the table while Charlie came up behind Dean to see what he was making.  Dean promised to bring her some when it was ready and she wandered off towards the library then, figuring Rose needed some time with her mother without an audience.  Well an audience that wasn’t Dean.  Charlie was pretty sure you couldn’t have gotten Dean to leave without a crow bar.

Erin drew out a small vial from her pocket, the liquid inside a vibrant purple.  “This should work much better than the other one,” she said, laying it on the table.  “Thanks to Charlie’s brilliant idea it should control your powers and stop the headaches.”  Rose stared at the vial, afraid to hope this would work.  Or at least for very long.  “Two drops, morning and night.  It’ll work, Rose,” her mother said, catching the concern on her daughters face.  “And if for some reason it’s not strong enough I can make it stronger.”  Erin frowned.  “Of course that means you have to tell me if it’s not working.”  Erin glanced at Dean who was watching them from behind the counter.  “You’ll tell me?” she asked, directing her question at him.

“Hey!” Rose protested but Dean was already nodding his head.

“I’ll tell you,” he said.  Rose stared at them both, aghast at the fact that they were talking about her like she was a child.

Erin smiled at Dean gratefully then stood.  “I need to get back to the hospital now.”  She leaned down and kissed Rose on the forehead and left the room.

Rose glared at her retreating figure then sent Dean a dark look. 

“You’d think I was incapable of taking care of myself,” she muttered.

Dean raised an eyebrow at her.  “Well Sweetheart, you haven’t exactly done an award winning job of it lately.”  Rose frowned at him and Dean sauntered over and leaned down and said, “Besides, I like taking care of you.  And I think I’m pretty damn good at it.”  Rose blushed and Dean went back to the stove with a smile on his face.

* * *

Before Erin called Cas to take her back she had one more stop to make.  She knocked softly on Sam and Lily’s door and after a minute Sam appeared.  He let her in with a smile and left the two women to talk.

Lily was on the bed, curled up under the blankets, her hair still wet from a recent shower with a television show paused on the TV.  Erin said down beside her and pulled her into a hug.  “How are you doing, Baby?” she asked.

“Fine,” Lily said not meeting her mother’s eyes.

“It’s OK to not be fine, Lily.  This whole situation is hard.”

Lily played with the blankets spread across her lap.  “I’m just tired of it.”

“I know,” Erin said on a sigh.  She wished desperately that things could go back to some sort of peacefulness.  Her two oldest daughters had always relied on each other so much.  This was doubly painful for them.  “Sam said you were going with Charlie to help her move?”  Lily nodded her head.  “That’s a good idea, Lily.  Give Rose some time, give you some time.  She’s got a new potion which I think will help.” 

“I’m sick of giving her time,” Lily muttered and Erin sighed and drew Lily’s head to her shoulder.  She stroked her head gently. 

“I know,” she said again.  “Sam told you about Dean’s therapy idea?” Lily nodded.  “I think we may have someone who will work.”  Erin kissed Lily’s head.  “Go away with Sam and Charlie.  Enjoy yourself.  Things will get better, sweetie.”

Lily looked at her mom then.  Her eyes were sad and tired looking.  “Will they?”

“Trust me, Lily.  They will.”  Erin looked at her oldest daughter, giving her a smile.  “Focus on yourself for a little bit, sweetheart.”

“I’ll try,” Lily said on a sigh.

Erin smiled at her one more time then left to head back to the hospital, her work here done.  She couldn’t fix everything but hopefully she’d made things a little better.

* * *

Sam brought lunch back to their room and he and Lily had another evening similar to the one before of binge watching Lily’s favorite zombie show and cuddling on their bed.

Dean got Rose to eat lunch and dinner, albeit with little enthusiasm but it was a start and he was counting it as a win.  Since Rose had already taken her potion when she got up that morning she couldn’t try the new one till tomorrow.  Dean was crossing his fingers and hoping as hard as he could that it worked for the long haul.

After dinner Dean drug Rose into the living room, snagging Charlie along the way.  He found an 80’s movie marathon on and the three of them settled down to watch.  Dean put his arm around Rose and while she didn’t snuggle right up against him she didn’t pull away either and she did lean her head against his shoulder.  She had yet to be as affectionate as she was the first night in the car but she wasn’t shutting him out completely either.  Baby steps, Dean reminded himself.

Dean wanted to go get Sam and Lily and have them join in the movie watching, had even mentioned the idea to Sam who had shaken his head, not thinking it was a good idea.  They needed to give the girls some time apart.  It felt wrong not having them out here with them but hopefully in time things would get better and they’d all be back together again.  Daisy had told him to have faith and he was actually pretty pleased with how things were going.  It was slow, God, so painfully slow but Dean was seeing small signs of improvement and progression.  They’d get there, he thought, squeezing Rose’s shoulder lightly.  And it would be worth every second of the fight.


	55. What's Gonna Happen Today

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans

Sam, Lily and Charlie left early the next morning.  Well that had been the plan at least except between Lily and Charlie it was later as opposed to early.  They took Lily’s car as it was bigger than Charlie’s.  The plan was to drive out, taking a day or two, get Charlie’s stuff into a U-Haul they could attach to the car and then drive back.  It would take about five days, maybe six.  Dean told them to take their time that he’d keep them in the loop and Charlie promised to send pictures and updates.  Rose wasn’t up yet and it was by unspoken agreement that all those involved though it was a good thing.  Lily and Rose needed some space.

Dean got to work, making Rose breakfast in bed like he had that day after they’d had their fight.  That seemed a lifetime ago, Dean though.  He whipped up French toast, brewed tea and headed for Rose’s room.

“You’re like a drug pusher, except with food,” Rose commented once she was propped up and eating.  Dean just grinned and dug into his own plate.  They ate in companionable silence, Sookie enjoying her own breakfast at the same time.  Eventually their plates were cleared and once Dean had moved them over to the chair he sat back on the bed and looked at Rose questioningly.

“So what do you want to do today?”

Rose looked surprised by the question.  “I…I don’t know,” she said.  Aside from going to New Orleans to see Chastity she hadn’t planned what to do with her day in so long it was unbelievable.  That was weird, she realized with a start.  “I haven’t really done anything lately.”

Dean cocked his head to the side, considering that.  She was right, he realized.  She hadn’t gone anywhere, hadn’t done anything.

“Do you want to go out?” he asked.  “We could go somewhere, go shopping or something.”

Rose couldn’t help but smile.  “I’m sorry, am I hallucinating?  Did you just offer to take me shopping?” 

Dean grinned at her.  “See? Don’t tell me I’m not an awesome guy.”

“I never would,” Rose said softly, her eyes on the blankets.  Dean smiled to himself, that little ball of warmth glowing brightly in his chest again.

“So how about it then?  There are some cute shops in town, a mall a few hours away.”   Rose hesitated biting her lip.  Her nerves were palpable.  “Rose?  What is it, Baby?’

“I’m scared to,” she finally admitted.  “What if I’m out somewhere and my powers flair up?  I could hurt someone.”

Dean paused, thinking that over.  “OK, how about this.  You’re going to try your new potion today, right?”  Rose nodded.  “Try it, let’s see how it goes.  If in a day or two you feel like it’s working we’ll go out.  And in the meantime, what about going for a drive somewhere?”

“Can we try the drive tomorrow?” Rose asked hesitantly.  She was obviously apprehensive and not ready to go out yet.  Rose had never been an impetuous person and given what had happened recently she was even less so.  Dean could understand that.

Dean smiled at her and squeezed her knee.  “Of course.”  He glanced around her room.  “We could always clean your room up.”  Rose followed Dean’s eyes around the room, taking in the collection of empty mugs, discarded clothes and her suitcases piled in the corner.

“It is a bit of a mess,” Rose conceded.

“Let me take the plates into the kitchen and you get dressed,” Dean said.  “Then we’ll get our clean on.”

This was good, Dean decided as he headed towards the kitchen.  They could take things easy today, get her room back in order and maybe talk a little.  Then tomorrow they’d head out for a drive.  He’d ease her back into the world.  He washed up the dishes quickly then headed back towards Rose’s room.  He knocked and walked in without waiting for her to answer and stopped short when he was met with the sight of Rose's bare back as she had her shirt just pulled over her head.

Rose turned her head with a slight gasp, the t-shirt she was pulling down frozen in her hands.

Dean took a breath, willing himself to stop acting like a fucking teenager.  He was staring at her bare back like he'd never seen skin before, which was just ridiculous.  He’d seen every inch of Rose’s body; it wasn’t like her back was such a big deal.  _It’s a good thing you haven’t seen her in any fewer clothes for awhile,_ he berated himself _.  You obviously couldn’t handle it._   Against his will his eyes roved downwards, remembering the sight of her stretched out before him.

Rose was frozen, her hands and arms seeming to have stopped working.  She was reminding herself this wasn’t a big deal.  Or she was trying to.  But she couldn’t seem to move and Dean was staring at her with a look that said cleaning was the last thing on his mind.  Rose blinked and finally jerked her t-shirt down and then rushed to get her sneakers on.

Dean shook his head, trying to get a grip on himself and his hormones as he stammered out an apology.  You can do this, he coached himself.  Throwing her down on the bed right now would not be the way to go.  Dean glanced at her then and seeing the slight tremble in her hands brought him back to reality.  She was not ready for anything even close to that.  _You haven’t even kissed her, idiot,_ he scolded himself.

“I’ll uh, I’ll go get the vacuum cleaner,” Dean managed then quickly escaped.

Dean spent the time it took him to retrieve the vacuum to get himself calmed down.  _She’s not ready,_ he repeated to himself.  _She’s still getting her footing.  A few days ago she was barely talking to anyone._   Slow, baby steps.

By the time he came back he was more relaxed and Rose was busy cleaning up her bedside table.  She gave him a shy, nervous smile when he came in and he returned it with a much calmer one.

“I’m pretty sure I should be horrified I understand that,” Dean said, motioning to her t-shirt.  He watched as once again she had to look down at what she was wearing.   “Books turn Muggles into Wizards” stared back at her.

“I thought you didn’t get the Harry Potter fascination,” Rose said with a smile.

“Oh, I don’t,” Dean said grabbing a laundry basket from the bathroom and starting to pile clothes into it.  “But Sam fucking loves it so I hear about it and it sinks in after awhile.”

“Daisy and I drug Lily along with us in our obsession,” Rose said with a smile.  “Lily said I was so Hermione and Daisy is Luna and Lily would have to be Tonks.”

“Yeah, see, you lost me,” Dean said with a shake of his head.  “Other than Hermione I don’t know who any of those people are.”

“Well we’ll just have to educate you,” Rose said.  She froze when she realized how that could easily be taken.  Thankfully Dean just raised an eyebrow at her but didn’t comment.  She watched him pick up her dress from the funeral and she came over, stopping him from putting it in the basket.  “That will need to be dry-cleaned.” She took the dress from him, her fingers running over the material as she moved to lay it over the chair.  “Not that I plan on ever wearing it again.”

“Why not?” Dean asked, sounding way too eager.  He schooled his face to look impassive when Rose glanced at him curiously.  “I mean, it uh, looks like a nice dress.”

“It’s not my style,” Rose said.  “My mom picked it up for me and it’s just way too-”

“It’s hot,” Dean blurted out.  “I mean, you looked hot…I mean really pretty in it.”

Rose looked at him in confusion.  “You weren’t even here when I wore it.  How do you know-”

“Sam may have sent me a picture,” Dean admitted, looking guilty.  “He knew that I’d like how you looked and…” Dean stopped figuring he wasn’t making this any better.  He glanced up at Rose and to his surprise he found her smiling and blushing.  He caught her eye and her blush deepened and Dean couldn’t help but grin.  She may be nervous but that was a good sign.  They both kept busy for the next few minutes then Dean glanced her way again and asked,

“So how’s the new potion feel?  Any different?”

Rose shrugged.  “A bit too early to tell, really.  I don’t feel like I’m walking around in a fog though and nothings flying around so that’s good.”

“Any headache?” Dean asked and Rose shook her head making Dean smile.  So far, so good.

“So on the topic of your potion,” Dean said and cleared this throat.  “Rule Number Three – You take the dose of potion your mom told you to take, no more no less.  And you tell me if it isn’t working.  Got it?”  Dean looked at Rose wanting a definite confirmation on this one.  Realizing she had gone weeks without telling anyone the original potion wasn’t working had made Dean so angry he’d almost broken his promise to wait till she was better to deal with things.  Even thinking about it now he could feel his temper rising.

Rose was watching him, easily able to see the anger on his face that he was doing his best to control.  She got it; she understood why he was so mad.  She’d have been angry if he had done the same.  She hadn’t set out to be so careless with herself but she hadn’t exactly been thinking straight and it had gotten out of control.

“I got it.”  Rose paused then asked, “How many of these rules are there going to be exactly?”

Dean smiled at her the same dark smile he’d given her in the car and stalked over to stand right next to her, near enough that she could feel his body heat, close enough that she had to tip her head back to see his face.  “As many as I think you need, little girl.”

A shiver went through her at his tone, at him using that name again. Rose stared up at him and for a second she was lost in his eyes, completely overwhelmed and not at all sure what she was doing.  Her temper was battling with the side of her that just wanted to give in to Dean.  She should argue with him.  She should tell him just what he could do with his rules.  But instead she just continued to stare up at him in surprise till Dean’s smile softened into the one she normally got.  He reached out and stroked a thumb over her cheek, his touch gentle.  “And I’m a pretty good judge of what you need, Baby” he said quietly.  “Don’t you think?” And without any conscious decision Rose found herself nodding, agreeing with him and that made his smile grow.

A second later he was going back to the clothes, adding more to the overflowing basket and Rose was left trying to get her balance back.  She continued to stare after him for a few minutes before finally turning back to her dresser and focusing on straightening it up.  When he said things like that it overwhelmed her and she didn’t quite know how to handle it.  So she just didn’t and focused on cleaning her room instead.  That she knew how to do.  This new dynamic with Dean she was lost on.  Or maybe she wasn’t and that was even more disturbing.

* * *

Cas eyed the petite blond anxiously.  Daisy had let him know she was ready to talk to him and he’d instantly met her.  If he was reading Daisy right this was her living room.  It was homey, comforting.  He was easily able to picture Daisy growing up here.  Cas took in the big, comfortable couches, the large fireplace and the walls with pictures of Daisy and her sisters throughout the years.  If Cas had looked closer he would have realized there were pictures of Sam and Dean there as well.  But he was too anxious to talk to Daisy to notice details.  She was wearing a short red dress with hearts scattered all over it, looking absolutely delectable in Cas’ mind.  He hadn’t imagined this would be where she’d want to meet, he thought eyeing their surroundings.

“I wanted to talk here,” Daisy said, in answer to his unasked question.  “Because this is my home.  I’m not like my sisters, I can’t pick up and go somewhere else and be happy.  Oh for a short time, sure,” Daisy amended, seeing Cas’ questioning glance.  After all they had been all over the world this last month.  But that had been in her mind.  In her heart Daisy never left home.  “But this is where I always come back to.  It’s where I feel best, where I’m happiest.”  She took a deep breath and then looked up at Cas.  “So if we’re going to have a conversation about how we wound up married and what we’re going to do about it I wanted it to be here.”

Cas nodded, taking a seat across from Daisy.  She had her legs curled up under her on the end of one couch and he was sitting on the end of the other so they were actually quite close to each other, even if they were on different sides.

“Do you want me to start?” Cas asked and Daisy nodded.

“Yes, please.”

Cas had thought long and hard about what he was going to say to Daisy and he had it all planned out.

“It wasn’t my intention to lie to you, Daisy.  But at first you were so weak and then time passed and you were getting better and we were…getting better,” he floundered for a second, not having planned that last part.   But Daisy smiled at that so Cas relaxed figuring going off script there wasn’t the end of the world. “But then you were upset with me about not telling you about Rose and then we made up.  And we were happy and I didn’t want to upset that.  I see now I should have.  And it just became harder to tell you.  I wanted to, I did.  But I…”  Cas ran a hand through his hair, disheveling it completely.  He was so worried about his words that he missed the affectionate smile that drew from Daisy. Perhaps he hadn’t planned enough.  Or maybe it was just that it was harder with her sitting there watching him so calmly.  _Tell the truth, Cas,_ his inner voice said.  So that’s what he did.  “I enjoyed being with you so much and I couldn’t bring myself to disrupt that.  Even though I knew it was the right thing to do.  I’m sorry.  It was selfish.  And weak,” Cas admitted looking shamefaced.

The room was quiet for a minute as Daisy took in everything Cas had said.  She’d done a lot of thinking too and she’d come to the realization there were a few things Cas needed to know.

“I realize you don’t know what it’s like to be the youngest like I am, to have not just two older sisters but two older brothers you inherited as well.”  Cas looked confused by this topic and Daisy smiled at him.  “I promise this all plays a part.  Just hang in there with me, OK?”  Cas nodded and Daisy continued.  “I have been protected and shielded from things my whole life.  After my dad died my mom struggled…it was hard for her to deal with things so Lily and Rose stepped up and well everyone got even more protective of me.”  Daisy sighed, not wanting to sound ungrateful.  She knew she was lucky to have a family who cared about her.  That didn’t mean it came without its fair share of problems.  “I know they all love me and they want to take care of me but it can make me feel like I don’t have a voice, like my opinion will always be overlooked.  I’m sure anyone would have been upset to find out they were married without their consent but for me it felt like a slap in the face.”  Daisy looked down at her hands, twisting her wedding rings around.  “I trusted you, Cas.   You talked to me like I had an opinion you were interested in hearing.  You didn’t pat me on the head and send me off to play.  You listened to me and you were on my side.”  She shook her head and Cas felt his heart give a little lurch when he saw she had tears in her eyes.  A humans tears had never affected him like Daisy’s did.  Seeing her cry, especially knowing he was the cause caused him real physical pain.  “So when I found out that you made this choice for me it felt like, well I felt betrayed.”  Cas winced and glanced down but Daisy pressed on, knowing she had to get this out.  “I know I am so lucky to have a group of people that love me, who would do anything for me.  But it would be nice if they occasionally listened to me too.” 

“You’re correct that I don’t know what it’s like to be the youngest,” Cas said when Daisy had paused long enough that he felt safe to talk without interrupting her.  “But I do have siblings and not all of them are the best at listening to me either.  Some have indeed treated me as if I was quite childlike.  That’s not how I think of you, Daisy and tt was never my intention to make you feel that way.”

Daisy smiled at Cas, glad he could empathize a little.  Then she bit her lip and said in a quieter, more vulnerable voice.  “I just can’t be treated like a child by you. I don’t want a relationship where I’m sheltered from everything and decisions are made for me.”  Cas’ head shot up at that and he met Daisy’s eyes, hope flaring in his blue ones.  “If we’re going to be in a relationship you have to be honest with me even if it means I’ll be upset.  And you have to listen to me and not make decisions for me.”

Cas was nodding his head eagerly.  “I can do that,” he said seriously.

“Lily said we should work on trying to make decisions together,” Daisy suggested and Cas smiled, liking the sound of that.  Daisy hesitated then and Cas watched intently as she moved her eyes to the ground.  “I just, I need to know you didn’t do this just to save me.”  Cas’ brow furrowed.  “If that’s the case I’ll understand and you can just walk away and we can just be friends.  And- Oh!”  Before Daisy had any idea what was happening Cas was lifting her into the air and placing her on his lap.

“If I had just wanted to save you, Daisy I could have done that easily enough.”  Cas wrapped an arm around her waist pulling her against him.  “I did what I did because I wanted to.”  Cas leaned his head down so he was looking right into Daisy’s eyes and she thought idly that she could get lost in the blue of them, swept away in them till nothing else existed but him.  There was a tiny smirk on his lips when he said, “I thought I did a thorough enough job last time of showing you how I felt.  I guess I’ll just have to show you again.”  His lips moved over hers commandingly, making his intentions clear.  He was showing her once again how he felt and Daisy felt pulled along on a tidal wave of emotion.  Her hands flew to his chest as he kissed her without any hesitation, his lips demanding, his tongue enticing hers to entwine with his.

Cas was determined.  His feelings were clear and if he had to kiss Daisy every day for the rest of her life to convince her of them he could easily do that.  In fact that sounded like a plan he would thoroughly enjoy.  He pulled back finally taking in Daisy’s flushed cheeks and pleased smile.

“Do you understand?” he asked in a husky voice and Daisy nodded.

“I like you showing me how you feel,” Daisy said, the flush on her cheeks darkening and Cas smiled.

He slid a hand out to stroke one of Daisy’s legs then leaned down to kiss her again as she leaned deeper into him.  It only occurred to Daisy much later (After the two of them had kissed for what felt like minutes but was in actually closer to hours.) that they had never discussed the actual fact that they were married or what they planned to do about it.  She was snuggled up against Cas’ chest, back on the couch at the lodge.  She thought about bringing the question up but he looked so content and she was so comfortable and happy to be back in his arms.  She guessed it would wait.  They’d been married this long after all, so what was a little while longer?  They definitely both wanted to be together, that much was clear.  The marriage issue they’d just have to figure out.  Just not quite now…

* * *

Rose was putting her second load of laundry into the dryer while Dean finished up vacuuming.  Once they’d gotten past their little odd moment this morning things had gone smoothly.  All the cups were out, she'd dusted, changed her sheets and generally tidied up.  Everything was done except emptying her suitcases.  She couldn't really do that while Dean was around and she was feeling tired anyway.  She supposed that made sense.  It wasn't like she'd done much in the last month.  Dean said he was going to start lunch once he finished with the vacuum and after dropping off a basket of clean clothes in her room she headed to the kitchen.

Dean was serving up bowls of chili when Rose came in and she sat down and picked her spoon up sluggishly.

"You ok?" Dean asked, noticing how tired she suddenly looked.

"Yeah, I'm just...I haven't done much really and I'm just-" she cut her sentence off with a big yawn.

He should have thought of that.  Damn it.

"Maybe once you eat lunch you should take a nap," Dean suggested and Rose wanted to argue.  She wanted to tell him she wasn't a child.  She didn't need a nap.  Except she wasn't sure she could make it through lunch without falling asleep.

Dean was watching her closely.  She had her head resting on her propped up fist, her eyes were drooping and he was fairly sure she was going to fall asleep in a second.  So before she could face plant in her lunch Dean swept her up in his arms.

"Wha-" Rose looked up at him with sleepy eyes.  "I was eating," she protested.

"You were falling asleep, Princess," Dean said, looking down at her with concern.  This couldn't just be her not being used to being active.  This was way too extreme for that.

The first door he came to was his and he hesitated for just a second then thought what the hell and brought her in there.  While he was hesitating Rose was cuddling against him.

"You're so warm," she said in a drowsy voice.  Dean went to lay her on his bed and she locked her arms around his neck.  "Stay, please."  Her eyes were big and pleading with him and Dean knew even if she wasn't fully awake he couldn't say no to her.  So he lay down with her.  She snuggled against his side, her head on his chest and curled up against him.  She lifted her head to look at him one time, saying "Stay," again in an adamant tone.  Then her head dropped and she was out like a light.

Dean lay there, completely still for a few minutes, contemplating the redhead on his chest.  Then he maneuvered his phone out of his pocket and placed a call.

"Erin?  Is there any chance this new potion could have a side effect of turning Rose into Rip Van Winkle?"

* * *

Rose slept for two hours straight, hardly moving the entire time.  Dean had spent the time talking to Erin, working out this little "glitch" (as she put it), reading emails and answering a few texts (Including some emotional ones from Cooper.  He wasn’t calming down well at all. ) And Rose slept through it all.

Finally she started to stir and slowly lifted her head and blinked up at him.

"Well I'll give you creativity points for getting out of eating lunch," Dean said with a smirk.

"That was so odd," Rose said, her face drawn up in confusion.  "I was just so tired all of a sudden.  It was like I was dru-" She stopped, cutting herself off.  "The potion?"

"The potion," he confirmed with a nod.  "Apparently your mom wanted to make sure it didn't wear off so she did something, don't ask me what, to make extra kick in after a certain amount of time after you take it."  Dean smoothed her hair back and started stroking her hair lazily.  He'd spent a large part of the time doing that while she was sleeping, glad she had it loose.  “She called it a glitch.  Your mother is the queen of the understatement.”

"Thanks for the warning, Mom," Rose said with a groan.

"She said to take half the dose next time.  You’ll still probably have some tiredness but not so extreme."

Rose frowned.  "Great, so I'll just take naps the rest of my life.  That'll be productive."

"Yeah on that topic...I have something I want to run by you, see what you think."  Erin had confirmed that she and Bobby had indeed found a therapist to work with Rose.  And sure enough while Rose was still asleep an email had arrived in Dean's inbox from a Dr. Will Alexander.  He'd frowned, realizing that he, Lily and Sam were all being included in this.  Apparently because they lived together he wanted their input.  There was a questionnaire they all had to fill out and return to him and the first day (this coming Monday) they all had to be there and would be talking to him one on one before he saw Rose.  He was willing to work with her via Skype due to the distance but this was all way more involved than Dean had thought it would be.

Rose was looking at him curiously and Dean hoped she was open to this.  Taking a deep breath and hoping for the best, Dean said,

"How would you feel about talking to a therapist?"

Rose blinked.  Out of anything she was expecting that was definitely not it.

"Is this where you admit I'm crazy enough to be locked up?" she finally asked.  "Because there's no normal way for me to explain what happened to me and any therapist would lock me away within minutes of hearing I was tortured by a demon."

"Any _normal_ therapist," Dean corrected her.  "But a therapist who knows all about demons and the like wouldn't."

"Those exist?" Rose asked with another surprised blink.

"Yep, and your mom and Bobby found a good one.  This guy apparently has your power, well the moving stuff with your mind part, I mean.  They think he may be able to help you control it."

Rose looked shocked by this news.  She hadn't even imagined talking to anyone was an option and someone who could maybe help her control her power?  That sounded too good to be true.

"You know why your powers are out of control don't you?" Dean asked, realizing no one had probably thought to tell Rose this.  She shook her head and Dean told her what Erin and Bobby had told him.

Rose was quiet throughout it all.  And after.  She laid there, her head resting on Dean's chest again.  Finally he asked,

"You OK?"

"I just thought it was...well I assumed there was just something wrong with me, that I wasn't strong enough," Rose said, her voice so quiet Dean had to strain to hear her.  "I knew my powers would get stronger but I just figured I couldn't keep up, that my strength was tapped out."

"Nope, not even close," Dean said.  "They just got too strong too fast."  Dean hesitated a second then said, "I'm not sure anything exists you aren't strong enough for."

Rose looked up at him in surprise, the genuine sincerity in his tone catching her off guard.  "Um yeah, except my actual life," she said after a second, her disbelief clear in her eyes.

"Why?  Because you're struggling?  You were tortured, Baby.  Refer back to my lecture yesterday."  That got a small smile and Dean swept her hair out of her face.  "Rose, you survived.  And I happen to know you also refused to make things easier on yourself, that you wouldn't tell that hell bitch where Sam and I were."

Rose frowned.  That didn't seem strong to her.  That was just loyalty.  "I couldn't," she said simply.  "We protect each other."

Dean smiled at that, marveling at this woman. "You could," he corrected her gently.  "I've seen men twice your size, seasoned hardened hunters break and give up their own mothers under torture."  Rose was listening to him intently and he hoped this was sinking in.  "And you were willing to give yourself up, to let yourself die for Chastity's baby, Rose.  Now I won’t deny I fucking hate that idea. I want you to put your life first always.   _Every time_."  Dean squeezed her waist.  "But I also can't deny that's impressive and says a lot about who you are.  Torture shows a lot about a person."  Dean winced as those words left his mouth.  "And yeah I know how fucked up that sounds but its true."  Dean smiled at her, hoping she'd see the truth in his eyes.

"What did it show you about yourself?" Rose asked curiously.

"That I'm a stubborn bastard who’s tough and loyal," Dean said without hesitation and Rose realized he'd obviously thought a lot about this.  "And I have a hell of a dark, twisted sense of humor that comes out in times like that."

"And me?" Rose asked, her breath held.

"That you‘re the only person alive who may be just as stubborn as I am, but we already knew that," Dean said with a smile that Rose returned.  "You're selfless, loyal and Baby, despite the fact you're this pampered princess you are amazingly strong.  You can't learn strength like that, Sweetheart.  It's either in you or it's not."

Rose was silent but Dean could tell she was turning all that over in head.  Finally she smiled up at him.

"Thank you," she said and Dean just nodded and smiled back.  “And a pampered princess, huh?”

Dean grinned.  “Well if the shoe fits…” And Rose just rolled her eyes at him good naturedly.

"I'll talk to this therapist,” Rose said, glancing down at her hands that were unconsciously fidgeting with Dean's t-shirt.  "I'd like to feel strong.  And like I have some control over my powers.  Maybe he can help."

"I think it's worth a shot," Dean said honestly.

Rose lay her head back down on Dean’s chest and looked around for the first time.  “We’re in your room,” she said softly.  She hadn’t been back in here since the morning she left the bunker.

“Yeah, it was the closest one and you were nodding off even when we came in here.”

Rose sat up then and Dean reluctantly let her go, sitting up himself.  He watched her eyes scan the room finally landing on her hairbrush on his bedside table.

“I wondered where that had gotten to,” she said and went to reach for it but Dean stopped her.

“Nope, that stays in here.”

Rose looked at him in confusion.  “Is this like a finder’s keepers thing?” she asked with a little laugh.

Dean considered that for a second.  “Something like that,” he finally said, standing up.  He reached a hand down and pulled Rose to her feet then bent down and said lowly in her ear, “Let’s just say I have plans for that brush.”  Then he straightened and smiled at the startled expression on Rose’s face.

“Now let’s go get something to eat.”


	56. These Days I Haven't Been Sleeping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who wants to go on a picnic?

Dean was asleep when a noise suddenly jolted him awake.  He wasn’t sure what it was or where it had come from but it was just he and Rose in the bunker and she had gone to bed before he had so that was reason enough for alarm.  Slipping his gun out of the drawer of his nightstand he left his room, moving silently down the hall.  He saw nothing, heard nothing until he got nearer the kitchen.  A light was pouring out from the doorway there and as he drew closer he heard a voice he knew well.

“-such a klutz.  Can’t even pour tea without making a mess and breaking things.”  Dean peeked around the corner to find Rose in a short nightshirt mopping up a mess on the counter, broken shards of glass littering the floor around her feet.  He lowered his gun to his side.

“Rose?” he asked, moving into the room.  “What are you doing?”

She swung around in surprise, her eyes wide with alarm and her breath caught in her throat.  It took her a second to find her voice enough to choke out, “Oh God, Dean you scared me.”

Dean laid the gun on the counter and moved towards her.  She seemed shaky, off balance.  “Careful, I broke a mug,” Rose cautioned, squatting down to try and sweep the broken shards of crockery despite her own bare feet.  “I was just making some tea,” she explained as she shakily swept up some of the glass.  “And I…it was hot.  And I didn’t get the handle of the mug when I grabbed it and it…I dropped it,” she finally finished.  Dean watched as she stopped what she was doing, her whole face crumbling.  She dropped the dustpan and brush, covering her face with her hands and slumped against the counter as the tears came.  Dean bent down and scooped her up, moving her away from the broken glass and sitting her on the kitchen table and wrapping his arms around her.

“I can’t even do this, can’t make myself a cup of tea without it being a disaster,” she sobbed against his chest.

“You should have woken me up,” Dean soothed.  “I would have made you one.”  He realized immediately that was the wrong response.

“I should be able to do something myself, handle something.  I used to be able to,” Rose said, her voice a muddle of anger, resentment and pain.  “I was always capable, dependable.  Now I’m just a complete and utter mess.”  Rose’s words gave way to more tears and Dean just held her as she cried, rubbing her back and being as comforting as he could.

Finally when Rose’s tears had stopped he leaned back from her.  He gave her a gentle smile and tucked her hair behind her ears, letting his fingers linger a second.  “Let me clean this up and then do you still want a cup of tea?”

“Yes, please,” Rose said in a small voice.

Dean placed a soft kiss on her forehead and got busy while Rose sat there feeling useless and vulnerable.  In a short amount of time Dean was reaching out his hand to her and she was slipping hers in his and following him out of the kitchen.  Dean led her into the library towards two of the more comfortable chairs tucked into one of the nooks there.  Rose took a seat in one and Dean set the tea he’d made her on a small table and pulled the other chair closer to hers, taking a seat.

“Talk to me, Baby,” he said, looking at her intently.

Rose fidgeted with the teacup, rotating it on the table nervously.  “I just, I hate this,” she finally confessed, pulling a knee up to her chest and hugging it.  “I hate feeling like I’m a mess, like I can’t handle or deal with anything.  That’s not who I am.  I've always been able to cope." Dean knew what she meant - Rose had always been capable and dependable, two things she prided herself on.  “I liked that about myself," Rose continued. "I liked the person I was.  I knew my role, knew that if there was some sort of crisis I was the one to keep things going at home, keep everything running smoothly and be there to take care of whatever was needed after. This person,” Rose waved a hand loosely and sighed.  “I don’t like her, and I don’t know how to be her.”

Dean thought on that for a moment, wanting to answer as best he could.  “Think of it like being sick,” he said finally.  Rose looked at him curiously and Dean could tell he’d gotten her attention.  “Like you’ve had a serious illness and your body and mind have been through hell.  Right now, you’re just trying to get back into the normal every day things, like eating and sleeping and dealing with people." Dean reached out and squeezed one of her hands. "You don’t feel as strong or as capable as before because your body and mind are using so much energy to right what went wrong.  You’re still dealing with everything and since what you went through was so bad it takes awhile.”  Dean smiled at her.  “You’re in recovery, Rose.  And it takes some time to get through it but you’re making progress.  You're getting better.”

“I am?” Rose asked, desperately needing the reassurance that she was indeed improving.

“Absolutely,” Dean said confidently.  “You’re talking to me aren’t you?  And we cleaned your room today, you ate and we watched some TV together.”  Dean pushed her hair back from her face gently.  “These are all steps, Sweetheart.  Healing isn’t a quick thing.  It takes as long as it takes.”

Rose made a face.  “But I want to be better now.”  She didn’t understand the wide smile that brought to Dean’s face.

“Would you have said that a week ago?”  Rose thought about that for a second then slowly shook her head.

“I would have said-” She cut herself off giving Dean a pointed look.  “I’m not going to say what I would have said or you’ll want to smack me with a spoon.”

Dean threw his head back and laughed, really laughed and Rose for the first time in ages felt a bubble of happiness well up in her chest.  She’d made him laugh and he was smiling at her now so happily.  Dean's genuine truly happy smile would always be one of her favorite things.

“Good to see something I said sank in,” Dean said with a wink and Rose just rolled her eyes at him but she couldn’t stop the blush that crept up her cheeks.  “You’re still you, Rose.  And every day a little more of the real you comes forward and a little more of the recovery you goes away.  And that’s without even talking to that therapist guy.”  Dean squeezed her knee affectionately.  “You’re still kind and funny and sweet.” Unable to stop himself Dean added with a smirk, “And you still have awesome legs.” He couldn’t help but notice those legs when he first came into the kitchen, her standing there in a short nightgown.  Even if it was only for a second his mind had honed in on them and sent a “wow” message.

Rose blushed even more but reached out to sip her tea to cover it.  She was quiet for a second, sipping at her tea then she sat it down and looked at Dean.  “I had a nightmare,” she admitted.  “That’s why I was up.”

“Wanna talk about it?” Dean asked, brushing her hair back from her face again.  He couldn't stop touching her at the best of times.  When she was hurting it was impossible.  It was his way of letting her know he was here, of comforting her.  And comforting himself too if he was honest.

Rose hesitated, not sure whether talking about it would make it better or worse.  Finally she shook her head.

"Not yet," she said softly.  Saying the words, bringing them out into the light of the library scared her.  It felt like it would be giving life to them.  "It's not because I don't trust you," Rose rushed to reassure Dean.  "It's just I can't...not yet.  Not now."  Maybe in the daytime, in the light of day, she thought.

Dean nodded, understanding.  "It's OK, Sweetheart.  You don't have to."

Rose smiled at him gratefully.  He was so good at knowing when to push and when to let her do things in her own time.

"You think you're up for a drive tomorrow?" Dean asked, figuring a change of topic was a good thing.

Rose considered.  "I think so, assuming you don't mind if I fall asleep at some point."  Who knew if the half dose of the potion would knock her out or not.  Her mom seemed to think it wouldn't but Rose was figuring a wait and see approach was a good thing.

"Not a problem," Dean said.  "I was figuring we'd drive, pick up lunch somewhere, maybe have a picnic."

Rose smiled at that and Dean knew he'd gotten it right.

"That sounds great," she said, a pleased smile on her face.

"Finished with your tea?" Dean asked and Rose nodded.  Dean stood and reached out a hand to her, pulling her smoothly to her feet.

"I'm sorry I woke you up," Rose said quietly as they stopped by the kitchen to drop off her empty mug.

"Don't apologize," Dean said, steering her down the hallway.  "Just wake me up next time.  I don't mind."

"You're sure?" Rose asked, stopping as they got to her door.

"Positive," Dean said firmly.  He hesitated and Rose could see him debating something.  What it was she had no idea but he gave a slight shake of his head and leaned into kiss her forehead and open her door for her.  "Now only sweet dreams for the rest of the night.  That's an order," he said with a grin.

Rose smiled at him, wondering how he could make her feel sane in all this insanity.  "I’ll do my best."

* * *

Dean let Rose sleep a little later the next morning, knowing her sleep had been disrupted the night before.  He had a text from Charlie to say the trip was going well and that reminded him he needed to call Sam and give him a heads up about the questionnaire he was sending to him and Lily to fill out and to let him know that they definitely needed to be back by Monday.  That call made and email sent he woke up Rose, brought her breakfast and puttered around the bunker while she got ready.

Rose stood wrapped in a towel fresh from the shower contemplating her closet.  She could just wear jeans and a t-shirt.  She was sure that would be OK but this outing felt special.  It was a step as Dean would say.  She was going out, venturing out into the world again.  With that in mind she sent Dean a text and got a quick reply.

 _Definitely_ and that made her smile.

She carefully pulled a pretty dress covered in pink roses from her closet.  It wasn't all that different from the one she'd worn when Dean had taken her out to dinner at the cabin.  She frowned at the looseness of it when she pulled it on.  It cinched at the waist with a belt and it just didn't look right.  OK so maybe Dean hadn't been being overly dramatic about her weight loss.  With a sigh she pulled it off and switched it out for a less fitted grey t-shirt dress.  This one had a few roses scattered over it and was shorter and more casual than the first one.  It was probably more practical for today and Dean would like that it was shorter, giving him a better view of her legs she thought with a smile.  It was cute and she pulled on a pair of soft grey flats to wear with it and brushed her hair out and left it loose.  She looked OK she thought, eyeing her reflection in the mirror.  Not great but OK.  That would have to do.  She fed Sookie, gave her a pet, grabbed her purse and a sweater and walked out to meet Dean.

He was waiting for her in the maproom, leaning against the table peering intently at his phone in his hand.  She let herself take a minute to appreciate how good he looked before he caught sight of her.  He was biting his lip absently, dragging her eyes to those luscious lips of his.  His one hand cradling the phone made the device look small enough to be a toy and Rose knew from experience what those hands could do to her, how they could make her feel.  In jeans and a blue Henley he wasn't dressed up but he didn't need to be.  The shirt stretched across his shoulders just enough to emphasize the width of them and the jeans were tight across his thighs.  Rose felt a little bolt of desire flash through her, something she hadn't felt in so long she'd almost forgotten what it felt like.  It surprised her and she froze for a moment.  She'd had no desire for much of anything in over a month now, certainly not _that_ kind of desire.

Dean chose that moment to look up and he caught something fleeting in Rose’s eye before she quickly looked down.  He didn’t try to figure it out; obviously it was something she didn’t want to share right now.  Instead he whistled as he straightened up.

“Look at you, beautiful,” he said, coming towards her.  He circled her slowly, admiring the way she looked.  He stopped behind her and leaned down towards her ear.  “You look gorgeous, Sweetheart,” he said and he watched as Rose gave a little shiver and blushed.

“Thank you,” she said softly.  “I figured it was a big day, me going out and all.”

“Definitely!” Dean agreed enthusiastically.  “And for the record you can always wear a dress.  I missed seeing you in them.”  Dean watched as a pleased look crossed her face and smiled.  “You ready to hit the road?”

Rose gave a nod, Dean took her hand and they headed out.

* * *

“So where exactly are we headed for this picnic?” Rose asked once they were in the car and on the road.

Dean grinned at her, glancing over at her.  “It’s a surprise.”

“No hints?” Rose asked with a smile and Dean just shook his head.  Rose didn’t pester him for an answer just looked out the window.  Dean smiled over at her, just so damn happy to have her with him.  And she looked so pretty in the cute little dress she was wearing, so much more like his Rose.  She still looked tired, she was still way too thin but she looked a little happy he decided.  And that was a step.

Dean checked his cell phone as a text came in, then left his hand resting on the seat between them.  He got his shock of the day when after a moment he felt Rose’s hand sliding underneath his own and holding on.  He glanced over at her to find her looking at him nervously.  This was the first time she’d been the one to instigate contact and that was no small thing Dean knew.  He may tease Sam about him and Lily being all over each other but Dean and Rose had always been physically affectionate with each other.  Well before they’d ever been a couple they would hug and cuddle together on the couch and Dean had missed that terribly.  He smiled at her now, feeling that warm ball grow in his chest and he squeezed her hand so she’d know just how pleased he was.  Her face relaxed and she gave him a smile.

“So there’s this really good sandwich place,” Dean said after they’d driven in comfortable silence for awhile.  He did miss her chattering on he realized but that would come in time he was sure.  “I figure we’ll stop there, get some sandwiches and drinks.  Sound good?”

“Sure,” Rose said, wishing she could mean that.  Eating was just something she was doing to please Dean.  She wasn’t at all hungry.

“Well you’re agreeable today,” Dean said with a grin.

“I’m outside,” Rose countered.  “I’ve only been out twice in how many weeks?  Once to go to the hospital with you and once to go to see Chas.  And we never even left her house.”

“Thank God for small favors,” Dean muttered.

Rose ignored his comment and instead asked, “So is the trip going OK?”  It took him a second to realize she was asking about Sam, Lily and Charlie.  It was the first time she’d asked about them Dean realized.  She’d known where the three were going and why but she hadn’t shown any real emotion over it save for relief that she and Lily would be apart for awhile.

“Yep,” Dean said. “Sounds like they’re enjoying themselves and making surprisingly good time.”

Rose just nodded and Dean considered bringing up the subject of Lily.  But they were having such a nice day; he didn’t want to bring up unhappy topics so he left it for now.

After a quick stop at the sandwich shop Dean had mentioned they were pulling up to a dirt road Rose hadn’t even seen a sign for.  “Dean, where are we-”

“Just wait,” he promised.  “Oh and put your window down,” he added rolling his own down and watched as Rose did as he instructed, her eyes growing big.

“What’s that noise?” she queried as a rushing sound filled the car but Dean just grinned and drove the Impala carefully down the road to their destination.

Dean stopped the car and watched Rose’s face as she slowly took in what she was seeing.  A huge waterfall was in front of them, water pouring over rocks and cascading to a basin below and as Rose took it in her whole face was alight with delight.

“Oh my…wow...Dean, it’s beautiful!” she exclaimed getting out of the car excitedly.  Dean got out as well, grabbing the bag of food and a blanket.  He led her down a path that led down to the bottom of the waterfall.  It was shaded here, plenty of trees making it cooler and darker.  They found the perfect spot and spread the blanket out and sat down.  Rose couldn’t take her eyes off the waterfall, completely mesmerized by it and Dean in turn was transfixed by her.  She looked happy.  It had been way too long since he’d been able to say that.

“So you like the surprise then,” he said and Rose turned to look at him with a big smile.

“Oh Dean, I love it!  This is just…well I mean, look at it!”  Dean chuckled, beyond pleased that she was so happy.  He watched her pull her phone out and take a picture of the waterfall and send it to someone.  A second later she was reporting, “Chastity is beyond jealous.”  She frowned then, putting her phone away.

“Problem?” Dean asked and Rose shook her head.

“She’s just pushy,” she said, then quickly asked, “How did you know this was here?”

Dean was curious.  He wanted to know just what Chastity was so pushy about but Rose obviously didn’t want to tell him so he let her change the subject.  For now. "I came across it a few years ago.  Stopped in at that sandwich shop on the way back from a case and someone mentioned it in passing so I checked it out.”  He stared up at the water pounding down.  “It’s pretty impressive.”  Dean turned and studied Rose's face as she just kept staring in wonder at the falls.  “How are you feeling today?  Any overwhelming feeling of tiredness yet?”

Rose shook her head, her eyes still firmly on the waterfall.  “Nope, but it hasn’t been quite as long since I took it.  I figure I have maybe another hour till we’ll know if it’s gonna knock me out again.”

“Well then let’s eat lunch before that happens,” Dean said, clapping his hands and pulling their lunches out of the bag.  Dean had everything laid out and Rose was still watching the water.  Dean snapped his fingers in front of her face, finally getting her attention.  “Lunch is served,” he said motioning to the food in front of them.

Rose glanced down then glanced up at Dean with a guilty smile.  “Sorry.”

Dean just smiled at her before casually saying, "So your best friend is pushy.  I would guess that’s a helpful trait in her line of work.”  Rose stopped mid bite of her sandwich and looked at him in surprise then nodded.  She hadn’t expected this train of conversation.

"Charlie says she mothers you," Dean commented and Rose thought about that while she nibbled on a potato chip.

"Mmm I guess so.  She's a few years older than me but mostly well it's because she's been through some really tough stuff."  Rose ate another chip before saying, "She lost her parents in college and had a rough spell after that.  We became friends just after.”  She took a sip of her soda.  “She's like my voice of experience, whether I want her to be or not sometimes," Rose said with a smile.  Dean had the feeling when she talked about Chastity that he was getting just the surface, that the real deep down stuff she was still holding back.  They’d get there eventually he knew.

"Why didn't you tell anyone about her?" Dean asked curiously.  He figured Charlie had to be at least partially right, that Chastity was important to Rose and she was possessive of her.  But Dean was sure there had to be more to it than that.

Sure enough Rose's first explanation was pretty much that: Chastity was her friend, she didn't want to share her with everyone.  "I share stuff with her I can't share with other people." And that certainly wasn't going to help Lily's opinion of her.  Then Rose hesitated before she finally said, "The thing is when you do what Chas does for a living people make some weird assumptions, not all bad but assumptions just the same.  They can see her as just her job as opposed to a real person.  And she's so much more than that, Dean.  She's funny and generous and so kind."  Rose took a sip of soda then said, "She's my family too and I'm protective of her."

Dean smiled.  "Of course you are, Baby.  And that makes sense, what you said."

They ate in silence for a minute, finishing their sandwiches off and clearing up the wrappers.

"It's like being a hunter in a way," Rose mused as she sat back.  "People don't see you as a person, just your job." Dean nodded and Rose smiled at him, grateful he understood.  "You'd like her, Dean.  She's got a wicked sense of humor."

"So when do I get to meet her?"

"Oh that's never happening," Rose said with a laugh.

Dean raised an eyebrow.  "And why not?"

Rose just shook her head with a smile and Dean's face slowly slid into a grin.

"Am I going to have to get the answer out of you?" He asked in a fake menacing tone and Rose shook her head, a teasing smile still on her face.  "Oh yes," Dean said, moving towards her slowly, ready to stop at any sign of fear on her face.  But the small teasing smile just stayed in place.  "Last chance, Princess.  Tell me or pay the consequences."  Dean flexed his hands at her menacingly and Rose shook her head, backing away from him as much as she could on the blanket.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Dean said and he pounced, his hands finding Rose's sides and making her shriek.

"No, Dean, stop!" She said, laughing loudly as he tickled her mercilessly.  She tried to roll away from him but all that accomplished was to get her even more directly under Dean's hands.  "Stop!  Stop please!" She choked out amidst her laughter.

"You gonna tell me?" Dean demanded, moving his fingers and getting even higher pitched shrieks.

"Yes!  Yes, I swear!"  Dean stopped moving but kept his hands on her sides just in case.  He glanced at her face and took in her happily dancing eyes, the smile on her face and the color in her cheeks.  He lost his breath for a minute, just looking at her.  This was his girl.  Shaking his head to clear it he moved his fingers slightly.

"What's the answer, Princess?"

"You're the two bossiest people in my life," Rose admitted, trying to catch her breath from laughing.  "The two of you together?  That seems like a very bad idea."

Dean realized suddenly that he was lying halfway on top of Rose.  That hadn't been his intent but he certainly wasn't complaining.

"Mmm," he said, his eyes darkening at the feel of her underneath him. "But it seems to me, Sweetheart you kind of like us bossy types, don't you?"

Rose was staring up at him with eyes that were suddenly widening and softening.  Dean wasn't the only one aware of their position, definitely wasn’t the only one who liked it.  "I do," she admitted in a husky tone, her hands that had been on his chest trying to push him off to get away from his tickling a second ago were now brushing upwards to his shoulders, her touch soft.

Dean was staring at her mouth, wanting to kiss her so badly.  The air between them felt electric and if there had ever been a right moment this was it.  He lowered his head as Rose's eyes fluttered closed.

The second before his lips touched hers Rose felt a huge yawn nearly split her face in half.  Dean pulled back as Rose rushed to cover her mouth.

"Well it's a good thing I have a healthy ego," Dean said with a wink.  He sat back and watched as Rose sat up yawning again as an embarrassed blush covered her cheeks.

"Gonna guess we've reached the nap portion of the day," he said and Rose nodded, looking sleepy already.

“Sorry,” she mumbled but Dean waved her apology aside.

"Just stretch out on the blanket," he suggested and Rose did so using her sweater as a pillow next to Dean and his jacket as a blanket.

"It's not as bad as yesterday," she said sleepily.  "I just need to close my eyes for a minute."  And she was out.

Dean looked down at her with a fond smile.  He was more amused than anything at the failed kiss.  It would happen he knew.  "You sleep as long as you need to, Baby," he said.  Then he pulled out his phone and started reading through his text messages.  He had plenty of ones that needed responses.

* * *

"I hear you, dude I do," Dean was saying, pacing in front of the blanket where Rose was still sleeping.  He'd scanned through his messages till his last few from Cooper had worried him enough that he'd had to call the kid.  Dean generally moved when he talked on the phone, especially when he was trying to keep calm which he definitely was right now.  So he'd gotten to his feet when he called, making him able to move around without disturbing Rose, but still able to keep an eye on her.  "But Coop, man you gotta be careful."

"I'm being careful, Dean.  I swear," the reply came back in the confident tone that only a cocksure teenager could use.  "But we gotta be together.  We have to.  We're in love."

Dean closed his eyes, trying to keep his calm.  Things had moved swiftly since he'd last talked to the teen.  Apparently the girlfriend ("Andie, her names Andie.") had decided she was cool with Cooper's werewolf status.  (Dean had rolled his eyes at teenage hormones at that.  Being a werewolf wasn't something you were cool with.  It was something you dealt with, tolerated, handled.  Being cool didn't factor into it.).  Garth and Bess seemed to like the girl and things were looking good for a day or so.  Then Cooper and Andie broke her curfew by an hour and her parents understandably were upset.  She was grounded and both teens were devastated.  Dean called up every memory he had of being a teenager and tried to speak some sense to Cooper he'd listen to.

"OK listen to me.  She's grounded; it's not the end of the world.  You'll see each other at school, right?" Cooper made a noise that could be taken as a yes and Dean went with that.  "Right, so you gotta be patient, Coop.  Trust me on this.  You do not want to be on the bad side of her parents."  Dean paused, glancing at Rose to make sure she was still sleeping then continued.  "I can tell you from experience that doesn't end well.  So if you really like this girl-"

"I love her!" Cooper broke in passionately, his indignation at his obviously strong feelings being relegated to a mere like coming across loud and clear.

"If you love this girl," Dean corrected smoothly, "Then be patient.  Listen to her parents, don't try to break her curfew and let her know she's worth the wait.  Chicks like that."

"Yeah?" Cooper seemed to be thinking this over.

"Totally," Dean said confidently.  "If you tell uh, Andie that you're willing to wait till she's off house arrest then you're letting her know she's special.  She's not just some random chick you're banging.  She's your girl.  That's a big deal."

"Yeah, yeah that makes sense."  Cooper paused then said with his voice full of impatience.  "But two weeks man, that's forever."

Dean laughed.  "It’s really not, Coop, trust me.  Two weeks is nothing."

"It feels like it," Cooper said despairingly.

"Well it's not," Dean said confidently. "And anyway if she's the right girl you'd be surprised how long you're willing to wait."

"I bet you never waited for any girl." Dean couldn't help but grin at the obvious hero worship in the kid’s voice.

"And you'd be wrong, Coop," Dean said, his eyes on Rose's sleeping face.  "Very, very wrong."  He cleared his throat and said, "How's football going?  Garth said you've been starting."

The two chatted for a few more minutes, Dean advising that Cooper focus on football till his girlfriend was free again.  Dean hung up wondering when exactly he'd gained a teenager.  And who would ever imagine he'd be the person Cooper looked up to?  God, life was crazy.

A noise drew his attention back to Rose and he found her thrashing about, her face contorted in an expression of pain.

"I'm sorry," she was muttering.  "Please don't...don't hurt him."

Dean was at her side instantly, dropping down beside her, his hand shaking her shoulder.  "Baby, wake up.  Rose, come on."

Rose sat up suddenly, almost knocking heads with Dean but he pulled back quickly, avoiding the collision.  Her eyes were panicked, looking around in alarm, then they lit on Dean and before he could say anything she was touching him, running her hands over his face, neck and chest.

"You're OK...you're not...there's no blood."  She yanked his shirt up suddenly while Dean just sat there frozen in surprise.  She ran her hands over him again, her eyes locking in on his tattoo.  "Right, she can't have you.  You're protected.  But she can hurt you...but she's dead...but not..." Rose dropped his shirt and scooted back away from him, pulling her knees up to her chest, Dean's coat still covering them, rocking and muttering to herself.

Dean shook himself, coming out of his daze.  "Baby, what's wrong?  What's going on?"  He reached a hand out and rested it on her shoulder.  She didn't respond just buried her head on her knees.  Deciding words weren't the best course of action here Dean moved closer to her and wrapped an arm around her.  When she didn't protest he pulled her closer to him and she lifted her head and buried it against his chest.  Dean wrapped both arms around her and they stayed like that for several moments.

"Nightmare?" Dean asked finally and Rose nodded.

"You were hurt," she said finally.  "She was hurting you, making you bleed and I couldn't move."  Her voice was muffled against his chest and Dean shifted a little to hear her better.  She rested a hand on his chest, her fingers still anxiously running over him.  "She was cutting you right in front of my eyes, taking you away and I couldn't stop her."  She pulled back to look up at him.  "I can never stop her." She looked at him anxiously suddenly.  "You are OK, right?  It was just a dream?"

Dean smiled at her reassuringly.  "I'm fine, Baby.  Not a scratch on me."  Rose eyed him anxiously for a minute then nodded her head, seeming to take his word for it.  She leaned her head back against his chest.  "Is this the normal nightmare?" Dean asked gently.

"There's a few different versions," Rose said, her fingers continuing to move over him.  "But this is the most common one."

"Always me?" Dean asked.

"You or Lily," Rose confirmed. "Sometimes both."

That made sense, Dean thought, after Aine had told Rose they were both in danger.

"It seems so real," Rose said and Dean felt a shiver go through her.

"I understand that," Dean said honestly.

"When I wake up it's like I have a hard time believing this," She hugged Dean reassuringly "is reality and that was a nightmare."

"I'm sorry, Baby," Dean said, kissing her head gently and keeping her in his arms.  “I wish I could take them away.  They’ll get better with time.”  This was something he could speak with authority on.  Rose nodded and Dean just kept holding her, letting her get her bearings.

"At least I didn't move anything this time," Rose mused finally and Dean looked at her curiously.  "When I was at Chastity's I um, had her bed off the ground."

Dean chuckled softly.  "You do like to move beds."  He looked at her thoughtfully.  "You didn't have a nightmare yesterday afternoon when I was with you."  He was trying to figure out the difference.

Rose nodded.  "I didn't the night we were in the Impala either."

Dean mused on that for a minute.  Then setting it aside for the moment he stood, pulling Rose to her feet.  He turned her to face the waterfall, standing behind her.  "Look at that a minute, Sweetheart.  Get that awful nightmare out of your head and just focus on that, on where you are, on who you're with."  Slowly he felt Rose's body relax, leaning back against him and he wrapped his arms around her waist.  "You're with me and you're safe."  He saw a small smile grace her face and watched as slowly the fear retreated.  Her eyes weren't as calm as before, not as happy, but she wasn't terrified now.  She was relaxed in his arms and Dean rested his head against hers and felt a wave of pride that he was the person who could make her relax, could give her some security.

"It's getting chilly," Rose said finally when they'd stood there for quite some time.

Dean reached down and picked up her sweater.  She turned to face him and he helped her put it on and smiled down at her, his hands smoothing her hair back.

"I'm sorry," she said, looking up at him anxiously.

"For what, Sweetheart?" Dean asked genuinely perplexed.

"I ruined our day," Rose explained as if this was obvious.  "We were having such a nice time and then I...I fell asleep and woke up a crazy girl."  She sighed.  "I'm so sick of it."

Dean looked at her thoughtfully for a minute then he wrapped his arms around her waist.   She could do with a reminder he figured and if it took her mind off her worries all the better.

"You have a good memory don't you, Princess?"  Rose nodded, unsure why he was asking her such an odd question. "Well I want you to think back to the very first day you were at the bunker and we were sitting in the bedroom you had just ripped apart after your mom lost her damn mind."  Dean's voice was low and intimate, peaking Rose's interest.  "You remember that day?"  Rose nodded.  Of course she did.  "I told you then what would happen if you kept apologizing for things you couldn't control.  You remember?"

Dean watched in amusement as Rose blushed.  God, she was pretty when she did that.  She nodded her head at him again.

"And what did I say, Baby?" Dean asked, with a lascivious smile.

"That you'd spank me," Rose said quietly, biting her lip and looking stead fastedly at the buttons on his shirt.

"Bingo!" Dean said, tapping her nose lightly.  "Now we are taking things slow and easy and for you and only for you, Sweetheart, I am a surprisingly patient man."  He spread his hands on her back, running them over her in a way that felt possessive, felt like he was being careful with her because she was worth it, because she was his. "But I'm also a man of my word, Baby and if you don't stop apologizing I may have to spank this sweet little ass of yours before I think you're ready."  He swept one hand down to her bottom and pulled her flush against him, getting a surprised gasp from Rose.  Her eyes flew to his face and he grinned sexily down at her as he leaned close to her ear to say, "And I can't say that the thought of spanking you out here doesn't turn me on, Baby."  He moved both hands to her waist and squeezed.  "So behave or I won't promise that I will."

He pulled back and grinned at her and his eyes were twinkling at her in a way that made it clear he was flirting with her, teasing her in that way of his that made Rose’s knees feel weak.  Despite her not so long ago panic Rose felt a smile on her lips.  She dipped her head then looked up at him from under her lashes.

"I'll be good," she said softly, then added, "For now."

Dean chuckled and kissed the top of her head before releasing her.  "That's what I want to hear."  He paused then winked at her before adding, “For now.”

They gathered their things and headed back to the Impala.  Rose realized that despite the nightmare bump in the road that it had been a good day.  She stopped Dean before he could slide behind the wheel and said with a smile, "Thank you for a really good day."  She hesitated then added shyly, "It's the best one I've had in a long time."  She leaned up and kissed his cheek then went to her side of the car and slipped inside.

Dean stood there for a minute, feeling his heart give a jump in his chest.  Then he smiled as only someone who knows he's on the right path can.  He hadn't lied when he'd talked to Cooper.  For the right woman there really was no time limit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is having a great winter holiday. This will be the last chapter I post for the year (2016). I still have a few more written that just need some tweaking so early in 2017 I'll be posting more. Thanks to everyone who has followed along on this journey so far. The feedback and comments mean more than y'all will ever know. There's still a lot to come and I'm excited about it. Happy New Year!


	57. You Got Desires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well that title sums it up nicely.

"Tell me about Cooper," Rose said surprising Dean.  "He sounded important to you."

He glanced at her as he drove them home.  Of course she would have picked up on that.

"It's kind of a complicated story," Dean hedged.

"And I have time," Rose said with a smile. 

OK, Dean decided. Rose wanted the story then he’d give it to her with all the details.

"Cooper's a werewolf," Dean said, glancing at Rose again.  She looked surprised but not horrified.  "A pure blood.  His parents were killed about a year, year and half ago and he went to live with an aunt of his.  Sam and I know her husband."  Dean filled Rose in on Garth, how he'd come to be a werewolf and the changes in his life since.  "When I first met him he was so angry, walking around with a chip on his shoulder, looking for a fight anywhere he could find it.” Dean related the details easily, his hands relaxed on the steering wheel.  “His parents weren't too interested in being parents and he'd been left to his own devices pretty much.  And suddenly he's living with this couple who are...well Garth is just not someone you'd ever expect to be a hunter.  He's goofy and sentimental and just as earnest as can be."  Dean shook his head fondly and Rose could see his genuine affection for the guy. "So this angry teenage werewolf is suddenly living with a young June and Ward Cleaver.  It was a bit of an adjustment."

"I bet," Rose commiserated.  "Being a teenager is hard enough without throwing any of that stuff in there."  Rose looked at Dean curiously.  "So how'd you get involved?"

"I'd been up their way working a job a little over a year ago.  Sam headed to meet your sister and I stopped into visit Garth and met Cooper."  Dean grinned remembering how the kids face had lit up at the sight of Baby.  "Turns out he loves cars."

"And you have only the prettiest car there is," Rose filled in with a grin.

"Damn straight," Dean affirmed with a proud smile, running a hand affectionately over the steering wheel.  "I offered to take him for a ride and we got to talking.  I pointed out he had a pretty good thing going with Garth and Bess, suggested he might want to be a little nicer to them, give them a chance."

"And he listened," Rose surmised.

"Yeah, he at least started giving them a bit of a break.  And once he stopped being such an almighty pain in the ass to them he discovered they were pretty nice people who made his life a lot easier too."

Rose nodded, thinking how like Dean this was.  He liked to act like he didn't care about other people but he just couldn't help himself.  But if she said that to him he'd deny it.  So instead she just said, "So you two bonded.  And what's going on now?"

"Oh young Cooper is in love."

Rose frowned.  "That's not a good thing?"

"Oh it would be except the object of his affections was given the startling news that the guy she had just knocked boots with was indeed a werewolf."

"Ouch," Rose said with a wince.

"Did I mention the girl was a virgin?"

"Well that's...yep, that's fairly awful first time," Rose said.

"Bess and Garth got her calmed down but she hadn't talked to Coop in a week and he was heartbroken."

"Oh poor Cooper," Rose said sympathetically.

"Aw, but our fair heroine overcame her interspecies bias and the two are now officially in love," Dean said dramatically.

"Awww," Rose sighed, with a sweet smile.

"But the course of true love never did run smooth," Dean quoted with a grin.

"Oh no." Rose’s smile turned to a concerned frown.

"Our lovebirds broke Andie- that's her name, the girlfriend.  They broke Andie's curfew and she's grounded for two weeks and Coop is now in the depths of despair."

"Oh that's so hard," Rose commiserated.  "And two weeks is an eternity when you're that age."

Dean realized given what he knew of Rose and Danny's history she was probably speaking from experience.  He wasn't ready to have a conversation like that just yet. 

"So now I'm just hoping he just keeps a cool head and waits out the two weeks," Dean said.

"Fingers crossed," Rose said, holding up her fingers that were indeed crossed.  "That's nice of you, Dean," she added, unable to help herself.  "To step in and help him."

Dean squirmed a little, still uncomfortable with the praise.  "He's a good kid," he said.  "He's just hotheaded and emotional."

"Hmm, who does that remind me of?" Rose asked smiling impishly at Dean.  "It couldn't be a teenage you, could it?"

"Hey!" Dean protested.  "I was not an emotional teenager!"

Rose actually laughed.  "You so were.  And you made brooding into an art form.  It's why all the girls at my school liked you." She grinned.  "Well that and other attributes."

Dean glared at her as best he could while driving but Rose didn't look intimidated by it in the least.  She was teasing him, grinning at him and Dean had to admit that was nice to see.

"Yeah, I'm just ignoring that," he muttered.  Then he asked, "So you took the whole werewolf thing pretty calmly.  No comments about what am I doing being friends with a werewolf?"

Rose shrugged.  "My dad knew a few who were good people," she said causing Dean to glance at her in surprise.  "He used it as a teaching tool of why not everything in life is black and white."

"He never mentioned it to me," Dean mused.

"Your dad didn't agree," Rose said getting another glance of surprise from Dean. "I got the impression it was a big difference of opinion between them.  He probably didn't want to step on your dads toes with you boys."

That sounded like her dad.  While Erin and John had butted heads frequently Brendan was the calm voice of reason who tried to keep the peace.

"So dinner," Dean said.  "You want to stop in somewhere on the way home?  Or pick something up?  Or I could cook.  What do you think?"

"I'm not...I'm still nervous about being around a lot of people," Rose said hesitantly. 

"We don't have to go anywhere, Baby.  Though for the record you're doing great." Dean paused then added with a concerned look, "Unless you're not telling me that the potions not working?"  Rose shook her head.  "No headaches?  Powers under control?"  Rose nodded and Dean looked relieved.

"I'd tell you," Rose promised.

"Good girl," Dean praised her and Rose smiled.  "How about we pick up a pizza and take it home?" He suggested and Rose nodded.

When they were just a little ways out Dean called in their order (Half meat and half veggie - He'd never understand Rose's taste in pizza toppings.) and swung by and picked it up and they were home before the pizza had even cooled.

Rose changed into comfy pajamas and they plopped down in front of the TV in the living room and ate pizza while an old movie that Dean knew Rose loved played. 

Dean watched Rose laughing at the silliness on the screen and he couldn't keep the smile off his face.  The difference in her in such a short time was amazing.  She was sitting here in pajama pants and a black t-shirt with her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail and to him she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

Rose glanced over at him to see why he wasn't laughing and caught him staring.  "What?"

"I, uh, like your shirt," Dean said lamely.  Then glancing at it (A stack of books with the words "Food For My Soul" under it.) a though occurred to him.  He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her read.  That couldn't be right. Rose always had a book going, usually more than one. Figuring he'd find out he asked, “So what's the latest book?"  Rose looked at him curiously.  "What are you reading?" he clarified.  She'd always tell him in texts or on a call all about the book she was obsessed with, sometimes in enough detail that Dean felt like he'd read the book himself.

Rose looked uncomfortable.  "I'm not," she finally admitted.  "I just can't concentrate enough."

Not wanting to say once again to give herself time Dean instead said, "I read that book series of yours.  The kinky smut one?" Rose looked at him in surprise.  "Yeah, you were out of it for a few days when you got back and I didn't want to leave you so I read those."

"You stayed with me the whole time?" Rose asked softly.  She'd known from her mother that she'd been unconscious for three days and she of course knew Dean had been there when she’d woken up but she hadn't known he'd been with her the whole time.

"Yeah, I wanted to make sure I was there when you woke up," Dean said.  "Lily came and sat by you one day and Sam that night but I was there the whole time."  Dean watched as Rose’s face changed.   Her eyes softened and an expression brushed over her face that Dean could only describe as awe.  She leaned towards him, her hands going up to cup his face and Dean blinked in surprise when he realized what was happening. 

Her lips touched his softly, just a soft brush of them and Dean stared into her face for a quarter of a second before his own eyes shut.  Every detail stood out to him - The heat of her lips on his, the feel of her soft hands on the stubbled skin of his face, the softness of her body against his own.  Suddenly he was glad the kiss at the waterfall had been waylaid.  This kiss was worth the little extra wait, because it was Rose who'd initiated it.  Rose moved her hands from his face to wrap around his neck and as the kiss deepened Dean's hands went to her waist pulling her gently closer towards him. 

Rose hadn't been planning to kiss Dean tonight at all.  But then he'd said what he did about staying with her when she was unconscious and an overwhelming wave of emotion swept over her.  He said it like it was no big deal at all and Rose realized that it wasn't to him, that putting everything else in his life on hold just so he could be there when she woke up was status quo for Dean.  She was a priority, she was _his_ priority and suddenly she'd just known she had to kiss him.

Dean let Rose lead the kiss, not wanting to overwhelm her, not wanting to push.  He figured if he took over it would be hard for him to stop at just kissing her.  Better to go slow, let Rose decide what she was ready for. 

Rose pulled back and smiled at him and Dean returned it with a happy smile of his own.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"I'm sure there's a myriad of choices but for what?" Dean asked.

"For staying with me till I woke up, for making me talk the other night, for giving me a wonderful day today.”  Rose’s eyes were soft and shining, leaving no doubt as to what Dean’s actions had meant to her.

"Anytime, Sweetheart," Dean said, smoothing her hair back.  "You tired?" he asked, figuring it had been a pretty active day for her.

"A little, but let's watch the rest of the movie."  Rose settled back down next to him and snuggled against his side.

Dean smiled down at her, feeling happier than he had in a long while.  Baby steps, he reminded himself but this was one step she took all on her own.

* * *

**What is your relationship with the client?**

_Sister_

**Would you describe your relationship as close?**

_Very_

**What is your main concern about the client in your own words?**

Lily paused, considering how to put this.  Finally she came up with:

_She’s lost her damn mind._

Sam, who was reading over her shoulder, winced.  “Lil, maybe there’s a better way you could put that?”

“Why?” Lily demanded obstinately.  “I think it sums it up perfectly.”

“OK but maybe you could describe how she’s acting that makes you feel that way,” Sam suggested.

Lily threw Sam an annoyed look over her shoulder but took his advice and though it over and changed her response to:

_She won’t talk to anyone, she’s angry and closed off.  She’s like a complete stranger._

“Better?” she asked and Sam nodded and smiled his approval.  Lily moved from where she was laying sprawled on the bed and sat up next to Sam.  They were in a hotel in Chicago, having made a stop here at Lily’s insistence.  They’d had a touristy day in the city, eating hotdogs and stopping at several tourist stops and taking more pictures than Sam could count.  After a dinner of deep dish pizza they’d came back to the hotel and Sam and Lily were both attempting to fill out the forms for the therapist Rose would be seeing.  Lily had grumbled to Sam about it a bit, voicing her protests of why she had to fill out a form when she wasn’t the one messing everything up.  But eventually she’d settled down and got down to it.

“How do I fill out the relationship question?” Sam pondered.

“Sister?” Lily guessed then quickly shook her head.  “No, that’s confusing.”

“Adopted sister?” Sam suggested and Lily finally nodded.  She supposed explaining the four of them and their relationship wasn’t easy but it was just a fact as far as she was concerned.  Lily looked back at her form and circled a 10 for how distressing her concern was.

**Describe any events that you believe brought on this issue:**

_My sister was tortured by a demon and found out kids had been killed by a demon that was trying to get to her._

**How have you tried to resolve this concern:**

_I tried to talk to her and suggested we go out._

**How was that helpful?**

_It wasn’t._

“You realize this seems completely wrong to me, right?” Lily said as she continued to fill out the form.  “I mean we’re telling a stranger all the intimate details of our lives.”

“Well he needs to know this stuff,” Sam said.  “If he’s going to help he needs details.”

“Still seems wrong,” Lily muttered.  “Oh come on, we’re adults.  Why do I have to tell this guy if our parents were affectionate to us?  And how they disciplined us?”

Sam nudged her.  “Come on, Lil. You guys are pretty much the Brady Bunch when it comes to this stuff.  That parts a cakewalk.”

Lily nodded and wrote that her father was calm and her mother yelled and both were big talkers.  _They both hugged us and were awesome._   That summed it up pretty well she thought.  _Oh and they were big fans of grounding us, thought mostly me._

“Think I should tell him I’m mentally scarred from having to sit in a time out chair so often because of your brother?” Lily asked with a mischievous grin.

Sam chuckled.  “I think you two did a fairly even job of getting the other one in trouble,” he said.

“You’re supposed to be on my side, Sam,” Lily whined.

“I am, Darling,” Sam said.  “I just have very vivid memories of the two of you tormenting each other pretty equally.”

**Whom do you include in the group you consider your "family"?**

_Rose, Daisy, Mom, Sam, Dean, Bobby_

Lily hesitated, wondering if she should list Charlie.  She was her friend, someone she could honestly say she trusted.  The boys counted her as a sister.  In the end she decided against it, not because she didn’t think of her as family but more because she didn’t want to drag her into therapy too.

**How do you see your role in your family?**

_I’m Lily._

That was all she wrote. 

**What significant life changes or stressful events have you experienced recently:**

_My sisters switched powers, one got crazy strong powers and almost got killed by a demon, then came home acting weird.  My other sister is in a coma from a demon attack – not the same attack as the one that almost killed my other sister.  There’s a lot to choose from._

Lily hesitated then glanced at Sam and added:

_I moved in with my boyfriend._

Sam glanced over, read what she wrote and smiled at her.

“Was that last one stressful?” he asked with a grin.

“Nope, not at all,” Lily said with a smile.

“Good to know,” Sam said leaning over and dropping a kiss on her head **.**

**How would you normally describe the client?**

_Nice, funny, smart, my best friend_

**How would you currently describe the client?**

_Mean, crazy, spiteful_

Sam winced at reading Lily’s answer but didn’t say anything.   That’s how she truly felt so it should stand.  And honestly with Lily it could have been worse.

**What would you like to accomplish out of your time in therapy?**

_I want my sister back._

“And Done!” Lily proclaimed, saving the file.  She glanced at Sam.  “You’re still writing?”  He nodded distractedly.  “Did you give longer answers than me?”  She glanced over his shoulder now.  “Of course you did.  Geez, Sam you wrote a fucking novel.”

“Hey, quit,” Sam said, pulling his phone away from Lily’s eyes.  “Give me a minute and I’ll be done.”   The one question Sam was struggling with was his role in the family.  He’d seen Lily’s answer and wished his could be so simple.  What was his role exactly?

Lily got up and walked to the window, looking out at the busy town below while Sam finished up.  It was so crowded and busy here.  Despite the fact that it was late the town below was still buzzing, cars flying by and people rushing to get wherever they were going.  Suddenly Lily wanted nothing more than to be out there with all the business and action, to be a part of the motion.  She turned from the window with an excited gleam in her eye.

“Sam, let’s go out!’

Sam glanced up at her distractedly.  “What?  Where?”

“We passed a ton of clubs,” Lily said picking her phone up and texting Charlie.  “Some of them looked really cool.  We could try one out.”

“Lily, it’s after eleven now,” Sam protested.  “We have to be on the road early tomorrow to get to Michigan and get Charlie’s stuff.”

Lily was staring at her phone with a frown. “Charlie doesn’t want to go but she said we should go.  She can drive in the morning if we’re tired.”  Lily grinned up at Sam.  “Come on, Sam.  Be daring.  When are we gonna be in Chicago again with no responsibilities?”  She could see Sam was wavering.  “Please Sam, it’ll be fun.”

Sam shook his head but Lily knew from his eyes that she was winning.  “Lily, this is crazy.”

“Crazy fun!” Lily retorted.  She went to her bag and rummaged around in it before pulling out some clothes.  “Give me fifteen minutes,” she called out as she headed to the bathroom.  “And change your shirt!”

Sam groaned and changed his t-shirt for a button down grey one.  Then he took Lily’s spot by the window to enjoy the view.  The things she could talk him into…

For once Lily took less time than she had promised, coming out in just over ten minutes.  She slipped on her shoes and did a little turn for Sam.  “So how do I look?” she asked, stopping with her back to him and winking at him over her shoulder.   “See?  The shoes match.”

Sam took a breath as he looked her over, his cock starting to harden at just the sight of her.  A black leather mini skirt hugged her hips tightly, leaving a long length of bare leg.  A black corseted top laced up the back, leaving a large amount of skin on display that Sam swore just begged to be touched.  Fuck, if she didn’t look hot.  She really was going to be the death of him.  Glancing down at the shoes she seemed so proud of he saw the five inch heels did indeed match, a corset lace up the back of them, showing a peep of red on the black shoes.

Lily giggled at his gape mouthed look.  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You’re uh, you’re gonna be cold,” Sam ventured finally, wincing at how lame that sounded.

Lily walked over and dug her leather jacket out and put that over her arm.  “I was thinking you could help keep me warm too,” she said with a smile. 

Sam broke his “no dancing” rule that night after the very first song. Lily was on the dance floor on her own and some guy had run his hands over her bare back.  Sam had been out of his seat like a shot before Lily could even tell the idiot where he could go.  He’d towered over the guy, glaring at him menacingly and the guy had made himself scarce.  Sam had turned to Lily then and slipped his arms around her, his fingers stroking between the laces of her top, enjoying the feel of her bare skin.

“Playing the hero, are we Sammy?” Lily had purred.

“Fucking idiots should know better than to touch a woman without asking,” Sam growled.  Then he looked at Lily and smiled.  “You look hotter than hell tonight, Lil.”

Lily smiled and wrapped her arms around Sam’s neck.  “Dance with me,” she demanded.

“Lily, I hate dancing,” Sam protested half-heartedly.  He was already on the dance floor…

“Don’t think of it as dancing,” Lily advised, moving her hips seductively.

Sam let out a little groan at the feel of her moving against him.  “What should I think of it as?” he asked huskily, one hand slipping down to rest on the slight swell of her hip.

“Foreplay,” Lily purred in his ear and Sam groaned again.  “Though I don’t know that you need much, Babe.”  Lily rubbed against him and pulled back to grin up at Sam’s flushed face.

Sam leaned down to speak right into Lily’s ear.  “I’ve been hard since the second I saw you in that outfit and fucking aching since you walked onto the dance floor.”  He pulled her hips against his tightly as they both moved to the rhythm of the loud song pouring out of the speakers, Sam much more smoothly than his “no dancing” rule would have led one to believe.  “And you knew it.”

Lily grinned like the cat that ate the canary.  “Mmm, maybe I did.  Maybe I like that, the idea of you walking around wanting me, hard for me.”  Lily rotated her hips and Sam shut his eyes.  “Aching for me.”

“You telling me you’re a tease, Lil?” he asked and Lily immediately shook her head.

“Nope, not a tease ‘cause eventually there will be a payoff for us both.  But I like this, I like being out here with all these people, maybe some of them are clueless, maybe some of them know we’re just dancing as a prelude to sex, maybe some of them are doing the same thing.”  She rubbed against him and Sam could feel her nipples harden against his chest.  He wasn’t the only one who was turned on here.  “Either way I like it.  And I want to dance.”  Lily tugged his arm, pulling him deeper onto the dance floor.  Sam followed, allowing her to pull him along and he soon found himself surrounded by a mass of bodies.  He was stuck.

The hunter instinct in him reared up, hating this.  Trapped was bad.  If something went wrong here it would be a nightmare.  Sam felt himself start to panic but then he glanced down at Lily and everything else faded away.  His hands were on her and the feel of her skin and the smell of her and sound of the music all melded together into one big sensory overload.  Sam gave in and just let himself get lost in the moment.  He halfway wondered if someone had slipped something in his drink - he was so far gone - before he remembered he never had drunk anything of the beer he bought.  Tonight Sam, didn’t want to be a hunter.  He just wanted to be a guy who was lucky enough to be with the gorgeous, seductive woman in his arms.  And God, what she did to him. 

 Lily had her back to him, was grinding her ass up against him and Sam was caught somewhere between heaven and hell.  Lily felt so good and Sam was so fucking hard he was fairly sure he could come at a moment’s notice.  He buried his head against the back of her neck as she continued to move against him and he let his tongue slip out to the sensitive skin, dragging a moan from Lily that Sam felt more than heard.     

How long they danced Sam couldn't say.  It felt like forever, it felt like a moment.  Eventually he realized Lily was slowly maneuvering them so they were nearing the edge of the dance floor.  Then she was leading him off the dance floor entirely and down a quiet hallway.  There were doors on either side and an exit at the end but the hallway was empty and dimly lighted.  Lily tugged Sam's arm and pulled him to the end of the hall near the exit door where she stopped and leaned against the wall.  She reached up and wrapped an arm around Sam's neck and pulled his lips down to hers, kissing him long and deep, her tongue slipping inside and tangling with his.  She reached her free hand between their bodies and found the outline of Sam's cock in his jeans and rubbed him firmly.  Sam tore his mouth from hers. 

"Fuck, Lily," he said, breathing harshly.

"Well that was kind of the idea, Sam," Lily said with a wicked gleam in her eye and a devilish grin on her lips.

"You can't be serious," Sam said, torn between shock and arousal.

"Oh I'm serious," Lily purred rubbing him harder.  "Fuck me, right here, Sam."

Sam reached down and grabbed her wrist, stopping her movement.

"Lily," he growled warningly.  His eyes glittered dangerously in the dim light but Lily met his eyes straight on.  She was determined.

"Sam," Lily returned with a mocking frown.  "Fuck. Me. Now."  She cocked her head to the side.  "That clear enough for you?"  Lily realized he was torn, what he wanted at odds with what he thought he should do.  She forgot sometimes that Sam was different than other guys she’s been with.  While she knew a large part of him would be turned on by this idea she was sure the gentlemanly side of him, the part that wanted to always be respectful and chivalrous was balking at the idea of fucking her in a public hallway.  She’d just have to convince him it was OK. When she spoke next her voice was cajoling instead of demanding.

"Come on, Sam.  You know you want to.  You've had me rubbing up against you for ages now and you've been hard that whole time.  Don't tell me you don't want to.  Hard and fast, Sam.  No one will see."  When she saw from the look in his eyes that he still wasn’t sure she leaned into him, her lips close to his ear.  “Please Sam, I can’t wait till we get back to the hotel.  I want you now.”

It was dark here, Sam realized and most likely no one could see them.  There were no bathrooms down this hallway and it was unlikely anyone would come down this way.  Sam studied Lily’s face, seeing the naked desire there.  His decision made Sam released Lily's wrist and unbuckled his belt and opened his jeans deftly.  He lifted Lily, ignoring the triumphant grin on her face, tugged her panties aside and was inside her in one swoop. 

"Fuck," he groaned against her ear and Lily let out a matching groan of pleasure.

"Hard, Sam, fuck me hard," Lily murmured into his ear and Sam slammed into her.  He kissed her, his lips devouring hers as he pounded her into the wall.  This would be fast and they had to be somewhat quiet – no screaming - though the pounding music would drown out most other sound.

Their kissing was desperate, greedy, wanting more of the other, more skin, more tongue, more taste. Sam snapped his hips, feeling Lily wrapped around him, pulling him in tighter.  God this was so wrong but it felt so good.  Her nails were digging into his back and her breasts were pushed up against his chest as he slammed into her hard. 

Lily pulled her lips from his and spoke right into his ear.  "Look at the people, Sam," and Sam was confused for a second at what she meant till it dawned on him where she was looking: the people on the dance floor.  He turned his head to see the bodies moving in rhythm out there while they moved to their own dance here in the hallway.  "They have no idea we're here, you pounding your cock into me," Lily said, and Sam knew from her voice, the tighter, higher pitch of it she was close.  "But they could look at anytime, could come down this hallway and find us..."

Lily's voice dropped off as Sam felt her shudder as her orgasm hit her.  She buried her face against his neck, her moan vibrating against his skin.  He bit his lip hard to keep from groaning at the feel and he continued to pound into her, his own lust drowning him as he felt himself spiraling out of control.  He came with a snarl and his teeth bit into the side of Lily's neck, dragging a smaller aftershock from her. 

When Sam's hips had stilled they both stood there together, their bodies still joined, catching their breath.  Then Sam slowly lowered Lily to the ground and they straightened their clothes.  They left the hallway together in search of a bathroom and before Lily headed in she kissed Sam and said with a grin, "See what fun we can have when you give up control?" and Sam just chuckled at his words being parroted back to him.

Lily grinned in triumph as they headed back to the hotel.  Her eyes were shining and there was a happy bounce in her step.  "That was the most fun I've had in ages." 

Sam grunted out, "If I didn't know better I'd swear you were the devil."

"Maybe I am," Lily said with a teasing smile, her eyes dancing with glee.  She’d enjoyed tonight.

"Nah, I've met him,” Sam replied with certainty. His next words drew a loud laugh from Lily. “He'd be scared of you."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everybody! And here we are, back on the wild roller coaster that is this story. Enjoy!


	58. Nice To Meet You, Where You Been?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adventures in shopping...

The next morning Dean brought Rose toast and tea for breakfast and sat at the end of the bed eating his own breakfast of cereal.

“You ready to try lunch out today?” he asked.

Rose hesitated a second as she swallowed a sip of tea then slowly nodded her head.

“It’ll be fine,” Dean said, squeezing her knee and Rose gave him what she hoped was a confident smile but really felt more like a scared grimace.

Dean took their breakfast dishes away and left Rose to get ready.  She dressed in jeans and a t-shirt with what she hoped was a positive message for the day (“She Believed She Could So She Did”) and pulled her hair back in a ponytail.  “You'll be fine,” she told her reflection in what she hoped was a confident voice.

Dean had been tempted to take her to the diner he’d gone to when he was first working on his plan to help her back on her feet but decided to wait.  Once she was back completely, once they were one hundred percent them again they’d go there.  So since Dean figured Rose would want to go somewhere outside of Lebanon just in case something did go wrong he headed in the opposite direction of that diner.

“So what did you think about the books?” Rose asked curiously once they were sailing along a backroad.  She hadn’t asked him last night, too distracted by his revelation that he’d stayed with her and then with kissing him.

“Oh I have a lot of thoughts on them.”  Dean considered how to answer that.  He had some definite thoughts and opinions on the series but he wasn’t sure Rose was ready for an in-depth discussion of all of them quite yet.  “So a few random observations to start with,” Dean said.  “One – God, they really do talk about clothes a whole hell of a lot.  You weren't kidding about that. Which wow is that a big difference between men and women.  I just can’t imagine some guy writing a story like that and including in-depth detail of what people wore.”  Rose laughed and Dean glanced at her happy to see she was enjoying his comments.  “I actually enjoyed them a whole lot more than I thought I would, all the relationships and intrigue.  It was like a soap opera with kinky sex thrown in.”

“And we all know your penchant for soap operas,” Rose said with a teasing grin.

Dean gave her a mock glare.  “Nothing wrong with a good soap opera.”

“And you and my mother would be in complete agreement on that,” Rose said smoothly.

Dean threw her a narrow eyed glance.  “Some of the brats in that book definitely reminded me of you.”

“Hey!” Rose protested.  “You know very well I am not the resident brat.”

“Oh I know.  But who you are to your family and who you are to me may well be two very different things, Sweetheart,” Dean said with a smirk.  He pretended to look thoughtful as he drove before saying firmly, “Yeah, I’m pretty confident quite a bit of your behavior falls into the brat category.”

“So can I be a brat and not eat lunch today then?” Rose asked with a pout.

“Sure you can,” Dean said cheerfully.  “And then I get to show you just how I handle brats.”

“Never mind,” Rose said quickly and Dean laughed.

Not long after they pulled up at a small restaurant Dean had been to once or twice.  They had good burgers he remembered and not bad pie either.  He got out of the car and waited a minute before he realized Rose wasn’t moving.  He came around to her side, opened the door and looked down at her with a grin.

“You decide the brat route was the way to go after all?” he asked, then sobered when he saw the nervous expression on Rose's face.

“No, I’m just trying to work my nerve up,” she said in a shaky voice.

“Hey,” Dean said, crouching down by her and reaching out a taking one of her hands in his.  “It’ll be fine.  You took your potion, you feel OK right?”  Rose nodded and Dean gave her a confident smile.  “Then you'll be fine and I’ll be with you the whole time.”

“I haven’t actually been around a stranger in over a month,” Rose said softly, looking at the entrance to the restaurant warily.  “It’s surprisingly intimidating.”

“We’ll get a booth,” Dean soothed, his thumb rubbing the back of her hand.  “And once we've ordered we can just ignore everyone else.  Just shut them all out, OK?  We can do that, remember?”

Rose looked at him and nodded slowly.  He was right.  They always had been able to block everyone out when they wanted to, escape to their own little world. 

It took her a few minutes to work her nerve up but she managed to make it into the restaurant and into the promised booth without incident, despite the shakiness on Rose's part.  The waitress took their drink orders and luckily Dean knew what Rose wanted so she didn’t even have to talk.  She felt herself starting to calm down as they sat there, with their drinks and menus in front of them.  She took a sip of her sweet tea and smiled sheepishly at Dean.  “You must think I’m a mess,” she said softly.  God, this man fought demons and she was practically shaking like a leaf from stepping foot in a lunch place.  He must think she was pathetic.

“Nope, I think you’re beautiful,” Dean said smoothly and Rose smiled.

“I don’t want to be such a bother,” she said.  “I’m so-”

“That wasn’t an apology by any chance was it?” Dean cut her off, arching an eyebrow at her over his menu.

Rose quickly shook her head.  “Nope, definitely not an apology.  I was just going to say I’m so grateful I have you here with me.”

“Good to know.”  Dean winked at her then added in a stage whisper, “And good save too.”  Rose couldn’t help but laugh.

They both looked over the menus for a minute before Rose said softly, “I am though.  Glad you’re with me, I mean.”  Dean glanced up to find her eyes on him, full of emotion.  “I couldn’t do this with anyone else.”

“I wouldn’t want you to,” Dean said, in a matching soft tone.  "You're my girl.  It's my job to take care of you."  Some emotion flitted across Dean's face too quickly for Rose to work out what it was.  Before she could try Dean stretched his hand across the table and gently took one of hers in his.  They smiled at each other and it really was like they were the only two people in the world.  And that feeling Rose thought, that was the best feeling in the world.

“So what are you getting?” Rose asked as Dean lay his menu down.

“Bacon cheeseburger and fries,” Dean replied immediately and Rose laughed.

“Don’t you ever get bored and want something different?” she asked and Dean shook his head.

“I know what I like, why change it?” Rose just shook her head at him affectionately and continued to peruse the menu.  “What about you?”

“Chicken strips maybe?  I don’t know, I’m not that hungry.”  Dean frowned.  Rose was eating but he was fairly certain it was only because of him.  He wanted her to have her appetite back.  Wonder if the doc would have a magic cure for that?

The waitress came and took their orders and left them at the table holding hands.  Dean studied her wrist for a second then asked something that had been bothering him.

“Hey when did you stop wearing your charm bracelet?”

Rose looked surprised.  That wasn’t a question she saw coming.

“A few months after my dad died.”

“How come?” Dean asked curiously.

“Most of the charms were from him,” Rose explained.  “I worried I’d lose one and it kinda hurt to see it all the time,” Rose admitted.

Dean nodded.  He could understand that.

“So when did you give Danny one of the charms?”

The waitress delivered their food before Rose could answer and Rose had time to gather her thoughts while Dean dug into his burger.  Rose studied her plate then glanced up at Dean curiously.

“How do you know I gave Danny a charm?”

“He wears it around his neck on a chain,” Dean retorted.  “And he fidgets with it when he’s thinking.”

Rose raised an eyebrow at him curiously.  “That’s a pretty close observation you did of my ex-boyfriend, Dean.”

“Well he was staying in my house for several days.  He was kind of hard to ignore.”

Rose caught the irritation in Dean’s voice.  “Sounds like you two got along great,” she said as she dunked a French fry in honey mustard.

“Oh yeah, we’re gonna be pen pals, lifelong buds,” Dean said sarcastically, eating one of his own fries, a sour expression on his face.

Rose couldn’t help but smile. “I told you that you didn’t want to meet him," she said.

“Na, you told me that based on when you two were dating,” Dean pointed out.  “You failed to mention the guy was an arrogant jerk.”

Rose took a sip of her tea and glanced at Dean curiously.  She had known Dean and Danny wouldn’t get along, would be like oil and water. But from the sounds of things it had gone about as bad as it could have.  She thought back to when she’d woken up.  Dean had a black eye and a few days later when Danny came to say goodbye he’d had a split lip that was just starting to heal and a swollen and bruised jaw.

“Dean, did you guys actually get in a fight?” she asked slowly now, the realization suddenly dawning on her.

Dean shrugged.  “Maybe,” he finally conceded when Rose continued to stare at him.

“Wow, I missed a lot.” Rose sat there feeling as if she'd wandered into her own personal soap opera. Honestly Danny was a sore topic for her right now, too much trust had been broken there that she'd just discovered recently.

"Can we talk about this later?" she asked and Dean caught the tone in her voice and readily agreed to a change of topic.

Thinking back to the tears he'd found her in after she'd found out about Danny's roll as a guardian Dean felt like kicking himself.  He should have realized Danny would be a painful topic right now.  This was her first time out in public in ages.  He needed to keep the topic light.  He suddenly hit on the perfect one.

"Tell me about Emma," he suggested, taking a bite of his burger.

Rose looked up at him and he was able to see immediately by the look in her eyes that this was a better choice.

"What do you want to know?" she asked looking pleased.

"Everything," Dean said once he'd swallowed.  "But you gotta eat." He pointed at her plate which was almost untouched.  "At least half the plate."

Rose frowned down at her plate.  It was so much food.  She gave a sigh and started chewing on a chicken strip.

"Emma is named after me," she said once she'd eaten a portion of her plate.  "Chastity liked my middle name so she put a twist on it and Emma was named."  Dean could easily see and hear how much that meant to Rose.

"You were there when she was born," Dean commented, remembering what Sam had told him.

Rose nodded.  "I was.  And it was amazing and just..." Rose searched for the words to explain.  "Emma had been this idea for all these months and suddenly she was here, this perfect little person."  Rose shook her head in amazement.  She ate a fry then added, "Also for the record? As amazing as it is was to see giving birth is pretty gross and messy too."

Dean laughed at that.  "Did Sam tell you everything I told him?" Rose asked and Dean shook his head.

"He told me the demon stuff and just mentioned you were there when Emma was born.  And that you lied to get there."

Rose nodded without a trace of guilt on her face.  Saint Rose, Dean thought, who could lie and look like an angel doing it.

So Rose told Dean a quick version of what she had told Sam, how Emma was a surprise but in the end a very welcome one and how happy her parents were to have her.

“She’s beautiful, Dean and so smart.”  She drug her phone out then and showed Dean picture after picture, telling him how Chastity was teaching Emma to say Aunt Rose (“She’s got the Rose part down, well sort of.  It’s an O sound anyway.”) and how she was walking early, way ahead of schedule.

Dean watched Rose as she talked about Emma and loved how happy she looked.  This little girl was obviously very important to her.  Rose had always loved kids.  Dean couldn’t wait to see her with Emma.  He’d bet she was awesome with her.

“You have your teenager, I have my baby,” Rose finished up with a grin.

“Speaking of which,” Dean said pulling his own phone out and finding the picture he wanted.  “Cooper sent me a picture of him and his girlfriend.”  He slid the phone towards Rose and she looked at it eagerly.  He knew how much she likes pictures so he’d figured she’d want to see.

“Oh they look adorable together,” Rose said studying the picture.  Either Cooper was really big or Andie was tiny.  He had dark, short spiky hair and dark eyes and was smiling happily at the camera, a pretty girl with short dark blond hair in front of him with his arms wrapped tightly around her.

“They look happy,” Dean conceded.  He didn’t have quite the romantic view of teenage relationships as Rose did, the majority of his being fleeting.  Though Dean supposed you could say that about almost all his relationships, teenage or otherwise.  Except with the redhead across from him.

"I thought she was grounded though?" Rose questioned.

"Yeah, he swears this was taken at school," Dean said with a shrug.  He wasn't sure whether he believed Cooper or not about that.  He just had to hope the kid was being smart.

Lunch finished Dean sat back in the booth feeling full and happy.  He eyed Rose speculatively.  “So where do we go from here?  Home?  Shopping?” he asked.

“I still can’t believe you’re willing to take me shopping,” Rose said.

“Why?  I don’t hate shopping.  OK I don’t love it,” Dean said seeing Rose’s disbelieving look.  “But I can tolerate some.  For you,” he said with a charming grin.

“I’m getting a little sleepy,” Rose admitted.

“How about we get in the car and you can take your cat nap there,” Dean suggested.  “There’s a mall about an hour away.”

“OK,” Rose nodded.  She had to admit, now that she’d done lunch out and been OK the idea of shopping was mildly appealing to her.  She was a bit nervous still but she was sure she would be OK once she got there.

Dean put an arm around Rose as they made their way to the car and he realized she was a bit unsteady on her feet already.  He made sure to keep a steadying hand on her and helped her into the car then slipped behind the wheel himself and saw her head was nodding.

"I liked lunch," she said, with a sleepy look.

"You did good too, Baby."  Once he'd gotten her talking about Emma she'd been so distracted that as long as he got her to focus on her plate every once in awhile she'd managed to eat most of the food.

Dean shrugged out of his coat and handed it to Rose.  "Pillow," he explained at her confused look.

She smiled at him gratefully and folded it and placed it under her head.  She snuggled against it and closed her eyes.  "Smells like you," she mumbled and was asleep.

Dean sat there and watched her longer than he probably should have.  She looked peaceful and he liked her sleeping on his coat, hell he liked her doing anything that brought her close to him.

He was willingly taking her shopping.  If that didn't show how far he was willing to go to support her he didn't know what did.

* * *

About fifteen minutes out from the mall Rose started whimpering.  Damn it, another nightmare.  Dean pulled over to the side of the road and started to reach for Rose but stopped.  Maybe if he woke up her up differently she'd wake up in less of a panic.  That had been scary to watch and had to be awful for her. He slid over next to her, placed a hand on one of her legs and spoke softly next to her ear.

"You're safe, Baby.  It's just a dream and that evil bitch is dead.  Whatever you're seeing Rose, it isn't really happening."  He stroked her leg softly.  "I need you to wake up now, Princess so you can drag me through the mall.  Come on Baby, open those pretty blue eyes for me."

Dean felt Rose stir under his hand.

"Dean?" Rose's eyes blinked open slowly, looking at him in confusion.

"The one and only," Dean said grinning broadly in triumph.  He was immensely proud his plan had worked. "You were having a nightmare," he explained, sweeping her hair back from her face.  His hand lingered on her face, fingers tracing over her cheek.

"I could hear your voice," Rose was saying softly.  "Clear as day right over what she was saying to me."  Rose looked at him curiously.  "Did anyone ever tell you that you have a very distinctive voice?"

Dean chuckled softly.  "Can't say that they have."

"I'd know it anywhere," Rose said, her voice still soft.  "That's the first time I've woken up from one of those and not felt like I was going to have a panic attack or die.  Thank you."

"Anytime, Princess," Dean said, his fingers still tracing her cheek.  He was studying her face, wanting to be sure, to be careful.  In the end her eyes decided it for him.  The softness there and the warmth drew him in.

Dean swept both hands up to cup her face in his so tenderly, cradling her face gently.  He lowered his head slowly, brushing his lips over hers in a soft whisper of a kiss and when Rose gave a soft sigh Dean captured her lips with his.  Last night’s kiss had been a sweet token from Rose, not just of gratitude but as a sign that she truly understood how much he'd done for her.  This kiss was nothing like that.  True it was tender and gentle, but it wasn't about any symbol or knowledge; It was a homecoming.  It was two souls finally reuniting with their other half and both Dean and Rose felt that.  As Dean's tongue darted out to dip into Rose's mouth her hands found their way to the front of his shirt, grasping it softly.  This was right her mind acknowledged.  This was home.  The last month Rose had felt lost in a way she never had before.  She hadn't even known such a feeling existed.  This feeling was the polar opposite.  This was knowing who she still was deep down, who she belonged to and that somewhere there was a part of her that was still whole.

For his part Dean was reveling in the feel of Rose, of kissing her and feeling their connection in the kiss.  This was right, he thought.  This is what should always be.  He'd meant what he said when he'd told her that parts of her where coming out more and more and this woman in his arms was the purest part of Rose he'd seen in way too long.  It made the faith he'd had just strengthen and grow.  His girl was coming back to him.

They finally drew back from each other, the need for air great enough they had to stop, but they kept touching each other, kept the physical contact.

They sat there just smiling at each other for several minutes.  Dean kept stroking Rose's face and she was just smiling at him without stopping.  The moment felt special, sacred and neither wanted it to end.  A truck flying past on the road finally startled them enough that they came back to reality.  Dean took a breath and finally pulled his hand away from her face.

"Ready to do some shopping?" he asked and Rose nodded and smiled.  Dean slid back behind the wheel and Rose surprised him by sliding over next to him.  He smiled down at her put his arm around her shoulders and pulled back out onto the road.

Rose noticed the road marker, a small sign that read Catharine, KS.  Something changed here she thought.  I got something back or found something again.  She wasn't sure which but either way a little bit of the darkness had slipped away.

Dean couldn't hide his smile and didn't even bother to try.  He wanted to yell, to shout from the rooftops: "Hear that sounds guys?  That's a big old fucking crack in the wall!"

* * *

The mall was big with lots of stores most of which Dean had never been in. He rarely stopped in malls.  The last time had been a job a few years ago and he had found the place loud and irritating.  At least they weren't close to the holidays, he thought.  He'd heard the girls gripe often enough about crowds then to know he never wanted to experience that.

"So where do you want to go first?" Dean asked looking down at Rose as they got out of the car.  She'd handed him his coat back and he shrugged into it as she surveyed the outside of the mall.  Her eyes lit up suddenly.

"There!" she said definitely, pointing at the sign for the large book store.

Dean groaned playfully.  "Oh God, you're gonna be worse than Sammy in there aren't you?"

Rose gave him an exaggerated innocent look.  "Not at all."

Dean laughed and let Rose drag him towards the store entrance.

"They have a coffee shop if you don't want to wander with me," Rose offered.  Dean studied her face.  Behind her excitement he could see a touch of anxiety.  This was a lot of people in one day after practically being a hermit for a month.  He had a feeling she'd really rather he stay with her but didn't want to ask.  Confirming his theory when he said he'd just stick with her she gave a small sigh of relief.  He was about to tell her she needed to ask him for what she wanted when they reached the doors and he had the pleasure of seeing the look of delight that crossed Rose's face when she saw all the books.  Dean wondered if she looked like this every time she entered a bookstore or if she was especially excited today.

Dean didn't realize it but he was about to discover a new favorite past time: Watching Rose when she was in a bookstore.  Every book brought about a different expression and most got strong reactions.  Dean wasn't sure she found any book that she didn't have an opinion about ("Oh this one’s supposed to be so good but really angsty."  "Oh my God, I love this author!" "This one had such good reviews and it was a total let down.)  Rose's expressiveness was one of the things that Dean found especially endearing.  Watching her face when she was reacting to something was like a movie in itself. He realized suddenly that he could follow her around all day and just watch her react to things and be perfectly entertained.

He was reminded fairly quickly that Rose was quite the shopper.  He had to go in search of a basket fairly soon into their trip.  And he also realized that books were damn heavy.  (No, I don’t stay in shape to fight demons.  I do it so I can carry my girlfriend’s book haul.) Dean watched her traipse through the aisles, dragging her finger over book spines as she went past, looking like a kid in a candy store.  He didn't even try to count how many books she bought in the end.

"So am I worse than Sam?" Rose asked when Dean returned from dropping the bags off in the car.

"Definitely," Dean said with a smirk. "But you're way cuter.  Where to next?"

Next turned out to be Macy's, not as fun in Dean's opinion as Rose was less expressive when looking at clothes than with books.  She didn't spend nearly as long in there and her purchase made (One Harry Potter t-shirt that would live in infamy.) they were heading out into the mall when they passed through the fragrance department.  Suddenly there was a blond salesgirl directly in Dean's path, a wide, plastic smile on her face.

"Would you care to try our new designer fragrance for men?" Before Dean could answer she was spraying him with a foul smelling scent that enveloped him in a cloud.

"What the-" Dean backed up, trying to get away from the salesgirl who followed, bottle of cologne held menacingly in her hand.

"Its scent of olives, mangoes and fir branches speaks to the rugged individualist who isn't afraid to embrace his love of exotic fruit and coniferous trees.  Here take another smell." She sprayed the bottle in Dean's direction again and this time he ducked and then moved away from her quickly to stand behind Rose.

"What the hell!  Keep that away from me!" Dean was frantically brushing at himself, trying to get the awful scent off.

The salesgirl looked confused for a second at Dean's aversion to her proffered cologne.  Then her smile got bigger as if this alone would convince him of the allure of the cologne.

"It's called Fruttato" she said, trying to catch Dean's eye.  When he refused to look at her the salesgirl turned to Rose.  "It's really very exotic and alluring," she said beseechingly.

"Make her go away," Dean whined into Rose's ear.

"Wouldn't you find your boyfriend that much sexier if he smelled like an olive scented fir tree?"

Rose was doing her best to keep a straight face at Dean's reaction.  He could stand up to a demon without a second’s hesitation but hid behind her from a salesgirl with a bottle of cologne?  She swallowed her giggle and instead smiled at the salesgirl.

"You know I would except I'm allergic to olives," she said in an apologetic tone.  Dean blinked at how easily and believingly that lie fell from Rose’s lips.

"Oh that's so sad," the girl said in a stricken voice and Dean glanced up to see if she was serious.  She was.  What planet was this that Rose had pulled him into?

"It's a tragedy," Rose agreed, trying not to cough as the strong scent of the cologne wafted towards her.  She started for the exit into the mall and Dean scurried after her, wanting distance from the salesgirl.

"I hope you get better!" the blond called after them waving her spray bottle at them.

"I'll get right on getting better from my olive allergy," Rose said with a giggle.

"We're never going in there again!" Dean declared.  "That was awful."

Rose made her way weakly to a bench as she gave into the laugher she'd managed to hold off till now.  She sat there as tears rolled down her face and she shook with laughter.

Dean had been confused when she'd dropped onto the bench, unsure what was wrong.  It took him a few seconds to realize she was laughing, really laughing so hard she was crying.

"Just what's so funny?" he demanded.

"Your face," Rose managed.  "You looked so horrified."

"That stuff stank," Dean defended himself.  "And who the hell just sprays a person?  They're like the human equivalent of a skunk."  His comment just made Rose laugh harder.  "That's just not normal behavior," Dean protested.  "How is that even OK?"  Dean watched Rose grab her stomach.

"You have to stop," she gasped out.  "Oh God my stomach hurts and I can't breathe."

"I'm glad you find me being accosted by some psycho with a cologne bottle so funny," Dean said looking offended.  "She's probably some kind of demon who gets off on choking people with that crap."

That just sent Rose off into more peals of laughter.  Dean felt a flash of irritation go through him but then felt it vanish instantly when he really took a look at Rose.  She was laughing and smiling; looking the happiest he'd seen her in way too long.  If he’d had to describe Rose before all this happened in just one word it would have been happy.  Rose was vibrant; She’d always had this light in her that Dean swore made her shine brighter than anyone he knew.  He’d hated seeing that dulled throughout all this.  He’d missed her lightness, her happiness that he always felt transferred to him a little when he was with her.  Hey there stranger, he thought, looking at the happy girl in front of him.  Nice to see you.  It's been way too long.  It was worth being accosted by the foul cologne to see this.  He took a seat next to her on the bench and just watched Rose laugh, enjoying every second of it.  She eventually calmed down but it took a few minutes.  She'd start to sober up then would get another fit of laughter.  Finally she was down to occasional giggles and she smiled at him.

"Sorry," she said

Dean wrapped his arms around her and smiled at her.  "Damn, I missed that laugh," he said and Rose returned his smile.  "You really can't hold me responsible for my actions," he murmured and before Rose could ask what he meant Dean was kissing her.

Rose hadn't known what today would bring.  If she'd had to guess she would have said lunch out, maybe another drive.  A kiss wasn't out of the possibility since she'd opened that door last night.  But making out on a bench in a shopping mall wouldn't have appeared anywhere on Rose's list of possible activities.  But here she was, kissing Dean like a hormonal teenager and enjoying every second of it.

After a moment she became vaguely aware of a pair of loud female voices in the background.  Finally their words broke through to Rose's brain.

"-disgraceful."  A loud tsking noise followed this.

"Mom, they're young.  Leave them alone."

"They're not that young and they’re in public.  What if there were children around?"

Rose pulled back from Dean, her hands on his chest pushing gently but firmly till he released her with a look of confusion.  Rose nodded her head in the direction of the two women and Dean glanced their way.

An older woman was sitting next to a younger one.  One disapproving glare and one nostalgic (maybe even jealous?) look met his eyes.  Dean gave them a smile that somehow managed to be both proud and charming then he looked back at Rose who was furiously blushing.  He just grinned at her and said in a low voice, "You make me want to kiss you again when you blush like that, Princess."  He winked and Rose got to her feet quickly, heading away from the seating area with Dean slowly following behind her.  He gave their two watchers a grin and a small wave, got both a smile and a glare in return then jogged to catch up with Rose outside a cooking supply store.

"I can't believe we did that," Rose said, her cheeks flushed but a smile still on her face.

Dean shrugged, not looking in the least bit contrite.  "I can't help myself when you do that."

"Do what?" Rose asked curiously.

"Giggle," Dean said simply.

"Giggling makes you want to kiss me?" Rose asked looking bemused.

Dean wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.  "Definitely."  And Rose just shook her head at him.

What Dean didn't say was that when Rose had been laughing she'd looked like herself again; she'd looked like the girl who he’d described as his star; luminous and full of life, not haunted or pained.  The fragility and brittleness that had stolen over her face this last month had disappeared, replaced by the look he’d taken for granted for as long as he could remember.  He'd thrilled at seeing that and had wanted to embrace it, to hold onto it, to keep her looking like that for as long as possible.  He'd gladly be attacked by disgusting scent wielding demons every day if it made her look like herself again.

"My Dad got me one of those when I turned thirteen," Rose was saying and Dean tore himself away from his thoughts to look at what she was talking about.  The best he could tell it was a heavy pot of some sort in the shape of a heart.  What made it so special he had no clue, but the look on Rose's face said if definitely was, though if that was because of the container itself or who'd bought it for her was a toss up.

"You wanna go in?" Dean queried already moving towards the entrance, stopping short when Rose shook her head then walked away from the shop.  Dean looked at her quizzically but Rose just moved onto the next shop window.  Dean knew she hadn't been cooking but he'd hoped that as she got back to eating she'd start again, not just because he missed her food (Though that was definitely true) but because it was something Rose loved to do, something that made her happy.  Then again she wasn't exactly eating by her own choice.  Dean figured if he left her to her own devices she'd be eating as little as she had before.  He could make her eat; he couldn't make her enjoy it.

Dean caught up with Rose outside of a store with a truly odd display in the window.  Huge white leaves made of some odd shimmery fabric were all over the floor and covering the mannequins faces too.  All the clothes the mannequins were wearing were black or white, pretty boring in Dean's opinion.  Rose obviously saw something she liked though as she was tugging on his hand and drawing him inside the store.

They were immediately swooped down upon by a tall, thin woman dressed in what appeared to be the requisite colors of the shop.  The next little bit was a blur to Dean till he somehow found himself sitting in a plush chair in a room walled in mirrors with Rose whisked off to parts unknown..  He wasn't entirely sure how he'd gotten there but there was somehow a glass of wine in his hand and he was fairly sure he'd heard the word "show."  It wouldn't surprise him at all to see a white rabbit suddenly pop up. He felt completely down the rabbit hole here.

The salesgirl who had greeted them suddenly appeared again.  She smiled at him like she knew something he didn't (Which Dean more than believed.  This place was like some other world.). "Do you need more wine?"  Dean shook his head, having barely touched this glass.  He wasn't much of a wine drinker.  "OK then sit back and enjoy the show."

Dean was just about to ask what she meant when one of the mirrors opened and Rose appeared.  Gone were the jeans and t-shirt and in their place black fabric hugged Rose's frame, dipping and caressing her skin.  A strapless top covered with some kind of shimmering embellishments all over it left her shoulders bare and just begging to be kissed in Dean's opinion and a tight, short skirt that fit Rose like a glove, accentuated the curve of her hips and left miles of bare leg for Dean to marvel at.  He followed those legs down to a pair of red high heels.  The color code here apparently didn’t apply to shoes.

"Fuck me," Dean managed in a hoarse whisper.

"That's an appropriate reaction," the sales girl agreed lowly.  Then in a louder voice she said, "Now you need to explain to your girlfriend here that she needs to buy this outfit."

Rose glanced at the two of them to find Dean nodding his head enthusiastically.  The door chime sounded then and the sales girl disappeared with a promise to be back and another request for Dean to talk sense into Rose.

"She made me wear the heels," Rose explained, sounding as if she was trying to explain away some grievous error.  "I told her I don’t wear them but she swore the outfit would look better with them."

Dean wasn't sure he'd ever seen Rose in heels.  God, they made her legs look even longer.  And that was dangerous right now.  That did not help keep them on the whole slow and steady track.  No, that lead to Dean wanting to be on his knees kissing every square inch of those legs.  He squirmed in his seat uncomfortably, all too easily able to envision that. 

Rose smoothed the skirt down nervously, looking into the mirror.  "I look ridiculous don't I?" She shook her head.  "This is not my style.  I told her that."

Dean stood from the chair and came up behind Rose and looked over her shoulder at her reflection.  "Buy it," he urged.

Rose looked at him in surprise.  "Dean, I don't-"

"You look like sin and temptation in that outfit," he growled, his breath brushing over her bare shoulder, causing Rose to shiver.  "I love how you dress, you know that.  Don't change.  But there's nothing wrong with trying something different."

Rose looked unsure.  "This is more Lily's style," she hedged.

"Trust me - Your sister wouldn't look like you do in this outfit," Dean said.  In his opinion you needed curves for this outfit to be as alluring as it was on Rose.  Her curves may be greatly diminished right now but they were still there, and even much too thin she was curvier than Lily.  The way the fabric hugged her body should be illegal.  It was all he could do to keep his hands off her ass.  Sin and temptation indeed, Dean thought dragging his eyes over her silhouette.  "This was made for you."

"I don't know," Rose said nervously.

"Wear it just for me then," Dean said, dropping a kiss on one bare shoulder.  Just one.  But then he had to put one on the other shoulder just to even things out.  Never let it be said he wasn't a fair man.  He grinned as he saw Rose shiver again.

"You like it that much?" Rose asked.

"I like it that much,” Dean affirmed, deciding that was the understatement of the year.

"The shoes too?"

"Definitely the shoes," he said firmly.

"It's not like I have anywhere to wear this to," Rose demured.

"I'll find a place for you to wear it," Dean promised.

Rose quirked an eyebrow at Dean in the mirror.  He really wanted her to get this outfit. 

"Do you have some secret high heel fetish I don't know about?" she queried.

Dean seriously thought about that then slowly shook his head.  "Not really.  You just look damn hot in this entire outfit."

"Yeah, well you keep feeding me like you are and there's no way I'll fit in it," Rose shot back.

"Get a larger size," Dean suggested seriously.  "I'm not stopping feeding you anytime soon."

"Stubborn," Rose said eyeing herself critically in the mirror again.

"Yep."

"Bossy."

"Not even gonna deny it," Dean said with a grin.

Before they could continue their verbal game of catch the salesgirl came back in.  "So are we happy with the outfit?"

"Oh we're very happy," Dean said placing his hands on Rose's waist and giving her a squeeze and an intentional look in the mirror.  "We’ll take the outfit; we'll just need a larger size."

"Not a problem," was the quick reply.  Tasha had been doing this a long time and knew how to read her customers.  The size issue was obviously a deal breaker and one she could easily accommodate.  She’d stopped asking questions long ago.

Rose made it out of the store with only two more purchases (A dress that was her normal style- the one she'd initially came in for and a black jacket she figured she could wear over the bustier if she wanted.).  Dean was by her side when they checked out, ready to carry the bags.  He saw the credit card receipt when she signed it and just about choked.  Those three things cost over five hundred dollars!  Holy shit!  Rose signed it without even blinking so she'd obviously been aware of what she was getting.  Did she always spend that much money so easily?  he wondered as they walked out of the store.  No wonder he'd gotten the comfy chair and wine.  He couldn't picture the places he and Sam bought clothes treating them like that.  Then again they didn't spend anywhere near that on clothes.  Dean found himself wondering not for the first time where the money came from.  Rose wasn't working, actually no one in her family was.  He watched Rose curiously as they wandered into Hot Topic.  Were the Sullivan’s taking credit card fraud to a whole new level?  No, that card had been in Rose's legal name.  The girls always had money, always had as far back as Dean could remember.  Growing up Dean had never really cared where it came from, just was happy that all the benefits of it extended to him and Sam (There hadn't been a time in his memory that he could remember leaving their house without money being pushed into his hand by either Brendan or Erin.  He'd never argued because it was just normal, the way things were.).  He was used to it so while it crossed his mind occasionally to wonder he mostly ignored it.  Dean watched Rose pick up several t-shirts and wondered if he asked her about it if she'd tell him.

“So Sandy -” Rose began before Dean cut her off.

“Who’s Sandy?”

“She was another salesgirl at the last store.”  Dean nodded and Rose continued.  “She decided to tell me how hot my boyfriend was.” Dean grinned proudly at that. “And then she said she figured I must have been sick because why else would I need my clothes to be a size larger and that would explain why you were so protective of me.”

“I was protective of you?”  Dean asked curiously.  He hadn’t thought he’d done anything to give that impression.

“I believe the phrase “hovering protectively” was used,” Rose said. “I think it was probably the whole “We’ll take the outfit” bit that did it.”

“Hmm,” Dean said then asked, “Do I hover?”

“Sometimes,” Rose admitted. 

“Is that a bad thing?” Dean asked curiously.

Rose hesitated and Dean watched her eyes soften and a small smile grace her lips before she admitted, “Not in my book, no.”

“Good to know,” Dean said with a smile.  He didn’t care what anyone else’s opinion was. Only he and Rose had a say in this.

"Daisy would love this," Rose said holding up a short dress with Peter Pan emblems along the bottom.

Dean nodded in agreement.  If it was Disney then Daisy loved it.  Rose added the dress to her pile and went back to browsing.

"So you gotta clear something up for me," Dean said, leaning up against the wall and plopping the bags at his feet.

"What's that?"

"Is there some point where you have enough clothes and you just never need to buy anymore?" Dean asked curiously.

Rose looked horrified.  "No, never."

Dean chuckled.  "I kind of figured that."  He paused then asked, "Don't you have clothes in your suitcases?" Rose nodded.  "We never did get those unpacked did we?  We'll get to that tomorrow."

"One problem there," Rose said. "I have presents in there that you can't see."

Dean looked instantly intrigued.  "Presents?"

"From New Orleans," Rose explained.  "I bought them all before...well you know."

"I wanna see," Dean said, suddenly looking like a little boy the night before Christmas and Rose couldn’t help but smile.  If she told him how adorable he looked when he was like this he’d be horrified but it was the truth.

Rose laughed.  "I can give you one, no wait two, when we get home if you want.  The others you have to wait for."

"Oh so I get more than one present," Dean said looking excited.  Then he frowned and Rose watched as a pout formed on those perfect lips. "But why do I have to wait for some of them?  I hate waiting."

"Because there's a right time for some presents and this isn't it," Rose said.  They’d kissed, that didn’t mean lingerie was the next step.  They had a ways to go before that was coming out of her bag.  _She_ had a ways to go.

Her comment made Dean instantly intrigued but before he could badger her to tell him he saw her glance at a dress with a curious expression.  He took a good look at it and understood why.  Black, super short with some kind of lacing up the back - The dress practically screamed Lily.  All three sisters loved to shop and frequently bought each other clothes.  He knew Rose's instinct was to get the dress for Lily and she was fighting it.

"Get it," he urged.  Rose glanced up at him and he could see the torn look in her eyes.  "You know she'll like it."

"That means I'd have to talk to her," she said, fingering the fabric.  Her expression said what her words didn't - She wasn't ready for that.

"Na, just leave it in her and Sam's room,” Dean said with a smirk. “I'm sure they'll figure out which one of them it's for."  Rose didn’t reply, just continued to look at the dress.  “Hey,” Dean said, coming over and putting his arms around her waist.  “You guys will work this out.”

Rose rested her head back against his chest.  “I don’t know,” she said.  “We’ve never had a time where we didn’t get along, where we couldn’t talk.  What if we never get past it?”

“You will,” Dean said confidently.  “You two love each other and are closer than just about anyone else I know.”

“I know this all started because of me,” Rose admitted.  “And I know I was fairly awful to you guys.  But I just…I can’t with Lily right now.  She pushes so much and I know that’s her.  She’s always been that way. Nobody knows that better than I do.  But right now I can’t handle that.”

“I know,” Dean said softly.  He kissed the top of her head.  “You both just need some time.  Lily didn’t handle this all well either.”  Rose didn’t say anything and Dean decided they needed some movement.  “OK are we done here?  Anything else we have to have from this store?”

“Nope, I’m done.  Anything you want?”

“Na, I’m good,” Dean said.  Rose pulled a t-shirt off a rack and his eyes lit up.  “Well I wouldn’t say no to that,” he said with a grin.

Rose took her pile of purchases up to the register and Dean noticed the dress for Lily was included.  He couldn’t help but smile.  It wouldn’t fix things between the two women.  It might not do a single bit of good at all.  But it was a sign of effort on Rose’s part and that was definitely a good thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta admit, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter.


	59. You Got Your Stories To Tell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mexican Food and some good conversation

They made a few more stops in a few more shops then headed to the car.  Dean was weighed down with bags, refusing to let Rose carry anything other than her purse.  Rose had tried to argue several times but it had done no good.  Dean was adamant on this point and short of wrestling him for the bags she wasn’t going to win so she gave in.

Once they had deposited all the bags in the back seat Dean leaned against the Impala, letting out a deep breath and looking exhausted.

“Shopping is hard work,” he said with a sigh.

“I’ve been saying that my entire life,” Rose said and Dean laughed.

“How about getting some dinner?  There’s a good Mexican restaurant right outside the mall,” Dean suggested.  He knew Rose loved Mexican food.  Maybe she’d eat more without him coaxing her.

Rose smiled and nodded leaning up and kissing Dean on the cheek.  “Thanks for the shopping trip.”

Dean grabbed her around the waist before she could pull away from him.  “I was attacked by a perfume wielding psycho, carried more bags than a pack mule and forced to drink wine.  Don’t I get more than a kiss on the cheek?”

“Of course you do,” Rose said.  “I’ll buy you a taco for dinner.”  She couldn’t help but laugh at Dean’s crestfallen look.  She gave in then and leaned into him placing a lingering kiss on his lips.  Desire instantly flared up between them and Dean had to resist pulling Rose’s hips up against his, flipping them around and grinding her up against the side of the Impala.  Every since he’d seen her in that outfit she’d tried on he’d been battling his desire to grab her and just drag her off somewhere so they could be alone and he could touch her like he wanted.   Rose’s arms wound around Dean’s neck now and he settled for placing his hands on her waist as the kiss deepened.  God, she was so soft up against him and he could so easily get lost in her.  When Rose finally pulled back Dean noticed with a satisfied feeling that her eyes were dark and her cheeks flushed.  He wasn’t the only one affected by that kiss.

“Right, dinner,” Dean said, praying his voice sounded normal.

They were seated immediately at the restaurant and served chips and salsa which Dean instantly dove into.  Rose studied the menu and Dean joined her.

“So what are you in the mood for?”

“Tacos,” Rose said with a grin and Dean rolled his eyes at her.

“So just a question,” Rose asked somewhat nervously as her eyes roved over the menu.  “Did I imagine you telling me Daisy and Cas were married?”

“Nope, that really happened,” Dean said.

Rose frowned.  “Hmm, OK I wasn’t sure.”

“What do you mean?” Dean asked curiously.

“That time between when I work up at the bunker and Cas and Daisy fixed me…it’s kinda dreamlike,” Rose admitted. “I wasn’t sure if I imagined that or not.”

The waitress appeared just then to take their orders before Dean could answer.  Once she’d left Dean said, “Nope, you didn’t imagine it.  That happened.”  He hesitated then added, “As did you throwing an almighty fit in the library and tossing books around.”

Rose flushed her eyes on her hands on the table.  “I remember that.”  Her tone of voice conveyed easily that she wished she didn’t.

“You scared the hell out of everyone.”

Rose glanced up at Dean.  “Didn’t seem to scare you.”  She remembered clearly Dean sitting at the table, calm as could be while she raged at him.

Dean shrugged.  “I know you.  I grew up with you and that temper.  Unlike other people I’m not intimidated by it.”  Rose ignored the obvious dig at Danny and frowned.

“Yeah, but that wasn’t just my temper, Dean.  I was influenced, that’s what my mom called it.”  She took a sip of her soda then added, “And that voice in my head?  It really hated you.”

Dean chuckled softly.  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”  Dean ate a chip then said, “I didn’t know anything about the demon influence then but it wouldn’t have made a difference.  You weren’t possessed so you could control it enough that I wouldn’t have worried.”  Rose looked at him askance, her face clearly saying he was a crazy and Dean just smiled.  “I know you, Sweetheart,” he repeated.  “Wouldn’t have been a doubt in my head that you could control it.  I have faith in you.”

Rose shook her head.  “Dean, I was a mess.  I was lost in my head and couldn’t control much of anything.  I could have really hurt you.  That was an awfully big gamble you took.”

Dean leaned forward, catching her eye and holding it.  “You didn’t hurt me.  You yelled, screamed and stomped your foot and threw around a whole hell of a lot of books, which for the record upset Sam a lot more than it did me.”  That got a small smile from Rose and Dean reached out and took one of her hands in his.  “But for all the noise and chaos you never once hit me with one of those flying books.”

Rose’s heart ached when she thought about the fact that she’d only hurt him emotionally.  That all the pain she’d caused him was worse than a physical blow.  And that had been done almost entirely after the influence of the demon was gone.  That was on her.  Guilt washed over her in a choking wave.

“I don’t deserve your faith in me, Dean,” she said softly.

“It’s mine to give and I say you do,” Dean said stubbornly.  He studied her face for a second and seeing the guilt there he said in a quieter tone, “And as for what you deserve….we’ll get to that later.”

Rose blushed a deep red, not just at his words but the look in his eye.  It was the same dark look he’d given her in the Impala, the one that promised consequences for what she’d done.  She was saved from responding by the waitress bringing their dinners, which was a good thing because she’d have no idea how to answer.  Dean dove in while Rose toyed with her fork, thinking over what Dean had said.

 “This whole last month kinda feels like a dream actually,” she said finally. 

“Kinda surreal?” Dean offered and Rose nodded.

"So _why_ are Cas and Daisy married?" Rose asked, getting back to her original question and Dean filled her in on the prophecy Cas and Daisy had kept to themselves and the eventual outcome.

"Wow.  So that's what you and Sam were keeping secret," Rose said and Dean nodded after swallowing a bite of his dinner.

"Though we didn't know much, just that they were keeping some secret from everyone and were determined you and Lily couldn't know."

"Because they thought we'd influence the outcome?" Rose ventured.

"I guess so and apparently Cas can heal Daisy easier than you because of their link."  Dean purposely left out the part about Rose being less than human.  She didn't need to hear that just yet.  “So they wanted to make sure you and Lily weren’t going to take the most damage.”

Rose took another sip of her soda then asked, "So how'd Lily react to all this?"

"Oh beautifully," Dean said once he'd swallowed a bite of his beef enchiladas.  "She punched Cas, had a knock down drag out fight with Sam during which she punched him not once but twice and apparently almost broke up with him."  Dean took a sip of his beer and grinned at Rose.  "It was all very exciting."

"Sounds like Lily," Rose said softly.

“You’re not mad?” Dean queried.  He hadn’t expected Rose to react like Lily but he’d been fairly sure she’d be upset.

Rose thought for a minute then slowly shook her head.  "Like you said, you and Sam didn't really know anything aside from the fact that Daisy and Cas were keeping something back.  If I were going to be mad at anyone it would be them."  Rose toyed with her fork.  "But if I've learned anything it's that people do a lot of things wrong for all the right reasons."

"Eat your dinner, Sweetheart," Dean said with a frown, realizing she still hadn't taken a bite.  Rose pulled a face at him but started eating.

“Oh yeah, not a brat at all,” Dean said teasingly and Rose gave him an exaggerated innocent look which make him laugh.

"So aside from that what else did I miss while I was away?" Rose asked.  "Anything big?"  Dean realized that it was the first time she’d asked about that.  That had to be a good thing.   Rose’s lack of interest in everything was one thing he found most disturbing.  Rose was always interested in things going on around her; especially as it pertained to the people she loved.  Her interest now was definitely a good sign.

Dean thought that over.  "Well Charlie found out a lot more on the prophecy.  Sam told you all the stuff about the three sister’s right?" Rose nodded.  "Yeah, there’s some weird stuff there but I can get Charlie to send you all that stuff if you want.”  He hesitated then added, “Or we can go over it together if you want.”

Rose smiled at him gratefully.  “I’d like that.”  Dean smiled, knowing he’d gotten that one right.

“Let’s see, a demon tried to get to Daisy at the hospital and your mom exorcised its ass right back to hell.”  Dean finished his plate and leaned back in the booth, relaxing while thinking about what Rose needed to know.

“My mother did that?” Rose asked, looking surprised.

“Yep and apparently she came up with some ideas for safeguarding Daisy’s room too.”

“Huh, interesting,” Rose said, a thoughtful look on her face.

“What is, Sweetheart?” Dean asked, taking a sip of beer.

“Well that’s not my mom’s normal M.O.”  Rose took a bite of her taco then said, “I mean she used to be calmer, more capable but once my dad died…” Rose shook her head, leaving the sentence unfinished.  She didn’t need to explain.  Dean knew very well how Erin had reacted to losing her husband.

“I get the feeling that everything that happened with you girls has really shaken her up, given her a bit of a wakeup call,” Dean said.  Rose just took that in, saying nothing.

“I met your friend Nancy,” Dean said and watched as Rose looked confused for a second then brightened as she realized who he meant.

“Oh at the B&B!  Isn’t she wonderful?”

Dean nodded.  “She was really nice.  I was supposed to tell you to let her know you were home safe,” he said with a chagrined look.

“I’ll email her,” Rose promised.

“She wants us all to come spend a weekend,” Dean said with a grin.

“Oh it’ll have to be before or after December,” Rose said thoughtfully.  “She has her one daughter’s wedding that month in California.”

“How do you even know that?” Dean asked.  Rose could talk for someone for five minutes and get their life story.

“We talked,” Rose said with a shrug.

“You do make a lot of friends, Sweetheart,” Dean said with a shake of his head and Rose just smiled.

What else did he need to tell her?  So much of it had to do with bits of prophecy, not really something he wanted to get into right now.

“Um, Charlie and I got into your Facebook account,” he admitted hesitantly.

“I kind of figured that,” Rose said, surprising Dean.  “Chastity told me you’d talked to her.  So what, did Charlie hack into my account?”

“Nope, she didn’t need to.  I guessed your password,” Dean said smugly.

Rose looked mildly surprised though not shocked.  She would be willing to bet she could guess Dean’s password too.  “You always were smart,” she said and Dean beamed at her.

“Na, I just happen to know a certain redhead really well.”  Rose smiled at him happily and Dean soaked that up for a minute.   He was fairly certain he’d covered all the big things that had happened while she was gone.

"So can I ask you a question that’s a complete change of topic?" Dean asked her and Rose nodded.  "This is gonna sound weird but where on earth do you get the money to pay that credit card bill?  I mean I saw what your bill was at the one shop and I know that's not the only credit card you have in your wallet.  Are you guys like secretly millionaires?"

Rose toyed with her water glass for a minute and Dean had the feeling she was debating on how to answer.  Finally she said, "I don't pay the bills myself."

"You got some sugar daddy somewhere I should know about?" Dean asked with a grin.

"No, but I do have grandparents who are more interested in their granddaughters carrying on their legacy than in getting jobs."

Dean stared at her for a second, not having seen that answer coming in a million years.  "Come again?"

Rose glanced around, making sure no one could overhear them but they were at a booth away from anyone else and the restaurant was quiet.

"This isn't something we talk about.  It's not discussed, it just is.  So don't mention it, please?"  Rose looked at Dean beseechingly and he nodded. "My mom’s parents have money.  A lot of it.  Some inheritance from an invention a long dead family member created that grows as time goes on."  Rose took a bite of her taco before continuing.  "You know my mom wanted nothing to do with hunting.  Well it's a safe bet she didn't want daughters who were going to be roped into the life either."  Dean nodded, that being pretty common knowledge.  "This is where it gets complicated.  My mom was told that one day she’d have children who would be important somehow, special.  They didn't tell my mom pertinent details till after Lily was born, like the fact that those special children had to have a hunter as a father.” 

"Holy shit.” Dean winced at that and Rose nodded. 

“Yeah, not exactly great behavior to build a relationship on.  There's other stuff too, ways my grandparents treated my mom, attitudes they had about us that meant we didn't see them much."   Rose took a gulp of water before continuing.  "When Lily turned 18 my grandparents gave her a present that extended to me and Daisy.  They knew Lily was hunting a little and wanted her to focus on her life's true calling.  That's how they put it, her true calling. That's how they see hunting - it's the end all be all of everything.  Everything else is expendable."  Rose shook her head then continued. “So to make things easier for her, to make sure she wasn't distracted by things like oh, an education or a job they offered to give her a credit card and pay the bill.  Same applied to me and Daisy even though we're not hunters.  But they knew we'd have powers one day so..."

Dean was staring at Rose not quite with a gaping mouth but definitely with a stunned expression.  He couldn't decide if it was awful or amazing.

"How'd your parents feel about it?" He finally asked.

"My Dad had mixed feelings. He didn't like my grandparents at all." Dean looked startled by that.  Brendan had been such an easygoing guy him not liking someone was a rare occurrence. "They hurt my mom, Dean.  They would say awful things to her and upset her."  Dean nodded, understanding Brendan’s animosity then.  He'd kill anyone who hurt Rose.  "But he liked the idea of us having a safety net, of not having to worry.  My mom surprisingly was all for it.  I think she figured we had this lot in life; we might as well get something from it.  Once my dad died they helped her out too."

Rose paused then smiled an odd smile.  "It just occurred to me that for the first time ever I'd be amazing in their eyes.  They'd be so impressed with my awesome powers."  The sarcasm practically dripped from Rose's words.

"If they weren't impressed with you in the first place then they're fucking idiots," Dean said heatedly and Rose smiled at him gratefully.

"I chose to go to college, I like to cook and couldn’t fight or shoot a gun.”  Rose took a bite of her dinner while Dean thought proudly she could do both of those last things now because of him. “Let's just say I've never been their favorite," Rose said.  "That honor would go to Lily."

"She's the hunter," Dean surmised.

"Exactly.  Didn't matter that she didn't hunt that much.  She had the skills and she's, well she fits their idea of what their granddaughters should be."

If they were as gung-ho on hunting as Rose had suggested Dean could see how Lily would be their ideal.  She had always been harder, tougher than her sisters.  Rose and Daisy didn't fit into any stereotype of the hunting life.  And Erin, God she must have purposely turned her back on anything to do with the life.  In her new age looking clothes it was hard to picture her ever hunting, though if Bobby was to be believed she'd been a force to be reckoned with.  Lily must be all the hopes they'd had for Erin fulfilled.

"So they just let you spend whatever you want?" Dean asked and Rose nodded.

"Pretty much.  If we go overboard they'll occasionally call my mom and make some pointed comments." Rose ate a chip with some guacamole then said, "I'm surprised that didn't happen after New Orleans actually.  I spent a lot."

"All on me?" Dean asked with a grin.

"Not all on you," Rose said with a smile.  "Though your presents put a huge dent in the card."  She hesitated then added, "I bought Lily a ridiculously expensive pair of shoes."

"See that I just don't get," Dean admitted.  "They're shoes.  You wear them on your feet.  Expensive shouldn't be a part of it."

"Don't tell Lily that,” Rose said dryly.

They finished up their dinners and headed back to the car, Rose once again sliding over next to Dean.  He could get used to this.

“You wanna stop?” he asked when he saw the familiar green and white sign up ahead and saw Rose perk up upon seeing it.  Rose nodded her head eagerly and Dean pulled into the drive through.  He made a face when she told him what she wanted but he ordered it anyway and got a plain black coffee for himself.  Then they were back on the road again, heading home.

“Now I get why Lily said your coffee was gooey,” Dean said with a smirk.

“Hey!” Rose protested then took a deep sip of her coffee.  “Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.”  She smiled at Dean and he just chuckled.

“Hey do you remember any of the dreams you had while you were gone?” he asked after they’d been driving for a few minutes.

Rose looked at him curiously.  “Not really.  Why?”

“You uh, had a few of those telepathic dreams of yours again,” Dean said.

Rose looked surprised.  “That’s just so unfair I don’t remember them,” she said after a second and Dean chuckled.  “So any good ones?”

“Well let’s see.  I got to talk to twelve year old you in your kitchen, sixteen year old you in only my favorite part of shorts ever and-”

“You have a favorite pair of shorts?” Rose interrupted.

“Definitely,” Dean said.  “Denim, super short, fit you like a second skin.”  Dean’s eyes had taken on a dreamy look while describing the shorts, leaving Rose torn between being amused and embarrassed.  “I could fill a book with the fantasies I had about you in those things.”

Rose felt her face flush and a wave of desire shoot through her at Dean’s words.  She wanted to ask what these fantasies involved but wasn’t sure she was ready to go down that road yet.  But God the temptation was there.

“I don’t think I ever knew you uh, had such strong feelings about clothes,” Rose choked out.

Dean tore himself from his fantasy enough to say, “Oh no, not just any clothes.  Very specific items of _your_ clothes.”  Dean grinned at her suddenly then said, “I also got to see you in a library.  Wearing glasses.”

Rose wrinkled her nose.  “Ew.  I could at least look cute in these dreams.”

“Oh Sweetheart, don’t worry about cute.  You looked hot in glasses,” Dean argued.  “I liked them.”

“Is this to do with your crush on the librarian?” Rose ventured and Dean nodded and grinned.

“Quite possibly.” 

He left out the other dream they’d shared purposely, the one in the kitchen with her wearing just his shirt.  He wasn’t ready to share that one, not when they were still working back to that point in reality.  There was no way he could tell her that dream without wanting to recreate it and they definitely weren’t there yet.  There was still too much to be sorted out and Dean was still being careful with her.  She still seemed so fragile.  But they were moving in the right direction Dean thought happily as Rose rested her head on his shoulder.  They would get there.

* * *

While Sam and Lily were finishing helping Charlie fill up the u-haul and getting back on the road the next day Rose and Dean were spending the morning at the bunker.  They’d had breakfast and were in the library now filling out the forms for the therapist.

**Please state your main concern(s) in your own words:**

_I can’t sleep without nightmares. I can’t control my powers.  My emotions feel out of control.  Relationships have been damaged._

**Describe any events that you believe brought on these issues:**

_I ran away. I was attacked a few times and tortured (just the once).  I can’t handle it and my sister doesn’t understand._

Rose read that over and hesitated, then glanced up at Dean.  “Does this sound awful?” She read him what she’d written.  Dean shook his head.

“It sounds honest to me.”

“I just, I don’t want to be blaming other people for my problems,” Rose said.

“This isn’t really just your problem now though,” Dean said.  “And you’re right, Lily doesn’t get it.  Maybe talking about that can help.”

**What were the standard emotional overtones in your family while you were growing up?**

_Happy_

“He’s not gonna believe me, is he?  I mean who says their family is happy and really means it?”

“I was there,” Dean assured her.  “I’ll vouch for you.”  The Sullivan household had indeed been a happy one.  It was active and loud and busy, with never a dull moment and always full of laughter.  Brendan and Erin had made sure of that and their daughters had played their part.  Dean was grateful he’d gotten to be a part of it, that it played such a large part in his childhood.

**How do you see your role in your family?**

_Usually I’m the peacemaker and the one who takes care of everyone.  Right now I’m the troublemaker._

**How would you describe your current family?**

_Happy…until recently.  Right now we’re kind of fractured._

**How would you normally describe yourself?**

_Happy, Passionate, Interested in lots of things_

**How would you currently describe yourself?**

_Crazy, Out of control, Scared, Apathetic_

**How would you describe a desired outcome for therapy?**

_I’d like to feel happy again and like myself and be in control of my emotions and powers. I’d like to be able to cope and handle things._

Finished Rose picked up her phone to reply to a message from Chastity and Dean turned his attention to the form himself.

**What is your relationship with the client?**

_She’s my girlfriend._

That sounded so trite Dean thought.  Girlfriend sounded like someone he’d take to the movies in high school.  But it was the acceptable term.  What Dean wanted to write was one word - Mine.  But that would not go over well, would raise eyebrows and just cause chaos.  So he settled for girlfriend.

**What is your main concern about the client in your own words?**

_She’s not eating.  She has nightmares every night.  Her powers are out of control and she’s in pain._

**How do you see your role in your family?**

_I’m the big brother, the one with the final word._

**How would you normally describe the client?**

_Sweet, kind, passionate, smart, capable._

**How would you currently describe the client?**

Sweet, kind, sad, hurting, moody

**What would you like to accomplish out of your time in therapy?**

_I want Rose to feel better, to eat on her own and to sleep without nightmares.  I want her to be happy again._

That done Dean sent the form back to the Dr and shut his laptop.  "So after lunch and your nap what do you want to do?"

Rose put her phone down, considering.   Finally she said, “I wouldn’t mind going out somewhere.  Yesterday was fun.”

Dean smiled, pleased that she’d enjoyed herself as much as he had.  “Well I have a suggestion…”

The next three days were much of the same, lazy mornings then heading out to explore places close and sometimes not so close to them.  Dean loved to drive and Rose was happy to be out and to be with him.

It was good, it was healing.  Not a lot of serious conversation was had though it snuck in occasionally.  Both Dean and Rose knew there were things they needed to talk about, to work out but neither was ready.  These days were a chance for them to catch their breath, to get their feet back under them.  Dean was as aware of what was better about Rose (She smiled more, she laughed, she was being sassy and arguing with him.) as he was what wasn't (The nightmares, the lack of desire to eat and anything to do with food.  She got sad way too easily.).  But it would take time and he reminded himself constantly of how far they'd already come.

Thursday they drove to a town a few hours away that was famous for its Wizard of Oz Museum.  Dean knew how much Rose had always loved the movie and she was enchanted by the museum, telling Dean they had to come back and bring Daisy as she’d love it too.  They ate lunch at a quirky little place called Toto’s Tacoz that was just as wacky as it sounded and which Rose loved and even Dean had to admit served up good tacos.  They came home and Dean made burgers for dinner and they watched TV together and snuggled on the couch.  Friday they drove over to a Topeka and went to the botanical gardens there.  Rose smiled at Dean the whole time they were there, knowing this was something he'd done just for her, as spending a day looking at flowers and plants was not his idea of a fun day.  When she said as much to him he'd told her he'd been quite content to stare at just one flower making Rose blush and Dean have to kiss her.  The kisses were getting more frequent between them but stopped there and Rose thought it felt like they'd gone back in time about six months.  But it was good she knew.  Slow was good.  This whole week was good.

Then Saturday came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HoustonCon tomorrow!!


	60. It'll Leave You Breathless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drive Ins are fun! Also we get a little insight into Rose's thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a long one. I couldn't find a good place to cut it so just left it lengthy.

"You ever been to a drive in movie?" Dean asked Rose over breakfast.  They were eating in the kitchen for once and Rose was seated at the table in her cute pajamas, her hair disheveled and her eyes sleepy.

Rose chewed her toast and swallowed before saying, "Yeah once when I was little.  My dad took us all."

"Wanna go tonight?  There's one not too far away."

"Sure," Rose said agreeably. Dean had yet to come up with a plan she hadn't enjoyed.

"There's a pretty park on a lake there too.  We could go after you wake up from your nap and have a late lunch/early dinner there and then eat tons of junk food at the drive in."  Dean looked so excited at this plan that Rose had to laugh.  He may be an adult but give him a chance to eat junk food and you'd think he was ten years old again.

"You're like having my own tour guide of Kansas," Rose said with a smile.

"Hey, we all have our talents," Dean said proudly.  "Mine just happens to be that I know my home state damn well."

"Your tours seem to mainly revolve around bookstores, food and nature," Rose pointed out.  "You obviously cater to a niche group."

"That a complaint?" Dean asked with a challenging stare.

"Not even a hint of one," Rose said honestly and Dean couldn't hide his proud grin at that. 

"So until then why don't you unpack your suitcases?" Dean suggested.

"I told you I can't while you're around," Rose said.  Dean had suggested this a few times before and Rose had deflected every time.

"What if I promise to close my eyes and not look when you tell me to?" Dean offered.

"And I'm supposed to trust that?” Rose asked with a laugh. “I grew up with you, Dean.  You peek."

"Are you seriously bringing up a game of hide and seek from when we were what, nine?" Dean demanded his expression one of disbelief.

"It set a precedent," Rose said firmly, getting up and taking her empty plate to the sink.  "You have no self control when it comes to not looking."

"Actually I just really wanted to beat you and Lily at hide and seek," Dean admitted looking chagrined.  The girls had been so good at that damn game, Rose because she could be so quiet and Lily because she could get into some tricky hiding spaces.

"I'm sticking with my no self control theory," Rose shot back.

Dean couldn't help himself.  Maybe he should have but he couldn't (Which in theory probably proved Rose's point though Dean would deny it.). He walked up behind Rose at the sink and put his hands lightly on her waist and hovered behind her; his body lined up perfectly with hers and felt her go still. 

"I think I'm actually the picture of self control, Sweetheart," he said, softly nuzzling against her neck till his lips could find bare skin.  "I mean I didn't do any of the borderline illegal things I wanted to do in that dressing room the other day."  He tugged her back against him suddenly so her bottom was right up against him.  She let out a little noise of surprise and Dean grinned.  He placed one soft, wet open mouthed kiss to her neck in the spot he knew made her craziest and felt her shiver in response.

Rose desperately wanted to ask.  She wanted to hear exactly what he’d wanted to do to her in that dressing room.  Her mind could certainly come up with some vivid ideas.  She wondered if they would match?  But she made herself not ask.  She closed her eyes tight.  Not yet.

"So you're saying you'll uh, you'll be good and won't peek?" she managed to get out in a strangled tone.  Dean smiled at her voice.  And the fact that she wasn't pulling away from him; she was in fact pushing her bottom back against him.  Which wasn't honestly helping his self control.  Fuck, if he hadn’t been hard to begin with he was now.  He'd love to just bend her over the counter...they had the whole bunker to themselves and that didn’t happen that often. It seemed a crime to let this opportunity go.  And she fit so perfectly against him… His hands flexed on her waist of their own volition but Dean ground his teeth together and stopped himself.

"I'll be a very good boy," Dean promised, his own voice sounding choked.  And to prove his point he did the exact opposite of what he wanted to do - He let her go.

"Now go get your shower.  Let me know when you're ready."  And he spun her around to face the door, giving her a little swat to her bottom to get her moving.

Rose glanced back at him, a slightly dazed look on her face then gave him a small smile and walked off to do as he said.

* * *

Rose could tell you the precise moment she fell in love with baking.  She'd been seven years old and they had been visiting her grandparents, her dads’ parents, and she helped her grandmother make cookies.  Lily had no interest but Rose had liked the mixing of the ingredients, the almost magical feel of seeing what the cookies looked like when they went into the oven and the difference in when they came out.  Her grandmother had been thrilled that Rose genuinely enjoyed the baking and had patted her on the head and let her take the tray of cookies into the living room to serve everyone.  "That's love you're serving, a stóirín" she'd said.  Everyone had smiled and been genuinely happy when they tasted the cookies.  Rose fell in love with that feeling of pleasing people and showing her love for them by baking.  She'd started playing in the kitchen as soon as they got home and that Christmas Santa had brought her every book and device a burgeoning baker could desire.  It became a part of her and who she was.  She couldn't remember the last time she baked or even cooked anything.  That desire just slipped from her like every other spark in her life.

Rose couldn't tell you the exact moment when she knew she loved sex but she could tell you who it was with.  Patrick Sutton.  Ironically she hadn't even technically had sex with him.  He was the first boy she'd made out with and it hit her like a lightning bolt.  While he was kissing her (And all these years later she could still remember that he'd been an amazing kisser.) and running his hands over her body she'd been amazed by how good it felt.  (So many things that people went on about failed to to impress in Rose’s book.  She’d never had Lily’s weakness for cigarettes, finding the taste off putting.  And while alcohol could be fun Rose could take it or leave it.  But sex, now that actually lived up to the hype.)  Patrick had known what he was doing, had used his hands just right to make Rose have her first orgasm (Well with another person in the room anyway.) and she'd been pleased to find that reciprocating the favor was pleasurable too.  She liked the feelings, the sensations and she especially liked that all the rules that generally ruled her normal life seemed to go out the window.  In her heart Rose was a good girl.  That had always been her role and it was one she gladly filled.  But put her in a situation where she was making out and suddenly she could do things she never normally did.  Rose had a good imagination and an even better vocabulary and she found guys definitely liked the surprisingly naughty side she could display, words she would never use in her everyday life falling from her lips easily.  Rose was no risk taker but when it came to sex, as her escapades with Danny proved, the more daring side of her came out.  It was incredibly freeing.  The first time she actually had sex was enlightening as well.  It hadn't been perfect by any means.  (Why did no one ever mention how messy sex could be?  That had surprised her.)  But she'd been with someone she trusted who had done their best to make it enjoyable and that had made all the difference.  (So currently she might somewhat despise that person but in the long run she was happy with her choice.)  They’d laughed when they’d fumbled and when things hadn’t gone as smoothly as they’d hoped and that had made it less scary.  And it had definitely gotten better every time after that.  Rose had been lucky to be raised in a household where she’d been taught from an early age that sex was a beautiful thing to be enjoyed and while responsibility had definitely been emphasized so had finding pleasure.  Her mother could be embarrassing at times (How many mothers bought their daughter a vibrator for her 13th birthday?) but Rose couldn’t deny that it helped to have someone who so firmly supported her daughters and was willing to talk about anything.  True, most of Rose’s sexual knowledge had come from Lily but Erin had been a resource too.  None of the girls had ever been raised to be ashamed of sex and that Rose knew was a blessing.   She knew that occasionally she and Lily both shocked people with their bluntness (Lily much more so, as Rose preferred to keep her views on sex closer to the vest.) and sexual appetites and she wondered sometimes if they were really exception to the rule or if most women just weren’t raised being told that liking and enjoying sex was a good thing.  She had a hunch it was the latter.  While Rose may not be quite as boastful about her sexual partners as Lily she’d had more than her fair share, and more than most people would probably imagine.  (And contrary to what she’d said to Lily in anger she had no issue with the fact that Lily’s had rarely if ever involved a relationship.  What Lily did was what Lily did.  Now how Lily treated the guys after that Rose could have done without.)  She’d been lucky in that she’d had good, thoughtful lovers over her lifetime but she’d also been a vocal participant, someone who wasn’t afraid to point a man in the right direction or tell him if what he was doing just wasn’t for her.  “You’re supposed to enjoy it, Rosie,” Lily had told her early on.  “And if you’re not then say something.  And if he doesn’t change just kick the guy to the curb.  There’s always another one.  And a good vibrator is preferable to a selfish man.”  (And Rose had found over the years that as a general rule people who were selfish in bed were selfish in the rest of their lives too.  It might seem an odd rule of thumb but it had served her well.)  If Rose was being really honest with someone she would tell them that she loved good food and she loved great sex, preferably both in ample quantities.  Rose liked pleasure.  She liked things that felt good: Hot baths, soft sheets, good food and great sex.  And then this horror show had hit her life and for the last little while she hadn’t even thought about sex, hadn’t had a random sexual thought cross her mind since she couldn’t remember when.  The fact she hadn’t even really thought about it till now said a lot.  She’d somehow lost her appetite for her two favorite things and hadn’t even noticed they were missing.

And now suddenly this week all these sensations she hadn’t had in how long had came flooding back.  The desire for food or anything to do with it still wasn’t there but the desire to touch Dean…well, she couldn’t be around Dean and not want him.  It just wasn’t possible.  The connection between them was too strong and the way he touched her, the little things he would say to her, just the way he flirted with her were enough to set her on fire.  There had always been such a strong attraction between the two of them that it had made any other pale in comparison.  And now that she’d had him, now that she knew what it was like to actually be his lover it was even harder to ignore.  He made her feel like a part of herself she’d missed without realizing it was coming back alive.  The very idea made her both excited and terrified.

Rose had all this tumbling in her head while she showered, blow dried her hair and picked her clothes out for the day.  She’d change before they went out she decided so put on jeans and a sweatshirt for now (A pink Beauty and the Beast one with the rose in its case and “Break The Spell” written on it.  It was her favorite Disney movie and you didn’t have a Disney loving sister like Daisy without having a favorite.)  She hummed along to the music as she pulled her clothes on, having turned music on before she got in the shower.  She’d wanted music today and she paused, realizing it had been awhile since she’d listened to any.  She thought about that a second then with a shrug she stuck her head out the door and called to Dean that she was ready.

Dean stopped in the doorway at hearing the music pouring out of Rose’s room.  His eyes lit up with happiness and he immediately thought of what Lily had said about Rose and her music.  But he kept that thought to himself.  “OK so just tell me when I need to close my eyes,” he said taking a spot on the chair in the corner.  Sookie immediately jumped up on his lap and started purring. 

Rose opened the first suitcase Dean had put on the bed for her and gave it a quick glance.  She was fairly certain all of the presents for Dean were in the other case.  Oh aside from the pie mix she realized as she spotted it.  She grinned at him over the lid.

“I think all your presents are in the other case.  All except one.  Do you want that one now?”  He nodded his head eagerly and Rose walked over and handed the box to him.  

“Praline pie,” he read from the box cover.  “I’ve never had this kind of pie.  Huh, I never knew there was a pie flavor I hadn’t tried.  Good find, Baby.”  He smiled at her and Rose was immensely pleased she’d done so well.  Dean didn’t mention her making it or anything for which Rose was grateful.

She went back to her suitcase and started sorting out things. 

“So can I help since this case is Dean present free?” he asked.

Rose shook her head.  “No, take it easy and keep Sookie happy.  I don’t mind moving around a bit.”  Dean stretched his legs out in front of him and got comfortable and Rose let herself have one look at how good he looked like that before making herself get back to the task at hand.

This bag had a lot of her clothes and also the shirts she’d gotten for Sam and Charlie as well as most of the books she’d bought as presents.  She showed Dean the presents she’d got for the others, got his seal of approval and put them neatly on her dresser.  

“So what are we seeing tonight at the drive in?” she asked as she pulled out a pile of t-shirts she moved to her dresser drawers.

“Um, let me check,” Dean said, pulling his phone out. 

“I always think of Grease when I think of drive ins,” Rose mused.

“Gonna make me go sing sorrowfully on the swing set, Sandy?” Dean asked with a smirk.

“Not if you behave yourself, Danny-Oh woops, that doesn’t work does it?” Rose asked in chagrin.

“Nope, not at all,” Dean said with a grimace.  He found the listing and said, “OK it’s a double feature of some horror movie and a sci fi one.”

“Well one sounds awesome,” Rose said with a smile.  Horror movies she loved as Dean well knew.  They were a huge favorite of both her and Lily.  She got to the bottom of her bag and realized there was one thing in here she couldn’t show Dean – the present from Chastity.

“Whoops, I was wrong.  You need to close your eyes.”

Dean looked at her quizzically but did as she said and Rose quickly moved the item to the bottom drawer of her dresser burying it under some jeans.

“OK coast is clear,” Rose said pulling out the last few items of clothing and hanging them in her closet.

“So one of my presents snuck into that bag?” Dean asked once he’d opened his eyes again.

“No, that was um, a present from Chastity,” Rose said.  Dean eyed the blush staining her cheeks and the nervous look on her face and was instantly curious.

“A present for you that you don’t want me to see,” Dean said. “Now that sounds interesting.  What is it?”

“If I don’t want you to see it what makes you think I want to tell you what it is?” Rose asked and Dean grinned.

“It was worth a shot.”  He paused then asked, “So would I like this present?”

Rose rolled her eyes.  “Probably.”

“And would you like this present?”

Rose hesitated.  “Maybe,” she said then hastened to add, “Maybe not,” before Dean could say anything else.

Dean sat there playing those clues over in his head while Rose closed the suitcase.  He got up and moved it to the closet and hoisted her other one up on the bed then stopped next to her.  When he didn’t move Rose glanced up at him curiously.

“Should I try and guess what it is?” he asked in a low voice, his tone slipping over her like honey.  “Because something tells me I may be able to get close.”

Rose hesitated again, her eyes locked on his and then slowly shook her head and Dean smiled at her, his eyes full of barely contained mischief.  “Spoilsport,” he said easily and moved back to the chair.  Sookie had wandered off to the top of the bed to groom now leaving Dean without a companion.

Rose opened the other suitcase and was pleased to see the books and movies she’d gotten for Dean right on top.  Sookie had wandered off to the top of the bed to groom now leaving Dean without a companion, which meant his lap was empty and he just had to pull Rose down onto it when she came over to give him his presents.  He grinned up at her completely unrepentant and with a very loud, very false put upon sigh she handed them over to him.  She was happy to see him look interested after reading the synopsis on the back of the first book.

“Oh I like the sound of these,” he said happily.  He kissed her soundly, leaving Rose slightly breathless and she reluctantly extracted herself from his arms, heading back to finish the suitcase off.

Rose glanced down at the open suitcase and paused.  “Do you want to see Lily’s shoes?” she asked and Dean nodded.  She held them up and Dean looked them over.

“They’re very uh, sparkly,” he said.  It was the best he could do.  What did he know about shoes?

Rose rattled off some designer name that meant absolutely nothing to him. 

“Do I want to know how much they cost?” Dean asked.

“Probably not,” Rose admitted.  “It’s insane.  But I was feeling guilty.”  She put those in the closet then said, “The combined total of what I bought for you was more,” and Dean grinned.

“Can I have a hint?” he asked and Rose shook her head.

“Patience is a virtue,” she said and Dean laughed.

“You’re one of the least patient people I know,” he said and Rose didn’t deny it.  Instead she said something that took Dean’s breath away.

“I was patient for you.  I waited a long time,” she admitted, her eyes firmly on her suitcase.

“And was I worth it?” Dean asked in a husky voice, after a heartbeat had passed.

“Absolutely,” she said, glancing up to meet his eyes.  Dean couldn’t help but smile at the look there.  Rose may be able to lie but he could always read her eyes.  That was genuine emotion there, backing up what she said.  Dean felt a shot of warmth spread throughout his chest in response.

“OK you need to close your eyes now,” Rose said softly after glancing back down.

She waited till she saw Dean’s eyes were indeed shut then she carefully pulled the delicate satin and lace out of her suitcase and transferred them to the second drawer of her dresser.  She smoothed a hand over them admiring the look and feel of them.  She was happy with the choices, even if Chastity had almost made her crazy in picking them out.  She was excited to wear them she admitted, even if she knew somewhere deep down she wasn’t quite ready for that yet.  She closed the drawer and moved back to the suitcase.

“OK you can look now,” she said and Dean opened his eyes.

“So I don’t even get a little clue?” he asked with a grin.

“We’ll both like these,” Rose offered with a flirty glance his way.   “Though I can definitely say your preferences went more into my choosing than my own did.”  Dean looked decidedly intrigued at that but didn’t press further.

The second suitcase emptied Rose zipped it up and Dean stored it in her closet alongside the other one.  Looking around Rose realized the room looked nice and tidy now, like it did before all the chaos hit.  If only she could clear everything in her life up so easily she thought wistfully.

Catching her look Dean reached out and pulled her to him.  He hugged her tight and said softly, “You’re doing great, Sweetheart.”

Rose smiled up at him gratefully and leaned up to kiss him.  “I couldn’t do it without you.”

Dean smiled at her, so happy to be holding her again.  “You won’t have to.”

* * *

Dean stretched out on the couch and pulled Rose down next to him.  She snuggled up against him, her body halfway on top of his.  Dean kissed her forehead and murmured a soft, “Sweet Dreams, Princess,” and her eyes were already closing.  They’d figured this nap thing out pretty well, able to pinpoint almost the exact moment Rose would fall asleep.  She hadn’t had any nightmares during the afternoon for the last few days for which they were both grateful.

Dean stared down at her as she slept.  He wasn’t sure if going to the drive in tonight was the best idea honestly.  He was struggling to control himself around her as it was.  At a drive in where God knows how many people would be making out like the horny teenagers they probably were?  It was a bit like walking into a liquor store when you were trying not to drink.  Dean smoothed a hand down her back.  It certainly wasn’t that he didn’t want to touch her and kiss her and see how many times he could make her scream...  Dean took a deep breath to steady himself.  God, he thought about that way too much at the moment.  And he knew she wanted him.  But she was still so skittish and there was so much between them still they hadn’t dealt with.  Dean had done a good job of shutting off the part of himself that was mad at her but it was still there and he was pretty sure it would be till they dealt with it.  But she wasn’t anywhere near ready for that.  Dean groaned softly as Rose moved in her sleep, pushing herself against him.  Her naptime had become both his favorite time of the day and also his own personal torture.  Rose inevitably wound up at least partly on top of him, pushed against him and driving his body crazy.  Why did he always seem to be in a position to have to wait for Rose?  Granted originally he had been the one determined to hold off till the right time and now he was holding back for fear of setting them back a step.  Forget it, he was one of the horny teenagers himself, age be damned.

Maybe they could just make out a little tonight, he mused.  I mean it was the drive in and neither he nor Rose had any real interest in sci fi.  They could watch the horror movie and then have a throw back to their high school days.  So they’d never made out with each other then but they could make up for lost time now.  He was sure they could handle that.  It may well make things that much more painful but he couldn’t stand to keep his hands off her much longer.

That decision made Dean settled back and closed his eyes.  He wasn’t going to deal with texts or phone calls today.  He was going to actually join Rose in a nap.

* * *

Rose woke up just after an hour, her normal resting time now.  She was surprised to find Dean asleep as usually he was clicking away on his phone when she woke up.  A few times she’d woke up to find him watching her, making her hope she didn’t look too goofy in her sleep.  For once she got to be the one to watch him.  He was so relaxed in his sleep, both arms wrapped around her waist, head resting back against a pillow.  She studied his face, the long lashes, the full, tempting lips and thought idly that he could tempt a saint.  She could feel his arms around her, the solidness of him partially underneath her making her feel safe and secure.  She had a strong urge to reach up and kiss his lips, to wake him by running her hands over his body.  She knew she shouldn’t.  There was so much heat between them as it was and they were on this precarious flirtatious line they were barely sticking their toes over.  If Rose was honest with herself she wanted nothing more than to wake Dean and beg him to touch her, to kiss her and mark her as his.  But she couldn’t.  Something held her back, some fear, some feeling that it wasn’t right.  Not now, not yet.  There were things unsaid, things she wasn’t ready to handle yet, things she knew they needed to deal with.

Rose thought back to what he’d said to her that night in the Impala.  “You might just rethink how fun you think spankings are by the time we're done.”   He hadn’t said anything about it since then.  Though he had made a rather ominous sounding comment about her hair brush that one day.  OK so maybe he’d hinted at it, he had after all said something about waiting till she was ready that day at the waterfall, but that was it.  And he’d been flirting then so maybe he wasn’t serious.  Rose wasn’t sure if he was, if he’d been serious that night in the Impala.  He’d certainly seemed it.  Whenever she thought about what he’d said to her, how he’d looked and sounded she felt a little shiver go through her, a mixture of fear and something else she wasn’t quite ready to name.  And every time he called her little girl in that certain tone she felt everything in her just stop.

Rose knew she was stubborn (She’d been told it too many times not to) and figured in her family it was a good thing.  She knew she looked soft and like a pushover but she knew herself and knew she wasn’t.  But whereas Lily would pitch a fit if someone tried to boss her around Rose would just quietly ignore them and do exactly as she pleased.  She pretty much always had.  People were usually so caught up in Lily’s meltdowns and Daisy’s fits that they never thought to check if Rose was doing what she was supposed to.  They just assumed she was.  People generally didn’t notice when she ignored what everyone told her and did what she liked. She was the good girl so of course she was doing what she was supposed to.  When she’d first told Dean she could be naughty sometimes and he’d responded with telling her she’d get a spanking Rose had felt something inside her clench tightly in a strange mixture of fear and longing.  Dean had always seen her.  He was one of the few people who realized that just because she was quite didn’t mean she was always good.  He’d called her a brat the other day.  No guy had ever called her that before.  Chastity had always teased her about being one; having seen past Rose’s perfect façade and Lily always had said she was part saint and part brat.  But men didn’t tend to see that in Rose.  They may know she had a temper if they were together long enough but to ever think of her as a brat?  Not likely.

But Dean was different.  Dean knew her.  She and Dean had always had little verbal battle of wills that they both immensely enjoyed.  She loved that she couldn’t talk circles around him like she so easily could with other people and she knew he liked that his usual smooth talking skills didn’t sway her.  Dean brought out a different side to her.  On one hand she did love to do as he wanted, to let him boss her around and take the lead and honestly found that so attractive.  But also he let her be, well not the perfect good girl for once.  Rose knew deep down she had bratty tendencies.  She just rarely let those show because they weren’t who she was supposed to be.  She was supposed to be good.  Only maybe with Dean she didn’t always have to be.

But now she was pretty sure what Dean was talking about wasn’t a sexy, fun spanking.  He’d sounded serious, like something she’d only read about and wasn’t sure what to think.  Going there was crossing a line she wasn’t sure she was ready to cross.  She stared up at Dean wishing she had the nerve to ask him the second he woke up.  “Hey you know that time you mentioned um, punishing me.  Were you serious?” Then again she wasn’t sure she really wanted the answer to that whatever it was.

Dean blinked his eyes open, surprised to find he’d actually fallen asleep.  He’d only planned to shut his eyes but Rose was so soft and warm cuddled up against him that he’d drifted off.  The first thing he saw upon waking was a pair of big blue eyes staring up at him curiously.

“Hey Sweetheart,” he said his voice still thick with sleep.

“Hey,” she said softly, a soft smile on her lips.

“Something on your mind?” he asked, pushing her hair back.  He’d seen the questioning look in her eyes.  Something was going on in that head of hers.

Rose hesitated then shook her head.  “Nope, nothing really.”

Dean studied her.  “You sure?”

Rose hesitated again then finally said, “Maybe nothing I’m ready to ask.”

Dean raised an eyebrow at her.  “Aw, so you were fibbing then.”

Rose squirmed.  “Nope, not really.  I mean not so much.”  Damn it, how did he do that?  She could lie.  It wasn’t exactly a skill she was proud of but it was there.  How did he manage to see through her?  It was irritating.

“Mmm, so a not so much lie,” Dean said sardonically.  “We’re talking degrees of lies now?”

Rose frowned.  “Maybe,” she said a pout forming on her lips despite her best efforts.

“Hmm,” Dean said reaching out a hand and tracing her lips with one finger.  “I’m trying to decide which one I should tell you,” he said.

“Which what?” Rose asked in confusion.

“Should I tell you what happens when you pout?”  Dean rolled over suddenly trapping her between him and the back of the couch, dragging a startled noise from her.  “What I want to do to you when you pout?”  Dean grasped her chin in his hand, holding her face still and leaning down and kissing her.  The kiss was slow and deep, his tongue invading her mouth commandingly so that Rose felt as if she was melting against him, completely lost in the kiss.  This was a kiss of possession, though there was no roughness or callousness in it but it left no doubt who Rose belonged to.  Dean pulled back slowly and smiled in satisfaction at the enraptured look on her face.  Rose blinked her eyes open dazedly and looked up at him, her eyes soft and unfocused.  “You make me want to kiss that pretty little pout right off of you,” Dean murmured and Rose snuggled against him, obviously pleased at this outcome.

“Now as for what happens to little girls who lie…” Dean said dragging a hand down her back, bringing it to rest squarely on her ass.  “Do you want to guess what happens to them?”  Rose shook her head, her eyes quickly losing their hazy look and focusing on his chest, anywhere but his face.  “OK then I’ll tell you,” Dean said amiably, putting a finger under her chin and tipping her head back to meet his eyes.  When he spoke his voice was deeper, darker making Rose want to shiver.  “Little girls who lie don’t get kisses.  Instead they get spankings, long hard ones and maybe even time standing in the corner to think about how very bad lying is.”  Dean’s eyes were flashing and Rose realized suddenly this really didn’t have much to do with her not wanting to tell him what she was thinking.  This was some of that undealt with business rearing its ugly head and apparently it was doing so in spades.  Dean looked royally pissed.  “So you wanna try that answer again?” Dean asked.  He bit out his next few words like they were made of granite.  “Something on your mind?”

Rose looked at him and bit her lip, trying to think of the best way to answer, her mind a swirl of confusion, guilt and just beginning to bloom anger.  “Nothing that I want to talk about right now?” she ventured and Dean nodded and released her chin, the hand on her ass still resting there possessively. 

“Good answer.”  They both lay there staring at each other for a second. 

Finally Rose sighed and said, “Let me up, Dean.”  He immediately rolled over, taking her with him and lifted her, setting her on her feet.  Rose didn’t even look at him, just started to walk away.

 “Do I even need to say it?” he asked just as she got to the door and she turned to look at him quizzically.  “Rule Number Four is-

“Don’t lie,” Rose said flatly. “Yeah, I got it.”

“Don’t lie to _me_ ,” Dean corrected.  “I don’t care what you tell anyone else.  Just don’t fucking lie to me.”

With a nod of her head Rose headed towards her room, more confused than she had been this morning.

* * *

Dean sat there long after Rose had left wondering what the hell that had been about _.  Way to go, idiot,_ he berated himself.  Rose had always been willing to tell a white lie to keep the peace, to not get into a conversation she didn’t want to have.  He’d known it just like she knew he wasn’t the best at dealing with his feelings.  He’d always been able to see through her fibs just like she saw through his bravado.  It had never really bothered him till this last little bit when he’d realized just how much she had kept back, had omitted.  And that had damn near gotten her killed.  He groaned and buried his head in his hands.  He hadn’t meant to react like that, hadn’t meant to get so upset but he’d just woken up and he was always a bit more abrupt, a bit more uncensored then and seeing her so glibly brush him off had just irritated him and brought up some of what he was trying not to deal with.  He knew they had to talk at some point but neither of them were ready for that yet, her especially.  He got up with a sigh and went to get changed himself.  He’d have to talk to her before they went out.  The trio was headed back from Michigan and would be home tomorrow or the day after so they didn't have a lot more time of it being just the two of them.  He didn’t want this hanging over them all night.

* * *

Rose brushed her hair out, singing along to the music pouring out of her phone.   She wasn’t sure what to think of the conversation with Dean.  As she’d made her way down the hallway she felt the bud of anger blossom into a big wave that hit her as the shock of the conversation wore off.  Talk about an overreaction on his part!  By the time she got to her room she’d had a surge of bewilderment join in with the anger.  He certainly had reason to be angry with her, she couldn’t deny that.  But such a strong reaction over such a small thing?  Rose knew that as good as things were with them right now that there was a lot bubbling just under the surface.  She knew it had to come out sometime.  She just wasn’t ready for that yet.  She was just starting to get her feet under her, to deal with normal day to day life.  Dealing with all that had happened felt like too much to handle right now.

Her phone buzzed and she looked down to see a text from Chastity.

_So what are you up to tonight?_

Rose put her brush down and picked up her phone, answering quickly.

_Going for a picnic and to the drive in._

_Sounds like fun. Very Americana, American Grafitti._

Rose counted in her head and made it to 15 before the next message came in.

_So has he spanked you yet?_

Rose groaned aloud and replied.

_If you don’t stop asking me that I swear I’m going to start ignoring you._

She hadn’t told Chastity anything that Dean had said implying he planned to punish her.  She hadn’t been quite ready to talk about it yet and she knew Chas would be all over it.  But maybe she was almost ready.  She hesitated then typed:

_Can we talk later?  I need some advice.  Or maybe just an opinion.  Or a perspective.  Something like that._

She got an affirmative reply and clicked her phone off and finished getting ready.  She pulled on a pink lace shift dress and matching ballet flats – Cute but not too fussy and the long sleeves would mean she wouldn’t be too cold.  She was just finishing up feeding Sookie when Dean knocked.

“Come in,” she called out and Dean opened the door, leaning in the doorway and studying her.

“You look pretty,” he said in a sweet voice and Rose smiled up at him.

“Thanks,” she said.  “I just need to put my earrings on.”  She grabbed the pink shimmery studs off her dresser and sat down on the edge of her bed to put them in.  “You look nice,” she said, looking over Dean in clean black jeans and a black button down shirt.

“Thanks, uh I want to explain before we go,” he started and Rose could see his nerves. He fumbled over some lines that had something to do with “Happy and deal with later,” but all Rose could do was think how much effort he was putting in.  He was trying so hard to get this all right, to be so careful with her.  All her residual anger slipped away and she felt a wave of affection wash over her.  She owed him one.  Time to find some bravery.  So the last earring fastened she got up and walked towards her fumbling, sweet boyfriend and she kissed him firmly on the mouth before he could get another word out.  Dean was surprised, stopping as the feel of her mouth on his literally cut off his words.  She pressed herself up against him, wrapping her arms around his neck and after a second’s hesitation Dean wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the feel of her and the taste of her mouth.  She kissed him softly, gently but there was heat behind it and Dean couldn’t help but respond to it.  His hands tightened on her waist and he opened his lips as her tongue brushed persistently against them, dipping inside as he opened them.  God, she felt good.

Rose pulled back finally and smiled at his slightly dazed expression.  “I get it,” she said.  “There’s stuff we haven’t dealt with and I know that and it bubbles up.”

“You’re not mad?” he asked in surprise and Rose shook her head.

“I was,” she admitted. “But it passed."  And she was surprised to find she really meant that.  Whether she agreed with what he said or not was a discussion for another day.  But she wanted to have a good time with him tonight.  They’d spent too much time at odds recently and that was primarily her fault.

“The rule still stands.  You know that right?”  Rose wanted to roll her eyes at him but resisted.  Dean never could just let things be.

“I know that.  And contrary to popular belief I don’t like lying to you, Dean.”  She hesitated and added, “I’m just not good at saying when I don’t want to talk about things most of the time.”

"I know but you need to remember you don't always have to worry about sounding nice with me," Dean said.  "I like you when you're sassy, bratty, grumpy, whatever."

Rose smiled at him, thinking how eerily he echoed her previous thoughts.  "I'll try and remember that," she promised.

* * *

Their lunch at the state park was tasty, the scenery beautiful (though no waterfall) and they both laughed and talked, the previous tension all but forgotten.  Dean kissed Rose up against a tree till she was breathless then told her how hot her legs looked in that dress. 

They got to the drive in a little early so Dean could make a trip to the concession stand.  Rose looked at him in shock when he came back completely overwhelmed by all the food.  Popcorn, a pickle, sodas for both of them, two hot dogs, some slices of pie (Dean was thrilled to find out the owners wife baked her own and sold it here.) and what looked like one of every kind of candy in the concession stand.  He had so much that one of the teenagers who helped out at the drive in had to help him carry it all back.  Rose just shook her head at him and laughed as he started in on a hotdog.  She snapped a picture of him surrounded by his haul before he could protest.

"Sam would have a heart attack if he saw all that.  So would my mom."  Erin was forever trying to push healthy food on Dean much to his dismay.

Rose took a hot dog and sipped at her soda while the trailers started.  Rose watched them with interest noting ones she wanted to see and ones she thought Daisy might like.  She finished her hot dog and glanced over at Dean. "How's the pie?"

"Good," he said.  "Not as good as yours."

"Right answer," Rose said with a smile.  She may not have the desire to bake right now but she still liked that Dean thought hers was best.

The movie started and she settled back to watch the horror on screen, happily munching on a bag of Reese's pieces.  Dean was happy to see her eating without him nudging her for once.  Apparently he just needed her to be distracted by a movie and she ate without thinking about it.

Rose watched the movie intently, jumping at a few bits and at one point covering her eyes and murmuring "No, no, no," when something she found particularly horrible appeared on screen.  He couldn't help teasing her.

"Wait, that other girl was just decapitated and you're fine with that. But have someone grab someone's ankle from under a bed and that freaks you out?"

"I hate that," Rose admitted.  "It's always creeped me out.  You know that."  It was true; Dean did in fact know this.  He'd sat with Rose through countless scary movies over the years and she always got jumpy whenever there was a scene where anyone was hiding under a bed or someone's ankles were grabbed.

"Don't tell me you're still scared of the monster underneath your bed," Dean said with a chuckle.

Rose just stuck her tongue out at him and went back to watching the movie.

Dean smiled, enjoying how fun she was to watch watch the movie.  She'd kicked her shoes off and pulled her feet up underneath herself and she twirled her hair around her finger while she watched.  The movie was OK, nothing special.  He'd much rather watch Rose.  So while Rose watched the not so creepy (in Dean's opinion) serial slasher stalk a cabin full of twenty something campers (Or were they counselors?  They were awful old to be campers.) Dean chewed on licorice and watched her. 

Finally the lone female heroine triumphed over the knife wielding psycho (For now anyway) saving her pretty but useless boyfriend and they limped away from the campground, bloody but victorious and the credits rolled.

Rose sat back with a contented sigh and a happy smile on her face.  "That was so fun! Wasn't that cool how you thought that Amber was going to just crumble and fall apart?  But no she came back and saved Taylor and kicked the bad guy's butt.  That was the best!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, Sweetheart," Dean said with a smile. "Though I have to admit I liked it better when you'd get scared and want me to hold you."

"Well it's a good thing I didn't," Rose pointed out.  "I could never have reached you through the mountain of candy."

Dean glanced down at the pile of uneaten candy on the seat between them.  OK so maybe he had gone a little overboard.  He gave Rose a sheepish grin and she just smiled back at him.   She actually thought he was adorable with his candy and junk food obsession though of course she couldn’t tell him that.  Adorable was definitely on his do not call list.

While Rose visited the little girls room Dean got rid of all the wrappers and put all the uneaten candy in a bag in the backseat.  That was better he thought, eyeing the empty front seat.  Now there was room.

Rose came back and slid into the car and made a shocked face.  "Oh no!  Where'd all the candy go?  Now we'll surely starve."

"Very funny," Dean said with an eye roll.

"The kid at the concession stand wanted to know if you'd eaten it all.  Apparently he had a bet going with his buddy.  I told him you'd managed your weight in candy but had failed to break the all time drive in record.  Apparently you're still his hero."

Dean raised an eyebrow at her.  "Anyone ever tell you that you're a smart ass, Princess?"

"Only occasionally," Rose said with a grin.

The title for the next movie began to play and Rose glanced at it.  "Oh it's in outer space," she said wrinkling her nose. "Ick."

"Star Wars is in outer space," Dean pointed out.  "You like those movies."

"Yeah but it's not like real outer space," Rose argued.  "It's got made up creatures and light sabers and stuff.  This," she waved at the screen disinterestedly, "Is in rockets with people in space suits.  Thus the ick."

“There’s aliens in this movie,” Dean said, squinting up at the screen and trying to remember what he’d read about it.  “I think.”

“Aliens don’t make a movie great,” Rose argued.  “Real outer space with aliens is just silly.”

"So made up outer space is good, real outer space is "ick"?" Dean asked making air quotes.

"Exactly," Rose said beaming at him.

"That may possibly be the weirdest logic I've ever heard," Dean said with a laugh.

Rose shrugged.  "But it's my logic and it works."

Dean moved out from behind the steering wheel, sliding towards Rose.  "So Sweetheart," he said with a grin, sliding his arm along the back of the seat and wrapping it around Rose’s shoulders.  "You ever make out at the drive in?"

“You mean you don’t want to watch the aliens?” Rose asked with an amused smile.  She gave in when Dean glared at her.  "It wasn't big on my list of activities when I was a kid, so no," Rose said with a saucy grin.

"Oh you're just full of sass tonight aren't you?" Dean asked and Rose just shrugged playfully.  "Well it's my opinion everyone should make out at a drive in at least once in their life.  It's like an American right of passage."

"Do I get to brag about it to all the girls at school tomorrow?" Rose asked doing her best to look starry eyed at the prospect.

"Only if I do it right," Dean said with a smirk.  He lowered his head to hers then, his lips enveloping hers and Rose closed her eyes and lost herself in the feel of his lips.  Tonight had been fun.  She almost could believe she was a teenager again with nothing more important to worry about than making out with the hottest guy in school and just how far they should go.

Rose angled her body towards Dean, her knees pressed up against his, her hands pressing into his chest.  Dean’s hand slipped into her hair, his fingers tangling and his other hand came to rest on her thigh.  Her skirt had gotten hitched up when she’d turned leaving bare skin for his hand to rest against and he took full advantage of it, splaying his fingers out to caress the smooth skin there and stroke it softly.  One of Rose’s hands slipped up to the back of his neck, her fingers stroking the skin there, her other hand stroked his chest through his shirt, loving the solid feel of him under her fingers.

Dean moved his lips from hers, dragging them to her neck and Rose instantly arched her neck back.  Dean grinned at the all but verbal permission for him to kiss her neck. As his lips ran over the delicate skin there his hand continued its caress of her thigh. 

“This dress has been making me crazy all night long,” he murmured against her neck.

“It has?  Why?” Rose asked curiously.  It was a perfectly respectable dress, not even a hint of cleavage showing.

“Because,” Dean said, licking at her pulse point and getting a shiver of delight from Rose that made him grin.  “It’s short enough that when you move it tends to go up just a tiny bit.  And that means more leg for me to see.” 

“It’s not that short,” Rose argued, wiggling closer to Dean.  He pulled his lips back from her neck and grinned at her as she raised her head to look at him.

“And it’s loose enough that all I can think of is how easy it would be to just slip my hands underneath it…”

“Dean Winchester!” Rose said in mock outrage.  “What kind of girl do you think I am?  Why all the girls in the…the glee club will ruin my reputation if they find out.”

“The glee club?” Dean asked with a snicker and Rose shrugged.

“I figured I couldn’t sell cheerleader but maybe glee club would work,” she explained.

“I promise, Baby, no one has to know,” Dean said, doing his best to look like a sincere but desperate teenager.  Not that hard to imagine really.

“But Dean…nice girls don’t do that.”  Rose paused then said, clearly back as the adult Rose, “Do you know how much that line always bothered me?  If nice girls didn’t make out or go all the way for one thing then just a handful of bad girls sure were busy if all the guys who swore they were getting some really were  And that phrase, getting some, just yuck, no.  And two, the nice girls were missing out on all the fun.”

Dean threw his head back and laughed not just at her words but how disgusted she looked.  Leave it to Rose to go on a tirade about teenage girls’ sexual liberation.

“Sorry,” she said, looking shame faced.  “I’ll go back to being a teenage bimbo now.”

“Well firstly,” Dean said, moving both hands to her waist, “You couldn’t be a bimbo if you tried, teenage or otherwise.  And secondly,” he grasped Rose by the waist and pulled her to his lap so she was straddling him.  “I’d really rather make out with you, the real adult version.”

Rose let out a small noise of surprise but then smiled at Dean happily.  “Me too.  I mean teenage you was hot but this version,” she slid her arms up around his neck.  “He’s much more my taste.”  Rose leaned down and kissed Dean this time, her lips sliding and her tongue licking and he was kissing her back and it was hotter and heavier than any kiss she’d ever had as a teenager.  Dean’s hands were on her back, holding her tightly against him and Rose’s fingers were weaving in his hair.  Her hips were pressed tightly against his and Dean couldn’t help but thrust up against her.  Rose gave a soft murmur of pleasure feeling his hardness pressing against her and Dean’s hands moved down to her hips, pulling her tighter against him.  Dean could practically taste her want dripping into the kiss and he was slowly losing his firm grip on his self control.  He wanted her, wanted to dive into her and bury his cock inside her and make her come apart under his hands.   He made himself reign his desires in, reminded himself this was good, was way more than he’d had a week ago.

The two of them kissed passionately till both thought they’d explode.  Finally Rose pulled back and smiling at Dean she trailed her hand down his chest to the front of his jeans.  Dean let out a loud hiss as her fingers trailed over his hard cock through the denim but when her fingers went to unbuckle his belt he stopped her.

“Rose…we can’t, I…shit.”  Dean rubbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath.  He got himself under enough control to talk then met Rose’s confused eyes.  “If that happens,” he motioned to his belt and wondered just when he’d become so awkward.  Seriously Dean, get a grip. “If any piece of my clothing comes off below the waist I don’t think I can stop myself.” 

Rose looked at him and Dean watched as her cheeks flushed in understanding.  “Oh.  Right.  Sorry.  I was just thinking I could…maybe help.”  And Rose was the awkward one now.  Good God, Dean thought, you would think they were virgins or something.  The hell with that.  Dean pulled Rose back against him and dropped his voice to a husky whisper.

“The only problem with that, Sweetheart is that what I want more than anything is to rip every stitch of your clothes off and fuck you till you can’t remember your own name.”  Rose let out a strangled sound and Dean watched her eyes darken.  “You like hearing that?”  Rose nodded her head quickly and Dean chuckled, his delight in her reaction obvious on his face.  “Naughty girl.”  He sobered then.  “But you’re not ready for that.”  It wasn’t a question though Dean really, really wished it was.

Rose slowly shook her head, biting her lip in regret.  “I want to be,” she whispered desperately.

Dean hugged her and kissed her forehead.  “You’ll get there.  _We’ll_ get there.”  Dean pulled back and looked at her face.  “But my control isn’t at an all time high here.  So best to keep, uh, buttoned up, so to speak.” 

“I understand,” Rose said, moving to get off of Dean’s lap.  His arm held her firmly in place though and Rose looked up at him quizzically.

“Now I didn’t say we couldn’t have any fun,” Dean said with a sinful grin.  “Get yourself back here.”  And Rose settled herself against him again, wiggling her hips and pulling a groan from Dean.  “Come on, Baby.  Show some imagination.  When did clothes ever get in our way?”

And as Dean’s hands moved to her hips and his began thrusting up against her Rose realized a good time was definitely on the menu tonight after all.

* * *

Dean kissed Rose goodnight at the door to her bedroom, making her promise to wake him if she couldn’t sleep or needed anything at all.  Rose changed into her pajamas quickly and slipped under the covers.  She lay there, the nights events playing through her mind like a movie.  She’d had a good time, a really good time, she though with a smile.  But just around the edges of her mind she felt little tendrils of guilt start to sneak in.  She’d felt them every day this week, in big and small doses but had mostly ignored them.  But tonight, having gone to the movies and made out with Dean, having come apart on his lap, rocking against him and hearing his own noises of release, the tendrils were becoming strong, tenacious vines.  She didn’t deserve this, to be happy, to enjoy things.  She’d messed so many people’s lives up.  She lay there for several minutes as Sookie climbed up on the bed next to her, trying to ignore the feeling and wondering if she should go talk to Dean.  He’d tell her this wasn’t her fault and even though she didn’t completely believe him on that point he’d still put her mind at ease.  But she was tired and she didn’t want to talk about guilt and what she’d done wrong tonight.  She wanted to go to sleep with happy images of her and Dean at the drive in in her mind.  So she stubbornly pushed all the guilty feeling aside and went to sleep thinking of Dean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a stóirín = my darling, dear or sweetheart


	61. And the Storybook Comes to a Close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saturday Night....

Rose found herself in the center of a room she didn’t recognize.  It was a living room she realized, a cozy lived in living room with baby toys and a playpen set up and a comfortable arm chair that seemed to practically invite a person to curl up in it with a good book.  Bookshelves lined one wall crammed full of well read volumes and warm sunlight spilled in from large windows.  It was a warm, inviting room but Rose had never been here, she was certain of that.  It didn’t fit any house she could ever recall being in.

“Long time no see, Sis,” a deep voice drawled and Rose whirled around to see Ryan lounging in the doorway.

“Ryan!” she said happily and moved to hug him but he put up a halting hand, warning her off and stopping her in her tracks.

“Ah ah ah, I think you’ve been doing just about enough touching this last night haven’t you?” he said, giving Rose a disapproving look.

Rose stared at him in confusion.  “What?  I don’t understand.”

“Now come on Rose,” Ryan said with a reproachful look.  “Don’t tell me you forgot about getting all touchy feely with that boyfriend of yours.  I mean the two of you were all over each other, weren’t you?”

Rose looked at him in surprise.  How did he know about her and Dean making out at the drive in?

“You saw that?”

“Oh did I ever.”  Ryan sauntered into the room, his body relaxed and his eyes sharp.  “I mean not all of it,” he backtracked.  “After all, my momma raised a gentleman.  I don’t peep and spy on others romantic trysts.”  Ryan looked at her in obvious disapproval.  “But I saw enough and I’ve seen you this last little bit here too, playing and laughing and just going right on with your life like nothing ever happened.  I’m barely cold in the ground and you’re just having a grand old time.”

Rose frowned.  That wasn’t true.

“Ryan, that’s not how it is at all.  I’ve been really upset about what happened bu-”

“Oh you’ve been upset.  Well that just makes up for everything that happened then," Ryan said, easing himself down into the arm chair.  “I mean, let’s just forget that I’m dead and that I’ll never see my daughter grow up, will never grow a day older myself.  But if you’re upset well then let’s just let it all go.”  Ryan dusted his hands off as if setting everything to rest.

Tears instantly sprang to Rose’s eyes at Ryan’s words.  “I’m sorry, Ryan.  I never wanted anything to happen to you-”

“But it did,” Ryan said harshly, cutting Rose off.  “Whether you meant it to or not I’m dead because of you.  You just waltzed on in bringing death and destruction with you.”

Tears were dripping down Rose’s face now, Ryan’s words hitting her in the most tender, most fragile parts of her heart.

“That’s what girls like you do,” Ryan continued on. “You just wreck and destroy other people’s lives and then you say “Oh I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean it.”  His voice was simpering now, imitating a higher female tone.  “And we’re just supposed to accept it and let you get on with your life while ours is over.”

“But what else can I do?”  Rose cried out, her voice wracked with guilt.  “I can’t bring you back.  I can’t change what happened.  I was hurting everyone in my life before and I’m trying to fix that.”

“Oh yeah you keep right on fixing things, Rose,” Ryan said mockingly.  “You’re doing a bang up job there.  I mean how many issues are there between you and Dean that you haven’t talked about yet?  For all the kissing and groping y’all been doing you two don’t seem very fixed to me.  And your big sister, well she can’t even stand to be in the same room with you.”  Ryan shook his head pityingly.  “And Sam and Charlie those poor souls just got sucked right into the mayhem and chaos you created.  I feel sorry for them, I truly do.  In fact I feel sorry for everyone in your life.  Best thing you could do is get the hell away from them, leave them all alone.”

Rose just stared at him, unable to comprehend these words coming from the mouth of someone she knew so well, someone she loved who she knew loved her in return.   God, she’d done this to him.  She’d turned this sweet, kind man into an angry, bitter creature who obviously hated her.

Ryan’s look turned thoughtful. “Best one off is that little sister of yours, the one in the coma?  I mean she doesn’t even have to deal with you.  She’s the lucky one.”  Ryan leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees and looking at Rose intently.  “If you really cared about Chastity and Emma you know what you’d do?”  Rose shook her head dumbly.  “You’d leave them the hell alone.  Cut yourself off from them, hell from everyone you claim to “love”, Ryan made air quotes and gave Rose a pitying look.  “I mean, since you seem unable to just end it all.  Because let’s face it, we both know this world would be better off without you in it.”

Rose was sobbing now.  “Ryan, this isn’t you. You, you wouldn’t say those things. You wouldn’t want that for me.  You loved me.  You were like my brother.”

Ryan gave a loud, brittle laugh that set Rose’s teeth on edge.  “Yeah, stupidest thing ever, me caring for you.  Oh, that I could go back in time and never let you into my life to begin with.”  Ryan’s eyes narrowed and he looked at her so viciously Rose couldn’t help but flinch.  “As for what I want for you?  I want pain and misery and every horrible thing that could possibly happen to a person to be reigned down upon you.  Death’s too good for you.  You deserve nothing but torment.”

It should have occurred to Rose right then that something was off, that this was just a nightmare most likely brought on by her own guilt, that the Ryan she knew would never have thought, much less said those things to her.  But Rose was all too willing to take the pain and responsibility on, still eaten up with guilt and remorse deep in her soul.

“I’m sorry,” she said, sinking to her knees as sobs wracked her body.  “I’m so sorry.”

Ryan got to his feet and looked down at her without an ounce of pity, his eyes full of nothing but anger and disgust.  “Best you get back to your life now, Rose.  Wouldn’t want you to miss a minute.”

And he strolled out of the room, leaving her there in her grief and despair, every bit of herself that she thought she’d put back together again in pieces at her feet.

* * *

Rose woke up screaming.  She was loud enough that Dean heard her all the way in his room and came tearing out, rushing to her room.  He threw open the door and had a moment of utter mind numbing panic when he saw her bed was empty.

“Rose!  Rose, where the hell are you?” he demanded looking around wildly.  A sound drew his eyes to the farthest corner from the door and there he found Rose, huddled in her pajamas with sobs wracking her frame.  He rushed to her side immediately, his hands running over her, searching for injury.  “Baby, what is it?  What happened?”

Rose just sobbed, buried her face in her knees and wept uncontrollably as her whole body trembled.  Dean was beside himself, not sure if this was from a nightmare or if something had actually happened.  Had someone called her?  Had someone got in?  Logic and sense had fled from Dean’s mind for the moment, the woman in front of him and her obvious pain and terror taking center stage.

“Baby, talk to me please,” Dean begged.  “Did you have a nightmare?  What happened?”  Getting no response Dean finally just picked Rose up and took her back to her bed, laying down with her and wrapping his arms around her.  Rose didn’t respond, didn’t protest, didn’t do anything but cry.  Dean felt like he was back to that day that Cas and Daisy had removed the demon imprint from her mind and she’d been so inconsolable.  Except this time he had no idea what had caused her apparent anguish.

Dean had no idea how long they lay there like that.  Just when he was thinking Rose may never respond she suddenly sat up, pulling herself from his arms and sitting on the edge of the bed.  She wiped her eyes and looked at him as he sat up as well and he was alarmed to once again see her eyes looking lifeless, full of nothing but pain.

“You need to go away,” she said in a dull voice.

“What?” Dean said, completely thrown by this.

“You need to go away, to just leave me be.”  Rose had crossed her arms in front of herself and Dean could almost see her trying to rebuild the wall around herself he’d been steadfastly making cracks in.

“Rose, is this…did you have a nightmare?”  Dean ran a hand through his hair nervously.  “Is this because of tonight?”  Rose had seemed fine, had definitely seemed to enjoy herself.  But maybe it had been too much.  Maybe it had freaked her out.

Rose shook her head.  “It doesn’t matter.  You just, you shouldn’t be here.”

“Oh?  And just where should I be?” Dean asked in a cool tone, not liking this response from her at all.

“Somewhere, anywhere,” Rose said anxiously.  “There are lots of places you can be.  Just not with me.”

“Wrong answer,” Dean said crossing his arms and looking at Rose calmly, his jaw set.

“What do you mean wrong answer?” Rose demanded a frown on her face.  Apparently she’d just thought he’d do what she said.  Like that had ever happened.

“I mean that I’m right where I’m supposed to be,” Dean said calmly.  “With you.”  His face softened then and his tone did too.  “We had this conversation before, Sweetheart. I thought you got that you’re my priority.”

Rose was shaking her head, her expression nearing panic.  “No, you, you don’t get it.  You can’t be here.”

“Explain it to me then,” Dean said impatiently.  “’Cause you aren’t painting a very clear picture.”

Rose was clearly agitated at Dean’s request for an explanation.  He was fairly sure that was because she didn’t really understand it herself.  She’d only been in bed for a few hours, three at most.  He was guessing from her reaction that she’d had a nightmare, quite possibly one that had made her feel guilty about the fact that she’d actually enjoyed herself these last few days and now she was heading for a total melt down.

“You need to go on with your life and do all the things you need to do,” Rose said finally.

“That’s what I’m doing,” Dean said calmly. “That’s why I’m here with you.  We’re working things out, getting you back on your feet again.”  Rose was vehemently shaking her head.

“No, no I don’t get to do that.”

“Yes you do, Baby,” Dean said gently.  “It’s what you’re supposed to do.  And you’re doing a good job of it, taking steps every day.  In no time you-”

“No!” Rose exclaimed loudly, cutting him off and getting to her feet, her body language as desperate as her voice.  “No I can’t do that.  I have to…I don’t get to have that.”

“Have what?” Dean asked cautiously, getting to his own feet.  He didn’t like where this was going.  Rose muttered something that Dean couldn’t hear. “One more time, Rose.  I can’t hear you.”

Rose’s head snapped up and her eyes flashed at him and she snapped out, “A life!  I don’t get to have a life.”

Dean frowned deeply.  “I know you’re not saying what I think you’re saying,” he said moving over to stand over her, a scowl on his face.  “Because upset or not I’ll stand by what I said.  You wanna test that?”

Rose’s temper flared up like an inferno.  “I don't care!  It doesn’t matter.  I’m a lost cause and I deserve to be!” She flung the words out at him as if she were hurling knives and Dean couldn’t deny they felt as sharp as literal ones.  He stood there in shock not sure what to do.  He hadn’t seen this coming, not at all.  She'd been doing so well.  Rose crumpled in front of him then, sinking to her knees and burying her head in her hands.  Dean started to reach for her but she stopped him with a loud, “Don’t touch me!”

They were frozen like that for several minutes, Dean’s arm stretched out towards her, Rose a crumbled mass of misery.  Finally Dean sank down to the floor too, not touching her but staying close to her, near to her.  He couldn’t believe this was happening.  They’d been doing so well, moving along in the right direction and he’d been so happy.  _She’d_ been so happy.   What the fuck happened?

Dean kept trying to talk to Rose, trying to coax her to tell him what had happened.  After several attempts she snapped at him to leave her alone.

“I can’t do that,” Dean said with a grimace.  They’d gone down that path.  It hadn’t worked and he’d be damned if he was trying it again.  “I _won’t_ do that.”

And thus began the course of the night.  Dean would try to get Rose to tell him what happened, she would tell him to leave her alone.  They repeated this cycle for hours.  Most people who knew Dean would have never imagined he had this kind of patience.  But most people didn’t know the depth of his feelings for Rose.

Dean suggested they get something to eat near dawn after several hours on the floor and she shook her head. 

“You need to eat, Rose,” Dean said with a frown.

“No, I don’t,” Rose said adamantly.

Dean looked at her, arching a brow and debating just saying the hell with it and turning her over his knee.  But that didn’t feel right.  As much as he was tempted, as much as he’d love to just spank the hell out of her right now his instincts told him that wasn’t the way to go here.  She was on a precipice.  He could see that clearly.  She was tipping over, so close to lunging into complete self destruction and all he wanted was to pull her back to safety.  But he had to be careful, to make sure she didn’t throw herself off in desperation before he could get her.

“Don’t shut me out, Rose,” Dean said finally after they hadn’t spoken for at least an hour.  Dean could hear how ragged his voice sounded with desperation.  And why not?  It sure as hell was how he felt.

Rose looked up at him, her eyes red and swollen from crying, saying nothing before resting her head back on her knees.  Her eyes looked hopeless, dim and Dean felt a surge of anger course through him at that.  Damn it, they’d worked so fucking hard to get her even back on her feet.  Why the hell did something have to knock her back?

Finally Rose fell back asleep, her body exhausted, huddled on the floor with her head slumped against the side of the bed.  Dean picked her up and tucked her back into bed and she didn't even stir.  She was out.

Dean stood there watching her for a few minutes.  He needed to talk to someone, needed a voice of reason.  So he slipped out of the room into the hallway and pulled his phone out, sinking down to the floor as he did.

* * *

Sam woke up to the sound of ringing.  He was confused at first, the grey light of dawn just peeping around the hotel room curtains.  Lily was soundly asleep next to him and it took him a minute to realize the noise that woke him was his phone.  Usually he was more alert to the phone, ready to jump up at the slightest noise but this trip had felt like a vacation from hunting.  He’d relaxed, fallen out of work mode.  It had been easier to do than he thought it would be.

"Dean?" He asked by way of greeting once he'd seen the name displayed.  "What's wrong?"

“Fuck…Sam…she’s just fallen apart.”  Dean let all the pain he hadn’t let Rose hear pour out into that one sentence.

Sam winced as he eased out of bed.  Rose.  He was calling about Rose.  And he sounded wrecked.  Sam slipped into his shoes as he listened to Dean and quietly let himself out of the hotel room.  He didn't want to wake Lily, especially not to this call.  He shrugged into his jacket as he leaned against the side of Lily’s car, coming fully away and just let Dean talk.  The story came out in a storm of broken sentences, interspersed with an incredible amount of cursing, all part of a deluge of pain. Finally when Dean stopped to take a breath long enough that Sam figured he’d got the majority of the story he slipped into the conversation.

“So are we talking another tornado in one of the rooms?” Sam asked, remembering the fallout from before.

“Huh, no,” Dean said thoughtfully.  “Nothing like that.  Guess Erin did a damn good job with that new potion.”  Thank God for small favors.

“So before this…before tonight she was doing good?”

“Oh hell yeah.”  Sam could practically hear the smile in Dean’s voice.  “She was laughing and talking and just being so much like herself.  I mean, not perfect or anything but so much better.”

“So something happened, something scared her or, or shook her up,” Sam surmised.

“Yeah, big time.”  Dean said.   “What the fuck do I do, Sam?”  The fact that Dean was asking was all the proof Sam needed of just how shaken his brother was.

Sam ran a hand through his hair letting his brain mull the situation over.  Knowing Dean he was over thinking this. He panicked more with Rose than Sam had ever seen him panic at anything.  Put his brother in front of a snarling vampire and he was cool as ice.  Let Rose fall apart and he froze.  Sam understood that all too well.

“OK here’s the thing…you know Rose," Sam said finally.  "You know how she works.  I get that she’s panicked and scared.  But you know how to get through to her better than anyone, Dean.  You need to snap her out of that panic mode.  Bring her back to you.”

Dean was quite for a minute and Sam knew he’d be thinking that over.  “You mean like-”

“Whatever works for you two,” Sam interrupted, not wanting details.  “When this shit storm began you were able to get her to calm down when she had Bobby up in the air, remember?  Nothing’s changed.  Well OK, yeah a lot has changed,” Sam amended before Dean could point that out.  “But _she_ hasn’t.  Not who she is and you know how to reach her.  You always have.”

“OK yeah, that…that makes sense," Dean admitted.

“Give yourself a little time to calm down too,” Sam said, hastening to add, “I mean if that had been Lily that would have shaken me up.”

“Yeah, yeah good point,” Dean conceded.

“And Dean,” Sam hesitated before adding, “Give her a little space.  I mean don’t leave or anything but don’t smother her, OK?”  Sam knew Dean, had been on the end of his mother hen instincts more than once.  Dean was nothing if not extreme.

“Yeah, yeah I hear you.” Dean grumbled good naturedly.  He leaned his head back against the wall, feeling suddenly exhausted.  “Where are you guys at anyway?”

“Springfield, Illinois,” Sam eyed the quiet parking lot.  This early there was no movement whatsoever.  He felt like the only soul awake in the city. “And don’t ask,” Sam said before his brother could.  Dean would know immediately this wasn’t the quickest route home.  For once Dean didn’t pester Sam as to why.  He knew he’d hear the story eventually.

“So you’re what, about eight hours out?” Dean asked.

“Yeah.  The girls want to make a detour at some mall,” Sam said.  “So it’ll probably be later.”

“And by girls you mean Lily,” Dean said with a small grin.

“Yeah,” Sam sighed.  “Pretty much.”  Lily had gone on and on about a trip to the mall as if it was a holy pilgrimage.  He was already dreading it.  “You gonna be OK?  Need us to get back sooner?”

“Na, na, we’re fine.  I’ll, yeah, I’ll handle this.”  Dean tried to sound certain of that fact.

“Well if you need us to head straight back just let me know,” Sam said.  He stood and stretched.  “We can do it.”

“Will do.”  Dean hesitated then added, “And Sammy?  Thanks.”

“Anytime, Dean,” Sam said with a smile then hung up and headed back in to Lily, hoping they had this worked out before they got home.

* * *

Dean sat there in the hallway for a good hour after he hung up.  He turned what Sam had said in his mind over and over, unsure of how to get through to Rose.  Talking had helped back in Hastings and distracting her.  But that was in order to get her calm enough to control her powers.  Would that even work in this case?

With a sigh he got up and let himself back into Rose’s room.  She was still asleep and so he eased down into the chair by her bed.  It was early, way too early for either of them to be awake after being out so late the night before but despite Sam telling him not to hover he didn’t feel comfortable leaving her alone.  So he made himself comfortable in the chair and watched her sleep, trying to work out how to fix this mess until he eventually dropped off himself.

He woke up several hours later to find Rose gone.  Damn it, how did she do that?  He’d never known anyone who could move out of a room as quiet as her.  He made himself not run from the room and instead walked (albeit quickly) down the hallway till he was able to hear noise in the kitchen.  He headed that way and stopped in the doorway to find Rose making tea.

“Hey,” he said softly, when she glanced back at him obviously having heard him.  “You been up long?”  He got a shrug in reply but undeterred he moved farther into the kitchen and moved towards the pantry.  “You want some breakfast?”  A shake of her head.  “You have to eat something, Rose.”

“Could you just…stop…leave me alone?” Rose said finally, her voice sounding tired.

“Nope,” Dean was shaking his head before she even finished.  “So what do you want to eat?”

“I don’t want anything to eat,” Rose said irritably.  “I want to be left alone.”

 “Nope, been down that road, remember?  Not going down it again,” Dean said, feeling his temper flare, despite his best efforts to keep calm.  “So eggs?  Toast?”

Rose frowned at him.  “Nothing.  None of that.  You could just…you could leave me alone and this would be better.”  She turned her back on him as if that was the end of the argument.

"Or you could just shut up" Dean muttered, sick to death of hearing the words “Leave me alone.”

Rose spun around, temper flaring planted her hands on her hips and glared at Dean.  "Make me!"

As soon as the words left her mouth she knew they were a mistake.  A gleeful grin spread across Dean's face and he stalked towards her purposefully.  Rose backed up rapidly, panicking inside.  _Seriously Rose, just give him an invitation why don't you?_ She berated herself.

Her back hit the counter and she was trapped with Dean bearing down on her.  She braced herself, preparing for Dean to grab her and kiss her passionately, channeling all his obvious irritation at her into the kiss.  So it came as no small shock when instead he stopped directly in front of her, standing in her personal space, his body mere inches from her own and simply stared down at her.  For a good minute his eyes roamed over her face, drinking in every detail and Rose felt frozen to the spot.  The way he was looking at her made her feel that he could see through every defense she was so desperately trying to put back up, could see through the anger she was projecting to the desperate, mind numbing terror underneath.

Finally he slowly raised a hand and slipping it under her hair he cupped the back of her neck, his fingers stroking her skin gently, while he slowly pulled her towards him. His head descended towards her and his lips met hers gently, in a soft, tender kiss.  It was barely a whisper of contact, the exact opposite of what she'd been expecting and it was just the thing to set her heart racing.  If Dean has grabbed her, had been forceful and demanding she would have stood a much better chance of keeping her guard up.  But this gentle seduction snuck past all her barriers, sneaking in to remind her heart and body what it felt like to be treasured, to be truly desired by someone.  And not just any someone, but the one person she truly wanted body and soul.  Against all her better intentions she found her eyes closing, her body relaxing against his, enjoying his nearness and the feel of his lips on hers.

Dean gave an internal cheer when he felt Rose relax against him.  She could deny a lot of things but she couldn't hide how her body reacted when he touched her.  She was his; they belonged to each other.  He'd given her time and space before and that hadn't done any good and he’d spent time knocking down her wall before.  This time he was getting to work on it in a way he felt sure would succeed before she could even rebuild it.

Dean pulled back from the kiss slowly and moved his head so his lips were close to her ear so that he could speak softly and know she wouldn’t miss a single word.  “We belong to each other, Sweetheart.  Those aren’t just words; they’re a promise, a vow.  We take care of each other and that means when you’re hurting, I’m hurting.  You don’t get to push me away or go through any of this alone.  That options not even on the table.”  Rose didn’t respond but she didn’t pull back either, didn’t offer any resistance and Dean hoped that meant his words had gotten through.

Dean gradually entwined his fingers gently in Rose's hair and tugged her head back. He watched as she bit her lip and a slight shiver ran through her body and he smiled softly.  He moved his lips to her neck then, softly skimming them over her skin.  He knew all the spots that made her crazy and as he drug his mouth over each and every one, as feather light as could be, he heard her let out a soft moan and knew he'd made his point.  He moved his mouth back up to her ear and said "You can lie about a lot of things, Sweetheart but the one thing you can't lie about is this."  He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against his body, drawing a small gasp from her lips as her eyes flew open.  He looked down at her slightly flushed face, her expression proof of what he was saying.  "Your body knows who you belong to."  And with one last, sweet kiss to her lips and a squeeze to her waist Dean walked out of the kitchen, leaving Rose to stare after him.

* * *

Rose sank to the ground as soon as Dean’s footsteps faded.  She leaned back against the counter and felt herself start to shake.  She felt almost as if she was just coming back to her senses now, really waking up from that nightmare.  Deans touch, his words had snapped her out of that spiral of panic she was in. God, what was she doing?  She was repeating the same behavior that had hurt Dean in the first place and after they’d just started to get better.  She couldn’t do this again.  She wiped a hand over her face, trying to clear the tears away but they kept falling.  So she cried, she _let_ herself cry and really feel the pain of what had happened and how she’s reacted.

That dream, Ryan saying all those things to her had been terrifying.  And the words had sunk their claws in deep.  It had seemed so real that even now she wasn’t completely convinced it wasn’t.  She had in fact ruined Ryan’s life, had caused him to die.   What if she did the same to others, to Dean?  Her heart clenched at the very idea.

 _"The problem with being a martyr is you're not the only one that suffers."_   Chastity's words played back in her head and she winced at the truth of them.  She may deserve to be miserable but Dean didn't.  She wasn’t sure she was someone anyone should be in a relationship with right now but she needed to make things right, needed to explain to Dean what was going on and why she’d reacted so badly.  Because this wasn’t fair to him and she couldn’t do this to him all over again.

Rose got to her feet, brushed herself off and slowly set about making a peace offering.

* * *

Dean had gone to his room after leaving Rose in the kitchen, taken a quick shower and gotten dressed then came and sat in the library.  He’d opened his laptop but didn’t know what was on the screen as his mind was only on Rose.  He wasn’t sure if he’d made things better or screwed things up even worse.  He’d love to say that what had happened had been his plan but he’d honestly just reacted.  But he’d gone on instinct and usually with Rose his instincts were right.  God, he really hoped they were this time.

A small noise drew his eyes to the doorway to find Rose standing there, a mug in one hand and a plate of food in the other.  Something lurched in Dean and a sudden realization hit him so hard he lost is breath for a second.  He wondered at it for a second then brushed it aside, knowing now wasn't the time.

Rose smiled at him shyly, coming forward looking hesitant as if she wasn’t sure she was welcome.  “I uh, I made you breakfast.”

“You…you cooked?” Dean asked, blinking in surprise and Rose nodded and placed the plate and cup in front of him.  The aroma of rich coffee hit his nostrils to be joined by the smell of toast and eggs seconds later.

“Be right back.”  And Rose disappeared quickly through the doorway.

Dean stared at the plate in wonder.  She cooked.  She fucking cooked for him.  After last night and this morning he wasn’t sure she would even speak to him and here she’d gone and made him breakfast.

“Damn Sammy, I owe you one,” he muttered, staring at the plate like it held lobster and caviar instead of a simple breakfast. 

Rose reappeared a moment later and Dean couldn’t help but smile at the fact she had food for herself too.  She settled down in the chair across from him and started eating and with a wide grin Dean dug in himself.

Finally the plates were empty and their drinks gone and Rose met Dean’s eyes reticently.

“So I guess we need to talk.”


	62. I Used to Know My Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We really gotta talk and teenagers ain't nothing but trouble.

Dean eyed the redhead sitting across from him.  She was still in her pajamas, her eyes were red from crying and she looked pretty shaky.  But she was here by her choice, she’d come to him.  That said a lot, meant a lot to Dean.  Right now she was chewing on her bottom lip and Dean knew she wanted to say something but was working up to it.  So he started talking, giving her time to work out what she wanted to say exactly.

“Breakfast was great, Sweetheart.”  He flashed her a charming smile and Rose met his eyes and smiled back, a small smile.

“It wasn’t great, Dean,” Rose argued.  “It was scrambled eggs and toast.”

“Did you make it for me?” Dean asked and Rose nodded.  “Right.  It was great.”   That got him an actual smile in return.

Rose fidgeted, biting her thumb and finally took a breath and looked back up at Dean.  “I’m sorry,” she said softly.  “I reacted really badly and I'm so sorry.  That was the very last thing I wanted to-” Rose cut herself off and closed her eyes for a second.  When she opened them Dean could see she had tears in them.  “I should have explained what was…I mean I tried but I was so confused and it all seemed really real.”  Rose frowned.  This wasn’t coming out right.  “I was scared and I didn’t mean to be…I mean I was just-”

Dean stood up, stopping Rose midsentence.  She was hurting and having this conversation and being unable to hold her, touch her wasn’t something he could do.  He stretched out a hand to her.  “Come on, there’s a better place to have this conversation.”

Rose glanced up at him in surprise but she responded instinctively, slipping her hand into his and allowing Dean to pull her to her feet and lead her down the hallway.

“Where are we going?” she asked curiously.

Dean didn’t answer, just stopped at the door to his bedroom and opened the door, pulling Rose in behind him.  He sat down on the bed and pulled her down with him, arranging them so he was sitting up against the headboard and she was sat on his lap sideways so he could see her face.

Rose stared at him then gave a small laugh. "You have a habit of moving me around like I’m a doll or something you know.”

Dean frowned.  Was that bad?  Charlie would probably tell him it was.  But it didn’t seem to bother Rose; she seemed more amused by it than anything.  And she’d tell him if it was a problem, Dean reassured himself.

“You’re hurting,” Dean said simply.  “And you kinda looked like you were gonna start crying so rule number one comes into play.”  Rose rolled her eyes at him good naturedly but didn’t say anything else.  She couldn’t deny it felt good to have him holding her.  Dean squeezed her waist, then said gently, “What happened, Baby?  You had a nightmare?  A bad one?”

Rose nodded her head slowly.  “This could take some explaining.”

“I got the time,” Dean said, giving her a reassuring smile.

Rose took a deep breath and started to tell Dean the horror that had led to the nights events.  Dean let Rose talk, explaining the nightmare and was silent, taking it in, recognizing it for what it was all too easily.  Finally when Rose seemed to be finished with her re-telling of the dream Dean asked,

“He meant a lot to you, didn’t he?”

Rose glanced up at Dean, trying to gauge if he was jealous.  She sighed in relief when she saw only concern for her in his eyes.  “He did,” she confirmed.  “Ryan was….we just clicked from the moment we met.  He was like the older brother I never had.”  She smiled, fidgeting with the hem of her pajama top.  “You would have liked him, Dean.  He was funny and so laid back and just a genuinely nice guy.”  Her smile faded away then as her words sank in.  “And now I have to talk about him in the past tense.  Because he’s gone.  Because of me.”

“Not because of you, Rose,” Dean said with a frown.  “Because of a demon.”

“Who was after me,” Rose pressed.  She cut Dean off when he started to argue.  “Look, I get it.  I know you’re going to tell me it’s not my fault and I know you really believe that.  I know Chastity does too.  She told me if I blame myself then I have to blame her as well because she let me stay after she knew everything.”  Score one for Chastity, Dean thought.  She was going up further and further in his estimation and he hadn’t even met her yet.  Rose sighed, that small sound full of pain and frustration.  “But I don’t.  I can’t.  I still feel like it’s my fault and I can’t get rid of that feeling just because you guys tell me it’s wrong.”

Dean hugged her to him and kissed the top of her head.  He got that.  Guilt wasn’t easy to shake and as much as he would love to believe he could get Rose to let go of it just because he told her it wasn’t her fault he knew that wouldn’t work.

“It’ll take time, Sweetheart,” he said, wishing he knew a way to speed things along for her.  He hated to see her in pain.  “But it’ll get better.”

“I don’t know that I deserve it to get better,” Rose said, slumping against his chest.  Dean frowned, ready to argue but before he could Rose was continuing on.  “In my dream Ryan was so cold, so bitter because everything was taken from him.  It was like he was a completely different person.”  Rose paused, her fingers twisting nervously in Dean’s shirt.  “I did that, I made him that way.  What if I mess you up too?”  She shook her head.  “I couldn’t stand that.”  The tears came again then and Dean held Rose against him, letting her cry it out.  Finally when her tears had slowed to intermittent bouts Dean pulled back so he could see her face.

“Look at me, Baby.”  Rose did and Dean was pleased to see her eyes looking brighter now; still hurting but so much more like her eyes.  “That was a dream, a truly horrible one that understandably shook you up but still just a dream.  It’s not reality.  That wasn’t Ryan.”  Dean hesitated knowing Rose and Cas weren’t the best of friends but he finally went ahead anyway.  “You want to know where Ryan is, talk to Cas.  He can tell you all about heaven, may even be able to tell you about the one Ryan is in.”  Rose looked at him in confusion but he didn’t try to explain.  He’d leave that job to the resident angel.  “That dream was brought on by guilt, pure and simple.”  Dean smoothed her hair back, his touch tender.  “I get those kinds of dreams, I do.  They cut you to the core, all your worst fears there in black and white, ripping your heart out and pulling the ground out from under you.  I’m sorry you had to go through that, Sweetheart.”  Dean kissed her forehead and hugged her to him.  He held her to him for a moment and then pulled back again, needing her to see his face when he said this.  “As for you messing me up, not even a chance of that happening.”  Dean’s eyes were steady, his tone calm and sure.  “First off, I’m just too damn stubborn.”  He flashed Rose a disarming grin and she gave him a small smile in return.  “Secondly, me hell I’m just me.  Been through hell and back and not planning on changing anytime soon.  You’ve known me forever, Sweetheart.  You seen me change much from any of the shit I’ve been through?”  Rose shook her head.  The Dean in front of her now was the same Dean she’d met as a child, grown up yes, but still the same sweet soul underneath all the bravado he wore for the world to see.  “Exactly.”  Dean stroked her face softly. “But most importantly, Sweetheart, you’ve never brought out anything but good in me.  You make me better, better than I ever thought a guy like me could be.”  He felt Rose’s back stiffen at that and had to bite back a laugh.  He could have laid money on how she’d react to that last bit.

“A guy like you?  What’s that supposed to mean?” she demanded and Dean watched as her eyes sparked, slipping into full on defensive mode of him.  “A guy who saves people and hardly gets a word of thanks for his trouble?  A guy who puts everyone else before him?  A guy who sacrifices himself all too willingly for people who don’t even know it?  I mean the amou-”

Rose was cut off mid flow by Dean’s lips covering her own, in a sweet, heartfelt kiss.  His own personal defender, he mused.  Sam was right.  She always had been and something’s never changed.  Rose returned the kiss, enjoying the taste of something normal, the heat of Dean’s lips, the feel of him underneath her.  She drew back, resting her forehead against his, looking into his green eyes.  “You did that on purpose,” she accused and Dean grinned.

“Guilty,” he admitted.  “But damn, you’re adorable when you get in full on defender mode.”  He raised his eyebrows at her.  “And kinda hot too.”

Rose smiled at him and then bit her lip before saying, “I’m sorry I didn’t explain what was going on.  I was really freaked out and I did a fairly horrible job of explaining that.”

“Well it’s kinda hard to explain that when you’re in the middle of it,” Dean allowed and Rose nodded.  “Just if that happens again, don’t…don’t shut me out, OK?  Don’t push me away.  Just tell me you need a minute or something…I know that’s easier said than done but just try for me, OK?”

Rose nodded her head, biting her lip again before venturing, “I’m really sorry about the um, not deserving to have a life thing.”  She knew that was a big hot button for Dean.  She hadn’t forgotten the threat he’d made if she made any more comments like that.

Dean raised an eyebrow at her and his eyes darkened.  “Yeah, we’ll talk about that later,” he said, setting that topic aside for now but making sure she knew it wasn’t dealt with. 

Rose was quite for a minute then, biting her thumb again and Dean waited.  Finally she looked up at him and said, “I’m scared, Dean.”

“What are you scared of, Baby?” Dean asked, running a hand down her back soothingly.  Dean watched Rose’s eyes dart to his bedside table where his phone lay.  He had it on silent and the screen had flashed a few times since they had been in here and Dean had just ignored it.  He’d look at who had called later.  The two people who could break through hadn’t so it couldn’t be an emergency which meant Dean wasn’t interested.  But Rose had just noticed it now and felt the need to mention it.

“Shouldn’t you check that?” she asked, nodding toward his phone.

Dean shook his head.  “Nope, not a priority right now.”  He squeezed her waist.  “You are.  Now answer the question.  What are you scared of?”

Rose took a breath, knowing he wasn’t going to like her answer.  “I’m messed up, Dean.  I’m such a wreck.  I mean yesterday I was fine, well as fine as I have been for awhile and then last night I fell apart and hurt you all over again.”  She bit her lip then admitted, “I’m really scared that I’m just going to wind up doing that over and over again.”  She shook her head.  “That’s not a healthy relationship to be in and it’s not fair to you to have to put up with that.”

Dean frowned, not liking where Rose seemed to be headed with this.  “Rose that’s ju-”

"I don't know that you should be with me right now, Dean," Rose choked out, getting the words out before she could chicken out.  "I don't think I'm any good for you."

Dean gripped her tightly.  "Don't say that.  You're more go-"

He was cut off by the jarring sound of his phone ringing.  They both started at that and Dean felt his heart rate pick up.  That couldn’t be good.  Before Dean could even reach for the phone Rose was snatching it off the bedside table and handing it to him.

“Bobby,” she mouthed silently and Dean nodded, taking the phone from her.  “We’re not done here,” he promised before taking the call.

“Bobby, what’s going on?”  A pause then, “Shit, seriously?”  Rose watched Dean rub the back of his neck, looking suddenly agitated.  “When?  They don’t have any idea where?”  She could only hear the rumble of Bobby’s voice but Dean’s responses were giving her a clear enough picture that things were bad.  Dean glanced up at Rose and she could tell from his eyes that he was torn.  Whatever it was he needed to go.

“Go,” she urged, reaching out and squeezing his free hand.  He hesitated, his eyes searching her face.  “Please,” she said.  “You need to.”  Dean nodded then, giving in.

“Give me fifteen minutes.”  He eyed Rose for a second then amended his statement.  “Make it thirty.  Then send Cas to get us here.  Yeah, she’ll be coming back there.  Have you called Sam?”

Rose was moving to get off of Dean’s lap before he was done talking but he held her there, his hand not letting go of hers and a shake of his head kept her in place.  With a few more comments he hung up quickly and dropped his phone on the bed and his head against Rose.

“What’s wrong?” Rose asked, her free hand automatically going to the back of his head, her touch soothing.

“Cooper,” Dean said his eyes shut, unable to believe all the shit going down.  “He’s run off with Andie sometime in the night.  They didn’t realize it till this morning.”

“Oh Dean, I’m sorry.  You need to go.”  She moved to get up again but Dean locked his arms around her waist and kept her where she was.

“I know.  Just…give me a sec.”  Dean knew he had to move, had to let Rose up and get going.  But they were at a crucial moment here and he couldn't leave it like it was.  No way was he letting Rose hang onto this insane notion that she was bad for him, that he shouldn’t be with her right now. Dean knew this wasn’t a conversation they could wrap up quickly but that one point had to be fixed now.  He raised his head and looked at Rose. 

“Do you not wanna be with me anymore?  Is that what this is about?”

Rose looked shocked.  “What?”  No, Dean, I do.  I’m just worried abo-”

“You breaking up with me?” he asked sharply, cutting her off.

“No!” Rose was adamant on this point reassuring Dean that she was being honest.  “I just don’t-”

Dean cut her off.  “Yes or no answers will suffice thanks.”  And that got him a heated glare just like he knew it would but that was fine because she’d certainly irritated him with this crazy idea of hers.  “So the next time something happens that turns my life into a colossal shit storm and I’m a complete and utter bastard to deal with are you gonna bail on me?  Do I get to tell you I’m not good for you and expect you to actually listen and walk away?”

Rose was quite, Dean’s words obviously making their point.   She gave a sigh then replied softly, “No, of course not.”

“It goes both ways, Sweetheart,” Dean said, giving her a knowing look.  “Despite all outward appearances we’re both adults, Rose.  I wanna be with you, you wanna be with me, that’s all that matters.  We go through shit together.  You’re going through hell right now and I’m gonna go right through it with you.  I may not be some relationship expert but I do know that’s how it works.  Otherwise if we just stop being…us whenever things get rough it’s not a relationship.  It’s just a convenience.”  Rose’s eyes had lost the angry spark that had been there just a few moments earlier and had softened to the look that Dean knew meant he’d reached her heart.  His tone softened now too.  "You're good for me, Rose.  You are.  You're just going through some awful shit right now.  But you'll get through it."  He squeezed her waist.  " _We'll_ get through it.  Don't ever say I shouldn't be with you."  His eyes were fierce with the need for her to believe him.  "Don't even think it."

Rose hesitated, biting her lip then nodded and Dean sighed in relief dropping his head against her again and burrowing it against her breasts.  Her hands went immediately back to stroking; soothing him and Dean gave himself a minute, letting himself soak up the feeling of Rose’s hands on him, one stroking his head the other running lightly over his back.  He really didn’t want to leave her.  She’d be here when he got back, he reminded himself but as much as he knew he needed to go he didn’t want to.  Finally he raised his head and looked at Rose, fairly certain he was going to get an objection to this.

“I need you to go to the hospital while I’m gone,” he said.  He saw Rose hesitate.  “Lily and Charlie will be home later today.  You can come back once they’re here, or go with your mom to her hotel or just wait at the hospital till I get back, whatever you want.  But I don’t want you alone right now, Sweetheart.”

Rose frowned.  “Dean, really I’m fine on my own.  I-”

“Please,” Dean said urgently, his arms tightening around her.  “I don’t want to go but I have to and I need to know you’re OK while I’m gone.  So just please, do this for me?”

“Of course,” Rose said, acquiescing once she saw how important this point was to Dean.

“Good girl,” Dean said and Rose smiled at him, her expression bittersweet.

“Not really sure I fit that today,” she said softly.

Dean leaned forward, catching her lips with his.  The kiss was sweet and lingering and when he pulled back he smiled at her and said, “Good girl, Naughty girl, whatever.  You’re always my girl.”

And despite Rose’s apprehension, despite the fact she was fairly certain she wasn’t any good in a relationship right now she couldn’t help but smile at that.  Because despite her doubts, despite her feeling that she was a ticking time bomb when Dean called her his girl none of that seemed to matter.

* * *

Things moved quickly then, Rose going to change and Dean checking to make sure he had everything he needed in his bag.  Rose met Dean in the library, changed into jeans and a black t-shirt with a small backpack in her hands.  (Upon closer inspection Dean realized her shirt had angel wings on the back.  Even though he knew they had nothing to do with an actual angel he figured Cas wouldn't and Dean had to admit he was interested what Cas would make of that.)

“I figured I might be there awhile so I brought some magazines and stuff,” she explained and Dean nodded and smiled.  “Is Sam going with you?”  She’d noticed Dean had said nothing about Sam returning with the girls.

Dean nodded.  “Cas is gonna get him after he takes me.  Figure we need all the help we can get.”  Dean glanced at his watch.  “Now where the hell is Cas?”

Rose hesitated.  She wanted to offer her help but what good would she be?  A thought occurred to her then.  “You don’t want Lily along?” She may not be any help but Lily would be.  She glanced at Dean and his face gave him away.  She folded her arms and fixed him with a knowing look.  "OK Dean, what aren’t you telling me?”

Dean shuffled from foot to foot.  “You know your mom does that same look?”  Rose wasn’t fazed by his comment, just kept waiting for his answer.  Damn it, he hadn’t wanted to tell her this.  She’d worry.  Finally he gave a sigh and admitted, “Sam didn’t want Lily along.”

“OK why?” Rose asked suspiciously, knowing there was more to this story than Dean was letting on.  Sam not wanting Lily along didn’t fit anywhere into the Lily and Sam story as she knew it.

“Um, there’s a slight chance that some werewolves who are not of the peaceful sort may be involved, may possibly be a part of the reason Cooper took off.”  Dean glanced up at Rose and added, “Sam got Lily to agree to drive Charlie back and if we haven’t gotten the kids back by then he’d let her meet us.”

Rose laughed, catching Dean off guard.  “Sorry, I just…I’m imagining the blowup that caused.  Lily doesn’t appreciate anyone “letting” her do anything.”

Dean grinned.  “Yeah, um, she wasn’t too happy.”

“I know the feeling.”  Rose gave Dean a look that despite his best efforts made him squirm.  “You conveniently left that part of the story out, Dean.”

Dean was saved from answering by Cas’ appearance.  They were quickly back at the hospital and Rose set her bag down in the chair by Daisy’s bed, said hello to Bobby and turned back to Dean, pulling him into the hallway so they could have a minute alone.  She went easily into his arms, surprising him.  He’d fully expected her to tell him off for his lack of information on the case.  Instead she reached up and placed her hands on either side of his face, holding him still so she could look him right in the eye.

“You be careful,” she said fiercely.  “Don’t be reckless.  You find Cooper and Andie and bring them home but don’t get yourself hurt. Understand?”

Dean had to admit it felt damn good to have someone so adamant about him taking care of himself, someone who was determined he come home safely.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he said.  “And we’ll finish our conversation when I get back too.”  He gave Rose no time to answer but leaned down and kissed her passionately, relaying with his lips what she meant to him and Rose responded immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him for all she was worth.

Cas came out a moment later to tell Dean they really needed to go to find the two intertwined.  Where most humans would have walked away, or at least averted their eyes Cas had no such inhibitions.  He cocked his head to the side and studied the couple, noting how they leaned into each other, how tightly their arms were wrapped around each other and how fluidly their auras merged.  He wondered if he and Daisy looked like that when they kissed.  Obviously Daisy was much tinier than Rose and he wasn’t as tall as Dean but he was fairly certain they meshed like that.  Maybe he’d have someone take a picture of them kissing so he could check.

Dean slowly became aware of a presence in the background and pulled away to find Cas watching them intently.

“Cas, what the hell?” Dean asked and Rose turned at his words to see Cas there and blushed a bright shade of red.

“We really should go, Dean,” Cas said calmly, as if he hadn’t just been caught watching the two of them kiss.  Dean rolled his eyes, muttering something about a pervert angel, knowing it would take too long to explain to Cas right now why his actions were weird.  Cas went back into Daisy’s room obviously expecting Dean and Rose to follow.

Dean leaned down and wrapping an arm around Rose’s waist he whispered in her ear.  “Be good while I’m gone, Sweetheart.”  Rose turned, her eyes meeting his and a happy smile overtook her face.  She nodded and Dean took her hand in his with a pleased smile at her reaction and the two headed back into the room.

A moment later Dean took a breath, glanced at Rose then turned to Cas.  “OK let’s do this.”  And a second later with a slight rustle of wings they were both gone.

* * *

Rose was settled down in the chair by Daisy’s bedside, a book open on her lap enjoying the quiet of the room.  Bobby had talked to her for a few minutes but she guessed it must have been evident that she didn’t really want to talk as after just a few minutes he had leaned back on the couch, told her he was going to take a cat nap and to wake him if she needed anything.  She’d smiled at him gratefully, needing some time alone with her thoughts.  Her phone buzzed then and Rose winced when she saw the message that greeted her.

_Just what the hell did that message mean?_

Crap, Chastity.  She’d forgotten about the message she’d sent not long after she’d woken up, telling Chastity that she and Emma would be better off if she wasn’t in their lives.

_Sorry.  Rough night.  Can you ignore it?  Please?_

A moment passed.  Then a reply came back.

_Dream?_    Of course Chastity would figure that out.

_Yeah.  A bad one.  I kind of imploded.  Sorry._

_It’s OK.  Just don’t ever say that shit to me again.  You’re stuck with us._

Rose smiled, needing to hear that more than she wanted to admit.  A beat later Chas wrote:

_How much damage did you do there?_   Rose winced again.

_It was just me and Dean so all the damage fell on him.  He got me back to my senses so we’re…I think we’re ok._

_Big silent question mark there, Rose._   Rose sighed.  Of course Chastity would catch that.  Before Rose could respond Chastity sent another message.  _Got a work thing.  Hold that thought.  We’ll come back to it._

Before she could put her phone down it buzzed as another text came in, this one from Dean.

_Hey, I’m here.  Cas is getting Sam and then he’ll be back with you._

Rose frowned.  _He’s not staying with you guys?_  She’d assumed Cas would stay and help the boys.

_Na, he can’t locate a werewolf and he’s having trouble locating Andie for some reason.  We’re good though.  We’ll find them._

_You’re not off the hook with me, you know.  Keeping information back, hmmm yeah I know someone who was pretty upset with me for something similar just a day ago…_

A sweet looking angel emoji appeared on her phone screen and Rose couldn’t help but laugh at his innocent reply.  _Who me?_

_Cute Winchester, but I’m not buying it.  You’re still in trouble.  Be careful._

_Will do.  I’ll keep you updated. Be good._

* * *

When Cas appeared a moment later with Sam in tow Dean was leaning against a car, grinning at his phone.  Cas glanced at Sam in concern.

“Is this normal?” he asked and Sam just smiled and nodded his head.

“Yeah, for lovesick fools it is.”  Dean glanced up at the two of them and shoved his phone into his pocket.

The brothers hugged briefly in greeting then Dean filled them in on what he knew quickly, having stopped at Garth and Bess’ first.  They had their pack out looking too and Sam and Dean were going to cover some of the hotels in the towns closest to this one.

“Keep an eye on Rose, OK?” Dean asked, turning to Cas. “Keep her out of trouble.”

Cas frowned, not happy at all with this request.  “Your girlfriend isn’t exactly easy to keep out of trouble, Dean.  She seems to find it at every turn.”

Dean rolled his eyes but Sam cut in before he could respond.  “We’ll be in touch, Cas.”  With a nod Cas disappeared and Sam and Dean got into the car Garth had loaned them.  Sam gave Dean directions to the closest hotel and they got on the road.

“So how pissed is Lily?” Dean asked, glancing at his brother.

“On a scale of one to ten?  Twenty,” Sam said dryly, earning a chuckle from Dean.

“Rose isn’t too happy either,” Dean offered.  At Sam’s confused look Dean expounded.  “I had to explain why Lily wasn’t coming with us.”

“Aw, so she knows there could be some pissed off werewolves involved,” Sam surmised and Dean nodded.  “Is she doing OK?  You guys get over the meltdown?”

“Much better,” Dean said confidently, despite the fact they hadn’t completely finished their conversation.  They had gotten over the rough patch and he’d dispelled Rose of the crazy idea that she wasn’t good for him and that any reason existed they shouldn’t be together.  That was the important part.  Sam nodded, happy to hear it.

“Lily and Charlie should be back to the bunker in a few hours,” Sam said.  “Lily’s gonna call me then so we have till then to find these kids or she’s gonna be joining us.”  Sam sighed.  “I really don’t want that.”

“Protective aren’t you, Sammy?” Dean pointed out and Sam shrugged, not bothering to point out the irony of Dean saying that to him.

“This just feels like we’ll either find them quickly or it could be really bad, you know?”  Dean nodded, his jaw clenching.  He did know.  Sam sighed again.  “But I won’t be able to keep her away.  She’ll get here one way or another especially since she’s pissed off.”

“Who would have ever imagined we’d have women we have to answer to?” Dean mused aloud.

Sam smiled in amusement.  “And serious girlfriends that will call us on our shit at the drop of a hat.”

Dean laughed at Sam’s description, seeing the truth in it.  After a second he glanced at Sam and said,

“It’s kinda nice though, huh?”

Sam grinned.  “Yeah."  It really was.  He waited a beat before saying, "But I won’t tell anyone you said that.”

Dean nodded.  “Good man.”

Dean put the pedal down then.  “Now let’s find these damn kids and bring them home.”


	63. So Often Times It Happens That We Live Our Lives In Chains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of Cas and Daisy, How fear affects a hunter in love and an answer to a question.

“But why do I have to talk to her?” Cas asked in what he was positive wasn’t a whine.  No, it was more a sound of protest.  Definitely not a whine.  He was an almighty angel of the Lord.  He didn't whine.

“Because she’s my sister,” Daisy said firmly.  “I love her and you two need to get along.”

Cas frowned.  First Dean told him to keep an eye on Rose and now Daisy was telling him he had to talk to her.  He’d nodded at Rose when he got back to the hospital and she’d given him a smile.  That was communication.  Why did there need to be more?

“I _want_ you two to get along,” Daisy continued.  “You’ll like her, you will.  You’ve just gotten off on the wrong foot.”  Cas’ frown deepened, not at all sure that was the case.

“She’s a very vexing person,” Cas said, not wanting to upset Daisy but unable to hide his general irritation at Rose.  “She’s stubborn and confusing.”  He paused thoughtfully before adding, “And honestly a bit overwhelming.”

Daisy blinked at that description.  The stubborn part Daisy couldn’t argue with but the confusing label was usually reserved for her, not Rose.  And overwhelming fit Lily to a tee.  Assuming you didn’t piss her off Rose was the calmer, quieter one of the three of them, she always had been.  “What do you mean she’s overwhelming?” Daisy asked, running a hand over his shoulders soothingly.

Cas pulled her closer to him, getting more comfortable.  He loved the feel of her hands on him and he relaxed into her touch a moment before he answered.  “She’s so loud.”

Daisy frowned.  “Rose is loud?  No, I think you’re thinking of the wrong sister, Cas.  Lily’s loud, not Rose.”

Cas shook his head.  “I’m not talking about their exteriors.  Outwardly yes, Lily is quite boisterous.  But inwardly she’s steady, stable.  She’s the same color all the time or some shade of it and there is no surprise what you’ll get.”  Cas casually stroked his fingers up and down Daisy’s spine and she made a soft murmur of pleasure, making Cas smile.  “Rose on the other hand pulses.  She’s so many different colors and they change constantly.  She’s a sea of confusion and power and it’s all pushing at the surface all the time.  And you yourself have seen how bright she is.”  Daisy nodded, remembering her glimpse at Rose’s power.  It had been nearly blinding to look at.

“You can see that all the time?” Daisy queried and Cas nodded.  “Do you see my power all the time?”

Cas shook his head.  “No.  I know it’s there but it’s not nearly as forceful as Rose’s.”  He smiled at her.  “And I find your aura very soothing.”

Daisy smiled.  “You didn’t at first,” she reminded him.  “I made you all fuzzy headed, remember?

“And I made you react very much the same way,” Cas agreed.  “But now I find your aura very pleasant.”

Daisy kissed him lightly on the cheek then asked, “So why is Rose confusing?” She moved her hands over Cas’ back as she spoke, unable to stop herself from touching him.

Cas thought how best to explain while further relaxing into Daisy’s touch.  “I can’t hear her, I can’t find her.  She doesn’t feel like any human I’ve ever known.”

“But you said she was less than human, that all of us are,” Daisy pointed out.  “And don’t say that to her, please.  It'll upset her." Cas frowned at that but answered Daisy.

“Yes, but she’s different than you and Lily.  I can sense the both of you, could find you two anywhere.  Rose is…it’s almost as if she’s shielded by something.”  Cas frowned, turning that over in his mind.  Something about that nagged at him.  He’d have to mention it to Sam or Dean later.  “And her power is...it’s too much.  No human was meant to hold that much power.”

“Thus the less than human part,” Daisy said softly and Cas nodded.  “She didn’t want these powers though, Cas.  It’s not like she asked for them or anything.  She doesn’t like them.”

Cas nodded again.  “I understand but she just feels wrong to me.  And I don’t understand why she fights me healing her at every turn either.”  That really bothered him.  Healing was such a benevolent gift for someone to shun it at every turn like Rose did offended Cas to his very core.

It was Daisy’s turn to frown now.  “I don’t know the answer to that last question so you’ll have to ask her.  But she’s not wrong, Cas.  She’s just different.  And don’t you think it might be because…you know, what we talked about?  About the other angels?  Maybe that’s why you two just react so badly to each other?”  That conversation had made Daisy very upset.  She didn’t want to repeat it.  She snuggled against Cas instead.

“Perhaps,” he conceded, running a comforting hand over her head, tangling his fingers in her blond curls.  He knew she hadn’t liked that discussion and chose not to repeat it.

“If you explained that to her it might help you both you know,” Daisy pointed out.  “Rose usually gets along with everyone.  It has to be weird for her to feel this tension between you two.”

“It seems to me she has problems in a lot of her relationships,” Cas pointed out petulantly.  “I mean Dean spends quite a bit of his free time thinking about spanking her.  That says a lot about-”

“What?” Daisy felt heat suffuse her face as Cas kept right on talking.

“-tempted to tell him he must be doing a very poor job.”  Oh God, please do not do that, Daisy thought urgently.  She winced as she imagined the reaction that would get from Dean.  Realizing Cas was still talking Daisy reached up and put a hand lightly over his mouth.  The angel stopped midsentence and stared at her curiously.

“Cas, what you’re talking about isn’t….it’s not what you’re thinking.  I mean…some couples…” Oh God, why was she of all people having to explain this to him?  Who was she to explain something like this to anyone?  I mean in theory yes, but in reality, in experience she had no idea.  She glanced into his eyes hoping he’d catch on but he still was just looking at her blankly.  OK try again.  “Dean and Rose are very um, I mean some women find it a turn on….and some guys like...oh the hell with this.”  Daisy dropped her hand from Cas’ mouth and did the easiest thing possible.  She sent him an image that would hopefully clear things up.

The moment his eyes widened she knew it had worked.  She watched his tongue dart out, licking at his lips tentatively as his eyes raked over her, a decidedly intrigued look there.  “Oh.” A smile flitted across his lips and Daisy felt the hand he had against her back flex.  He stared at her so hungrily for a moment that Daisy began to wonder just what she’d started.  But then he frowned, his expression once again looking confused.  “But Daisy, what he was thinking…it was a lot more…punitive than what you showed me.  Yes, he was most definitely angry with her at the time.  It didn’t look like what you showed me.”  Cas paused, cocking his head to the side thoughtfully.  “At least not all of the time.  He thinks about spanking your sister an awful lot.”

Daisy closed her eyes, gritting her teeth.  She must have been an awful person in another life. That was the only explanation for this.  She made herself open her eyes and say, “Cas, there are different types of spankings - Oh my God, you know what?  Just take my word for it that whatever kind of spanking you’ve seen Dean imagine that it’s between the two of them OK?  That even if he imagined Rose spanking him that's fine and-"

Cas' frown deepened and he broke into Daisy’s advice with a firm head shake.  "Oh no, he wasn't envisioning her spanking him.  It was most defiantly the other way around."  He paused then added helpfully, "In several different positions and with different ins-"

"Cas!" Daisy cut him off before he could give her any more details.  It wasn't the details per se that bothered her.  I mean, sure she was curious, she was nosy.  She wouldn’t deny that.  It was more discussing them with Cas.  They hadn’t done anything physical aside from kissing.  (And God wouldn’t Lily smirk at her if she heard her think that.  Daisy could practically hear her.  “Physical, Days?  Really?  You can’t just say sex?”)  Cas looked at her curiously now, having obviously heard the alarm in her voice and she gave him a tight smile.  "Just know that they’re both OK with it and its private and if you mention it to Dean or Rose then he is going to freak out.  Like big time, OK?”  Daisy had seen enough of Dean’s dreams to have a pretty clear image of what Cas was talking about.  But God, she didn’t want to discuss that was Cas.  Not yet.  Not when they hadn’t even kissed in the real world, only here in whatever you called this dream state of hers.  Now was really not the time to talk about something like this.

Cas nodded and studied Daisy’s face intently.  She was blushing and fidgeting with his tie, very obviously uncomfortable with this topic.  But she wasn’t moving away from him.  And she had sent him that very detailed image.  So she wasn’t too uncomfortable…maybe just more shy.  That fit.

Cas leaned his head down, brushing his lips lightly against Daisy’s ear and she jumped a little and met his eyes in surprise.

“That was a very provocative image you sent me, Daisy,” he said, his voice low and intimate.  He watched as a small smile turned up the corners of her mouth.

“Well I wanted to make sure you got the idea,” Daisy demurred.  “It worked better than me trying to explain.”

“Well feel free to use that method anytime,” Cas encouraged.  “Especially if the images are so…enticing.”

Daisy’s eyes darted up to his, as if to make sure he wasn’t teasing her.  “Yeah?” she asked when she saw nothing but heated interest in his blue eyes.

“Yes,” Cas assured her. "Definitely." He kissed her then, still in awe of the way she responded so passionately.  All her shyness seemed to melt away the second his lips touched hers.

The fact that the longer he kissed her meant the longer he could put off talking to Rose?  Well that was just a bonus.

* * *

“No luck,” Sam said, getting back into the car after checking their seventh hotel for the teenagers.  “Though I did get to hear a nice lecture about teenagers today and what kind of place did I think they were running here?”

Dean glanced at the neon sign as they pulled out, noting the hourly rate.  “Oh yeah, real classy joint.”  The car Garth had loaned him made a decidedly unhealthy sound and Dean growled out another complaint about it.  Sam tuned it out, used to it by now.  Whenever they had to drive any other car than the Impala Dean always had a litany of complaints from the valid (“How could they not notice that knocking sound the engine is making?  Are they fucking deaf?”) to the more mundane and trivial (“Seriously, what shit is this radio channel they’ve got saved?  Easy listening?  I’d rather be deaf.”)  It was just Dean.  Though this time Sam had to admit the car did sound less than stellar.  He rattled off the address of the next hotel and gave Dean general directions and sat back as Dean drove.

“So Garth found out about this other pack how?” Sam queried.

“He hacked into Cooper’s email,” Dean said.  “Guess he still remembers how to do the job a bit.”  Not that this was a job, Dean conceded silently.  It was his fucking kid.

“And they said what?” Sam asked.

“Oh some kind of shit about they could offer Cooper the kind of freedom he wasn’t getting here.”  Dean paused, changing lanes to get around a slower driver and flipping off the driver of the car they passed as he went by.  His mood was devolving as the day went on.  It was early evening now, the sun was gone and rain had come in.  Dean was worried and getting more worried as they found no sign of Cooper anywhere they went.  They’d checked in with Garth and they hadn’t found any signs of the teenagers either.  “Garth thinks they could be from the pack his parents were in.”

Sam looked startled at that news.  “So his parents were-”

“Na, they didn’t kill humans,” Dean reassured him.  “Garth thinks maybe this group broke off or was kicked out maybe?  He wasn’t entirely sure.  But the one who wrote the emails, he knew Coop that’s for sure.”

“You think Cooper went with him?” Sam asked curiously.  If anyone had any idea what Cooper would do it was Dean.

Dean hesitated.  Finally he answered without answering.  “I think freedom is a really enticing idea when you’re a teenager, especially one who’s convinced he’s in love and all those rules he hates are keeping him away from his girl.”

Sam pondered that, seeing the truth in the statement.  “Good point.”  He peered through the rain that was coming down and pointed to a green sign in the near distance.  “That’s it, our next stop.”

Sam went into the office again and Dean texted Rose, just checking in, knowing Sam would laugh at him for hovering from a distance.  But he’d hated to leave her and wanted some contact.  He frowned when he saw she hadn't replied to his last few texts and he didn’t get an immediate reply to this one either.  He quickly shoved his phone in his pocket when he saw Sam coming out of the office with a key, not wanting to give him an opening to give him shit.

“Jackpot,” he said, sliding into the car.  He flicked his hair out of his eyes, spraying raindrops everywhere.  “He recognized Cooper’s picture.  Room thirty-two, it’s around back.  To quote the clerk: “Those kids were all over each other.”

Dean rolled his eyes, already planning in his head how he was going to chew Cooper out over this.  He pulled the car around the hotel and felt all the words stop.  The door to room thirty two was flung open, hanging off one hinge and even from the car it was easy to see the chaos of the room.  Dean threw the car into park and bounded from the car, Sam right behind him.  Up close the room looked even worse, furniture tossed aside broken into pieces, the phone pulled from the wall and most concerning of all was the blood.  It was splashed all up one wall and there was a trail of it leading to the bathroom.  Moving further into the room they found the body of what was obviously a maid sprawled beside the bed and the body of a man they didn’t recognize dumped in the bathtub.  While Dean was checking futilely for a pulse on the victims Sam checked the room next door.  He’d noticed the door was ajar when they ran past and he pushed it open now to reveal a woman laid out on the bed, blood soaking the sheets and her body horribly mutilated.

Sam moved back to the room that had been Cooper’s to find Dean looking around, searching for any sign that Cooper or Andie had been in the room.  Sam cleared his throat and Dean looked up.

“We have a dead body next door too.  Woman, thirties, ripped apart.”  Dean just nodded his face a blank mask.  “What the hell went on here?”  Sam wondered aloud.

“My guess is the guy in the bathtub was from next door,” Dean ventured.  “Maybe he heard the noise in here,” Dean’s eyes flicked to the maids body. “And he came to investigate and someone took him out.”

Sam nodded then asked hesitantly, “Are we thinking Cooper did this?”

Dean’s head snapped up.  “No!” he said firmly.  “He wouldn’t, he’s never."  Dean shook his head.  "He doesn't hurt people."

"Right, I know," Sam said placatingly.  He looked around the room then.  "But Dean, man this looks bad."

"I know it does but this wasn't him," Dean said, leaving no room for argument and Sam hoped with everything in him that Dean was right.  It would hurt Dean something awful if he wasn't.  "I need to call, Garth, let him know what we found."

Sam nodded as his own phone rang.  He glanced down and groaned when he saw Lily's name pop up.   Dean shot him a questioning look and Sam just shook his head.

"Hey Lil," he said and Dean nodded in understanding before making his own call.  Sam was praying Lily had changed her mind and didn't insist on coming.  He walked closer to the door, his eyes unwillingly drawn to the broken body of the young maid.  Why’d she have to have hair so similar in shade to Lily’s?

"We're about an hour out from the bunker," Lily said by way of greeting, making it obvious she was still irritated at him.  Sam said nothing, his eyes locked on the dark hair matted with blood, the lifeless brown eyes staring up at him.

"So when we get there I’ll just grab my bag and if you let me know where you are I'll get Cas to bring me."  Somewhere Sam knew that aside from hair and eye color the maid looked nothing like Lily.  She was shorter than Lily, heavier, older by a good few years.  But that was the logical, sensible side of him, the hunter.  The emotional, protective side of Sam, the side that was Lily’s boyfriend first, was seeing Lily with a claw mark up one side of her face, the delicate skin shredded, her hair full of blood and brain matter, her eyes dead, never to sparkle with life again.  And he felt his heart stutter and his breath stop.

"Sam?" Lily said, a note of concern creeping into her voice.  "Sam, did you hear me?  Are you OK?"  Sam snapped out of his stupor then.

"No," he said abruptly, his heart suddenly pounding.

"What?" Lily asked, her voice sounding alarmed.  "What's wrong?"

"No, I'm fine,” Sam corrected. “I mean no, you're not coming here."

"What?"  Sam could hear the confusion in Lily's voice.  "Sam what are you talking about?  You said-"

"I know what I said and now I'm saying no."

Sam heard Lily draw in a sharp intake of breath over the phone line.  When she spoke her voice was a barely restrained hiss of rage.  "And just who the fuck do you think you are to tell me no?"

"I think I'm the man who loves you," Sam said, feeling blood rushing in his ears, his panic causing him to speak louder than he intended.  "I think I'm the guy doing anything he can to not see your body ripped to shreds and laid out in front of me like a slab of meat."

"You don't own me, Sam," Lily spat back, not moved by his words in the slightest.

"I may not but I'll be damned if I'll make it any easier for you to get yourself killed.  You're not coming here."  And with a click Sam hung up.

He dropped to the bed, his head falling in his hands, feeling suddenly sick with fear.  He couldn't let her come here.   He couldn't.  That could easily be her body dumped on the floor like garbage.  He needed her safe.

"Sam?" He looked up to find Dean watching him with an expression of confusion and concern.  "What was-” Dean shook his head.  "Did you just tell Lily she couldn't come here and then hang up on her?"

Sam glanced at his phone in his hand then back up at his brother.  "Yeah."

Dean looked at him as if he was crazy.  He took a breath then folded his arms doing his best to speak calmly.  “And you think that was a wise plan?” he asked in the same tone one would ask a person if it was wise to taunt a serial killer.

Sam looked at him steadily, the fear creeping up his spine.  “I think it kept her away from here.  So yeah, good plan.”

Dean started to speak then shook his head again.  Whatever was going on here this was not the place to deal with it.  "We need to get out of here."   Sam nodded and stood and Dean felt the need to point something out.  “You know she can just have Charlie trace your phone.”  Sam stopped and looked at him thoughtfully, then gave a sharp nod of his head.

"Right." And as Dean watched Sam dropped his phone on the floor and very deliberately stomped on it with a heavy boot till it was nothing but a small mass of metal.  “Problem solved.”  Then without a backward glance he walked out of the hotel room and climbed into the passenger seat.

Dean glanced at the broken phone uneasily.  "I guess he really didn't want Lily finding him," he muttered.  Sam had to know that Rose knew the phone Dean had with him.  Then again the girls weren't talking so Lily wasn’t likely to ask he supposed.

Dean swallowed uneasily and followed Sam out to the car.  He wasn't sure what was going on with Sam but this was going to 'cause trouble, a whole shitload of it knowing Lily.  Charlie had said Sam and Lily would butt heads a lot.  Looked like she wasn't wrong.

* * *

"You’re very loud and overwhelming." Those words startled Rose into looking up from the magazine spread on her lap.  She met Cas' blue eyes which were studying her curiously.

"I’m what?" Rose asked in confusion.

"Loud and overwhelming," Cas repeated.

"And you felt the need to share this with me suddenly?" Rose asked.  It had been quiet in the room for awhile, save for Bobby’s occasional light snores and her one phone call from Chastity an hour earlier.  “As I’m sitting here reading my magazine.” She paused then added, "Loudly and overwhelmingly apparently."

"Daisy thinks we should talk," Cas explained and with a sigh of understanding Rose dog-eared the page she was looking at and closed her magazine.  Cas was frowning now.  "I'm not supposed to say that though.  I'm supposed to say that I want to talk to you.”

Rose couldn’t help but smile in amusement at the angels’ honesty.  He was obviously trying hard to please Daisy.

“You can be honest with me, Cas.  It’s OK.”  Cas nodded.  “Do _you_ want to talk to me?”

Cas hesitated.  “I want Daisy to be happy,” he finally admitted and Rose had to laugh at that.  He frowned suddenly and Rose had a flash of insight.

“Can you hear her?  Is she talking to you?”  Cas nodded again and Rose sat back in amazement.  “Huh.  Well OK, can you tell her to quit yelling at you every time you tell me something she thinks is wrong?  Otherwise we could be awhile.  Tell her I promise not to get offended at what you say.”  In the short time that Rose had known Cas she would have described him as stoic, impassive even.  But now she watched as a virtual slideshow of emotions played across his face.  Trepidation, apprehension, then happiness and finally humor.

“You sister says to tell you that if you think Lily is the only bossy one in the family you are wrong, that you can give her a run for her money.” Cas paused.  “But she promised to quit “yelling” as you say.”

Rose laughed then couldn’t help but ask, “You really don’t want to upset her do you?”

Cas frowned then shook his head.  “I generally understood that to be normal for someone you care about.”

“You care about her a lot?”

Cas felt as if he had somehow lost control of this conversation.  He hadn’t imagined it going this way at all.  They were supposed to be talking about his and Rose’s uneasiness with each other, not his feelings for Daisy.

“I do, yes,” he finally said.

Rose glanced down at his hand, at the ring shining there, then glanced at the matching ones on her sister.  “So much so that you married her.”

“Yes,” Cas shuffled in his seat uncomfortably.  He hadn’t planned on being the one being questioned.  “So getting back-”

“And you like being married to her,” Rose pointed out, cutting him off.

Rose hadn’t really been all that interested in her magazine.  She’d skimmed it but she’d spent the majority of her time covertly watching Cas with Daisy and it had been enlightening.  He touched her left hand, the one that bore his ring a lot.  He stroked her fingers, he lifted and kissed her palm, he stroked her hair back from her face.  He’d looked at her hand with the ring on it a lot and Rose had recognized that look.  It was very similar to the one Dean gave her whenever she wore his shirt.  A lot less heat there, which made sense given their relationships, but that, _that_ was possessiveness in his look.  He liked Daisy wearing something that marked her as his.

Cas stopped and stilled at Rose’s words.  He’d left their link open knowing Daisy would want to hear this conversation.  As strong as she was now, so much closer to awakening, Daisy could hear all of this.  They hadn’t discussed their marriage in detail yet, both putting off asking the other one what they wanted.  Cas wasn’t sure what Daisy’s reasoning was for avoiding the discussion but his had been due to a little confusion and a lot of fear.  And looking at Rose now the confusion slipped away.  Because he knew suddenly what he wanted.  And that meant he couldn’t lie.

“I do,” he said firmly.  He felt a small wave of surprise then something he thought, he hoped, was happiness come through their link.  But Daisy was silent so Cas just hoped he’d gotten it right.

Rose smiled at him, a genuinely happy, pleased smile.  She hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to Daisy about Cas or their relationship but it was nice to know at least from his side that the feelings were real.

“That’s nice to hear.”  Rose lay her magazine aside, folded her legs up under her and asked, “So how am I loud and overwhelming?”

“Your aura and your powers are on all the time,” Cas explained.  “It’s a lot to deal with.”

“Tell me about it,” Rose muttered, then she shrugged.  “Sorry.  If I could turn it off I would, trust me.”

Cas studied her for a second, this woman that was so important to both Daisy and Dean.  He knew that a lot of the reasons he found her so confusing were things she couldn’t control.  So instead he focused on the one that really irked him, the action she could control.

“Why do you fight me healing you?”  Rose hesitated and Cas pressed on.  “You had no problem with me healing your neck the first time I met you but both times you were near death you fought me, physically in one case and I don’t understand why.”

Rose’s phone flashed as a text came in and she glanced down, staring at it for a second.  Unbeknownst to her Bobby had woken up, not for the first time, not long after she and Cas had started talking but was keeping quiet, curious to hear what she had to say, what they both had to say.

Finally she glanced up at Cas.  “I’m sorry I bit you,” she offered and Cas just nodded.  “There’s two reasons actually.”  Rose fidgeted with her shoelace as she spoke.  “I don’t dislike you, Cas but you make me really uncomfortable.  I don’t know that this is going to make sense but bear with me, OK?  I’m trying.”  Rose took a breath before continuing.  “The last two times you healed me I’d just been attacked.  I was…” Rose searched for the right words, wanting this to come out right.  “I was on edge, everything was heightened and I guess fight or flight kicked in and it was like flight wasn’t an option.”  Rose bit her lip so hard Cas was surprised it didn’t bleed.  Whatever she wanted to say she was worried how he’d react.  Finally she sighed and spoke.  “Both times you went to heal me I felt like you were a threat to me.  I know you’re a good guy,” she hastened to assure him.  “I know Dean trusts you and Daisy trusts you and with good reason.  But my body, my instincts just felt like you could mean me harm.  I don’t understand why but its how I truly felt.”  Rose sat back and looked at Cas apprehensively, waiting for his response.

If she had expected anger or Cas to take offense she was sorely disappointed.  If anything her answer seemed to ease Cas’ mind, to reassure him somehow.  He nodded and said, “That makes sense.”  Rose looked surprised and Cas explained.  “Daisy and I discussed why you and I seem to react so badly to each other.  Both she and Dean have defended you and I trust they are both right, that you are a good and honorable person.”  Rose smiled at that and Cas sighed.  “But you make me feel, as you said, uncomfortable.”

“And do you know why?” Rose asked, hoping he at least had some clue.   She certainly didn’t.

“I think so,” Cas said.  This would require some explanation on his part he knew.  “I know you don’t know much about me but I don’t have as much contact with other angels anymore.  I made a choice of where my loyalties lay and it turns out it was with humans.  I see my brothers and sisters occasionally but I’m not in constant contact and don’t have nearly as strong a connection to heaven as I once did.”  Rose wondered at that, wondered if he missed it, if he was happy on earth, if he was lonely for his brothers and sisters.  But now was not the time to ask and Cas was continuing on anyway.  “Despite that lack of contact I’m still attuned to the…attitudes of my siblings.  I am aware of what they would wish in most circumstances.”  Cas stared at Rose intently.  “I am very aware of what they would wish in your case.”

Rose wasn’t sure what he was getting at.  “I don’t understand.”

Cas sighed, knowing he was going to have to spell this out.  “Rose, you are a powerful being.  You have powers so strong you can’t even fully control them yet and you have the ability to shift the balance between good and evil.  That is no small thing.”  Cas’ eyes were actually compassionate as he looked at Rose.  “You are either an amazing asset or a very grave threat.”

Rose sucked in a breath as his words hit her.  A part of her wanted to cry out that she was just a girl; she just wanted to live her life and didn’t want any of this.  But that wasn’t the point and it didn’t matter anyway. 

“So you’re saying you see me as a weapon?” Rose queried, trying but not succeeding, to keep the tremor out of her voice.

Cas hesitated then said, “I see you as the woman Dean brought to the bunker, as Daisy’s sister.  But my angelic instincts can’t help but react to you differently.”

Rose nodded.  She understood.  She hesitated, not sure she wanted to know but realizing she needed to.  “If, if you were still working with the other angels, what would they,” She swallowed hard before continuing.  “What would they want to do with me?”

Cas hesitated, wishing she hadn’t asked that.  This answer had been what had upset Daisy the most.  “They would want you brought in, to ascertain where your loyalties lay.”

Rose frowned.  “How would they figure that out?”

Cas hesitated again, sensing Rose’s apprehension and feeling Daisy’s anger.  “They would try to read your mind, hear your thoughts and judge your loyalties based on those.”

Rose’s frown deepened.  “You can do that?”

Cas nodded.  “Angels can hear humans’ thoughts.”

“Wow,” Rose said, looking impressed.  “I thought you and Daisy were just different because of your connection.”

“We are,” Cas confirmed.  “Humans can’t hear angels’ thoughts.  Daisy is the exception in that we hear each others.”  Rose thought about that, thinking that would be both a good and bad thing.  She was certain she didn’t want her and Dean to share that ability.  She glanced up at Cas and could tell from his face there was more.  He glanced at her and said, “I have never been able to hear your thoughts, Rose.”

That took a moment to sink in.  “Oh.  That’s…well I guess from what you’re saying that’s really odd, right?”  Cas nodded.  “You can read Lily’s thoughts?”  Cas nodded.  “But not mine.”  Another nod.  “Do you know why?”

“I think it’s to do with your powers somehow.  I can’t locate you either.”  At Rose’s curious expression he explained, “I can locate humans unless they're warded somehow.  Sam asked me to try to find you when you ran away.  I was unable to.  I believe it’s a part of your powers, perhaps some form of built in protection.”

Rose nodded dimly.  She didn’t want to ask because something told her the answer would be bad.  But she had to.  So taking a deep breath she plowed ahead.  “So if you brought me to the other angels,” And boy this was messing up any image Rose had of angels growing up.  Good-bye sweet harp playing creatures on fluffy clouds.  "If they tried and couldn’t read my thoughts.”  She closed her eyes for a second, summoning up her courage, then opened them again and asked.  “What would happen?  What would they do?”

Cas sighed and she was certain he had hoped she wouldn’t ask that.  He clasped his hands in front of himself and leaned forward, finally meeting Rose’s eyes.

“If they couldn’t read your thoughts and tell without a shadow of a doubt that you were not a threat, the order would be to eradicate any threat you might pose.”  Rose sucked in a breath as Cas continued.  “The order would be to kill you.”


	64. Flashbacks and Echoes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobby gives some great advice...and phones keep ringing.

“Oh.” 

That was Rose’s only response to Cas’ startling declaration.

Bobby had felt his back stiffen as the words left Cas’ mouth so calmly.  The room was dim, the light on Daisy’s bedside the only light and Bobby opened his eyes to judge how Rose was taking this news.  Outwardly she appeared calm and it was only because Bobby had known her since she was a small child that he could see the fear and hurt she’d carefully masked in the slight tremble of her lips, the widening of her eyes and the clenching of her hands grasping each other tightly in her lap.

“You can see why I was hesitant to say anything,” Cas said and Rose nodded.  “It explains though why we both had such strong reactions to each other.”  Rose nodded again and Cas wondered if she was going to say anything.  He had expected an outburst, perhaps tears or anger.  But Rose was silent, her eyes on the floor, save for a quick glance at her phone which was flashing yet again.  Finally she straightened and looked at Cas.

“Is this something I have to worry about?” Cas looked confused for a second and Rose explained.  “Are you going to do that, turn me over to the other angels?”

“No!” Cas said adamantly, his voice rising.  “I didn’t tell you any of this as a threat, Rose.  I was simply trying to explain…”  Cas was floundering and Rose had to guess Daisy said something to him to calm him because he took a breath and seemed to settle. “I think it helps explain why we both feel such a level of discomfort with each other.”  He looked intently at Rose. “I swear to you I am loyal and my loyalties lie with Dean and Sam.”  Cas glanced down at Daisy.  “And with your sister and thus by proxy with you.”   Cas moved his eyes back to Rose, hoping she could see his sincerity.  “I would never do anything to bring you harm.”

Rose studied him for a minute, her eyes scanning his face and finally she nodded, seeming to believe him.  She relaxed a little and Cas gave a sigh of relief.

“I’m loyal too, you know, so I understand that,” Rose said in a quiet voice and Cas smiled. 

“Yes, I saw through Daisy your actions to protect the boys and your friends’ child.  That was brave.”

Rose frowned.  “Not brave.  Loyal.”

“It seems to me,” Cas argued, “You were both.”  Rose just shrugged, not looking convinced and Cas let it drop.  Instead he asked, “You said there were two reasons.  What’s the second?”

Rose sighed and stretched her legs out in front of herself.  “You know that we all thought I was going to have Daisy’s powers right?” Cas nodded.  “I mean I did have her powers, just not like she has them.  We had no idea they would be as strong as they are.  And you’ve seen Lily, how strong and amazing she is.”  Rose sighed and plucked at the hem of her t-shirt absently.  “I’ve always been the girl in the background, behind the scenes, making sure things run smoothly for the power players.  I was never supposed to _be_ a power player.  I’m supposed to bake cookies, not fight demons.”

Cas looked confused, completely unsure what Rose was getting at.  “I don’t understand…”

“Sorry,” Rose said with an apologetic smile.  “In my head my sisters are the priority.  They’re the difference makers, the ones who are going to do amazing things.  I’m just Rose.”

“And you’re saying you’re not worth saving?” Cas asked in confusion.

“Maybe not quite that dramatic,” Rose said.  “They’re important.  I’ve never been the focus, never been the star of the show and it just feels wrong to me.”  Rose shrugged again which Cas was realizing she did when she was nervous.  “Sorry, I know my reasoning probably doesn’t make much sense to you but I wasn’t exactly thinking straight at the time.”

“You know, a hurricane can tell itself it’s just a harmless summer storm.  Don’t make it any less a hurricane,” a gruff voice said from the corner and Cas and Rose both turned to look at Bobby who was sitting up now.  “You’ve always been amazing, Rosie.  You were the only one who didn’t see that.”

Rose frowned.  “Bobby, I-”

“No, no you listen here,” Bobby cut her off. “I’ve been a hunter longer than you been alive so I think I’m a pretty good judge of what’s amazing.  I watched you for scores of years run that house, keep everyone in line, my boys included.  Now God knows, I love them all but they ain’t exactly easy.”  Bobby rolled his eyes and leaned back.  “That older sister of yours, just juggling the boys she went through was a fulltime job and I know you wound up running interference there more often than not when she’d broke yet another heart.  And this one here,” he waved his hand in Daisy's direction and Cas listened with interest to what he had to say.  “She’s as sweet as can be but she’s used to getting her own way nine times out of ten.  God knows you were about the only one who would say no to her once your Daddy was gone.  And my boys…I mean Sam broods with the best of them and Dean can be as hotheaded as they come.  You get Sam to be less serious, you give Dean a peacefulness he struggles to find.” Bobby smiled at her in a way that made Rose feel like she really was amazing.  “I could always tell when they’d been at your house, because suddenly they would laugh easier, smile more.”  Bobby paused then added, “Especially Dean.”  He smiled with satisfaction when Rose blushed and smiled shyly.  “Your Daddy had better instincts than just about any man I’ve ever known and he thought the sun rose and sat on you so don’t tell me he was wrong.  And you juggled all the different, let’s be honest, more often than not, difficult personalities that came and went through your house all these years and you did it well.  You did all of that and never complained that it wasn’t your responsibility and you made it all look easy.  If that doesn’t make you an almighty force of nature I don’t know what would.”

Rose smiled at Bobby, her eyes shining.  “Thank you,” she said softly and Bobby just nodded gruffly.  His eyes flicked down to her phone then as the screen flashed once again and then he looked at Cas.

“You two done talking?” he asked.

Cas looked at Rose and she looked back and they both nodded.  Things felt better between them.  They were still weird and they might never be totally comfortable with each other but at least now they knew why.  They didn’t feel like potential adversaries now.

Bobby patted the spot on the couch next to him. “Good, then Rosie come over and have a seat.  Let’s have a chat.”

Rose came over and Bobby gave her a quick hug which she happily returned before making herself comfortable.  She folded her legs up under her again and Bobby looked her over before he started.  He’d watched her while she was talking to Cas and saw what Dean had meant.  She wasn’t as bright as she normally was, wasn’t as happy and she’d quite obviously lost a great deal of weight.  Still Bobby had to imagine she looked better than she had a week ago.  Dean had said things were going good and he couldn’t imagine that Rose as Dean had described her before could have handled the talk with Cas.

“What do you want to talk about?” Rose asked, sure this wasn’t just a random check in.

“I was thinking,” Bobby said, “About just after your Daddy died.”

Rose blinked, not having expected that.  But before she could say anything Bobby was continuing on.

“I was thinking about how you left college after you worked so hard to get there because your family needed you, even thought I know it was the very last thing you wanted to do.  You made sure those two sisters of yours didn’t get too far off track, made sure your mom kept eating when she was falling apart and still always had time for my boys when they showed up needing patching up or some TLC.”  Bobby looked at Rose and she could clearly see how proud he was of her.  That meant a lot.  “You were a shining example of everything your parents raised you to be – Kind, strong and selfless.”  Despite herself Rose felt herself tearing up.  And wasn’t that Rose, Bobby thought.  A minute ago an angel told her that other angels would want to kill her and she barely blinked.  He paid her a compliment and she was close to tears.  He softened his voice and said, “I know how much your Dad meant to you, Rosie and yet you never fell completely apart because there were other people who needed taking care of.”

“I wanted to,” Rose admitted.  “And I did a few times, on Dean mostly when he was there.”

“Ever miss getting dinner on the table or making sure Daisy went to school?” Bobby challenged.

“Well no,” Rose admitted.

“Did all the bills get paid and did the groceries get bought and did the laundry get done?”  Rose nodded.  “Then no, you never fell completely apart.”  Bobby watched as Rose swiped at her cheeks, trying to stop her tears.  With anyone else Rose would have argued that Lily deserved some of the credit for keeping things going after their Dad’s death.  And while it was true that eventually Lily did step up and help handle things that hadn’t been the case for the first few months.  And if anyone knew how things had gone down it was Bobby.  He’d been someone Rose had leaned on a lot during that time to figure out how to handle things she hadn’t dealt with on her own before.   So he was well aware of how everyone in the Sullivan household had reacted.  Daisy had been young so she’d cried a lot and needed a lot of reassurance and Erin had just completely shut down.  But Lily had reacted like a typical hunter, hitting the road the day after the funeral, leaving Rose to handle things at home.  She’d spent more time on the road the six months after her father’s death than she ever had, needing the connection to him and to escape the reality of their home without him.  And Rose had let her.

“So I was thinking to myself,” Bobby continued, “that it sure seems to me that after all you’ve been through these last few months you were surely due a break down.  I mean you’ve gone through more than most people go through in their entire lives.  So falling apart, acting out of sorts, well if you didn’t do that you wouldn’t really be human.”

Rose was letting the tears fall now.  “But Bobby I made such a mess of things.  I should have been able to handle things better.”

Bobby shook his head at her.  "Those are pretty high, unrealistic expectations you have for yourself.  You fell apart, Rosie and after what you went through who could blame you?”  Bobby smiled at her gently.  “All of us who love you certainly don’t so you can stop blaming yourself anytime you like.”

Rose smiled gratefully at Bobby when he handed her a tissue.  “I’ll…I’ll try,” she finally said, not being able to come up with an argument.  Her phone flashed again from where she’d laid it on the couch and they both glanced at it.

“That Dean texting you?” Bobby asked and Rose nodded.  "You gonna answer him?"

“I will,” Rose assured him.  “Once we’re done talking.”  At that very moment Dean was feeling a wave of concern that Rose hadn't answered his last few texts as he waited in the hotel parking lot for Sam to come out and tell him this was the right place.

“Right, so that’s the other thing we need to talk about.”  Rose glanced up at him curiously and Bobby admitted, “I heard your phone call.”

“Oh,” Rose said softly.  She’d said a lot in that call to Chastity, admitting that she was worried that she was bad for Dean right now, pretty much what she’d said to him.  Chastity had argued with her and Rose had listened but still that nagging feeling was there.  She knew Dean’s arguments had made sense too but still she worried.  She felt damaged, like she could bring harm to him and that was something she desperately didn’t want to do.

“You think you’re gonna hurt him again,” Bobby surmised and Rose nodded.  “You’re probably right.”

Rose looked up at him in surprise.  “What?”

“Well I mean _you’re_ hurting and still struggling to deal with things.  It wouldn’t be a far stretch to see that happening.”

Rose frowned.  “So you agree with me.”

“About you maybe hurting him again?  Sure.  About you being bad for him or him being better off without you?  Not for a single instant.”

Rose frowned.  “But I don’t want to hurt him.  It’s the last thing I want.”

“But you still told him he shouldn’t be with you,” Bobby pointed out.  “Think that might have hurt him a bit?”  Rose shuffled uncomfortably at this point and Bobby sighed, reaching out and taking her hands.  “Sweetie, you know I don’t do flowery, lovey dovey talk.  So I’m just gonna tell you this plain.”  He looked Rose in the eye.  “If you break things off with Dean you’ll hurt him.  Badly.  You may think you’ll be doing the right thing but I’m telling you now you won’t be.  You’ll leave a scar on that boys heart I don’t know he’ll come back from.”  Bobby studied her for a second knowing how important doing the right thing was to Rose.  “I know you’re afraid of hurting him but part of loving someone is being brave, Sweetheart, taking chances.”  Rose glanced up at him but she didn’t argue and Bobby smiled at that.  Of course she loved Dean.  Anyone with eyes in their head could see that.  “Now Dean is damn stubborn, which is a good thing since you are too.”  Rose smiled at that but her smile faded quickly at Bobby’s next words.  “But if you keep pushing him away eventually he’ll go, he’ll quit fighting you.  And you’ll not only have hurt him deeply you’ll have lost him.  Is that what you want?”

The plainness of Bobby’s words hit her hard.  There it was in black and white; she could lose him and he would take her heart with him.  And God, what an idiot she’d be, what an absolute fool.  “No,” she said quietly, not meeting Bobby’s eyes.  His words had made losing Dean a reality, not just some far off abstract idea.  And the fear and pain that went with it and God, the emptiness.  No, she didn’t want that. 

“What do you want, Rosie?”  Bobby figured it might do her some good to say it, to admit it out loud.

Rose studied her hands for a second then looked up at Bobby and he was happy to see the determination there.  “I want Dean; I want to be with him forever.  I’ve wanted him for as long as I can remember.”

Bobby nodded.  “And are you gonna let being afraid cause you lose him, to hurt him more than any meltdown ever could?”

Rose shook her head adamantly, suddenly sure.  “No.  No, I’m not.”

“Good girl.”  He smiled at her fondly.  “You gotta forget about being perfect sometimes, Rosie.  Dean’s been crazy about you his whole life.  Perfection never played a part in that.”  That earned him a shy, pleased smile.  He hesitated then added, “Don’t you ever tell anyone I said this but I swear you make that boy as giddy as a schoolgirl.”  Rose laughed and Bobby joined her, then she stood up and hugged him again.

“Thanks, Bobby.  I think I needed to hear that.”

“Anytime,” Bobby said, returning the hug.  “Now go answer that boys’ text before he has a breakdown on Sam."

And Rose went back to her chair with a smile and happily returned Dean’s messages while Bobby closed his eyes, his work here done.

* * *

Rose skimmed over what Dean had written in the messages she hadn’t answered, most just him simply giving her a brief view of what they were doing.

_Three hotels down and no sign of Cooper or Andie.  How’d you spend your Sunday evening, Dean?  Oh looking for two idiot runaway teenagers._

_Garth gave us a piece of shit car to drive.  If we don’t wind up on the side of the road broke down it’ll be a miracle._

_Hope Cas and Bobby aren’t talking your ear off.  Those two are surprising chatterboxes._ Rose had to smile at the irony of that one.

_At our eighth hotel. Eighth time is the charm, right? ;)  That’s how it goes, right?_

Rose smiled, so able to hear Dean’s voice in his texts.  She missed him just being apart this short time.  She was an idiot to think she could ever walk away from him.

_Sorry, I was talking to Cas and Bobby, you know the two chatterboxes!  Hope that last eighth hotel was the one and you have Cooper and Andie in the piece of crap car with you and you’re driving them home right now._

Rose sat back in her chair and feeling eyes on her she looked up to find Cas staring at her.   She looked at him curiously and he gave voice to what he’d been wondering about.

“Lily was extremely angry when she found out about me marrying Daisy but from what I can tell you aren’t bothered by it.”  He tilted his head at her.  “That seems curious to me.”

“Lily is really protective,” Rose explained.  “And she had no idea there was anything going on because Sam lied to her.  She hates being lied to so between those two things you kinda hit all of Lily’s hot buttons.”  Rose toyed with her phone a second then said, “Do I wish I would have known the whole story?  Sure.  The last thing I want is for Daisy to be hurt.  But I get you guys were trying to do the right thing.  That's harder than it looks like sometimes."

Cas studied Rose for a moment then said, “Daisy watched you with Dean and Lily with Sam.  She wanted to make sure you were all happy.”  Rose looked at him quizzically and he explained.  “I was sure Daisy would survive.  I’d looked at the prophecy, reviewed the odds, planned as much as possible.  She on the other hand wasn’t sure she would.”  Rose sucked in a painful breath at that, her eyes going to Daisy’s still form in the hospital bed. “If something happened, if things went wrong she wanted to be sure you would all have each other, that you could be happy.”

Rose struggled to swallow the sob she felt forming in her throat.  Finally she choked out, “My Dad, both my parents, they taught us to look out for each other.  That’s Daisy living that out.”  She took a breath.  “The only problem is we three, we need each other too.  My sisters aren’t replaceable.”  Rose met Cas’ eyes and hers were filled with gratitude.  “Thank you for saving my baby sister, Cas.”  Cas graced her with a rare smile and Rose wondered if anyone had thought to thank him.

“It must be pretty noisy hearing everyone’s thoughts,” Rose offered after a moment and Cas nodded.

“Some people are louder than others,” he admitted and Rose thought about that.  Before she could ask though Cas said, "But I'm not supposed to talk to you about that."  And he leaned back and closed his eyes.

Rose stared at him for a second then shook her head.  It certainly wasn't the oddest thing he'd said to her tonight.

She glanced at her phone, saw she didn't have a reply yet and put it on the table by Daisy's bed.  She leaned her head back, curled up and closed her eyes, hoping to catch a nap.  She'd slept this afternoon when her potion had kicked in but it had been a long day.  Hopefully by the time she woke up Dean would be back.  She was anxious to see him.  She wanted to reassure him that any doubts she had were gone, that she had just been scared, been stupid.  But now she knew he was right; they had to be together because any other option just wasn’t imaginable.

* * *

Lily stormed into the bunker, Charlie trailing behind her.  The last hour hadn't been fun.  Lily had been livid after her conversation with Sam.  She had yelled and fumed till Charlie suggested she let her drive.  That had gotten her a glare but Lily had pulled over at the next exit and switched places with her.  After that she'd vacillated between brooding and venting.  It had been a very long hour.

Lily passed right through the main part of the bunker, turning lights on as she went.  She didn't stop till she got to her room and there she flung her bag across the room with a loud, frustrated scream.  The bag slammed into the wall and dropped like a stone to the floor.  Next Lily pulled off her boots, throwing them in the same direction as her bag.  They made a sharp noise against the wall which she found quite satisfying.  If only that were Sam's head she thought viciously.  She’d tried to call him back immediately after he hung up on her (Hung up!  On her!  The very idea he did that made her blood boil.) but it had gone straight to voice mail.  The jerk had obviously turned his phone off.  That was fine; she would just save up all the things she wanted to say to him for when she saw him.  No way was he getting way without hearing them.  She stripped her clothes off and got in the shower, washing off the grime of the road and she tried to let the water soothe her, to calm her down but it didn’t help.  She got clean but she didn’t feel any better.  She got out, leaving her hair to air dry and padded barefoot into her room to pull clothes out.  That's when she noticed the dress laid across the bed.

She moved towards it, her fingers touching the fabric softly.  There was only one person this could be from and the gesture wasn't lost on Lily.  It was a small thing but it was nice and she needed that today.  She smiled, picked the dress up and held it to her a moment before hanging it carefully in the closet.  Then she pulled on black jeans and a plain black t-shirt and headed out to the kitchen in search of a drink.  If there was ever a day that called for alcohol this was it.

* * *

“You are so totally awesome!” Rose startled, the words echoing loudly in her head.  She looked around her in confusion till her brain finally caught onto the fact that she was in a kitchen.  Not just any kitchen – Her kitchen.  She was home, sitting at her kitchen counter and Daisy was perched on the counter itself.  She was in a typical Daisy outfit, (Overall shorts, white t-shirt with sparkly daisies all over it, blue ankle socks and blue quirky sneakers that someone – quite possible Daisy herself - had painted sparkly Daisies on.) her legs were swinging, her eyes were shining, her curls were bouncing – She looked as happy as Rose could remember her looking in a long time.

“I am?” Rose asked, giving herself a second to adjust.  She wondered if this was what Dean felt like when she had one of her telepathic dreams.  This was her kitchen, from the reminders of appointments on the refrigerator (All hopelessly out of date now.) to the bakers rack full of cookbooks covered in dust (Because who used cookbooks anymore?  Pinterest was her drug of choice when it came to recipes.) to the chalkboard on the wall covered with silly messages scribbled in various handwriting, a partial grocery list and crazy doodles left by Sam and Lily.  It was a slice of reality in a dream and that was just weird.

She let herself take her time looking around, soaking up the details and feeling that wonderful familiar sensation of being home wash over her. She inhaled and realized it even smelled right.  It smelled like home.

Daisy was quiet, giving her time to enjoy it.  When Rose finally dragged her eyes back to her Daisy just grinned.  “Nice to be home, huh?”  And Rose nodded and smiled. “And yeah, you are awesome.”

“OK why?” Rose asked, leaning back in her chair and pulling her feet up, getting comfortable.  This was usually Lily’s spot she realized and she felt an ache of sadness at missing her older sister.

“You got Cas to admit he likes being married to me,” Daisy explained, her eyes sparkling with delight.

“You didn’t know that?” Rose asked curiously.  That seemed a pretty important thing to know.

“Uh, no,” Daisy said, looking at Rose like she was an idiot.  “I didn’t know I was married till like, two weeks ago.”  Rose looked at her in surprise and Daisy’s face lit up when she realized she got to tell someone the whole story for once.  That so rarely happened for her.  This was a treat.

Rose took it all in as Daisy told her everything.  “I knew you were married, I knew why and that you weren’t originally aware of it but didn’t realize you didn’t know for so long.  Wow.”  She shook her head.  “Or that Dean was the one who accidently told you.”  She laughed and Daisy joined in.

“He was so horrified!”  Daisy giggled.  “And then he tried to cover it up which just made it worse.”

Once they’d stopped giggling Rose asked, "Ok but why didn't you know if Cas wanted to be married?  Days, haven't you guys discussed that?"

Daisy twirled a lock of her hair and shook her head.  "Why not?" Rose asked.

"I was afraid of what he'd say," Daisy admitted.

"I get that," Rose confessed, surprising Daisy.  "But hey now you know his answer."  She peered at her younger sister.  "So what's yours?"

"I think...well I mean I've only been married while I'm unconscious.  So it's not the best trial run is it?" Rose smiled at the odd truth there. "But I think...I think maybe I'd like to give it a try?"

"You have a crush on an angel, Days?" Rose teased and Daisy blushed and giggled.

"Maybe."

“You seem pretty happy to hear he wants to be married to you for someone who just wants to give it a try,” Rose pointed out and Daisy smiled shyly but said nothing else.  "You know how to jump in with both feet don't you?  I mean you've never had a serious boyfriend and now you're a married woman," Rose mused.

"I never even had a wedding," Daisy said with a pout and Rose patted her knee consolingly.

"You get back to consciousness and see how you like being married and we'll see what we can do about a wedding."

Daisy smiled happily then stared at Rose till she squirmed.  "What?"

"You seem better."

Rose shrugged.  "That kind of depends on when you're comparing me to.  Two months ago?  I'm a basket case.  Two weeks ago?  I'm worlds better."  Rose bit her thumb then met Daisy's eyes.  "I'm still a mess though."

"Well I've been told when someone's tortured and held hostage by a demon who wants them dead it can take a second to get over it," Daisy said dryly then shrugged.  "But hey, that's just what I hear."

Rose laughed in spite of herself.  "Brat," she said affectionately and Daisy grinned.  Rose sobered then and said:

“I had a horrible nightmare last night.  It seemed so real.”  She shook her head, the dream still so strong when she thought about it.  “I had a meltdown of epic proportions on Dean.”

"You and Dean are doing good thought right?" Daisy asked in concern.

Rose hesitated then said, "We're getting there.  We had a good week up until last night’s nightmare," she admitted.

"Don't mess that up, Rosie," Daisy said seriously.  "Just 'cause you think you're not your perfect saintly self right now.  You guys are my dream couple.  You gotta be good."

"Oh great, Days," Rose said with an eye roll.  "No pressure or anything."

It was Daisy's turn to shrug looking completely unrepentant.  "You know he has some really interesting dreams about you," she offered with an impish grin.

"And you know that how?" Rose asked.

"I can look through people's dreams," Daisy explained.  "I mean I'm still getting the hang of it but yeah, I can do that.”

Daisy explained the new facet of her powers and then grinned mischievously at her sister.  "You know how many of Dean's dreams you're in?  And wow, Rosie...I mean we're talking NC-17 rating."  Daisy fanned herself dramatically.

Rose blushed and smacked her knee.  "Cut it out."  But she was grinning too.

"Now the interesting question is how many of those were just dreams and how many were dreams of actual moments between you two?"

"None of your business,” Rose shot back playfully.  “Quit being nosy," she chided.

"Just a bit of advice?" Daisy said, unable to let it go.  "It's not just plaid shirts Dean likes.  You might want to see if you can't find a skirt of the schoolgirl variety somewhere."

"Daisy!  Cut it out!" But Rose was laughing and so was Daisy and it was nice to just have a normal moment with her sister.  Well as normal as being in a dream and carrying on a conversation could be.

"Do you miss home?" Daisy asked suddenly, catching Rose off guard and it took her a minute to answer.

"I miss my kitchen," Rose admitted then sighed.  "I miss how much safer life felt when we were here."

"Yeah, safe seems to be a distant memory," Daisy said and she sounded so much older than the giggling girl from a moment before that Rose looked at her sharply.

"What is it?"

"You gotta fix things with Lily," Daisy said softly, her eyes on the countertop, her fingers tracing invisible patterns.

"I know," Rose said on a sigh. "I hate us being upset with each other."

"She needs you too you know," Daisy said.

"I know that, Days," Rose said.  "Daisy, what is this about?"  This seemed like more than sisterly advice suddenly.

Daisy gave her an enigmatic smile.  "We've just all got our strengths and weaknesses, right?"

"Days, do you know something you're not telling me?" Rose demanded and Daisy's smile took on a tinge of sadness.

"Way too many things to list," she said softly, then cleared her throat and in a more normal voice she said, "This is really important though -  Tonight, don't let fear stop you, OK?  And don’t let anyone else either.  You need to go.  You're needed in more ways than one."

Rose frowned.  "Tonight?  I don't understand.  What happens tonight?"

Daisy smiled at her and Rose was suddenly aware that Daisy’s smile was much more sad than happy now.  Or maybe just tinged with so much worry that it drowned out the happiness.  Either way it wasn’t the normal Daisy smile.

"You should really answer your phone, Rosie," she said and with a gentle touch to Rose’s shoulder Rose found herself back in the hospital room with her phone ringing beside her.


	65. Silent Stars Blinking in the Blackness of an Endless Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So who's on the other end of the phone? And what's it mean for everyone involved?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentines Day, y'all! I rushed to get this out as a treat for someone special who really wanted to know what happened next. Hope you all had a great day and you enjoy the answer.

"Ain't no use trying to slow me down, 'Cause you're running with the fastest girl in town," rang out as Lily's name flashed up on Rose's phone.

"Lily?” Rose said in surprise as she picked her phone up.  They hadn’t talked since their blow up in the kitchen over a week ago.  Despite the fact that Rose had left the dress she bought for Lily on her bed Rose wasn’t expecting her to call her.

"When was the last time you heard from Dean?” Lily asked, not bothering with a greeting, her voice urgent.

“Um, let me check.  Hold on a sec.”  Rose pulled back to see if Dean had answered her text.  Nope, last time she heard from him was over two hours ago.

She reported that back to Lily and listened to her sister curse a blue streak that would make a bartender blush.

"What's going on?" Rose asked.

"I called Sam and his phone is going straight to voicemail."

"Maybe he's busy," Rose offered as Bobby sat up and looked at her, obviously catching on that something was up.

"It's been doing that for hours," Lily said, anxiety bleeding into her words.  "Something's wrong."

"Hold on a second," Rose said and putting her phone down she looked at Bobby.  "Lily can't get a hold of Sam.  Have you heard from him?" He shook his head and they both looked at Cas.

"I haven't heard from either of them since I left them," Cas offered.

Rose frowned.  So she was the last one to talk to either of them.  "Bobby can you call Garth?  See when he last heard from them?"

Bobby was already dialing and Rose picked her phone back up as she started shoving her magazine back into her bag.  "Bobby's contacting Garth and I'll be home in a few minutes."  Rose softened her tone.  "Don't worry, Lil, we'll figure this out."

* * *

A short time later Rose and Cas appeared in the bunker library to find a pacing Lily and a worried looking Charlie.

"She needs to know what phone Dean has with him," Lily said coming towards them immediately.

Rose walked to Charlie and gave her the number and Charlie immediately started searching for it.

“So Bobby talked to Garth,” Rose said.  She filled them in on what Garth had said, including the state the boys had found the hotel room in. 

Rose could feel the worry rolling off of Lily.  Angry or not she couldn’t stand to see her sister upset like this.  Unable to help herself Rose reached an arm out and looped it around Lily's waist, giving her a quick squeeze.  Surprised, Lily met her eyes and Rose gave her a reassuring smile.  After a seconds hesitation Lily reached out and squeezed her back.

"OK I found his phone but it's been in the same spot for at least an hour," Charlie said with a frown.

"That's not good," Rose said.

"Yeah, that's really not good," Lily echoed.  She looked at Cas who had stayed at Bobby's suggestion.  "You can get me there?"

Cas hesitated then said with a frown, "Yes but-"

"No buts," Lily said, "I'm going."

"No, _we're_ going," Rose said firmly drawing all eyes in the room to her.  At Rose’s words Cas went from looking slightly dismayed to highly alarmed.  This situation was obviously spinning out of his control. It was silent for a moment then Charlie spoke.

"Are you up for that?"

"Definitely," Rose said sounding way more certain than she felt.  At everyone's disbelieving stares Rose back pedaled a little.  "Look guys, I have these powers I hate so it would be kinda nice to you know, help for once?"

Lily nodded first, seeming OK with it.  Then Charlie nodded after a moment leaving only Cas looking unconvinced (And like he was severely regretting that Bobby had asked him to stay).

"Dean told me to keep you out of trouble," Cas said.  He was fairly certain Dean would categorize going to find him and Sam who were most likely in danger as trouble.

"This is on me, Cas," Rose said.  "Dean can blame me."  Cas looked like he was going to argue some more but Rose said, "Talk to Daisy," before turning away from him and pulling Lily aside.  She said something to her in a low voice the others couldn't hear and Lily responded with, "Good idea, I'll call her," and quickly walked off down the hall.

Rose immediately turned to Charlie but before she could even ask Charlie said, "They're fighting."

"Is it bad?"

"He told her she couldn't come anywhere near this case and hung up on her,” Charlie said. “She flipped."

Rose's eyes widened.  "Crap.  I was wondering why she wasn't with them.”  She thought about that a second. “That doesn't sound like Sam."

"Right?" Charlie agreed.  She hesitated then asked, "OK so seriously are you good for this?"

“Honestly?  I’m just worried about going out on a hunt period,” Rose admitted. “I’ve never done anything like that before.  But Lily’s a good hunter, she’s tough and either way, I kinda have to be.” She smiled at Charlie as she stood up.  "These are our boys."

Rose headed off to change, swapping her sneakers for combat boots (Which sounded a lot more hunterish if you didn’t notice they had purple roses all over them.  Rose certainly hadn’t bought them with any activity like this in mind but they were her sturdiest shoes and seemed right for this.) As it was nighttime and chilly she pulled a jacket on too - Dean's jacket actually.  She'd still had it from that day Sam had handed it for when they went out for that drive.  Dean made her feel safe, maybe his jacket would have a little of the same power.  Because dear God, she was scared.  She was trying not to show it but she was.  But scared or not, she was going.  She rolled the sleeves up then hugged it to her.  It still smelled like him.  "Please be OK," she prayed.

She went back to the library to find Cas gone and Lily back.

"He went to get Mom," Lily explained.  "She's gonna whip something up for us to take."  She studied Rose critically.  Her clothes apparently were up to snuff (Though the boots did get a raised eyebrow.) but her hair wasn’t.  "You need your hair back."  Rose went and quickly got a brush and rubber band and by the time she returned her mom was back with Cas.  Erin disappeared off into the basement of the bunker and Lily swiftly braided Rose’s hair for her.

Rose looked at Cas and he nodded, obviously having spoken to Daisy.  “Don’t worry, it’s not like you aren’t coming with us,” Rose said but Cas didn’t look comforted by that fact.  Rose turned to Lily then.

“OK so what do we need?  Do we take some certain weapons?”

“We’re dealing with werewolves’ right?” Rose nodded. “OK so we need silver.  I have some knives but silver bullets would be good.”

Rose smiled, realizing she could be of help here.  “Come with me.”  She led Lily down into the lower levels of the bunker, turning down hallways in a seemingly endless labyrinth.

“I found this when I was wandering one night,” Rose explained.

“How many rooms are there here?” Lily wondered aloud.

“No idea,” Rose said.  “I found more little office rooms than you can imagine, countless supply closets.  The place is huge.”  Rose stopped at a door and opened it with a flourish saying, “But this is actually useful.”

Lily’s eyes lit up at the sight of all the weapons, all neatly categorized and labeled.  “Jesus, Rose you hit the mother lode.” 

Rose smiled pleased she was able to help.  Lily looked around, quickly sorting what they would need and shoving it in her bag.  Rose looked her over and smiled.  She wasn’t the only one who’d changed clothes.  Lily had put on boots (Sans roses) and had slipped on a jacket as well.  And that’s wasn’t her jacket either.

“Nice jacket,” she said, going to a neatly labeled chest of drawers that held ammunition.

Lily glanced down at the jacket, the one Sam had given her to wear when she went to work the case in Iowa.  “I’m going to save his dumb ass, I might as well wear his coat,” she said finally.

“Wanna talk about it?” Rose offered casually as she found the silver bullets and took a whole box, shoving it in the small bag she had slung over her shoulder.

“Maybe later,” Lily said, giving a Rose a small smile in thanks.  They weren’t OK, not by a long shot but they weren’t screaming at each other and that was something.  Lily paused, her fingers on a neatly labeled shelf chock full of different kinds of knives.  "I wonder if either of the boys even know this is here.  This isn't Sam's handwriting."

“Maybe not?” Rose glanced over.  "It's not Dean's either."

“Leave it to you to find a room the boys don’t even know exists,” Lily murmured.

Rose gravitated over to a display of guns, pulling out a smaller one.  She’d used this type when Dean was teaching her to shoot and was comfortable with it.  She quickly loaded it with the silver bullets then glanced at Lily. She figured now was as good a time to say something as any.

“So um, I’ve never done anything like this before,” she said nervously.  “Anything I need to know?”

“Be quiet when we’re out there, move quietly, speak quietly. Follow me and you’ll be OK,” Lily said, in a confident voice.  She glanced at Rose, seeing the nervousness on her face.  “You know, if you don’t want to come you don’t have to.  Cas is gonna take me and I’m sure I can handle it.”  She offered Rose a smile that never reached her eyes.  “We’ll probably show up and they’ll be kicking back, drunk off their asses and just forgot to call anyone.”

Rose smiled at her sister, grateful for the offer.  “No they won’t be and no I can’t.  But thanks.”  If Daisy had said nothing Rose would still be going.  She needed Dean back safely.  She needed to do this.  “I need to go, Lily.  I’m just nervous.”

“You’ll be fine,” Lily reassured her.  “You can shoot that, right?  You didn't just choose it because it was pretty?”  Rose glanced down at the gun in question.  It _was_ pretty for a gun, with a pretty pearl blue handle.  But Rose had chosen it because it was a model she was comfortable with.  She nodded.  “Then you’re good.”  Rose glanced at her older sister and wished, not for the first time, that she could have just half the confidence Lily seemed to have such a large supply of.

Lily was almost done when she spotted a sword.  A silver sword.   And Rose rolled her eyes at the way Lily’s eyes lit up at that.  “Oh yes!”

“Don’t you think that’s a bit of overkill?” Rose offered and Lily shook her head.

“Oh no, I’d say it’s just about right.”

So Rose and Lily headed back upstairs to find their mother waiting for them with Charlie and Cas.  Erin raised an eyebrow at the sight of the sword in her oldest daughters hands.

“A sword?  Really Lily?”  Lily just shrugged and Erin shook her head.  She got up and handed Lily a small pouch.  “If you’re right-“

“If Rose is right,” Lily interrupted.  “This was her theory.”

“Hey guys, care to share?” Charlie interjected.

“Rose said you couldn’t find Andie, right?” Lily said glancing at Cas who nodded.

“They think it could be because wherever she is there’s warding,” Erin offered.  “If that’s the case then that,” she pointed to the pouch, “Will take care of it.”

“Oh good thinking,” Charlie said as Lily shoved the pouch into her bag.

Erin turned her eyes towards Rose.  “Are you really OK for this?” she asked and Rose made herself not roll her eyes.  She knew everyone had reason to be concerned.  So she just nodded.  Erin came to her and hugged her.  “Be careful, please.”

“I will, Mom,” Rose promised, returning the hug.  Erin hugged Lily then and made her promise to be careful as well.  Charlie came over and hugged both girls (And Cas much to his bemusement.) and Lily muttered that there was never this much hugging when Sam and Dean went to rescue someone.

And then there was nothing left to do but take a breath and stand by Cas, who placed his hands on their shoulders and a second later they were standing at the edge of a deep woods.

* * *

Hours earlier before Dean ever received Rose’s text he and Sam were in the car headed towards a local bar where they were going to meet up with Garth.  He was going to have some members of the pack check out the hotel where Cooper and Andie had been, see if they could catch a scent of the wolves who had been there and maybe figure out where they were headed.  Dean had told Sam the plan once they got in the car and Sam had just nodded.  He hadn’t said a word since.

Dean was glancing at his brother uneasily out of the corner of his eye.  He was supposed to be the hotheaded one, the one who acted rashly and went with emotions over facts.  That was his role.  Sam was generally more measured, better at weighing the facts and keeping his feelings in check.  Dean wasn’t sure what was going on here exactly, if this was just Sam freaking out about Lily possibly getting hurt or if something else was at play here.  He’d had no problem with Lily hunting with Dean for all the time Rose was so bad.  They’d been in dangerous situation then and while Sam had seemed concerned he hadn’t been this over the top freaked out.

Dean sighed.  And of course Sam wasn’t going to share without some prodding.  For a guy who could ramble to put Daisy to shame Sam could lockdown tight at times, especially when something was going on with him.  So Dean was going to have to nudge him.

“Hey Sam?” Sam glanced at him, turning his eyes away from the window.  “What was that all about with Lily?”

Sam frowned.  “Fucking werewolves, man.  You saw what they did to those people in the hotel room.  I don’t want her anywhere near that.”

“OK I get that, I mean obviously hunting in general is a pretty dangerous gig-”

“Yeah, but werewolves, they’re savages, monsters,” Sam interrupted.  “They can…you saw that woman.  She was ripped apart.”

“Garth is a monster? Cooper?  Bess is a savage?”  Dean shot back, unable to believe what he was hearing.  He and Sam seemed to have swapped rolls here.  Sam was usually the shades of grey guy, who was constantly pointing out to Dean that you couldn’t paint a group of people with the same brush.

“Well no but they’re the exceptions to the rule,” Sam said, running a hand through his hair.  Dean saw his hand tremble slightly and it hit him that whatever was going on here Sam was legitimately scared.  "I just…I don’t want Lily anywhere around them.”

“Sam, you know Lily can handle herself,” Dean said in a gentler tone.  “She had my back all last month, did a damn fine job of it too.  She’s badass, man you know that.”

Sam didn’t respond beyond nodding and saying, “I know,” in a quiet voice that told Dean little if nothing about what was going on in his head.

“You know she’s gonna beat the shit out of you for this,” Dean offered and Sam just gave him a weird smile.

“Yeah, but she’ll be alive to do it.”

Dean just shook his head, having no idea what was going on with him.  A gas station appeared on the horizon and Dean eased the piece of junk car in there to fill the tank up.  Sam headed inside and Dean’s was just finishing topping off the tank when his phone rang.  He picked it up immediately when he saw the name on the display.

“Cooper!  Where the fuck are you, kid?  You got me and Sam not to mention Garth and about a dozen werewolves out looking for you.”

“Dean, oh God, this is so bad,” Cooper said urgently, his voice panic filled.  “You should go home.  Take Sam and go back.  You shouldn’t be here.”

“Coop, what the hell are you talking about?” Dean asked.  “Sending me home ain’t gonna stop me from kicking your ass for this idiotic stunt.”

“You need to leave,” Cooper hissed and it hit Dean suddenly that he sounded close to tears. “Please.  While you can.  Just go.”

“Coop, what’s going on?” Dean asked his voice concerned now. “Come on kid, whatever it is we can fix it.  Tell me where you are and I’ll be there.”

Dean could practically hear Cooper hesitating.  Despite his brave words he was obviously terrified.  “Maybe if you could come get, Andie…But you gotta be careful. They’d love to-” Cooper let out a sudden sharp yelp and the phone went dead in Dean’s hand.

“Shit, Sam!”  Dean was running for the store, yelling for Sam and then they were in the car, driving and following the signal from Cooper’s phone.  They were close to it, less than a mile when the car Dean had complained about so much chose to live up to his expectations.  It gave a sad pitiful cough, the lights flickered and then the engine completely died.

“No!” Dean hit the steering wheel in frustration.  “Seriously?  This is happening now?”

“We’re close, Dean.  Don’t worry,” Sam assured him.  The brothers got out of the car, Dean calling it several names and kicking the tires in frustration, loaded up what they thought they’d need and headed into the woods, following the signal.

* * *

“OK so Charlie said the signal was this direction so we need to head through the woods,” Lily said.

Of course we do, Rose thought.  Because where else would scary werewolves be but in the woods?  She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.  God, she was really doing this.  She, Rose, who wasn’t a big fan of the dark and hadn’t ever been in a fist fight in her life was going to walk into the woods at night and confront werewolves.  She really must have lost her mind.  She felt a hand on her back and looked up to find Cas looking at her in concern.  She straightened up, giving him what she hoped was a brave smile and then glanced at the car parked at the side of the road and something drew her towards it.  She peered in the windows and waved Lily over excitedly.

“This is the car they were driving, I think,” she said to her sister.

“This piece of junk?” Lily said dismissively and Rose had to smile.

“Yeah, Garth loaned it to them and Dean was disgusted,” Rose said.

“I can see why.”  Lily peered inside and nodded her head.  “It’s the right car.  That’s Sam’s hoodie,” she said, motioning to a green hoodie tossed over the seat.”  It just looked like a generic green hoodie to Rose but she took Lily’s word for it.  She’d know Dean’s clothes on sight.  Lily straightened then.  “OK so we know we’re definitely on the right track.”

Rose texted Charlie, quickly letting her know what they’d found.  She’d promised to keep Charlie up to date as much as possible.  She got a thumbs up back and slipped her phone in one of the big pockets on Dean’s coat.  No wonder guys didn’t need purses.  Their coats and shirts seemed to have a lot more spaces for carrying things.

Lily started walking and Rose trailed behind but Lily stopped after a minute and made Rose go ahead, wanting to keep a watch nothing was sneaking up on them.  The woods were still, save for the sounds of the night creatures.  It was cloudy and drizzling rain, the clouds hiding the moon and stars and making for a darker than usual night.

“So you’re better?” Lily asked quietly as they trudged along.

“I’m working on it,” Rose said, the best answer she could honestly give and Lily just nodded.

Another few minutes passed in silence, Cas walking quietly ahead of them, keeping a look out.

“He told me not to come,” Lily said abruptly and Rose glanced at her in surprise.  When Lily had said she’d talk about it later Rose wasn’t sure if she really meant it or not.  She hadn’t expected it to happen now that was for sure.

“Didn’t he say you could meet them once you and Charlie got back?” Rose asked and Lily nodded her head sharply.

“He did.  Then I called him and he just…told me no, I couldn’t come.”  Lily’s voice was full of so many emotions – anger, hurt, and also a large amount of confusion.   It wasn’t like Sam had ever _not_ known Lily as a hunter.  He’d always seemed to like that she was tough and able to handle herself.  Sam’s change of attitude was confusing.

“I’m sorry, Lil.  That’s…well it’s just weird,” Rose offered.

“Yeah,” Lily said, batting a low hanging branch out of the way.  “Men as a whole are just idiots.”

“Maybe he panicked,” Rose offered, easing around a fallen log.  “Maybe he saw something that freaked him out and he just reacted badly.”

“Hmm,” Lily said noncommittally.  Her lack of reaction to that told Rose a lot.  She wasn’t ranting, wasn’t going off on a tirade.  She was past mad.  This wasn’t something she was going to get over quickly.  Sam had dug himself a hole he was going to struggle to get out of.

“So what are the chances that Dean isn’t gonna lose his shit at you being out here?” Lily asked with a small grin.

“Non existent,” Rose answered immediately.

“And that doesn’t bother you?” Lily asked curiously.

Rose shrugged.  “It’s Dean.  He’s always been this way with me.  I’m used to it.”  Rose paused, skirting around a pile of dead leaves and something else she didn’t want to look at too closely.  “I’d be confused if he wasn’t that way.”

Lily glanced back at her and Rose could see the genuine confusion on her face.  “I don’t get it,” she admitted finally.  “But I’ve never understood that about you guys.”

Rose shrugged, knowing there was a lot Lily wouldn’t get about her and Dean.  For all her open mindedness when it came to so many topics on certain ones Lily could be extremely narrow minded.  Relationships were one of them.  Rose knew they’d have this conversation again because it would continue to confuse and baffle Lily.  Something’s just didn’t change.  Rose could easily admit she would have found a relationship like Sam and Lily had really unsatisfying but present moment aside it seemed to work for them.  People were different, they needed different things.  She liked Dean’s possessiveness, liked knowing they belonged to each other and that was given, general knowledge.  Instead of finding it stifling like Lily seemed to imagine it she found it comforting.  A million things could change in the world and she would still belong to Dean and he would still belong to her.  Some things should be certain in life.

Cas stopped abruptly and Rose and Lily followed his lead.

“There’s human blood here,” he said, looking down at the ground.  The girls both peered over his shoulder to see a small, dark pool as Cas’ eyes scanned ahead.  “Stop,” he said suddenly when Lily moved to walk past him.  The girls watched as he made his way smoothly to a large bush ahead and leaned down.  He picked up a stick and casually tossed it down towards the bush, producing a loud, snapping noise.

“What the hell-” Lily stopped short when Cas pulled a large animal trap from the bush.  It had been close to the edge and would have been hard to see in the dark but very easy to step on.

“Stay here,” Cas commanded.  “I’ll check ahead for more of these.”  And before either of them could answer he was gone.

* * *

Dean had woken up not long before Lily and Rose found their car.  Flames of agony were shooting up his leg and when he opened his eyes he wished he were still unconscious.  He glanced around dazedly, trying to remember what had happened.  He tried to move his arms, found he couldn’t and when his eyes found the face of the young girl next to him it all came flooding back.

He and Sam had been making their way through the woods, keeping quiet, the signal on Cooper’s phone still leading them.  Dean figured they must be getting close now.  He’d taken a step into a clearing and in an instant a pair of metal teeth were snapping shut and biting into his leg.  He screamed, falling to the ground in agony and as Sam went to help him a monster of a man descended on him.  Dean must have blacked out because the next thing he knew was agonizing pain as someone pried the trap off his leg.

“I told you that you should have left it,” a female voice said and a young male voice Dean knew well responded defensively,

“It was hurting him.  I had to take it off.”

“Coop?” Dean asked, opening his eyes.  “Is that you?”  He glanced to the side seeing a young female face he felt sure he should know but he couldn’t place her.

Cooper appeared in front of him then, his face a mask of fear.  “I told you not to come!” he said.  “I warned you to stay away.”

“Couldn’t do that, man.”  Dean opened his eyes wider and in the distance saw Sam unconscious and tied to a post.  They were in some kind of big, empty building, a barn Dean realized from the smell of hay and animals.  “Where are we?”

Cooper was ripping up fabric now, his quick hand movements expressing his desperation.  “I gotta put this on your leg, stop the bleeding.”

Dean looked at Cooper closely.  “ _You’re_ bleeding,” he pointed out.  There was a deep cut above Cooper’s eye that was dripping blood even now.  Cooper didn’t respond, just reached down, warning Dean this would hurt, and tied the strips tightly on Dean’s leg.  The pain was too much and blackness overtook Dean again.

“You’re Andie,” he said now, the name coming to him easily this time.  “Are you OK?”  The blond nodded.

“And you’re Dean,” she said, in a soft voice.  “Cooper was fairly sure you were gonna rescue us.  I mean once he figured out we were gonna need rescuing.”

Dean grimaced.  “Yeah, sorry about that.  I promise it was the plan.”  They’d fucked that up all right.  He glanced around.  Sam was still out, tied, no cuffed to a post with his arms pulled behind him.  Fuck, cuffs were harder to get out of than rope.  Unless Dean could manage to find something to use to pick the lock…He felt around as much as possible in his position and came up empty. “Where’s Cooper at now?” Dean asked, not seeing him anywhere.

“They keep taking him outside, wanting him to run with them and howl at the moon or some shit,” Andie said with an eye roll.

“How long you been here, Andie?” Dean asked, liking her sassy attitude.

“A few hours, maybe longer?  We just wanted some time alone.  We were at this hotel and…well, you know,” A deep stain turned her cheeks red and Dean smiled at her, trying to put her at ease.  Oh he knew.  That was how this whole mess had started in the first place.  “Then all of the sudden there’s these people banging on the door.  And they know Cooper and they’re talking to him and sounding real scary.”  Andie swallowed hard and Dean felt for the kid.  Being a horny teenager shouldn't wind you up in this situation. "They flipped out and…and there was a maid making her rounds and one of them grabbed her and pulled her into the room….and they…” She shook her head, cutting herself off.  “One of them hit me, to shut me up when I screamed.” That explained the bruise on the side of her face, Dean thought. “The guy in the room next door must have heard me.  He came knocking on the door and they…they killed him too.”  She shivered.  “They made us come with them, made us come out here and they started telling Cooper he needed to get in touch with his animal side, said Garth and Bess had made him soft.”  She looked at Dean with big, scared eyes.  “They want him to bite me and make me into one of them.”

“That’s never gonna happen, sweetheart,” Dean assured her in a confident voice.

“Cooper told them to go to hell and they got pissed off and hit him.  Hard.  He was out for awhile.  That’s how he was able to call you and why he was here when they brought you two in.”  Andie looked at him and he could see how scared she was now.  Sassy or not dealing with bloodthirsty werewolves was a bit much to ask of any teenager.  “They know he’s friends with you and that you’re hunters.”  God, Cooper really had told her everything.  “I think,” Andie licked her lips nervously.  “I think they want him to kill you guys.”

“Oh well that’s just peachy,” Dean muttered.  “What’s the deal with the traps?” he asked, glancing down at his leg.  There were deep gauges from the teeth and Dean didn’t figure trying to move anytime soon was going to work; he was fairly certain he had at least one broken bone.

“Security,” Andie said.  “Makes it harder for people to sneak up on them.  There’s only a few of them, maybe five?”

“OK,” Dean turned that over in his head.  Maybe if he could get to his phone….except they probably took it.  “Did they take my phone?” Andie nodded.  “Shit.  Of course they did.”  Sam let out a moan then and Dean perked up at that.  Two minds were better than one.  It took Sam a few minutes to fully come around then he was looking around and meeting Dean’s eyes.

“Where the hell are we?”

“Well Sammy, we’re in a barn that some lovely werewolf friends of Cooper have stashed us in,” Dean said in a jovial tone. “This here is Andie, Cooper’s girlfriend and Cooper is out being pressured to become part of Wild Kingdom.”  He glanced at Andie then looked back at Sam.  “So we’re just working out a plan to get us all out of here.”  Dean paused then added, “Did I mention my leg is hurting like a mother from that damn trap?”

Sam took that all in, nodded at Andie then went back to looking around the barn.  He stopped suddenly and sucked in a breath.  “Dean, did you by chance notice the markings?”

Dean hadn’t but he did now, glancing around.  “Are those-”

Yeah,” Sam nodded.  “Angel warding.”

“Shit,” Dean said.  “Since when do werewolves ward against angels?”

“Since we knew the hunters young Cooper was so tight with had an angel at their beck and call,” a female voice drawled.  Dean and Sam looked up to see a dark haired female coming through a door to Sam’s right.  Behind her three huge men followed, Cooper being roughly led by one of them.

“Aw, it’s always nice to hear we’re known,” Dean drawled back at her.  His mind was working, trying to come up with a plan.  There had to be a way out of this.

The man leading Cooper pushed him savagely towards Andie and Cooper hit the dirt hard.  He was bloody and bruised and looked in turn at Dean and then Andie sorrowfully.

“So Cooper, feeling anymore agreeable now?” the female asked.  Cooper shook his head and she tsked in disappointment at him.  “Aw, sweet boy you’ve got to get with the program.” She walked towards him and leaned down to grasp his face.  “I’m all about patience but there is a limit.”  She glanced back over her shoulder at one of the bigger guys.  “Lock him back up.”  The man sprang to action instantly, cuffing Cooper to the same post as Andie.  These cuffs were different, Dean noted, with what looked like spell work engraved on them.  The female caught him looking and smiled proudly.

“I see you caught sight of my handiwork.  Those are special cuffs, made just for our boy Cooper here.”  She trailed a hand over his head then patted him like a dog before walking away.  “I know how stubborn teenagers can be but don’t worry, Cooper, I’m not giving up on you.”

Cooper ignored her and leaned his head against Andie’s.  “I’m so sorry,” Dean heard him whisper to her.  Andie buried her head against his shoulder and the female wolf laughed.  “Aw, see that’s sweet.  She’ll make a good mate, Cooper.”

Cooper raised his head and glared at her, his eyes glinting angrily.  “I’m not turning her!  Not ever!”

“Well I guess we’ll just see about that.”  Her face was calm but her eyes were glittering dangerously as she walked towards Dean.  “Because see your friend over here, he’s losing blood pretty fast, even with your makeshift tourniquet.”  She nudged Dean’s leg none too gently with the toe of her boot and Dean nearly bit through his lip to keep from howling.  “That keeps up pretty soon he’ll die without any help from us.”  She paused, placing a finger to her lips thoughtfully.  “And before that happens, maybe I’ll decide to just have myself a little bite.” She looked Dean over appraisingly.  “He’s strong. He’d make a good werewolf.”  Dean glared back at her.  “And maybe he won’t be as determined as you, Cooper.  He’s a hunter and they’re used to killing.  Maybe the bloodlust will be enough to get him to kill all of y’all.  Maybe we’ll just see.”

She walked away with a laugh and Dean closed his eyes.  In a minute he’d be positive, he’d come up with a plan.  But right now he didn’t even have the beginnings of one.

* * *

“Right, so here’s the plan.”

Cas had came back with a pile of traps he’s disarmed, dropping them in a heap.  He’d found an old barn, obviously powerfully warded from the waves he could feel coming off of it.  Lily could use the spell her mom gave her but only once they were inside where the actual warding was.   Cas had come across one wolf as well, obviously on watch and had taken him out but they had no way of knowing how many were inside.

Rose looked at her older sister as she laid out what seemed like a simple if borderline insane plan.  And it all started with Rose.

* * *

As waves of pain shot up Dean’s leg and the werewolves were congregating and laughing in a far corner Dean thought what an idiot he was.  There were things he should have done with Rose, things he should have said.  And now, the way things were looking he never would get the chance.

Snap out of it, Dean!  He told himself.  You are getting out of here because you are Dean Winchester and your little brother and these two teenagers you’ve somehow become responsible for are here and need saving.  And mostly because you have finally got the girl you’ve waited fucking forever for.  You haven’t touched her enough, haven’t had her smile at you enough, haven’t woken up next to her nearly enough times for this to be lights out.  She’s waiting for you and the two of you have a conversation to finish.  So just figure this the fuck out!

A loud knock sounded on the barn door just then, interrupting Dean’s internal pep talk and stopping everyone else too.  The werewolves all glanced at the door in confusion and after a second the female nodded to one of the men to check it out.  He was big and burly and lumbered toward the door where another knock was sounding.  Whoever was out there was obviously impatient.

The wolf creaked the door open and Dean couldn’t see who it was.  But he heard her and for just a second he thought he must be hallucinating.  Or dying.  Or both.  But from the look on Sam’s face he heard her too.

“Hi!” an innocent sugar sweet, female voice chirped.  “I think I’ve gotten myself so lost and was hoping you could help me.  Am I really far away from the nearest Starbucks?”


	66. Faster Than the Wind, Passionate as Sin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who runs the world?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A large portion of this chapter was written on a plane. Who knew air travel was so conducive to writing?

The man at the door was very obviously confused by Rose’s words.  He blinked at her slowly then he started to snarl.  Before Dean could take a breath a hand with long red fingernails that Sam knew very well was reaching in and grabbing the werewolf by his shirt.  Rose jumped nimbly out of the way and the wolf was hauled brusquely out the door.  A loud “oof” left his lips as he was unceremoniously dumped to the ground and seconds later a bright light flared up.

Before the werewolves who were in the barn could move two figures were walking into the room.  Sam blinked, glanced at Dean in surprise then his eyes went back to the two women in front of him.  Dean felt warring emotions – Of fear and anger - What the hell was Rose doing here?  This was dangerous, these wolves were vicious.  She wasn’t meant for situations like this.  – And pride – They were never going to see her as a threat.  She looked too sweet and nice and they were going to underestimate her.

Lily took quick stock of the room, taking in the boys and the two bound teenagers and focused instead on the threat – the werewolves.  Rose for her part kept her eyes on the werewolves and on her sister, never letting her eyes wander.

“Oh what do we have here?  Hunters come to play?" the female wolf sneered, getting her footing back.  The girls had obviously taken her by surprise and she was trying to gain back the upper hand.  Good luck with that, Dean thought with a small grin.  He and Sam had been trying that their whole lives.  She studied the two women as she moved towards them.  “Now you are clearly a hunter," the female said glancing at Lily.  "But this one," she eyed Rose curiously.  "You look more like you should be selling Girl Scout cookies."

“Hey!” Rose protested and Dean had to fight another grin.  She sounded so offended by the werewolves’ comments.

“You wish that’s all we were,” Lily sneered and Dean noticed for the first time the sword in her hand.  He glanced at Sam.

“A sword?” he whispered.  “She brought a fucking sword?”  Sam just shrugged.

“Oh really?” the wolf said, stalking towards Lily and Rose.  “You’re smart whatever you are, I'll give you that.”  She sniffed the air.  “I can’t smell you.  So maybe you’re just crafty.  Or witchy?”  Lily just shrugged noncommittally.  “So what pray tell are you exactly?  I’d like to know before I kill you.”

“More than you could ever imagine,” Lily said.  Then she glanced at Rose quickly and nodded her head to the smaller werewolf.  “Him,” she said softly, then launched herself at the larger male.

Rose looked at the werewolf Lily had pointed her to and Dean could sense the nervousness in her.  The wolf started to stalk towards her; a hungry grin on his face obviously thinking Rose was easy pickings.  He stopped abruptly as if coming up against an invisible wall.  He looked hopelessly confused, even more so when Rose calmly pulled a gun out and shot him without hesitation.  A silver bullet buried itself into his skull and he fell in a heap to the floor.  That was a change, Dean thought, from the girl who closed her eyes when she shot at a paper target and could hardly get on the paper.  Rose stared at his body for a moment, her eyes lingering on the bullet wound then she shook herself and turned to face her sister.

Lily was busy fighting off the larger male and the female at the same time and it was a tough fight though Lily was holding her own.  Sam was looking on anxiously and as the female landed a vicious kick to Lily’s kidneys he glanced at Rose.  She was breathing deeply and Dean watched her with concern.  Then suddenly both werewolves were pulled off of Lily, thrown across the room and pinned to opposite walls.

“Want one?” Rose offered casually once Lily had caught her breath and Lily flashed her a grin and nodded towards the male.

Dean had the sudden realization that if Rose had been trained as a hunter she and Lily could have made a formidable team.  They were so attuned to each other that this came naturally to them.  Lily looked as suited to this as Rose looked out of place but they were working as a unit and he had to admit, it was impressive to watch them together.

Rose let Lily's chosen wolf go and Lily went at him ferociously.  She got a good aim this time and in one fell swoop decapitated him neatly.

Rose meanwhile was still holding the female against the wall.

“Are you a witch?” the wolf asked looking her over and Rose shook her head.  These females had ruined everything and while a hunter like the other girl she could understand, the helpless looking female in front of her made no sense.

“Then what are you?” she asked, wanting desperately to know.

Rose smiled at her as she raised her gun.  "I’m just Rose,” she said, then aimed her gun again taking the female out and letting her drop to the ground.

Dean, an amazingly large proud grin on his face, leaned over as far as he could towards Cooper and Andie who had watched everything with wide eyes.

“Those would be our girlfriends,” he said proudly.

* * *

Sudden silence fell in the barn as Lily and Rose stood surrounded by the bodies of the three werewolves.

“Wow,” Rose said suddenly drawing all eyes to her.  “Is hunting always this easy?”

“No!” Dean, Sam and Lily all answered in unison and Rose immediately looked chagrined.  She glanced towards Dean for the first time since entering the barn and her eyes widened in alarm when she saw his leg.  “Oh God, you’re hurt!”  She started towards him and stopped suddenly, the color draining from her face.

Lily was walking towards Rose and franticly digging something out of her jeans pocket.  “Here, Rose you gotta take-” Before Lily could finish every piece of equipment in the barn that wasn’t nailed down was suddenly up in the air and then crashing down again.  Rose’ eyes had gotten huge and as Dean watched panic swept across her face.  She swiped at her face and he was alarmed to see a trail of blood coming from her nose.

She’d been doing so well.  Rose had fought and kept her powers from overwhelming her when they’d been fighting the werewolves.  She could feel them pushing, pressing, wanting to be let completely loose.  But now they were rushing over her, all control lost and she could see blackness start to sweep in the corners of her eyes.  She looked at Lily in alarm.

“I’m gonna faint now,” she said and without any more preamble she dropped like a stone.  Only Lily’s quick reactions kept her from hitting the ground.

“Damn it, Rose,” Lily muttered, dragging her towards Dean.  “I need to get your potion in you.”

She laid Rose so she was leaning against Dean’s lap, her touch gentle despite her words.  "Mom said this would probably happen.  Here, watch your girlfriend till I can get things sorted out,” she threw at Dean and then she was stalking to the center of the room.

She pulled a small pouch from her pocket and a small orb from that.  “Postea egressus est,” she recited then threw the orb at the ground.  It exploded and the wards on the walls disappeared before their eyes.  In the next breath Cas was there, standing next to Lily and sweeping the room with his gaze.  Cooper and Andie watched all this happen with huge eyes, not saying a word. Dean had to figure they were getting a lot more from their little escapade than they had figured on.  Lily looked at Cas, handed him something and nodded towards Dean. “He’s hurt.  And you need to wake Rose’s ass up.”  Then she stalked over towards the bodies of the werewolves and started looking through their pockets.   She was in hunter mode; Dean was used to it from the month hunting with her recently but he supposed she probably seemed cold and harsh to someone not used to it.  Maybe he did too when he was hunting.

Cas made his way over to Dean and Rose.  Dean’s eyes were locked on Rose’s face but he glanced up at Cas when he got there.  “What the hell is Rose doing here?” he asked accusingly.  “You were supposed to keep her out of trouble.”  The fear and anger had overruled the pride he felt the second Rose had passed out.

Cas sighed.  He’d known Dean would react like this.  “That is easier said than done, Dean.”  Dean glared at him and Cas tried another tact.  “If she were in danger would you sit at home?”

“Of course not,” Dean said angrily.  “What kind of dumb ass question is that?”

“She appeared to feel the same,” Cas said calmly.  He watched as Dean thought that over and went to heal him but Dean stopped him.

“Her first,” he said, jerking his head towards Rose.

Cas couldn’t contain his sigh of frustration.  If one more person argued with him when it came to healing them he was tempted to tell them they could just go to a hospital.  Still, he didn’t.  He placed a hand on Rose’s forehead and she opened her eyes with a gasp.  She sat up and Dean was happy to see the blood was gone and the color was back in her face.

“I can’t fix the problem,” Cas said looking at Rose.  “But that should help for awhile.”

Rose smiled at him gratefully.  “Thanks for trying,” she said and Cas nodded.  They seemed more comfortable with each other Dean noted, wondering what he’d missed.

Cas handed Rose the small vial Lily had given him and she drank it down.  Instantly she felt the walls that held her powers in fly back up and she drew a sigh of relief.  She closed her eyes for a second; getting her equilibrium back then as soon as she opened them she turned her eyes to Dean.  “Sorry about that,” she said, with a rueful grin.  “Kinda ruint the whole hero bit, huh?”  Her eyes focused in on his leg.  “Are you OK?”

Cas reached a hand out and touched Dean’s forehead and a second later his leg was good as new.  “I am now,” Dean said with a deep breath.  He looked at Rose, his eyes scanning her face.  “Are you?”

Rose smiled.  “I’m fine.”  She moved closer to him, touching his face lightly.

“You promise?” Dean asked anxiously, leaning his face into her hand.  He was still cuffed and couldn’t touch her which was killing him.

“As good as new,” she said.  “Actually whatever Cas did worked wonders.  I feel great.”

“Hey Cas,” Dean said, watching him about to heal Cooper.  “You gotta hold off on that.”  They were gonna have to explain something to the cops that Andie’s parents had called.  As much as he hated it the bruises were needed.  They'd sell their story.  Cas nodded and moved onto Sam who by all appearance was fine.  Dean couldn’t help but notice that Lily hadn’t come near to Sam yet and while his eyes had followed her the whole time Lily hadn't glanced at him once since her first sweep of the room.  Dean was equal parts curious and anxious about what was going to happen once she did.

Lily was behind Dean with the key to his cuffs suddenly and he was happy to be free a moment later.  The first thing he did was drag Rose onto his lap and hold her against him.  He buried his face against her neck and willed his heart to stop beating so fast.  Rose smoothed her hands over his back, smiling at Cooper and Andie over his shoulder.  The teenagers were looking at her in awe, like she was some kind of super hero and they turned the same look on Lily when she came to free them.

“I’m fine,” Rose murmured in Dean’s ear.  “Not a scratch on me.”  Dean wrapped his arms around her even tighter and Rose just let him hold her, continuing to reassure him she was OK.

"Don't do that again," Dean said, his voice urgent, his emotions spilling over.  Proud or not, hot or not she could have been hurt.  That was the bottom line for Dean.  It wasn't worth the risk.  Rose said nothing in return and Dean was too happy to have her safe in his arms to notice. “You could have been hurt, could have been killed.  You can’t take chances like that, Rosie.”

Rose felt tears spring to her eyes and her heart clutch at the sound of the nickname she’d taken for granted for so long.  Pulling back Dean smoothed her hair back behind her ears then stopped, seeing the look in her eyes.  “What?”

“You called me Rosie,” she said softly, glancing up at him. “You haven’t done that for a long time.”

Dean considered that a minute.  He hadn’t consciously stopped calling her that.  It had just slipped away when so many barriers were up between them.  He smiled at her softly now.  “Yeah, I guess I did.”

“I missed that,” Rose admitted and Dean pulled her back into a tight embrace.

“Me too,” he admitted hoarsely, running a gentle hand over her hair.  He’d missed so much, they both had and that wasn’t going to happen again, not anymore.

Sam had watched Lily make her way around the room, freeing Dean and the teenagers before slowly making her way to him.  She didn’t say anything when she got to him, just released him from the cuffs and stood in front of him as he got to his feet.

“You’re OK?” she asked finally, watching him rub his wrists and rotate his shoulders which were sore from being restrained.  “No injuries?”

“None at all,” Sam said, trying to catch her eye.  She was expertly avoiding his eyes and he finally sighed and asked, “You ever gonna look at me?” 

She did then but her eyes were shuttered, not giving anything away and Sam winced at that.  He wanted to hold her much like Dean was holding Rose, to reassure himself that she was OK but her body language was telling him that would be a very bad idea. "Are you all right?" He ventured and got a nod in reply. He’d expected her to yell at him, maybe even punch him.  But she was giving him no reaction whatsoever.  Sam wanted her to understand, to get why he'd acted as he had, why he’d tried to keep her away.  The only problem was he wasn’t sure he understood completely himself.  The panic and fear he’d felt at Lily coming here was unlike anything he’d ever felt. “Dean’s leg was bad,” he ventured and Lily just looked at him coolly.  “And the maid at the hotel…they were vicious with her…” Sam trailed off realizing he wasn’t making his point well at all.

“Well it’s a good thing I’m not a helpless maid and that I was smart enough not to step on a trap,” Lily snapped.  Sam started to respond, to explain that wasn’t what he meant but she cut him off before he could even try.  “You know you could just say that you were wrong, that you’re sorry.”  Sam was silent and Lily’s eyes narrowed.  “But you’re not are you?  You aren’t sorry in the slightest.”  Sam hesitated, trying to figure out how to explain that he was sorry he upset her, but not that he’d tried to keep her away.  The hesitation was enough of an answer for Lily.  He'd wanted a reaction well he got one in the flash of anger in her eyes.

“Cas can heal any injury right?” she asked and Sam nodded and for just a second the look in her eye made him really grateful she’d laid the sword down near the door.  “Good, then let him heal this.”  And before Sam could blink Lily was bringing her knee up hard and Sam was doubling over as a wave of pain and nausea swept over him.

Lily was stalking towards the door then, picking her sword up and saying, “Once you’re done there, Castiel I need to get back home.”  And she walked out, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

Cas healed Sam with a sympathetic look then disappeared to take Lily back.  Rose had almost gone after Lily but thought better of it.  They still weren't fixed and even if they were in the mood her sister was in she wasn’t sure Lily would want her to come after her.  When Lily was in a truly dark, angry mood she usually needed time to herself.  So after Dean had told Cooper to call Garth and was talking to Sam, Rose texted Lily instead.

_Want me to come with?_

_Na, revel in your victory with lover boy.  But thanks._

Rose hesitated then offered: _You can sleep in my room if you like.  You can even borrow Sookie._

_I'll take you up on that.  Thanks._

A second passed then another text came in.

_Oh and hey you did good tonight. Dad would be proud._

Rose smiled, feeling tears prick her eyes again before she quickly replied.

_Thanks, just following your lead._

"Hey," Dean said coming back to her where she was leaning against the post that not that long ago he'd been cuffed to.  He'd been checking on Sam after the Lily incident and then on Cooper and Andie.  They kept looking at Rose like she was a rock star or something which she was finding a bit disconcerting.

"So Sam's gonna go back to the bunker-"

"He's not gonna try to talk to Lily is he?"  Rose asked in alarm but Dean shook his head and Rose sighed in relief.

"I think he got the message to back off."  Dean's lips twisted in a pained smile.  "I think every guy here did."

"Good," Rose said with a sigh of relief.  She hugged Dean suddenly.  "I'm so glad you're ok."

Dean hugged her back leaning down to say lowly, "You know chasing after werewolves doesn’t constitute being good, Sweetheart."  He wound a lock of her hair around his finger and tugged, looking into her eyes.  His voice was light but his tone was dark and Rose wasn’t sure if he was flirting with her or warning her.  Maybe a little bit of both.

Rose leaned up against Dean pressing her body to his as heat suddenly flooded through her.  She wasn't sure if it was the after effects of the adrenaline, his words or something else entirely but suddenly she didn't care about waiting, about being ready.  She wanted him.  Now.

"Dean," she murmured, reaching up and winding her arms around his neck.  "When can we go home?"

Dean frowned not sure. "Well if you want to go back with Sam and Cas..." Rose immediately shook her head and Dean looked down into her face and clued in instantly from her expression and the heat in her eyes what she meant.

"When can you take me home?" She asked unable to stop herself from reaching up and brushing her lips against his.  She pulled back slightly and was pleased to see his eyes darkening.  "I really want you to take me home, Dean," she said molding her body to his.

Dean's arms locked around her as heat flooded through him.  Rose was obviously feeling the after effects of the fight, something new to her.  That rush, the knowledge you survived a brush with death, it was heady stuff, just the thing to get your blood pumping and your hormones raging.   It was no coincidence so many hunters hooked up after a hunt.  And God she had looked hot out there and she felt so good against him now.  He didn't even try to stop himself from lowering his head and kissing her.  It was instantly hot, the desire between them flaring up and before he even knew what he was doing Dean was spinning her and pushing her up against the post and grinding his hips up against hers.  Rose was sighing into his mouth and her hands were grasping at his shoulders, pulling him closer to her, wanting him tighter against her.  He tangled a hand in her hair, the other grasping her waist as he ground against her and she was tipping her hips up and had a hand underneath his t-shirt needing to feel his bare skin.  Everything else ceased to exist, any problems or people that weren't the two of them.  All that mattered was them, the kisses wet and deep and the feel of their bodies against each other.

Until a loud echo of "Dean?  Um, guys?  Dean!" finally broke through and the two of them slowly, regretfully pulled their mouths apart.  Four pairs of eyes were on them - Two decidedly interested teenagers, one embarrassed brother and one intrigued angel.  "There's kids here remember?" Sam said reproachfully, rolling his eyes.

Rose flushed scarlet with embarrassment, pulling her hand out from under Dean’s shirt and burying her head against his shoulder.  God, what had she been thinking? "Sorry guys," she said.

Dean rolled his eyes at his brother.  Yeah, kids who knew all too well about sex.  Sam made it sound like they were in front of pre-schoolers.  Still he hadn't meant to get that carried away.  He glanced down at Rose and seeing her discomfort he glared at Sam then leaned down to whisper, "Hey don't worry, Baby."  Then he let his tongue slip out to lightly lick the shell of her ear, earning him a soft gasp.  "We'll finish this later."  He pulled back and winked at her and Road giggled despite her embarrassment.

"I gotta go with the kids back to Garth's.  Do you wanna go back to the bunker?"

Rose looked up at him.  "Can I come with you?"

“You feel OK to?” he asked, brushing her hair back from her face.  She nodded.  “You aren’t too tired?”

Rose shook her head.  “I think when Cas zapped me it gave me a shot of energy or something.  I’m sure I’ll crash at some point but for now I’m wide awake.”  She looked up at Dean beseechingly.  “Please?”

“You got it,” Dean said with a smile, leaning down to kiss her forehead.  Truth be told he was happy to keep her near him.

“Hey Cas, Rose is gonna stay with me.  Can you take Sam back then come zap us over to Garth’s?”  Cas nodded and disappeared with Sam.

“Think you can introduce me to them?” Rose asked Dean, nodding toward Cooper and Andie. “Then maybe they’ll stop looking at me like I’m magic or something.”

“No chance of that,” Dean said with a grin.  "I never have." But he ushered her over and introduced her.  Rose hugged them both and though she tried her best to act normal they kept both looking at her in awe. 

Dean noticed Cooper looking guilty and miserable and Rose must have too because she drew Andie into a conversation allowing Dean to pull Cooper aside.

Rose looked at Andie, her eyes sympathetic.

"It's been a rough night, huh?"

Andie nodded her head, wrapping her arms around herself.  “I wasn't expecting this."  Andie glanced up at her, her eyes showing how scared she had been.  "You all are so tough and I don't know...special."  She stared down at her sneakers.  "I may be in over my head."

Rose frowned.  It was weird to her to realize how people who hadn't always known her saw her now.

"I wasn't always this," Rose said, gesturing to the dead bodies behind her.  "And still I'm not...Andie, you put me in a fight where I can't use my powers and I'm just barely competent.  And that's only if I have a gun.  Hand to hand I'm no match for this."  She smiled at Andie kindly.  "This is all a lot I know and dating a werewolf is, well it's different."  Rose studied her for a second then said, "If you really want to date Cooper don't let you're being human be the thing that stops you."

Andie looked at her hopefully.  "You think I can handle all this?"

"I think you handled yourself tonight really well," Rose said honestly.  Andie wasn't in hysterics when she and Lily arrived and Rose certainly would have been at her age in the same situation.  "And hopefully a situation like this won't be the norm for you guys."  Andie grinned at that.  "But you have to decide what you want and no one can tell you that.  That's something only you know."

Meanwhile Dean took a breath, ready to speak but before he could get a word out Cooper was talking in a rush.  "Man, Dean, I'm sorry.  This is....I really screwed up here."  He shuffled his feet then looked up at Dean.  "Guess you kinda wanna kill me, huh?"

"The thought had crossed my mind," Dean said giving him a penetrating look.  Cooper winced and Dean let up.  "What happened, kid?"

"We just wanted to have some time alone.  I mean it's hard and Andie...I just love her so much.  To go without-"

"Yeah, no that part I get," Dean said with a wry smile.  "And self control might be something worth looking into," Dean advised.  "But Coop, what the hell happened with those guys?" He motioned to the bodies of the werewolves behind him and Cooper winced.

"I knew Kera from before.  She knew my parents," Cooper said.  "She said that how I was living, that it was wrong, that a young wolf needed freedom."  Cooper sighed, dragging his toe in the dirt.  "I get sick of all the rules, of all the obstacles and hoops I have to jump through."  He looked so put upon, so mistreated it was pathetic.  "I just wanna be with Andie and Kera said I should be able to.  I wanted freedom.  I thought I could trust her."

Dean felt his temper rise but before he could answer Cas was back.  Dean glanced at the young wolf and said, "We'll finish this later."  He had some things to say to Cooper that he really needed to hear.

Cas took them back to the house, leaving them in the front yard and promising to come back when they called.  They made their way to the front porch and before they could knock Garth and Bess were both flying out the door.  They engulfed both teens in hugs, both admonishing them and letting them know how happy they were that they were safe.  After a moment Bess ushered both inside and Garth turned to Dean.

"Dean!" Garth pulled him into a hug and Rose had to smile at Dean's expression.  There was a short list of people who were welcome to hug Dean Winchester.  It amused her to no end that an ex-hunter/werewolf was one of them. "You brought him home, safe.  Bess and I can't thank you enough."

"Eh, you gotta thank Rose, not me," Dean said with a grin as Garth pulled back and looked at the redhead behind Dean for the first time.  "My ass was cuffed up.  Rose is the hero here.  Rose, Garth.  Garth, Rose."

Garth looked from Dean to Rose and back again.  "This sweet little buttercup fought werewolves?"

Dean nodded.  "Her and her sister."

"Well don't that just beat all."  Garth looked at Rose with an expression that made her feel as if she'd just pulled off the most unexpected stunt imaginable.  "You look just as sweet as a sugar cookie."  And then Rose was being pulled into a huge hug.  "Imagine you saving my boy and Dean too."

"And Sam," Dean interjected and the expression on his face was one of utter pride, giving Rose a flush of pleasure.  She was sure at some point he'd tell her off her for putting herself in danger.  Like she'd said to Lily, its how he always was with her, how he always had been.  While it could occasionally be irritating she knew for Dean protectiveness was akin to affection.  If he wasn't protective he didn't care.  But he was proud of her too and that meant more to Rose than she could even try to explain.

"And Sam," Garth echoed, still hugging Rose.  And as much as Rose loved hugs she was starting to wonder if she was ever going to get loose.  Finally Dean cleared his throat and said,

"Hey Garth, think I can have my girl back?"

Garth pulled back and let her go then and from the look on his face she knew that last bit was news to him and he looked as thrilled as if Dean was his son bringing home his first girlfriend.

"Dean!" Garth turned to face him then.  "You didn't tell me...I didn't know you had a beloved!"

Rose stifled a giggle at Dean's face.  She was trying to imagine Dean ever using that particular phrase and just couldn't.  Still him calling her his girl to someone he obviously cared about who wasn't family was huge.  She couldn't fight the warm feeling it gave her and Dean caught the look in her eye and smiled at her.

"Well this is just awesome!" Garth was saying, a wide grin on his narrow face.  "I never thought I'd see the day." 

"Yeah, yeah."  Dean rolled his eyes and reached a hand out for Rose.  She took it with a smile and let Dean lead her to the door.  "We got shit to deal with here, Garth."

"Oh right." Garth opened the door for them, coming back to the moment.  "Andie's parents should be here within the hour.  And the police with them."

"Yeah, I didn't have Cas heal them." And then Dean was discussing with Garth the story to sell to the cops, Rose trailing behind them.  She was immediately glad Dean had her hand.  There were a few women in the house but everywhere Rose looked it seemed there were huge, burly men.  All she could think was these were generally the types of guys Lily picked up in bars.  The house was overflowing with people and it was a touch overwhelming.

Dean glanced back at her.  "Ok?" He asked, thinking all this might be a bit much for her.  But Rose smiled and nodded.  Dean was here so she was OK.

"I need to talk to Cooper and Andie, make sure they're on board with the story for the cops.  Wanna come with?"  Rose nodded and followed Dean and Garth down a hallway into the kitchen.  Bess and the two teenagers were there and like a typical mom Bess was feeding them.

Bess came forward with a smile and hugged Dean then turned to Rose. 

"I understand I have you and your sister to thank for getting Cooper and Andie back home safely."

Rose flushed.  "Oh it was way more my sister than me," she demurred but Cooper piped up.

"No way, you threw those guys across the room with like your mind or something.  It was awesome."

Rose blushed as all eyes turned on her.  Sensing her discomfort Bess hugged her saying, "Well thank you for being there and saving these two."

Rose just smiled and pushed herself against Dean's side.  He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and leaned down to whisper, "I'm dating a superstar."  Rose just rolled her eyes at him but she smiled too and Dean got lost in her smile for a second before bringing himself back to the task at hand.  He glanced up to find Bess smiling at them in delight.

Dean cleared his throat and got down to business.  He laid out the story he'd thought up and Cooper and Andie agreed, it not being too far from the truth for them to remember.  Andie's parents arrived and the police not long after and the group moved into the living room, it being bigger than the kitchen.  Rose hesitated when she saw Bess was staying, working on food for all the people who'd been searching. 

"I'm going to see if she needs help," she whispered to Dean and slipped back to the kitchen and Dean couldn't help but smile at that.  That was his girl.

"Would you like some help?" she offered the blond werewolf and Bess looked up in surprise.  She smiled pleasantly and directed Rose to where she could help.  Rose was quickly sat at the table, working on putting sandwiches together.  They worked in companionable silence for a few moments then Bess glanced at her curiously and Rose had a pretty good idea of what was coming.

Powers or relationship she wondered.  Which would Bess ask about first?

"So you and Dean are together?" And the relationship wins.  Rose smiled to herself.  It said something about Dean that him having a girlfriend trumped moving people with your mind.

Rose smiled and nodded and Bess looked at her with interest.  Rose knew she wanted to know more but was trying to think of how to ask politely.

"I've never seen him with a woman," Bess said.  "I mean I've heard stories but..." She flushed and looked embarrassed when she realized that stories about women probably weren’t the thing to share with his girlfriend.  Rose set her mind at ease.

"It's OK.  I've known Dean my whole life so you're not going to shock me.  I know all about Dean's history."

"Oh thank God," Bess said with a sigh of relief, taking a seat across from Rose.  "I was worried I'd really messed up."  She chopped some vegetables she tossed in a big bowl of salad.  "It's nice to see him with someone.  I mean Garth has always said he's a big teddy bear but-"

Rose choked.  "He called him a teddy bear?  And lived?"

Bess laughed.  "I know, I thought he was crazy.  But Dean just gave him a look and nothing more."

"Wow, that's impressive," Rose said. “Dean isn’t a fan of cute names.”  She remembered all too well his reaction to being called a pretty boy and gave a small shiver of delight.

Dean was heading back to the kitchen to check up on Rose.  He knew she'd said she was fine and Sam would say he was hovering but he couldn't help checking in on her.  She was still getting back on her feet and a lot had happened tonight.  "Just call me a fucking mother hen," he muttered.  He stopped just outside the door when he heard Bess and Rose talking.

"Are you two serious?" Bess asked suddenly and Rose startled at that, caught off guard.  "I'm sorry, I'm being nosy."

"No, it's OK," Rose said and Bess watched color creep up the redheads cheeks and thought that was all the answer she needed.  That and the soft look in her eye told her everything.  "I've been going through a tough time recently and put Dean through a lot too.  And he's been just...just amazing.  He's been patient and kind and pulled me through." Rose paused then said, “He put a lot of time and effort into helping me so I think....But I can't answer for Dean because that wouldn't be fair.  But as for me, yes it's serious.  I'm…I'm his."  She glanced up at Bess not sure why she was telling this woman she'd just met all this.  Maybe it was the way she'd looked at Garth, like he was her everything.  Something told her she'd understand.  "My heart, everything I am, it's his."

Bess was smiling at her kindly, in complete understanding.  "Wolves mate for life.  When I met Garth...I knew.  He owned my heart instantly."

Dean leaned his head back against the wall, feeling his breath catch and his heart pound hard enough to come out of his chest.  Hearing Rose say those words that was all he needed to be completely happy.  Listening to her say it to someone else, to hear the very real emotion in her voice gave Dean a feeling of pride, of warmth and most especially completeness.  She was his.  And he needed to make sure she knew she wasn't alone in her feelings.  He needed to make sure she knew he was sure too, that this was indeed serious.  They’d hinted at it, danced around it but now the words needed to be said.  That was definitely high on his to do list.  Dean thought about Cooper going on about freedom and smiled.  Freedom was really overrated.

He straightened then and noisily made his way into the kitchen and both women smiled at him as he entered.

"Is it going OK?" Bess asked anxiously.  Cooking for everyone had been a good excuse to stay out of the chaos.

Dean nodded.  "Cops are just about done.  When I left they were lecturing the kids about running away."

“Good," Bess said with a frown.  "Someone needs to."

"Oh don't worry, I've got a doozy cooked up," Dean promised.  He glanced down at Rose then as Bess got up to get something from a cabinet.  Dean crouched down beside her, his eyes meeting hers.  "How you doing, Sweetheart?" 

"I'm OK," Rose said, smiling at him.  "Making myself useful." She motioned to the sandwiches and Dean smirked at her.

"Yes, I often require people who save me to then prepare food to prove their usefulness."  He stroked her cheek softly.  "You getting tired?"

Rose shook her head.  "I'm good."

"Ok I'm gonna get back but if you need me come get me, OK?" Dean stood up and Rose nodded, smiling up at him.  He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead then walked out leaving the two women alone again.

Bess turned and smiled at Rose.  "Oh he's serious." She proclaimed and Rose blushed and focused on the sandwiches.  "And quite the protector isn't he?"

Rose smiled.  "He always has been."

Bess took the completed sandwiches from Rose and gave her some onions to chop while she put pasta on to boil, then sat back at the table, mixing some ingredients in a bowl.

"This tough time...does it have anything to do with you being able to...what did Cooper say you did?  Throw people across the room?"

Rose nodded.  "I haven't had the powers long.  There's been a few...hiccups."

"How did you- Oh I'm sorry you must feel like you're at the inquisition."  Bess looked shamefaced and Rose instinctively reached out and grasped Bess' hand reassuringly.  She gave it a squeeze and Bess a smile and Bess looked up at her in surprise.  She wasn't used to someone who knew she was a werewolf being so comfortable with her on first meeting.  People tended to be leery, to wait and see if she was going to behave like an animal but this woman was at ease with her.

"I don't mind, really."  Rose smiled.  "I promise if you ask something I'm not comfortable answering I'll tell you."  Rose liked Bess.  She had always been able to tell quickly if she liked someone and Bess was definitely in the like category.  They could easily be friends.

Bess smiled at her, liking this woman Dean was with.  She hoped it did indeed last.

"All right if you truly don't mind.  How did you get the powers?"

And so Rose found herself telling only the second person ever about the prophecy and how she'd come to possess powers she'd never wanted.  Bess listened, asked pertinent questions and by the time Dean came looking for them with Andie in tow Bess knew as much as Rose was comfortable telling someone she didn't consider family.  She left out the demon controlling part just saying she had other powers and didn't mention her sisters aside from Lily being a hunter.  Liking someone was one thing but Rose had learned to be a little more cautious and sharing too much information that could make it too easy to figure out just who she and her sisters were wasn't something she could do.  Once a hunter always a hunter she thought, figuring Garth would still have resources.

Dean cleared his throat and the women looked up.  "Andie wanted a word with Rose before she went home," he said and Rose smiled at the teenager.

She came forward shyly and Rose got up and hugged her.  "You survived?" She asked knowing Andie had been nervous at the prospect of talking to the police.

She nodded.  "Yeah.  I think they felt sorry for me, 'cause of the bruise."  She motioned to her face.  "But they still made us feel bad for running away."

"As they should," Dean said gruffly, giving Andie a look and she turned and nodded her head.  She knew they’d messed up.

She turned back to Rose.  "Could I...you said you knew what it was like to be the normal one with people who were special."  Dean frowned at that but Rose nodded.  "Would it be OK if I called you or emailed you sometime?  I thought maybe since you know what it's like..."

Rose smiled at her and reached her hand out to take Andie's phone.  "Anytime," she said entering her number and handing her phone to Andie to enter hers.  "And if you just wanna talk about other stuff that's cool too."

Andie smiled at her, handed Rose's phone back and they hugged again before Andie made her way back to her parents.

Dean quirked an eyebrow at her.  "Looks like you got your own teenager now."  Rose smiled at him and he could see the tiredness sneaking in.  "Getting tired?" 

"A little," Rose admitted.  "But I'm OK..." Dean was already shaking his head and with a glance at Bess he drew Rose out into the seclusion of the hallway. 

"I still need to talk to Cooper, Baby but it shouldn't be that much longer."  He smoothed her bangs back.  "Why don't you let me call Cas and you can go home, have a shower, get out of these clothes...." His hands grasped the lapels of her jacket suddenly, tugging her to him.  "Not that I don't like you in my coat, Sweetheart because I really, really do." 

Rose smiled up at him and Dean couldn't stop himself from reaching down and kissing her.  Just once, that was all he swore.  After all they were in a hallway of somebody else's house and couldn't get carried away.  Dean reminded himself of this as Rose melted against him, her hands grasping his t-shirt tightly in her hands.  She whimpered softly and he could practically taste the need coming from her.  They drew apart after a moment, both their breathing ragged.

"And we have that to finish," Dean said sliding his hands to her waist and holding her against him.

"I told Lily she could sleep in my room," Rose said suddenly. 

"Oh really?" Dean said very interested in this development.

"Mmm hmm."  Rose looked up at him from beneath her lashes.  "So would it be OK if I used your shower?"

"Oh I think I can let you do that," Dean said with a smirk.

"And is it OK if I borrow something to sleep in?"  Rose was pushing her body against his and Dean's hands were sliding down to her hips.

"I think...yeah I can do that," Dean said mouth suddenly dry.

"And would it be way too much trouble to ask if I could sleep in your bed?" Rose asked, winding her arms around his neck.  "I mean I don't want to put you out or-"

Dean's mouth capturing hers stopped anything else Rose was going to say.  He was kissing her passionately, holding her body tightly against his when Garth walked into the hallway.  He stopped in surprise then smiled, remembering how those first few months after he and Bess got together were.  He smiled and continued on down the hallway, smiling playfully when the couple guiltily pulled apart.

"No, no don't let me stop you," he said throwing his hands up and continuing on into the kitchen.

Rose was leaning her head against Dean's chest her face flushed with embarrassment.  "My God that's the second time I've done that tonight.  They're gonna think I'm some kind of nymphomaniac."

Dean just chuckled.  "You saved their son, Baby.  I think you can do anything and they'll think you're awesome."

"Still, I need to get myself under control."

"Oh please, please don't," Dean said with a lecherous grin.  Rose smacked his chest lightly though she was smiling.  “It’s only fair.  You turn me into a hormone addled teenager, Sweetheart.  I don’t generally make out in people’s hallways.”

“No, just in cop cars,” Rose shot back playfully.

“Smartass,” Dean said, smacking _her_ ass and Rose giggled at him.

"I'll call Cas," Dean said after a second and Rose slowly nodded.  She _was_ tired and she had no intention of falling asleep before she and Dean got to finish what they'd started.  Knowing her and the energy she'd used today once she fell asleep it could be awhile before she woke up.  But maybe if she went home and had just a little chance to rest then she'd be awake enough.  Because no way was she going to be able to sleep soundly when she was like this.  Every nerve in her body felt like it was on high alert, desperate and on edge.

"OK," she said earning a pleased smile from Dean. 

Minutes later after saying a quick round of goodbyes to Garth, Bess and Cooper she was back in the bunker having been delivered there by Cas.  Before she could even take a step towards Dean's room her phone was buzzing.

_Eat something too_

Rose rolled her eyes but detoured towards the kitchen.   She quickly put together a peanut butter sandwich and texted Dean a picture, getting a thumbs up in return.  She ate it as she headed down the hallway.  The bunker was quiet, everyone else must be asleep she realized.  She slipped into Dean's room and quickly finished the sandwich then headed for the shower.  It was weird being in here without him.  As she stood under the shower stream she had a sudden image of the last shower she'd taken in here.  She actually let out a soft moan as those images came flooding back to her.  Dean pressing her against the wall, holding her wrists, buried deep inside her.  God, he needed to get home soon.

Rose cleared her mind, made herself finish up and get out, wrapping herself in a towel.  No surprise Dean didn't have a blow dryer so she towel dried her hair as best she could then went in search of something to sleep in.  She opened the second dresser drawer where he’d told her his t-shirts were and studied her choices.  She settled on a green one and slipped it over her head, inhaling the familiar scent as she did.  She texted Dean again, told him she was going to lay down till he got home and made him promise to wake her.  Getting an affirmative reply she turned the lights off, save for the bathroom one and slipped under the covers.  She rolled onto her side, hugged Dean's pillow and was asleep instantly.


	67. The Path Was Very Clear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bumps & Bruises, Wonder & Heat

"Is this normal behavior?" The words stopped Lily in her tracks.  She and Cas had gone back to the bunker and she had immediately started down the hallway.  She looked at Cas curiously now, not sure what he was talking about.  "You physically hurting Sam," Cas elucidated.  "It was my understanding that wasn't something couples who are romantically involved did."

Lily gave an indelicate snort.  "Couples aren't supposed to lie to each other either but Sam has no fucking problem doing that."  Cas looked confused so Lily sighed and said simply, "He hurt me so I hurt him."

Cas cocked his head as Lily had figured out he did when he was confused or intrigued by something.  That didn't seem right to Cas somehow.  He understood Lily's logic but it felt wrong to him.  What she was saying seemed to apply more to enemies than lovers.  He was considering pointing that out to her when he looked up to find her glaring at him.  Before he could ask what he'd done to earn the look she was speaking, her tone harsh.

"I know I can't hurt you but Rose can.  If you hurt Daisy?  If you lie to her, try to make her feel like she's useless?  I’ll get Rose to hurt you in return. Remember that."  As Lily turned and stalked down the hallway it occurred to her what a crazy turn of events it was that she was threatening people with her little sister.  She'd always been the defender, the one all too willing to step in and kick ass if need be.  But Rose was the only one who could do any kind of damage to an angel that she knew of so she was the only threat Lily had.

She stopped and grabbed what she needed from her and Sam's room, not letting herself stop long enough to feel what had happened.  She dumped everything on Rose's bed then detoured back to the kitchen, grabbed a pack of cookies (The last one, Lily noticed.  Someone was going to have to make a grocery run and it sure as hell wasn't going to be her.) and an unopened bottle of tequila and took them back to Rose's room with her.

"Hey ya, Sook," she greeted the tabby cat who was inspecting the clothes she'd tossed on the bed.  "We're gonna be roommates tonight."  Sookie meowed at her once as if saying she was OK with that plan and walked up to the pillows at the top of the bed and made herself comfortable.

Lily opened the cookie package and ate a handful before opening the tequila and taking a swig.  She texted her mom quickly, letting her know they were all OK.  She ate and drank a little more as she responded to her moms questions (Yes, Rose had passed out but Cas woke her up and the potion got her under control.  No, she and Sam weren’t OK and no she definitely didn’t want to talk.) Then she headed for the shower, depositing her snack on the counter and starting the water. She stripped her clothes off quickly, giving Sam's coat a vicious throw that landed in the far corner of the bedroom and then she stepped under the hot spray.

God, what an idiot she was.  She'd really believed Sam when he said he liked her just like she was.  She'd even said as much to Daisy.  Well that was obviously a lie, just like the whole being completely honest with each other line was.  And she’d fallen for it, she’d believed him.  God, she was stupid.  Lily choked back a sob, brushing a tear away angrily before it could fall.  She was _not_ going to cry, she wasn’t going to fall apart.  She was angry as hell and she’d just stay that way.  No tears, she admonished herself and a few shaky breaths later she had them under control again.

She had no desire to be kept safe at home, to be sheltered or protected.  She'd made that clear to Sam and he obviously didn't care.  And to lie to her and then tell her she couldn't come help, as if she were some kind of helpless child!  Lily lathered her hair with shampoo, her movements stilted with anger. Every time she thought about it she just wanted to hit him, to hurt him.

Lily knew she was hurt, that underneath her cloak of anger she was aching and bleeding but the anger was so much brighter and stronger right now and so much more comfortable to hold onto.  She reached a hand out and snagged the bottle of tequila and took a big gulp.  The anger was easier so Lily did what she did best when she was hurt.  She held onto the anger with both hands and wrapped it around herself like armor.  Anger fit her. Anger she could do.

She scrubbed her body clean, wishing she could wash away tonight as well.  Finally when her skin was pink and so clean she practically sparkled she got out, padding into the bedroom and pulling on her most comfortable, well worn pair of pajamas.  They were Christmas PJs, red with happy gingerbread men frolicking on them and they were old enough that the fabric was cottony soft and soothing.  Lily knew there were people she could call, people she could talk to. Charlie was around here somewhere, her mom would be here in a heartbeat if she asked and even Rose would be if she called.  But tonight she wanted to be alone.  So she went back into the bathroom, grabbed the cookies and tequila and got into bed with her version of comfort.

* * *

Not long after Lily got into the shower Cas brought Sam back to the bunker.  "Thanks, Cas," Sam said, his voice sounding tired even to his own ears.

Cas nodded then said, "Lily was most angry when I brought her back."  Cas looked at Sam curiously.  "She said something about you lying to her and then threatened me if I ever hurt Daisy or made her feel useless." Cas looked confused at this turn of events and Sam didn't blame him.  That was Lily logic and it only made sense to one person.  He couldn't help but wince at Cas' words though.  Useless was especially bad from Lily's point of view.

"Yeah, sorry Cas.  Things are kinda....messy with Lily right now."  Sam drug a hand through his hair agitatedly.

Cas considered this, able to easily hear from Sam's thoughts what had transpired between the two.  He could sense Sam's confusion as well and found it oddly comforting.  Sam always seemed to understand relationships so well.  The fact that he got confused was a comfort to Cas who often felt quite lost when it came to them.

"You're back!" a voice exclaimed suddenly and Sam turned in time to catch Charlie who was enthusiastically flinging herself at him.  "And you're OK!"  Charlie hugged Sam then pulled back to ask, "Where's everyone else?"

"Lily is back already but Dean and Rose are still there, taking the kids back to their parents."

"Huh, I must have missed Lily when I was in my room."  Charlie shook her head.  "So everyone's all right?"

"Yep, a few bumps and bruises.  Oh and Dean stepped on an animal trap and got his leg all mangled up." Charlie made a horrified face and Sam rushed to reassure her. "But Cas healed him up good as new."  Charlie gave a sigh of relief and Sam headed her off before she could ask anything else.  "I'm tired, Charlie.  Is it OK if I tell you everything that happened tomorrow?"

"Oh sure," Charlie said quickly then she glanced at Sam with a certain look in her eye and he knew what was coming next.  Before she could even ask Sam answered.

"No, she's not talking to me."

Charlie bit her lip and just nodded and Sam had a feeling if it wasn't for the fact that he had said he was tired she would be giving him the third degree.  And probably telling him off too, Sam thought.  He was pretty sure Charlie wouldn't count what he'd done as "letting Lily make her own decisions."

Charlie gave Sam another hug and let him walk off down the hallway.  He stopped when he got to their bedroom door and took a breath, unsure what he was walking into.  He opened the door and got his answer.  Nothing.  Lily wasn't even there.  Feeling a flash of concern Sam quickly walked back into the library where Cas was still talking to Charlie.  (And from the look on Charlie's face when he walked in they had definitely been talking about him.  Great.)

"Cas, where did you take Lily?"

"Here," Cas said shortly and Sam resisted rolling his eyes.

"Where is she now, Cas?"

Cas scanned the bunker and answered.  "In Rose's room." A pause then, "And she's quite inebriated."

"Great," Sam said, running a hand though his hair.  That didn't surprise him; alcohol had always been one of Lily's escapes.  Well at least he knew where she was, that she was safe.  "Thanks," Sam said shortly and walked back the way he came.  He wouldn't go after her tonight.  They both needed time, her to calm down and him to figure out what the hell tonight had been about.  So he let himself into their room which suddenly seemed very, very empty.

* * *

Everyone had finally left Garth and Bess' save for the people who lived there plus Dean.

Dean made his way up the stairs now and met Garth on the landing.  He was just leaving Cooper's room and he gave Dean a small smile.

"He's waiting for you."  Garth patted Dean on the shoulder then said, "And hey let's have a chat before you go."

Dean nodded and waited till Garth's back was turned to roll his eyes. He knew what that was about.

He stood outside Cooper's door working out what he needed to say.  He was going to keep his temper in check; let Cooper know he was upset but no yelling.  He may not be Cooper's father but he'd somehow managed to find himself in a position where the kid looked up to him and he felt at least partially responsible for him.  Dean had two very different examples of fatherhood during his childhood.  One had included more yelling than talking, more withholding of affection than love and more time spent feeling he would never be good enough than affirmation.  He knew without question which one he wanted to imitate.

Taking a deep breath Dean knocked on Cooper's door and let himself in when Cooper called out.  The teen was sat on the bed, legs folded and his face the picture of misery.  He glanced up when Dean came in.

"You come to yell at me too?" he asked petulantly.

Dean raised a curious eyebrow at him.  "Must have been some quiet yelling.  I didn't hear any."

Cooper shrugged as Dean pulled over his desk chair to sit in front of him.  Before he sat down though he did two things: He pulled Cooper to his feet and smacked the back of his head then instantly pulled him into a fierce hug.

"Don't you ever fucking do that to me again, kid," Dean said in a hoarse voice.  He'd had time since Rose left and the house had calmed down to admit how scared he'd been.  "You scared the shit out of me."

Cooper returned the hug just as strongly, the petulant teenager trying so hard to be a tough guy gone in the blink of an eye and suddenly he was just a kid.  "I'm sorry," he choked out.

Dean swallowed hard, his hand on the back of Cooper's head, trying to get his emotions in check.  He held him for a few minutes just letting Cooper know he was loved.  Then he pulled back and motioned to him to take a seat back on the bed and Dean sat down in the desk chair.

"We're gonna have a talk here, get some things cleared up and out on the table."  Dean rested his elbows on his knees and looked at Cooper and the teenager nodded.

"What you did, running away, talking to those other werewolves without telling anyone it was stupid.  And the thing is you're a smart kid so I don't buy for one second you didn't know it was dumb not to mention dangerous."  He looked at Cooper questioningly and slowly he nodded.  "That's what I thought," Dean said with a nod of his own.  "Which makes what you did even more disappointing."  Dean saw Cooper's face immediately fall and he had a sudden flashback to being fifteen and a conversation not unlike this one.  He knew he needed to be clear here.  "Hey, hear what I'm saying here, Coop."  He grabbed his knee and caught the young wolf's eye.  "I'm disappointed in the decisions you made, in what you did.    Your actions are disappointing but not you.  You are not a disappointment.  You're a fucking awesome kid and you couldn't be a disappointment if you tried.  We clear on that?"  Cooper nodded and Dean saw the shadow that had been on his face a second ago clear and he let out a sigh of relief.  OK good, one crisis averted.

"You're sixteen, Coop and I know to you that feels old but trust me it's not.  It's so young.  You got so much time, so much ahead of you.  You don't gotta rush through everything.  And you have people who care about you, who want nothing but what's best for you.  Not everyone has that, Coop.  I know you know that."  Another head nod.  "And I get that sometimes adjusting to that can take some effort but it's worth it."  Dean remembered how hard it had been for him to go from being a hunter with his Dad to being just a teenager when he was with the Sullivan's.  Wanted or not it was a tough adjustment.  "You said you wanted freedom.  Well all too often freedom really means you just don't have anyone who cares about you enough to tell you you're screwing up.  It's not all it's cracked up to be."

Dean studied Cooper for a second then said, "I know you think Garth and Bess are just trying to control everything by giving you rules.  But those rules are there for a reason because they love you.  And if you'd followed them you and Andie wouldn't have been in danger."  Cooper winced at that.  Hating to do it but knowing he needed to drive the point home Dean said, "And that is on you, Coop.  Andie was in danger tonight because you took her out there.  You care about her, you say you love her.  Then prove it.  Don’t put her out there for werewolves to tie her up and terrorize.”  Cooper gave a solemn nod of his head and Dean felt sure he’d made his point.

The two of them were silent for a moment then Cooper glanced at Dean.  "Did Garth tell you how long I'm grounded for?"

Dean nodded.  Garth had pulled him aside and talked to him before coming upstairs.  "He did and I think you're damn lucky."  Cooper frowned, obviously hoping for some sympathy but he was looking in the wrong place.  "Look, you're not a normal teenager.  I wish you were 'cause it would certainly make you safer.  But you're not and you pulled Andie right into danger with you.  I know you didn't mean to put her at risk," Dean said before Cooper could give voice to the protest Dean saw in his eyes.  "But you did.  You gotta be just a little more responsible than a normal teenager.  I know you didn't ask for that and it's not fair but that's just the way it is."

"That sucks," Cooper said softly and Dean gave a soft huff of laughter.

"Yeah, it does."  Dean agreed, leaning back in the chair.  "Now you have a chance to earn back trust with Garth and Bess.  And I know you know you screwed up here so you're gonna work on that, right?"  Cooper nodded and Dean saw actual remorse in his eyes, giving him hope things would work out.

"I know I messed up, that I screwed things up big time," Cooper said.  "But it's hard, Dean.  I just wanna be with Andie and you don't know how hard that is."

"Oh don't I?" Dean asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, you got your kickass girlfriend with the super powers and I saw how you two were, kissing and making out like that.  Don't tell me you know what it's like to have to wait, to fight to be together," Cooper said defiantly.

Dean took a breath, reminding himself to keep his temper in check and hoping Rose would forgive him for giving up a bit of her privacy to make a point.  He folded his arms and leveled Cooper with a stare.

"First off, her name is Rose and you think just because I'm not a teenager I don't know what it's like to wait, to have to fight shit that gets in the way?" Cooper nodded, his defiance taken down a notch sensing Dean’s irritation.  "You're wrong," Dean said flatly and Cooper looked at him curiously.  Taking a deep breath Dean said, "About a month ago Rose was held hostage and tortured by a demon till she was close to death." Dean heard Cooper suck in a breath but he had his eyes firmly fixed on the floor.  He hadn't talked about this to anyone.  It was even harder than he imagined it would be. "She only survived because someone got there in time and Cas was able to heal her.  She came home incredibly hurt and in pain.  It's taken her all this time to just barely get back on her feet again.  And I've had to watch that and not be able to fix things for her.” Dean shut his eyes for a second, the pain of it all visible on his face.  Then with a deep, shuddering breath he opened them and continued.  “A lot of that time she shut me out, shut everyone out because she was in so much pain.  We haven't exactly been a happy couple this last month or so.  It's taken a whole hell of a lot of work to get back to where we are now.  And we're still working on it."  Dean fidgeted with his watch then.  "So yeah, waiting I get.  Because she's worth it and I'd wait however long it takes for her.  I’d fight anything to be with her.  So if you think I don't get waiting and fighting you're really wrong."  Dean looked up at Cooper to see him watching him with wide eyes.

"Wow.  I mean she seemed so amazing."  Dean smiled, realizing all Cooper saw was the powers.  The passing out, the bleeding - that had all just faded into the background.

"Oh, she is amazing," Dean assured him.  "And she has powers too."  That got a grin of understanding from Cooper.  "Andie seems like a nice girl," Dean commented and Cooper smiled and nodded enthusiastically.  "OK so if she is then get your shit together and quit screwing things up.  You keep this up her parents will stop you two seeing each other all together."

Cooper nodded then said, "Well I mean they can't really 'cause of school."

Dean raised an eyebrow at him.  "You ever heard of private school?" he asked sagely.  "Parents have been known to send their daughters to them to get them away from boys they really don't want them seeing."  Cooper looked instantly curious and Dean held up a hand.  "And that is not a story you're ever gonna hear."  Cooper looked disappointed and Dean stood up and moved the chair back.  "We good kid?"

Cooper nodded and stood up, hugging Dean again. "Thanks for coming after me, Dean."

"Anytime, Coop," Dean said gruffly.  "Now quit doing stupid shit, OK?"

Cooper gave him a nod then settled back on the bed.

Dean was at the door when Cooper called out his name stopping him.  "Hey Dean?"  He turned to look back at the teenager who was grinning at him.  "Your girlfriends really hot."

Dean chuckled and grinned back at him.  "Don't I know it."

* * *

Garth pounced as soon as Dean made it down the stairs.

"Is he OK?  I wasn't too tough on him was I?  He’s not too upset is he?"

"Seriously Garth?" Garth had been going to let Cooper off with being grounded for just three weeks.  Dean was the one who argued for more time.  (And what world was this where Dean was the one calling for stricter parenting?) The kid had to get the message.  He'd finally got Garth up to six weeks and any extra chores they could come up with around the house.  Why Garth thought Dean was an expert on parenting was anyone's guess.

"He's fine."

"I just don't want to be too rough on him," Garth said anxiously and Dean rolled his eyes.

“He’s a teenager, Garth with more hormones than sense.  You have to be tough on him or he’s gonna get himself and that girlfriend of his killed,” Dean said sharply and Garth nodded sheepishly.

“I know.  You’re right,” he admitted.  Then he smiled at Dean.  "Come, sit for a spell."  Dean saw Garth already had a beer out for him.

"Garth, I really need to get going..."

"One beer," Garth said and finally Dean nodded.  He could certainly use a beer after that conversation with Cooper.  He sat down in an armchair next to the one Garth settled down in, in front of a roaring fireplace and took a sip of the cold beer.  Then he looked up to find Garth grinning at him.

"So," Garth said, steepling his hands and looking at Dean intently.  "Tell me about Rose."

And Dean glanced at his beer and wondered just how quickly it was possible to down it.

* * *

Cas eased down on the couch next to Daisy.  She was dozing in front of the fireplace and for a moment Cas watched the firelight play on her hair, turning the blond curls into silken embers.  It had been an interesting night with taking Lily and Rose to save Sam and Dean.  There were so many different, strong emotions between the four of them Cas found it all a bit much.  He liked it better here, with just him and Daisy.  He sighed looking at her sleeping form.  It wouldn’t be just the two of them for much longer at all though.  She was stronger now, strong enough to wake up and they had covered everything they could here.  What she still needed to learn she would have to be awake for.  Unable to stop himself Cas reached out a hand and stroked Daisy’s curls and after a moment she stirred slightly.

“Cas?” Daisy blinked her eyes slowly open.

Cas made an affirmative noise and pulled her onto his lap, stretching out on the couch beneath her.

“Is everyone OK?” Daisy asked, coming more fully awake.

“Everyone’s fine,” Cas assured her and gave her a brief overview of the nights events.  “I just finished dropping Dean back at the bunker so everyone is home, safe and sound.”

“Wow, that’s impressive.”  Daisy snuggled against Cas’ chest thinking over everything he said.  “My sisters kicked butt!”

Cas frowned contemplatively.  He didn’t think there had been any kicking.  Well except by Lily and that had only been to Sam and most definitely not to his butt.  Cas opened his mouth to say this but caught Daisy looking at him with a soft smile on her face.  He tried to think of what he’d done to earn that but before he could ask Daisy was speaking.

“You like being married to me,” she said.  Her voice was soft and warm, a touch of delight tingeing it.

Cas looked at her seriously.  “I do.”  He reached a hand out and entwined his fingers with hers, bringing her hand up and kissing the wedding rings on her fingers.  “Very much.”

“I like being married to you,” Daisy admitted, then she frowned.  “But Cas…I’m just…I’m nothing special.  I mean, yeah I have powers but I didn’t do anything to get them.”  She peered at Cas curiously.  “You must have met thousands of humans.  I can’t imagine I’m the most impressive one.”

“Millions actually,” Cas corrected.  “And none of them has ever felt like you.”

“What do you mean?” Daisy asked.

Cas contemplated how best to explain as his hand moved to stroke Daisy’s back.  She liked that and he found it soothing, it helped him think too.  It took him several minutes to decide how to explain but finally he cleared his throat and said, “For a long time I have felt adrift.  My orders used to be enough, following whatever mission I was sent on.  I found satisfaction in that, fulfillment.  But once I met Dean and Sam things changed.  I told you how my outlook was altered.”  Daisy nodded.  She and Cas had talked quite a bit about the changes in Cas’ life since he rebelled.  “Since then I have waited, feeling as if something was coming that I was meant for.  When you appeared and I found the prophecy I assumed that was it. Suddenly I had something I was a part of to fight for.  I understand a mission, protection, a greater purpose.  But then I realized you were so much more than all that.” Cas looked down at Daisy, at this small, fragile looking being that had turned his world upside down.

“What was I, Cas?” Daisy asked softly.  “What am I?”

“You were happiness,” Cas said simply.  “When I was with you I was suddenly happy, for no other reason than that I was beside you.  I’ve never felt that before.”  Cas stroked her face softly, his fingers delicately tracing her cheek.

Cas watched Daisy consider this and she slowly smiled.  “I like that.”  Her expression turned curious then.  “You said no one else felt like me…”

Cas studied her face for a second then replied, "You feel fresh, new.  You have such a unique perspective on life.  You look at everything just a little differently than anyone else I’ve known.  And you are so full of wonder at everything.  You make me feel wonder, something I thought I would never again experience.” Cas’ hand traced over her shoulder blades in a lazy pattern as he spoke. “I’ve seen so much, Daisy.  Lands that no longer exist, rulers and warriors long since gone, marvels, phenomenon and feats that astound.  More than any mortal can imagine.”  Cas sighed a heavy sigh full of all the years he’d walked the earth, bringing them there to the room they were in so Daisy felt she could almost reach out and touch them.  “To lose that sense of awe at creation is nothing short of an abomination.”  Cas shook his head sorrowfully and Daisy reached out instinctively and stroked his face comfortingly and Cas let himself soak up the sensation for a moment before continuing.  “This world was created to be wondered at.  There is so much beauty and majesty here and yet I couldn’t feel it.  Humans were the only thing left in creation that affected me.”  Cas sat up straight then so he could look into Daisy’s face.  “And then you came along and suddenly I could see things through your eyes and the world was new and sparkling again with wonder and awe around every corner.” 

Cas was looking at her in a way that made Daisy blush and feel certain he must be looking at someone else, someone magnificent and impressive.  “You didn’t lose your sense of wonder, Cas.  It’s always been there inside you.  You just…you needed a break.”  Cas cocked his head to the side, considering Daisy’s words.  “Your life is pretty heavy, I mean fighting and smiting and lots of doom and gloom.  I’m pretty sure there’s not a lot of time for cuddling or laughing in there.”  Cas nodded his head in agreement and Daisy continued.  “So here,” Daisy swept her arm around the warm, comfortable ski lodge they were in. “Here, you can take a breath, remember there’s good stuff, stuff worth being in wonder of.”  Daisy nodded her head in confirmation of this theory then started arranging Cas’ tie.  “So it’s not really me-”

“You’re wrong,” Cas cut her off, his voice firm, with a note of irritation creeping in and Daisy looked up from his chest to his face.  His blue eyes were steely, standing firm in his argument despite her theory.  “It is you, Daisy.”  His hands on her back had stopped moving, staying in place and Daisy could feel the tension there suddenly.  He wasn’t happy with her attempts to defer the credit.  “You are the reason for this renewed view of life I have.”

“I’m sure anyone else in this situ-”

“I know what I know, Daisy,” Cas said firmly, his voice not raised at all, but set in stone.  “You can deflect all you like and it will not change the facts.”  Cas moved a hand to cup her face.  “You brought wonder back to me.  You.  No one else.”  Cas stroked a thumb over her jaw softly and Daisy just stared up at him, unable to argue with the depth of emotion in his eyes.  “You're new to me and yet somehow I am more comfortable with you than I am with anyone else.  You _are_ a wonder.   It’s not surprising you bring the feeling back to me."

Daisy blinked, overwhelmed by Cas' words.  A wonder.  He really saw her that way.  Slowly she smiled up at him shyly. 

“As for what you are now…” Cas wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and held her to him, staring down into her green eyes intently.  He paused a moment before answering what Daisy had asked him earlier.  “You’re my wife.  And I would very much like it if you stayed that way.”

Daisy flushed with happiness and Cas was in awe of how her emotions showed so clearly on her face.  Dean had told him once if he could ever learn the game that he would make one hell of a poker player because his face showed absolutely nothing.  Emotions had never been important to angels, had been discouraged as they could easily hinder a mission.  Daisy’s face showed everything and Cas was certain he would never get tired of watching it.

"I’d like that,” Daisy said, her eyes sparkling with happiness.  “I mean I'd like to try.  I’ve never been married before.  I’ve never even had a relationship before, Cas.”  Daisy hesitated, biting her lip anxiously.  “I might be really bad at it.”

“We’ve done very well so far I believe,” Cas said with a smile.  “I think we can do it.”  He looked thoughtful then.  “I’ve found Dean to be a very helpful resource for relationship questions when I have needed guidance.”

Daisy giggled, knowing how uncomfortable some of Cas’ questions must make Dean.  She was after all a perpetual toddler in his eyes.  Cas was right though.  They had done pretty well so far especially if you considered some of the bumps in the road they'd managed.  Sure she’d been in a coma for all of her married life so far but what relationship didn’t have curve balls thrown at it?

"You're right," Daisy said.  "I'd say we have a fighting chance."  She smiled up at Cas as he tipped his head down to kiss her.  They could definitely make this work.

* * *

Dean closed his bedroom door behind himself, leaning against it for a second.  It had been a long night.  One beer had seemed to take hours to get through as Garth asked him excruciating question after awkward one.  He finally texted Cas and abruptly stood up and said he had to leave.

He glanced at his bed and felt everything sharp and grating melt away as he caught sight of her.  He made his way over to the bed and just stared down at Rose.  She was curled up on her side, one hand tucked up under her cheek, looking as sweet and soft as any person could.  Hard to believe she'd helped take out a group of werewolves a few hours earlier.  Dean didn't let himself look past her face.  If he saw her in his shirt he'd never get through a shower and he needed one desperately.  He did reach out a hand though and stroke her face tenderly.

"I'm getting in the shower, Sweetheart," he said softly.

She stirred under his touch and without opening her eyes she murmured, "Come to bed."

Dean smiled.  "In just a minute, Baby."

Then he made himself get in the shower and get cleaned up.  He wasn't going to get in bed with her smelling like he'd been tied up in a barn.  It felt like forever, felt like it took ten times longer than normal to wash his hair, to rinse the soap off.  Finally he was out and dried off and then he was slipping under the covers next to her.  He curled up around her, snuggling against her back and it became instantly clear that all she had on was his shirt.  Not even a pair of panties underneath, Dean thought with an internal groan, feeling her bare skin brushing against his own. He pushed himself against her back, brushing her hair aside and kissing the side of her neck.  He had said he would wake her up, had promised her.  If she didn't wake easily though he'd let her sleep he swore, as painful as that sounded.

"Baby, I'm home," Dean said softly.  He wrapped his arms around her and couldn't help a moan as she moved, her skin rubbing against his.  "You awake?"

"Dean?" Rose mumbled sleepily.  "You're home?"

"I am, Baby."  Dean buried his head against her neck.  "You OK to wake up?"

"Mmm hmm," she murmured rubbing against him and Dean grit his teeth, trying to control himself.

"Been waiting for you," she said and Dean grinned.

"You were asleep, Baby."

"So I could wake up when you got here," Rose reasoned sounding more awake.

"You sure you're up for this?" Dean hesitated.  He didn't think he could stand starting and then stopping.

"Definitely," Rose said in a firm voice.  Then she giggled.  "The question is are you?"

Dean ground against her from behind and Rose let out a soft moan.  "Oh I'm up for it, Baby,” he growled.  Unable to resist he reached up to cup her breasts in his hands, loving the soft gasp she let out.  That gasp turned to a whimper as he brushed his thumbs over her nipples, the fabric of his shirt brushing against her sensitive skin.

"Mm, the noises you make when I touch you, Baby," Dean murmured.

"Can't help it," Rose said her voice breathier than normal.  "I love when you touch me." She let out another whimper as Dean pinched her nipples softly.

“I could get used to this,” Dean said.  “Coming home to find you waiting and ready for me.”  He moved a hand down between her thighs then, dragging his fingers over her and pulling yet another delicious noise from her.  “You been this wet the whole time you been waiting for me?" he growled pulling her tightly up against him and she let out another whimper at the feel of the hard length of his cock pressing up against her bottom.

"Since you kissed me in the barn," Rose admitted and Dean gave a low chuckle.

"Well good 'cause I've been hard as a rock every since then."  He rolled her onto her back, pulling his fingers away and earning a whine of protest.  "Let's see what we can do about it."

He lowered his mouth to hers and Rose was lost in his kiss.  Their lips parted, their tongues flirted and teased as their hands grasped each other tightly, desperately.

When Dean finally pulled back he leaned back far enough to take in the picture she made.  She was lying on his bed, her hair tousled, cheeks flushed wearing nothing save his t-shirt.  "Now that's sexy," he said in a low voice that sent a shiver through Rose.  "So sexy in fact the shirt can stay on for this next part."

"What next part?" Rose demanded, trying to grab him as he pulled further back.  "Dean, no teasing tonight, please."

"Oh there's no teasing tonight, don't you worry," Dean said with a smirk.  "You know why it's so sexy, Rosie?" he asked, going back to his previous statement.

Rose shook her head, a soft smile on her lips at his use of the nickname again, which Dean immediately picked up on.

"Because you're mine, Baby and you wearing my shirt is just one more sign of that."  Dean smoothed his hands over her legs as he watched her eyes shine at his words.  "I like you being mine, Rosie.  You know that, right?"

"I do," Rose said her voice soft and her eyes warm.

"Good," Dean said.  "Just wanted to make sure you did.  We need to talk more about that later but right now…" He settled himself between her thighs then and looked up at her, his lips curled up in a sinful grin.

"Now I need you to spread these gorgeous legs of yours for me, Baby."

Rose smiled at him slowly and did as he said.

"Such a good girl," Dean murmured, lowering his head and brushing his lips over her skin.  Dean glanced up at her flushed face and knew he couldn't draw this out.  She really was on edge but he wanted to taste her, he needed to.

"Now normally I'd take my time," Dean said, dragging his hands over her spread thighs, making Rose tense in anticipation. "But I get the feeling that's not gonna work tonight."  He slipped two fingers inside her and Rose gave a soft whimper.  "Because you are ready to come apart at just the slightest touch aren't you, Baby?"  He leaned down and gave her a soft, teasing lick and Rose just about came off the bed proving his point and earning a soft chuckle from Dean.  "And I have to admit it's been too long," he murmured letting out a soft moan of his own and then he lowered his head and got down to business.  He licked, suckled and stroked the most sensitive spots of her body till she was ready to combust.  The whole thing was blur to Rose of overwhelming sensation.  Just when she thought she'd die if she didn't come Dean moved his fingers and tongue just right, just how he knew she needed it and everything exploded.  Colors burst behind her eyes and tremors of pleasure wracked her body.

Dean kissed the sensitive insides of her thighs as she came down then slowly climbed back up her body.  He pulled his shirt over her head and let himself soak in the sight of her- the soft skin, a pink flush to it now, all bared for Dean to see.  It really had been too long.  He ran his hands over her breasts, his fingers teasing her nipples as her eyes slowly refocused.  She reached for him then, pulling his mouth to hers and kissed him with everything she had.  She pulled back after a moment, breathing heavy and rubbed herself against him, feeling his cock still rock hard against her.

"Don’t think I can wait any longer, Rosie," Dean said, his voice tight.

“Then don’t,” Rose said, her hands grasping at him needy and wanting.  “I need you, Dean.”  Dean felt his breath catch at her words and the look in her eyes and grasping her hips he lined himself up and thrust foreword, burying himself inside her.

They let out matching moans and Dean dropped his forehead against hers.  "God, Baby you feel…"  Dean shook his head.

“So good….” Rose finished for him moving her mouth to his neck.  Dean let out another moan when he felt her teeth nibbling and her mouth hungrily sucking a mark into his skin.

“Damn…Baby…” Dean ground out.

Rose pulled her mouth away from his neck, her eyes lingering there for a second and Dean recognized the sharp light of possessiveness he saw there.  Rose smiled up at him, moving to wrap her legs around him pulling him deeper inside her and Dean let out another groan.  She was killing him.  He wanted to wait, wanted her to come again and him to come with her but she was making that very hard.  Dean almost laughed at the fact that he had been telling Cooper he needed self control and here he was in desperate need of some too.

Dean captured Rose’s lips with his own, tasting her lips and mouth and letting himself get lost in her.  For now, for this time nothing else mattered except the woman in his arms.  Pulling his mouth back when he was in desperate need of air he stared down at Rose, his eyes just soaking her up.  Her eyes were closed, lips swollen from his kisses, a look of pure pleasure on her face.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he breathed and Rose’s eyes flew open to stare up at him in surprise.  Her eyes were soft, shining with pleasure at his words and she reached up pulling his face to hers gently and kissing him, her lips soft and tender.  The air changed then, the desperation coursing through Dean banked and suddenly he wasn’t in a rush to finish.  The heat was still there but it wasn’t an inferno threatening to consume them both but instead a welcoming fire full of warmth and emotion that Dean wanted to bask in as long as he could.  As Rose’s lips caressed his own Dean rocked his body into Rose’s slowly, their rhythms perfectly in sync.  Her hands on his face were gentle, caressing him, touching him as if he was precious, cherished and Dean felt the warmth he so often found in his chest when he was with her spread throughout his entire body.  Rose pulled her lips back and stared up at him and Dean felt himself getting lost in her eyes.  He shifted his hips a little and Rose made a small noise, grasping at Dean’s shoulders and tightening her legs around him pulling a noise from Dean.

“God, the way we fit together,” Rose murmured and Dean knew exactly what she meant.  He’d had some amazing lovers in his life but with Rose it was different.  They were so attuned to each other; they seemed meant to move together, to fit perfectly.  And being with her like this, buried inside her with her so open and vulnerable beneath him…nothing compared to it.

“Never felt like this with anyone else,” Dean said in wonder and Rose nodded immediately.

“Not with anyone,” she agreed and their eyes locked and their hands found their way together, fingers entwining.

Dean was thrusting slowly, wanting to drag this out as long as possible.  It felt too good to hurry through, to rush.  He wanted to stay here forever.  He scattered soft kisses over her face and neck, causing Rose to arch her back in pleasure.  Forever sounded good.

And that was the last coherent thought he had for awhile till they both collapsed into an exhausted, sated, sweaty heap, their legs intertwined, breathing heavy and bones turned to jelly.

Rose rested her head on Dean and ran her hand lazily over his chest while he stroked contentedly at her hair.  They lay there for a few minutes then Rose turned her head, perching her chin on Dean’s chest and smiling up at him.

“I missed that,” she said with a shy smile and Dean smiled at her, his fingers stroking down her cheek.

“Me too,” he said, his voice soft and low in the stillness of the night.

Rose smiled at him for a few more seconds then lay her head back down on his chest.  “I’m sleepy now,” she murmured and Dean laughed softly and kissed her forehead.

“Go to sleep, Rosie.  You’ve had a busy night,” Dean said, wrapping his arms around her.

“Killing werewolves, making out in a barn,” she glanced up at Dean with soft, liquid eyes that said much more than her words did.  “Being back in your bed.  It’s been eventful.”  She lay her head back down and snuggled against him.  “Low key would be nice for tomorrow.”

Dean’s breath was held tight in his chest.  The look in Rose’s eyes and the softness of her words had hit him full on.  God, she knew how to take his breath away.  Then again she always had.

“You sleep as long as you need to, Baby,” Dean said, settling down and getting comfortable.  “I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Promise?” Rose asked, her words already beginning to slur.

“Promise,” Dean said with a kiss to the top of her head.  In a matter of minutes she was breathing deeply and was sound asleep.

It took Dean a little longer as he lay there holding her in his arms and turning over the nights events in his mind.   Eventful didn’t really come close to covering it, he thought with a small laugh.  He glanced down at the woman in his arms and smiled.  He hadn’t envisioned this was how the day would end but he couldn’t have come up with a better ending if he tried.  He kissed the top of Rose’ head once more then went to sleep himself, a satisfied smile on his face and for the first time in a long time, a peaceful feeling in his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the funny thing with writing. I have an outline, I have an idea what is supposed to happen, a lot of times it's even mapped out in my head. Then I start to write and the characters are very good at showing me exactly what they are going to do, outline be damned. And trying to make them do something different? Yeah, that doesn't work. This was supposed to go slightly differently but who am I to try and argue with the two most stubborn people in the world?


	68. You'll Be Mine and I'll Be Yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Light and Dark, Joy and Sorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me too much.

When Sam opened the door he was greeted by a pair of angry brown eyes.  He wasn’t sure Lily would be here, wasn’t sure she’d show after last night.  But knowing Erin she’d probably left Lily a similar message to the one she’d left him.  _The appointments made, Sam.  We might as well get some of the preliminary work done till Rose can show up herself.  I’d really appreciate it if you could go, Sam_.  So as badly as Sam didn’t want to be here he’d made himself show up.  He was assuming Rose was still sleeping and Dean was with her though he hadn’t bothered to check.  Sam had woke up this morning and immediately reached for Lily, to cuddle with as he did most mornings before he drug himself off to get coffee.  But this morning instead of finding soft, warm skin he found cold empty sheets and the nights events came rushing back to him like a tidal wave he was going to drown in.

“Hey,” he said cautiously, easing into the room that Erin had said was ready.  Apparently while the girls has been off rescuing him and Dean, Erin and Charlie had been setting up the room here, getting a laptop hooked up, dragging in some comfortable chairs.  They’d done a good job, Sam thought looking around the room, moving in some lamps as well to make the lighting softer.  It seemed warmer, more relaxing than it had when it was a barebones office.  The laptop was on, a Skype window already open and waiting for the good doctor to appear at the scheduled time.

Lily said nothing, just regarded him coolly as she took a sip of her coffee then glanced down at her phone.  This is going well, Sam thought.

Lily had gone to check on Dean and Rose, going so far as to open the door to Dean’s room and peek her head in.  They’d both been sound asleep, not even stirring when Lily looked in.  They’d been curled up together in Dean’s bed, Rose sprawled across Dean’s chest, his arms around her even in sleep.  From the lack of clothes they were obviously wearing Lily was going to guess last night had ended well for them.   Lily had been halfway planning to drag Dean out of bed and make him go see this therapist since it was his idea in the first place but she had no desire to see him naked (yuck) and he’d looked so content snuggled up with Rose that she didn’t have the heart to pull him away.  Someone should be happy.

Lily had woken up in a sea of confusion this morning, not sure why she wasn’t in her own bed, unsure why Sam wasn’t beside her and confused as to why she was in Rose’s room.  Her head ached from the tequila last night and it had taken her several minutes to piece it all together.  When she did she wished she’d had more tequila to numb herself.  But she’d drug herself out of bed and thrown on the change of clothes she’d grabbed last night (Jeans & a t-shirt that said “If all else fails, make the heels higher.”) and headed for the room her mother had directed her to.  She didn’t want to be here.  She _really_ didn’t want to be here after seeing Sam walk through the door (And his arrival made her instantly grateful she’d thought to grab a pair of heels last night.  Wearing them always made her feel better, more like herself and she could use anything she had to make her feel better this morning).  But she’d promised her mother who was insistent this was important so here she was.  She figured she definitely deserved good daughter/sister points for this.

She watched Sam lower himself into the arm chair next to hers, his long legs taking up way too much room and she watched as he tried not to crowd her.  She didn’t move, not willing to make herself any smaller for him and he finally pushed his chair back a bit further, giving Lily a small, nervous smile which she didn’t return.  When he finally got himself settled the room was silent.  Both sat there, sipping their cups of coffee.  _This is why I’m never early_ , Lily thought to herself.  _The one time I am I wind up sitting here with the one person I don’t want to see.  If I’d been late Sam would have probably already been talking to the therapist and I could have done the polite thing and not interrupted and just left.  I knew being late was the way to go._  This was obviously a mindset the doctor agreed with as he had yet to make an appearance on the screen in front of them.

Finally Lily couldn’t take the silence any longer.  She had about a hundred things she wanted to say to Sam and sitting here in the quiet she had to get at least some of them out.

“So were you planning on lying to me all along?” she asked abruptly and Sam jerked his head up from looking at his own phone, obviously not expecting this sudden question.

“What?  No,” Sam said.  “I didn’t lie.  Lily, I didn’t plan any of this.”

“You _did_ lie,” Lily said, color blooming on her cheeks as her irritation at that fact came back full force.  “You said very specifically that once I got back here I could come meet you.  Then you changed it all around when I called and said I couldn’t.”

“That wasn’t….” Sam was struggling and cursing himself for not being able to explain himself better.  “OK I can see how that looks like I lied-”

“Because you did,” Lily interjected.

“-but I didn’t plan on anything like that happening,” Sam finished, setting his coffee mug on the desk next to the still waiting laptop.

Lily snorted indelicately.  “Oh right.  Because you definitely wanted me to be there.  I could see your overwhelming enthusiasm from the get go.”

Sam ran a hand through his hair.  He should have been prepared for this, should have known Lily would want answers now.  He just had been fairly sure since she was upset and had been drinking that she’d skip out on this.  He should have been ready anyway because now he was stuck.

“OK I get that it looks like I was trying to keep you away but I swear I had fully planned to let Cas bring you there-”

“See that’s the problem right there,” Lily said, jabbing a finger in his direction.  “You were gonna _let_ Cas bring me.  Who the hell are you to let me do anything?  You’re not my parent.  I don’t need watching over.”

Sam sighed in frustration.  He wasn’t going to say anything right this morning.  Partly because he wasn’t prepared and partly because Lily was angry.

“Yes, I know that, Lily.  We had this conversation before,” Sam said with a sigh.

“Right and it obviously meant nothing,” Lily slammed her mug down on the desk, a little coffee sloshing out and spilling across the wood.  She got to her feet, her anger too strong to let her remain seated.  “I mean all that talk about your liking me just like I am, not wanting to change me or own me.  That was obviously a bunch of shit.  It’s pretty apparent you want to control me and keep me all nice and safe like a fucking doll,” Lily spat out.

“Now wait just a minute,” Sam said easing to his own feet as irritation coursed through him. “You were out hunting with Dean how many times and I never uttered a word of protest, never tried to get you to stay at home or protect you.”

“So what, it’s just when I’m gonna be with you that you feel the need to become a macho asshole who wants to order me around?” Lily’s hands were on her hips and her eyes were snapping with anger.  Sam was doing his best to rein his temper in but she was making it hard.  “That’s it, right?  I mean if you’re not there you can just pretend I’m not out kicking demon ass, right?”

“No, that’s not right,” Sam snapped back.  “I fought right alongside you when we were helping Jody out.”

“Oh but you didn’t have a choice then” Lily said.  “That was an out of control situation.  You couldn’t get away with leaving me behind.  This time though, first chance you got you wanted to keep me out of the way, make damn sure your girlfriend was home safe and sound.”

“And is that so bad?” Sam shot back.  “I mean most people would think that’s a sign of loving, of caring.  Wanting someone to be safe is generally thought of as a good thing.”

“We’re not most people, Sam!” Lily yelled.  “I’m not normal and you know that.  You always have.  It’s not like I sprung who I am on you.  I’ve always been this.”  Lily gestured to herself, the desperation in her movements showing her feelings.  She was brimming over with anger, with frustration.  “I’m never going to want to be kept safe.  And if you thought I was then you are dating the wrong woman.”

Silence set in for a second as Lily’s words and the meaning behind them echoed throughout the room.

Sam was just taking a breath to respond, to reassure Lily that he didn’t want her to change when her eyes narrowed suddenly.

“You probably fucking loved that damn prophecy, didn’t you?  I mean you never seemed really upset by it.  What a perfect chance to get me to change and you still look like the good guy.”

Sam sucked in a sharp breath, anger at her words coursing through him.  “That’s not fair.  And it’s not true either.”  Lily was still staring at him with angry, accusatory eyes and Sam felt his temper kick in.  “Though how the hell would we know because you won’t ever talk about the damn prophecy anyway.”

“That’s not fair, Sam,” Lily said, sucking in a breath of her own.

“Oh no?” Sam asked, arching a brow at her.  “You’re not the only one affected by it Lily but you called the shots, putting it on the shelf and no one was allowed to discuss it.  It’s always your rules.”

“Oh that’s such bullshit!” Lily snapped.  “You’re the one always wanting to be in charge, doing it in your oh so nice way, but nice doesn’t mean you aren’t trying to run the show.”

“Ha!  Like anyone could ever run things with you around!” Sam said.  “You don’t give anyone else a chance.  You’re too busy proving that you’re the toughest, the loudest and the baddest there is.”

“Why should I give someone else a chance?  I’m damn good at running things,” Lily said, stepping right up to Sam.  With her heels on she was just a hair shorter than him and she glared right into his eyes, her anger so strong she could feel it flowing through her.  “I’m so good in fact that I saved you and your brothers sorry asses last night.  You know, on the hunt you guys didn’t need my help on?”

“Because you’re obviously perfect,” Sam said, his own anger growing.  “It must be nice to never screw up and make the wrong call.  Then again, considering you’ve done how many hunts compared to us…well the odds are kind of in your favor, aren’t they?”  That was a low blow Sam knew but he was too angry at this point to pull back.

Lily’s eyes grew wide and Sam watched as her face flushed red and she pulled her hand back but before she could make contact Sam grabbed her wrist.  “Don’t,” he said lowly, his eyes flashing and Lily jerked her wrist away from his grasp.

“Yeah, well I’m not part of a “we” am I?  I mean it’s just me, no big brother to always save my ass and pull me out of the fire.”  Lily raked her eyes over him, her look contemptuous.   Sam winced at that but said nothing back.  This was so far out of control.

Lily walked away to the other side of the room, putting some distance between them, at least as much as the small room would allow and turned to face him.   “I’m not soft. I don’t need to be protected.  I’m not just waiting for you to order me around.  I have a mind of my own and I don’t need to be bossed around by a Winchester.”

“I don’t want to boss you around, Lily,” Sam said, sick to death of this point.

“Bullshit,” Lily shot back.  “You’ve been trying every since I moved in here.”

“It’s called trying to keep you safe!” Sam yelled his impatience at her not getting this point making him crazy.

“You know, I thought I was the one who would fuck this up.  I even told you that.”  Lily gave a sharp little laugh.  “Imagine my surprise when it turns out to be you who can’t do this.”  Lily gave a little shake of her head and for the first time Sam saw something in her eyes other than anger: sorrow, real genuine mourning.  That’s when it hit Sam that this was not just an argument.  This was a final fight, the one couples had and never came back from.  Panic coursed through him suddenly and he ran over in his mind what he could possibly do.  He needed to slow this down, to bring them back together to talk without the anger.  But looking at Lily’s resolute face he came up with nothing.  She was walking towards the door now and Sam’s emotions were unraveling, his thoughts a frenzied jumble.  Shit, how had this happened?

Lily stopped at the door, her back to him and her hand on the door.  Sam wanted to go to her, to touch her shoulder to beg her to come back and sit down so they could talk calmly.  But he was frozen.  This had all happened way too fast.

Lily turned then, her eyes a complicated palette of anger and pain.  “The thing is Sam I can walk away saying I loved you.  Every bit of you, every flaw, every beautiful part - all of you.  I loved the whole package.  I loved Sam.”  She smiled at him sadly before opening the door and imparting her last dagger.  “You only ever loved who you wanted me to be.”

* * *

Dean woke well after noon, stretched and was immediately met with the soft feel of Rose stretched out atop him.  He grinned down at her, brushing her hair off her face and his grin grew as she snuggled down against him.  He could wake up this way every day and be happy.  He stroked a hand down her back and admitted he definitely didn’t mind all the bare skin either.  It was hard to imagine that just yesterday morning they had been in the midst of a major meltdown and now here they were, together and happier than they had been in months.  Dean knew sex didn’t solve everything, that they still had stuff to work out.  But it sure didn’t hurt either he thought with a grin.  He lay there like that for awhile then slowly reached out and snagged his phone.  He had a message from Erin telling him not to worry about meeting the Dr. that day (Shit, he’d completely forgot in the chaos of last night.) that Sam and Lily were meeting with him and they would reschedule for another day.  Sam and Lily, huh?  That must have been interesting.  He replied, saying he was sorry he forgot then read through emails and some other messages and just relaxed, enjoying the feel of being in bed with Rose.

About an hour later he felt Rose stirring and realized she was waking up.  He’d expected her to be out for much longer.  He watched as she yawned then slowly blinked her eyes open.  She looked up at him then buried her head back against his chest and Dean had to grin.

“Morning Sunshine,” he said cheerfully and Rose slowly lifted her head again and looked up at him.

“What time is it?” she asked sleepily.

Dean checked his watch.  “Almost two,” he said, smiling at her.  She yawned again then smiled back at him.  Dean reached over and opened the drawer in his bedside table and withdrew a small vial that Rose instantly recognized.  “Your mom made an extra for me,” Dean explained when he saw the curious look Rose was giving him.  “She said just to take half your normal dose since it’s so late.  Open.”  Before she could blink Dean was holding out the dropper and expecting her to open her mouth.  So she did.  She watched him with a curious smile as he put it back in his drawer.

“So you had an extra bottle of my medicine just lying around?”

Dean shrugged.  “I like to be prepared.”  He smoothed her hair back.  “How you feeling, Baby?”

“OK,” Rose said stretching and Dean couldn’t help the fact that his eyes immediately went to her breasts which her movement put on great display.  “A little tired.  But all things considered not bad.”  Seeing where Dean's eyes were Rose giggled and Dean grinned up at her unrepentantly.

"Sorry, the views kind of distracting."

"Oh well I could get dressed," Rose started then stopped as a though occurred to her.  "Except I have no clothes in here."

Dean's smile took on a devilish glint.  "So basically you’re saying I have you in my room with no clothes to wear aside from my t-shirt.”  Rose nodded and Dean’s grin grew.

“Whatever will you do with me?” Rose asked, smiling at him coyly and Dean just smiled, pulling her mouth down towards his.

“Oh I’m a creative guy,” he muttered moments before his lips tasted hers.  “I’ll think of something.”

* * *

The minute after Lily left Sam alone in the ad hoc therapy room, before he had any chance to catch his breath or wrap his head around what just happened the Skype session had gone live and the doctor had appeared on the screen.  He apologized profusely for being late, saying another clients session had overran.  He understood all about hunters lives and was completely agreeable to rescheduling an appointment for Rose and Dean at a later date.

“And her sister, uh...” The doctor looked at his notes.  “Lily.  She couldn’t be here today either?”

“Uh, no, no she…something came up,” Sam fumbled.  He hoped the doctor couldn’t tell too much from his face but if he did he didn’t pursue it, just nodded and pulled out Sam’s form.

“OK, we’ll just go over your paperwork then, Sam,” the doctor said.  “This shouldn’t take too long.”

Later Sam couldn’t tell you hardly anything he’d said in that session.  He’d been reeling, in shock, felt like he was in some horrible nightmare.  Luckily true to the doctor’s word it didn’t take long and pretty soon he was signing off, having set up an appointment for the other three in two day’s time.

Sam shut the laptop and just continued to sit there.  He didn’t know what to do or where to go now.  He’d never seen this outcome as a possibility.  He and Lily had discussed a future together, maybe not specific details but they’d both been clear they wanted to be together.  And now just like that it was over.

And Sam, who always had a plan, always had a clear idea what the next step was realized he had absolutely no idea what to do next.

* * *

Rose was staring happily up at Dean, their breathing and heart rates slowly returning to normal. 

“I could take waking up like that every day,” she said happily and Dean smiled in return.  She giggled then.  “I can’t believe I forgot about clothes.  I obviously wasn’t planning ahead last night.”

“Too hot for my body to think straight,” Dean said smugly.  “It’s been known to happen.”

Rose rolled her eyes at him then asked curiously, “Do you always feel like that after a hunt?”

“Sometimes,” Dean said, then changed it too, “Well yeah, a lot.  Maybe not that strongly but there’s definitely a rush.”

“Hmm,” Rose said, rolling onto her back and studying the ceiling.  “That was…well I would guess it was kind of like being drugged.  I mean it was kind of overwhelming but kind of fun too.”

Dean chuckled, rolling on his side to look at her.  “You were definitely hot.”  He raised an eyebrow at her.  “And all kinds of sexy.”

Rose blushed happily and Dean couldn’t resist leaning down and kissing her.  He tasted her lips, tracing and teasing them with his tongue and Rose sighed happily.  Dean pulled back and smiled at her then sobered.  “Let’s get some clothes on you so we can talk.”  Rose watched Dean get up and toss the shirt of his she’d worn last night her way then rummage around till he found a pair of sweatpants that would at least stay on her.  She had a feeling what was coming; she was going to hear how she shouldn’t have come after them last night.  She put the clothes on and sat up against the headboard and watched as Dean got dressed himself in a t-shirt and sweats then he came back to the bed then and sat facing her.  Sure enough, the first words out of his mouth were:

“You shouldn’t have come after us, Rosie.  You could have gotten hurt.”

“You were trapped, Dean,” Rose said calmly. “You guys needed help.”  She had spent some time thinking about last night and despite the fact that she knew Dean wouldn’t agree with her she knew she’d done the right thing.  She didn’t want to argue with him but she wasn’t going to just agree with him on this either.  It was too important.

“We would have gotten out somehow,” Dean said, sounding way more sure than he had been.

“OK how?” Rose demanded and Dean blinked.  Shit, he hadn’t thought she would ask that.  While Dean racked his brain for an answer Rose ticked off all the strikes against them.  “You couldn’t call Cas, he couldn’t come in.  Garth’s pack was nowhere near.  You were hurt and tied up.”

Failing to come up with an answer for how they would have escaped Dean settled on, “OK yeah, but Baby I need you safe, that’s more important.”

“No, it’s not,” Rose said stubbornly.  “My safety is not more important than yours.”  Dean was frowning at her and Rose sighed trying to think of how she could ease his mind without giving in.  “Dean, I was with Lily and Cas the whole time.  I followed everything Lily told me and I didn’t take any crazy risks-“

“You walked into a room full of werewolves!” Dean burst out.

“Who had you held hostage,” Rose responded.

“I told you to be good!” Dean said, his agitation growing.

“And I told you not to get hurt,” Rose responded calmly.

“I need you to be safe,” Dean repeated stubbornly and Rose sighed.

“And I need you to come home to me in one piece,” Rose said.

Dean gave a loud sigh of frustration.  Rose was being way too stubborn on this point and he needed her to understand.  He took one of her hands in his, his thumb stroking her knuckles.

“Baby...you’re not a hunter.” Dean was trying his best to sound calm.  “That’s not your world.  Things could have gone horribly wrong.  I need you to promise me that you won’t do that again.”

She looked up at him, shook her head and said simply, “No.”

“What the hell do you mean, no?” Dean asked his irritation at her refusal clear on his face.

“I mean no.  This is one thing I’m not giving in on,” Rose said firmly.  “If our roles had been reversed would you have come after me?”

“Of course,” Dean said instantly.

“OK, well to quote you, “It works both ways,” Rose said.  Dean looked annoyed at having his own words turned back on him and Rose leaned forward and kissed him softly. “If you’re in trouble and I can help I can’t just sit idly by and do nothing, Dean.  If you need me I’m there.  I’ll always come for you.”  She waited a beat then grinned naughtily at him and said, “In every way possible.”

Her last comment at least earned her a grin but it was fleeting and quickly replaced by a frown again and Rose sighed.  Distracting him obviously wasn’t going to work.  Dean let go of her hand and reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, his tension evident in his every move.  “OK but what if your powers didn’t work?  You don’t have control of them yet.  What if in that situation they’d just decided to not turn on?”

“I can still shoot a gun, Dean,” Rose said and Dean looked at her curiously then.

“Yeah, your skills sure seem to have increased since last time I saw you shoot, Baby.  Something you want to tell me?”

Rose fidgeted with the hem of the sweatpants she wore.  She rolled them up nervously then said, “Well I can use my powers to kind of help me aim a bit?  I found that out by accident.  And um, I’ve been practicing a little.  Without powers,” she added hastily, knowing how Dean felt about her being able to protect herself without her powers.

Dean blinked in surprise.  He hadn’t seen that coming.  “Practicing.”  Rose nodded.  “In the gun range?”  Another nod.  “When?”

Rose shrugged.  “Here and there.  At night mostly.  I had a lot of time on my hands.”

“Huh.”  Dean looked bemused by this fact.  “I used to have to practically drag you to practice before.”

“Yeah well, I was out there.”  Rose waved a hand to encompass the outside world.  “Before the idea of having to defend myself was just that –an idea.  Suddenly it was a reality and I was really thankful you insisted on me leaning to use a gun.”

“So that was your way of saying “Dean, you were right!” Dean said with a smirk.

“Would it make you happy if I said that?”  Dean nodded and Rose smiled.  “Yes, Dean you were right.  Happy now?”

“I’d be happier if you said you’d never put yourself in danger again,” Dean shot back immediately.

“Well I’d be happier if you were never in danger again but that’s not going to happen is it?” Dean frowned again and Rose decided she needed a more direct approach.  She crawled into Dean’s lap, straddling his hips and he automatically wrapped his arms around her.  “You’ve given me about a bazillion rules and I’m sure there are a hundred more to come-”

“Yeah, after that little stunt more like a thousand,” Dean shot back with a scowl.

“I only have one for you,” Rose continued and Dean quirked an eyebrow at her.

“Who said you get to make rules?” he asked.

“You did,” Rose said with a grin and Dean snorted.

“Yeah, well I’m taking that back.”  Rose shook her head.

“You can’t.”  She put her hands on both sides of his face and looked into his eyes.  “This is mine, my rule.  If you’re in danger, if you need me I’m always going to come for you.  Nothing, not even you, can stop me.  You can be upset with me, you can be irritated or huffy and yell at me but I’m always going to do it.”  She shifted slightly, wrapping her legs around him and Dean stared down at her, seeing the serious look in her eyes.  Her fingers caressed his face softly.  “Because you, Dean Winchester, matter more to me than anything else on this earth and you’re worth any risk.”  Dean felt his breath catch as Rose’s words went straight to his heart.  She smiled softly at him, her touch as tender as her words.  “I couldn’t _not_ come after you, Dean.  I’m yours and you’re mine and in order for that to work we both need to be here.”  Rose kissed him softly, just a soft flutter of her lips on his and yet it got to Dean like few other kisses in his life had.  “My life without you isn’t my life.”

Dean sighed.  “How the hell am I supposed to argue with that?”

Rose smiled.  “I don’t know but I’m sure you’ll find a way.”

Dean let out a surprised huff of laughter at that.  He ran his hands over Rose’s back, looking at her with a mixture of irritation and begrudging admiration.  Finally he sighed again and said, “Damn, you are stubborn.”

“I am when it matters,” Rose said, her smile calm and sure.  And it occurred to Dean that he hadn’t seen that look on her face in…well he couldn’t remember when.  Maybe last night had actually been good for her, not that he was going to admit that to her.

“I’m still going to argue with you over this,” he cautioned.

“I know.”

“And I’ll never admit I agree to it.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to.”

“And I’m still going to be colossally pissed at you when you do.  And I’m gonna yell.  Probably a lot.”

"Public appearances will be maintained,” Rose said with a nod.  She was well aware that just telling him she was going to come after him didn’t mean his reaction would change.  It was too engrained in him to want to keep her safe.  She let out a surprised gasp when Dean moved his hands down to her hips suddenly pulling her flush against him.

“And these clothes we just put on?  They need to come back off now,” Dean said rubbing his hips against hers.  All the emotion Rose had in her eyes, all the emotion she’d made him feel - It was tugging at him now, making him need to touch her, to be inside her once again. 

“But we just got dressed…” Rose protested, melting against Dean even as she spoke.  Dean yanked the shirt over her head before she could breathe out another word.

“You got to be bossy for a minute there, Sweetheart,” Dean murmured, his lips against her neck, his hands splaying across her bare back.  “Don’t get used to it,” he growled, his hands moving down to cup her ass.  Rose let out a soft noise of pleasure and Dean grinned.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Rose gasped out as Dean’s hands squeezed.

“You’re not in charge here, Baby,” Dean said nipping at her neck and Rose ground herself against him.  “Are you?”  Rose shook her head, her eyes taking on the soft unfocused look Dean loved.  “Who’s in charge, Rosie?” he asked his breath fanning hotly over her skin.

“You are, Dean,” Rose breathed.  Dean grinned and slowly leaned her back in his arms and lowered his head towards her breasts.  He sucked one pink nipple between his lips and Rose writhed against him, her fingers clutching at his shoulders.  Dean pulled his mouth back finally; trailing kisses to her other breast.

“That’s right,” he said, flicking his tongue over the other nipple.  “And you are going to do exactly what you’re told, aren’t you?”  Rose nodded her head eagerly.  “Good girl.”  Dean lifted her up suddenly, laying her out on the bed.  He got to his feet, yanking her sweats off as he went.  "Because you like that, don’t you, Baby?  Me telling you what to do?”  Another eager head nod and Dean smiled, yanking his own shirt off.  Rose leaned up on her elbows watching Dean as he pulled his pants off and he couldn't miss the hungry look in her eyes.  "See something you like, Rosie?"  Rose's eyes were sparkling and her lips were curled up in a pleased smile as she nodded again. "Come here, Baby."  Dean crooked a finger at her and Rose quickly scrambled to the end of the bed.  Dean stroked his hardened cock and watched Rose give a hungry little lick of her lips that made him moan.  Rose smiled up at him and then reached out and gave him a soft little kitten lick and Dean moaned again, louder this time.  Rose smiled up at him again and then leaned forward and wrapping her lips around him she sucked his length into her mouth. Dean looked at her, sprawled on her stomach on his bed, her cheeks flushed and sweet mouth sealed around his cock and thought he'd never seen a sexier sight.  He groaned as she pulled back and started dragging the tip of her tongue up his length. 

His hands found their way into her hair and tangled there, stroking gently. 

"We can't do this for long, Rosie," he said, his voice sounding strangled.

Rose pulled back and pouted at him, her hands moving to take the place of her tongue.  "Why not?  Don't you like it?"

"Oh Sweetheart I love it," Dean said with a small smirk.  "But all those pretty words of yours have me feeling all kinds of possessive."  Dean stroked her face softly, his fingers trailing over her lips and he moaned when Rose sucked on his fingers for a second before releasing them.  “But as pretty and as sexy as this mouth is it’s not where wanna come, Sweetheart.”  Rose made a small, happy noise at that and Dean grinned down at her.  She chose that moment to go back to sucking on him and Dean closed his eyes and let himself just enjoy it for a minute because God it felt like heaven.  It would be so, so easy to just let her keep this up, to come in that beautiful mouth of hers.  But no, he wanted to be inside her.  So all too soon he was pulling back and Rose let him go, licking her lips again as she did.  Dean took a deep breath then pulled Rose up to her knees and kissed her deeply.  She wound herself around him, letting out a soft sound of pleasure.  Dean's hands stroked down her back, feeling the softness of her skin and loving the feel of her against him.  He pulled back after a minute and patted her bottom.  "On your stomach, Baby."

Rose looked mildly surprised, then pleased and smiled and did as he'd said.  

Dean moved down on the bed behind her, stroking a hand up her leg and then cupping her sex and Rose moved against his hand instantly. 

"You ready for me, Baby?" He asked, his fingers stroking between her folds.  Rose nodded and Dean reached down and patted her bottom.  "Arch you back for me, Baby."  Realizing what Dean wanted Rose arched her back, pushing her bottom up and Dean straddled her legs.  He gave her one more pat and then was stroking into her.  They both let out sounds - Dean a low groan at how deep inside her he was and Rose a strangled whimper at the angle Dean was entering her at.  Dean reached a hand out and wrapped it in her hair and tugged and he grinned as he felt Rose shiver.  His other hand rubbed over her bottom and he felt her whole body tense.  He realized she was waiting for him to spank her; her bottom was certainly in the right position, perfectly on display.  It would be all too easy to rain down a volley of sharp, stinging swats on the sweet ass in front of him.  But that wasn't going to happen. 

Instead Dean kept up the rubbing, his hips smacking into her ass with each deep thrust.  The rhythm of his hips was pulling him closer, bringing him nearer the edge and he needed Rose to come before he did. Rose was moaning now and Dean could tell it wouldn't take much to tip her over.  Dean tugged on her hair again, squeezed one bottom cheek and said, "Come for me, Rosie.  Do what you’re told."

Dean felt her body stiffen and then shake as her orgasm overtook her.  As Rose turned her face to the side Dean slowed his thrusts to enjoy the look of pleasure on her face.  She went limp then and Dean picked up his pace again, moving both hands to grip her hips as he let himself go.  She was letting out soft little noises and Dean thrust fast and hard, coming with a loud shout that pulled a smaller, second orgasm from her.  Dean collapsed on top of her, careful not to hurt her and dropped tired, lazy kisses on her back and shoulders.  After a minute he grinned. 

"This talking stuff is pretty fun," he said.  "Who knew?"

* * *

When Lily left Sam she walked straight for the garage.  She needed to be out, needed to be away and damn it the U-Haul was still attached to her car she realized.  Eyeing the rows of other cars she settled on a small sporty red number and walked into the tool room at the end of the garage.  She’d seen a rack of keys neatly labeled when she and Charlie had been down here drinking.  Of course they were labeled with people’s names and she had no idea who had driven the red car.  It turned out it was someone named Ellis and soon enough Lily was in the car which started smoothly and on her way.  She headed for the closest bar and settled herself into a booth near the back.  Luckily the place was fairly quiet this time of day and aside from a few interested looks everyone left her alone.  She ordered a Jameson on the rocks, asked the waitress to keep them coming and then sat back and tried to figure out what to do.  She clinked the ice cubes in the glass as she stared at the amber liquid.

That happened.  She’d just broken up with Sam.  She waited for the tears to come and smirked at the thought of how pathetic she’d be, crying in a booth at a bar.  But the tears didn’t come.  Maybe she was just in too much shock.  No, she could feel the pain.  It was there, bright and cutting into her heart but the tears weren’t anywhere to be found.  She downed her first glass, the ice cubes making a loud *Clink* and was happy to see the waitress quickly bring another.

Lily realized she was in completely unchartered territory here.  She’d never been through a real break up.  Sure she'd had times where she and a guy stopped hooking up but nothing that ever hurt.  Wasn’t she supposed to eat ice cream or something?  Maybe watch movies that made her cry?  She didn’t want ice cream or movies though.  Rose baked and listened to sad or angry music when she went through a break up.  Well she sure as hell wasn't going to bake and music wasn't what she wanted right now. She wanted…she furrowed her brow, realizing she had no idea what she wanted.  No, that wasn’t true.  Lily frowned down at her glass.  She wanted Sam.  She wanted him to show up across from her, ease his tall frame into the booth and tell her this had all been a mistake, that he’d been possessed, that was the only reason he’d told her not to show up last night.  Or maybe he’d had a gun to his head or a werewolf was holding Dean and making Sam say those things to Lily.  *Clink* went the ice cubes in the glass as she emptied it and the waitress reappeared again.

That wasn't going to happen though.  Sam had done what he did because he'd wanted to, because he didn't want her there.  It was disappointing but it was the truth.  Denying it, which usually Lily was a big fan of was no use.  Lily caught a lone guy at the bar staring at her and shot him a death glare.  Male attention was the last thing she wanted right now.

The thing was she had had plans.  She didn’t want to admit that and she hadn’t told anyone aside from Sam.  But she’d been able to see a future with him so much so that she’d had plans, things she wanted to do.  Lily had never done that before.  *Clink Clink* She swirled the whiskey with the ice cubes enjoying the sound. 

Now her plans pretty much consisted of sitting here and drinking. 

Maybe forever.

Her new best friend came over and filled her glass one more time and Lily stared down into it.

This was her plan.

*Clink Clink*


	69. Wastin' Our Time on Cheap Talk and Wine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alcohol...some people should just stay away from the stuff

“You’re all scruffy,” Rose giggled as Dean rubbed his face against her neck, letting the scruff scrape against her skin, tickling her and teasing her, pulling both laughter and shivers from her.

“That’s because a certain someone wouldn’t let me get out of bed,” Dean said, his hands grasping her waist, a smile on his face and Rose laughed.

“Oh no, who was it who held my clothes hostage?”

“Oh that’s not true,” Dean said, grinning as he leaned around her to grab his cup of coffee and take a sip. They’d finally made it out of Dean’s room and to the kitchen. He leaned back against the counter and smirked at her.  “Your lack of planning is not my fault.  I gave you clothes to wear.”

“And what an outfit it is.  I mean people will be modeling this look on the runway next year for sure.”  Rose did a fancy little pirouette and giggled before she went to finishing making her tea.  Dean grinned at her, loving the look of her in his clothes.  The shirt fell to her knees and the sweatpants were rolled up several times at the waist and the ankles and she still swam in them.  He thought she looked adorable, all messy and sexy.  And happy.  God, she looked happy and Dean was having a hard time pulling himself away from her to get them food.  He just wanted to be near her, soaking all that happiness up.

Dean sat his mug down and moved behind Rose, pressing up against her, his hands on her hips.

“Have I told you how hot you look?” he said, moving his lips over her neck.

“Well considering you haven’t let me keep these clothes on for longer than oh twenty minutes I was thinking you hated the way I looked in them,” Rose said, looking at him teasingly over her shoulder.

“Mmm no,” Dean tugged the shirt down off her shoulder so he had access to more bare skin.  "In fact I'm thinking maybe you should just wear this all the time." He nibbled his way down her neck to her shoulder.  “God, you taste good,” he murmured against her skin.

“We could just skip the food,” Rose suggested, wiggling her hips back against Dean suggestively.  “Go back to bed…”

That’s how Sam walked in on them.  Rose at the counter and Dean pressed up against her back, kissing her neck.  Sam blinked, his mind slow to take anything in right now so he stood there for several seconds, his mind in a stupor.  Finally his eyes focused on the stove and the fact that there was a frying pan that was emitting a large plume of smoke.  Sam’s eyes flicked back to the couple in front of him who seemed completely oblivious to him and the smoking pan, oblivious to everything really but each other.   He cleared his throat loudly and said,

“Your foods burning,” and watched as Dean pulled his mouth away from Rose as they both turned to look at first him in surprise, then to the frying pan.

“Shit!” Dean said jumping into action.  He grabbed the pan and dumped it in the empty sink, pouring cold water on it and creating a big billow of steam.  He stared at the pan for a second then turned a grin on Rose.  “Guess we won’t be having eggs.”

Rose smiled back at him, tugging his shirt back up.  “I wasn’t really that hungry anyway,” she murmured, finishing her tea and taking a sip.

Dean shook his head at her and moved close to her, whispering something in her ear that caused her to blush and look up at him in a way that made Sam have to glance away.  He busied himself with sitting down at the table instead.  He was happy they seemed to have worked things out but he couldn’t take seeing that look in her eyes right now.  He was too raw.

Dean and Rose were having a hushed conversation and from the concerned glances Rose was throwing his way Sam had to wonder how bad he looked.  After a minute she threw him a sympathetic smile and left, Dean tossing out, "And then you get your little butt back in here and eat something!” after her before he came over with a mug of coffee for Sam and sat across from him.

He took a sip of coffee from his own cup, shaking his head and muttering, “She’d just eat fucking nothing if I left her to it.”  But there was a small smile on his face and in his words that hadn’t been there the last time Sam left the bunker and he could easily see the happiness in Dean.  It was practically shining out of him.  Sam turned his mug in a circle on the table, wondering if he and Lily had been that obvious.  Probably.  Different but still happy. He looked up to find his brother watching him with a concerned expression, making Sam wince.  Before Dean could ask anything Sam jumped in.

“Looks like things are good with you two,” and that got Dean distracted enough to give Sam a second.  Sam needed it.  He was close to just freaking out here, to melting down.  And he couldn’t do that.  He didn’t do that.

“Yeah,” Dean said, bringing a hand up to rub at his jaw.  “Yeah, getting there.”  He smiled in a happy, private way that made it clear things were better than getting there.  He was relaxed, his movements easy and his eyes clear.  He was in perfect “Rose mode” as Sam had coined it years ago.  He never looked as unwound when he was around anyone else.

“She looks a lot better than when we left,” Sam offered and Dean grinned.

“Yeah.  I mean she’d look even better if I could get her to eat some more."

“Give her time, Dean,” Sam said, his voice sounding hollow.  “She went through a lot.”

Dean was studying him with narrowed eyes and Sam realized his minute was up.

“OK what happened?” Dean asked and Sam winced.  Fuck, he was going to actually have to say this out loud.  And that would mean it was real, not just some awful nightmare.

Sam took a sip of coffee, trying to breath, to find the words.

“I uh, I went to meet the therapist this morning.  You guys have an appointment Wednesday at two."  Dean nodded taking a sip of coffee, his eyes sharp over the rim of his cup, taking in Sam’s every movement. "Apparently Erin must have told Lily to be there too….or she just stuck with the original plan or something.  I don’t know.  I mean we never really talked about it…”

Sam’s words trailed off and he was silent for a moment.  His brother clearing his throat made him glance up.

“What happened, Sammy?” Dean asked his voice softer than normal; gentler as if he knew whatever it was had hit Sam hard.

“She uh,” Sam took a drink of coffee, trying to get the words to come out.  “We…we yelled and fought and yeah I’m pretty sure she just dumped me.”  Sam watched as Dean’s eyes widened in surprise.  OK so it wasn’t just him who hadn’t seen that coming.  He supposed that should be some small comfort.  It wasn’t.

“Shit,” Dean said looking completely thrown by this news.  He’d figured Sam and Lily would have one hell of a fight and then work things out.  That seemed to be the way things went with them.  He hadn’t thought she’d break up with Sam.  She was way too crazy about him.  "Damn Sam, I’m sorry.”

Sam nodded.  “Yeah, me too.”

Charlie wandered into the kitchen then and she was quickly brought up to date on the breakup.

“That explains why I got a text from Lily about the beauty of whiskey,” Charlie mused.

“She must have hit one of the local bars,” Dean said, getting up to grab some food.  He was starving.  He put together a sandwich and sat back down, eating while Charlie drew Sam out, getting him to talk about what happened with him and Lily.  Dean took in all the details Sam came out with, wincing inwardly.  He hated to see his brother hurting.  He glanced at his watch and realized Rose had been gone for half an hour now.  She’d gone to get some clothes on and had been gone longer than Dean thought she should be.  He watched Charlie sympathizing with Sam and figured he was good to go bring Rose some food and make sure she was OK.  He put together another sandwich and headed down the hall towards her room.

“Rosie?” he called, cracking her door open.  Silence greeted him and he pushed the door open further to find Rose curled up on the bed asleep.  She’d obviously been in the middle of changing when the side effect of the potion hit her.  A pair of jeans and sneakers were laid out on the bed and she was curled up wearing a t-shirt.  He sat the sandwich down on her bedside table and sat on the bed next to her.  He traced a hand over her back and she stirred.  She blinked her eyes open and seeing Dean she smiled.

“I fell asleep?” she asked and Dean nodded.

“Guess your potion kicked in.”  He smiled at her, his hand still on her shoulder.  “It didn’t knock you out for as long though.”

“Well I took a smaller dose.”  Rose sat up and Dean instantly pulled her into his arms, her back against his chest and his legs around her and handed her the plate with the sandwich on it.  “Eat.”

“Bossy,” Rose said but she ate.

“And you love it,” Dean said, his voice a low rumble Rose could feel against her back and she shivered and didn’t deny it.

Dean ran his hands over her legs while he filled her in on what Sam had said.

“Oh Lil,” Rose said softly.  She didn’t seem as surprised as Dean and he wondered if Lily had said something to her last night.  “I knew she was upset.”

“Yeah, I think we all got a clear picture of how mad she was last night,” Dean said, wincing and remembering how Lily had reacted to Sam in the barn.

But Rose was shaking her head.  “No, not mad.  I mean, yes, she’s mad but that’s not the problem.  Lily gets mad and she blows up, wreaks havoc and then it’s over.  But if she’s upset…I would guess, I mean she didn’t say it and we haven’t talked a lot lately but if I had to guess I’d say that she’s hurt too.  And that’s much worse.”  Rose set her empty plate aside and turned sideways so she could look up at Dean.  “You remember the baseball game?”

Dean wracked his brain for a minute and then it came to him clear as day what Rose meant.  “Oh shit, yeah.”  The neighborhood kids played a lot of games together when they were growing up and baseball had been a favorite.  Rose had no interest and would happily sit on the sidelines cheering everyone on and Sam more often than not would join her with a book in his hands.  But both Dean and Lily loved the game and quite often were captains, picking their teammates from the local kids.  It just so happened that Dean and Lily had been in the midst of one of their childhood squabbles one time that Lily wasn’t captain and when it came Dean’s turn to pick he had picked someone else instead of her, throwing in a snotty comment about not wanting her on his team.  It had been done out of pure spite as Lily was a much better athlete than the boy he’d picked but it didn’t matter.  The damage was done.  Lily had been angry but more than that she’d been hurt.  She’d played one of the best games ever, her anger fueling her.  The team she was on crushed Dean’s and then she stalked off, refusing to talk to him.  That had gone on for weeks and had been one of the biggest upsets in the harmony of their home.

“I know they were getting serious before I…left.”  Dean couldn’t help but notice how Rose stumbled over that phrase.  “I’m guessing they kept that up?”

Dean nodded.  “Sam admitted to me he was in love with her and I said something to that effect to her.”  Dean grinned, remembering.  “I’ve never seen Lily look so soft and gooey.”

Rose smiled.  “Yeah, well love will do that to you.”  Dean blinked but before he could say anything Rose was leaning her head back against him.  “I should finish getting dressed.”  Looking down at her Dean read her t-shirt and frowned.

“I hate the shirt.”  Rose glanced down at it.  Daryl Dixon #Claimed didn’t seem a very controversial shirt to her.

“You do?”

“Hell yeah,” Dean said.  “You’re my girl.  No guy gets to claim you.”

Rose blinked in surprise then smiled before extricating herself from Dean’s arms.  “Actually it’s more the other way around.  I’m claiming him.”

Dean scowled.  “Yeah, I hate that too.”

Rose grinned.  “Don’t worry, Sweetie.  It’s just a t-shirt.”  She leaned down and brushed her lips over his neck, right over the dark mark she’d left on him last night, making his pulse jump.  “You’re the only man I’ve claimed.”

Dean’s eyes darkened and he went to grab her but Rose danced away too quickly.  “Uh uh, I need to get dressed at some point today.”

"Aw, Rosie don't be a tease," Dean said.  "Say something like that to me and then don't let me even..." he shook his head at her but she just smiled at him.  "Why bother getting dressed?” he asked, leaning back on the bed and stretching out lazily.  “It’s late.  And it’s easier for me to get you naked this way.”

Rose rolled her eyes at him and Dean watched in interest as she pulled her jeans on.  His eyes followed every move she made, his eyes moving down every curve of her body, making appreciative noises as he watched.  Rose glanced at him as she sat down and pulled her sneakers on.  “You’re the only person I know who could make getting dressed seem dirty.”

“Hey!” Dean protested, doing his best to look innocent and failing completely.  “Though I was considering suggesting you bend over and tie your shoes that way.” He grinned at her wickedly, using his hands to frame the imaginary shot.  “Just let me enjoy the view."

Rose stuck her tongue out at him and Dean was just moving to come after her when his phone rang.  “Damn phone,” he muttered glaring at it.  “Always ruining my fun.”  Rose grabbed a brush and tried to tame her hair while Dean answered.

"Hi...Oh Hey Donnie."  Rose looked at him curiously.  "Mmm hmm."  Dean winced.  "Yeah, she's ours.  Right. Thanks for calling.  I'll be over in just a few to get her."

Rose laid the brush down as Dean hung up.  "Lily?"

"Yeah, apparently she's been at Donnie's all afternoon getting blitzed."

Rose nodded.  "Sounds like what she'd do."

"Yeah well some idiot decided to hit on her and didn't want to take no for an answer."

"Oh no," Rose said shrugging into her coat.  Dean couldn't help but notice it matched the shirt with angel wings on the back.  He swore he wasn't going to be jealous of a fictional character.  He just wasn’t. He glanced up at Rose when he realized she'd asked him something and she repeated it.  "How bad?"

"She broke his nose.  Donnie's cool, said the guy deserved it.  But she's pretty wasted and he figured someone should come get her."

"OK let's go.  You want me to go with you," she said before he could argue.  "A drunk, angry Lily and you seem like a recipe for disaster."

Dean nodded then said hesitantly, "Not to point out the obvious here but you two haven't really gotten along lately."

Rose considered that.  "We did OK last night though.  And who else do we have?  We can’t take Sam."

Dean smiled.  And that's how he wound up walking into Donnie's with not one but two redheads in tow.  They needed someone to drive the car Lily drove back anyway and Charlie could definitely do that.  Donnie was behind the bar and Dean headed straight over to him.  Rose and Charlie meanwhile scanned the room and spotting Lily in a back booth they made a beeline for her.

"Thanks for calling, Donnie," Dean said.

"Hey any time. Like I said, the idiot deserved what he got.  But she's drank enough to put a guy three times her weight down.  She could drink most guys I know under the table."  Donnie glanced over at the booth where Rose and Charlie were talking to Lily.  "I've seen her and the redhead with the short hair in here with your brother, figured you guys would want to get her home safe."

"Yeah, thanks we'll get her."  He nodded and asked for her tab.  She'd left a credit card so Dean took that and her receipt to get signed and hoped she'd come with them easily.  Dean didn't hold out a lot of hope for that though.  He knew all too well about drinking angry and it rarely lead to cooperation.  And from the looks of things it was going about as he expected.

-not ready to go."  Lily was shaking her head at Charlie who was seated across from her and shooting Rose a mutinous glance where she stood by the booth.  "I'm enjoying my drinks.  Do you want one?"  Charlie smiled at her and shook her head.

"But Lily you've been here awhile now," Rose was saying coaxingly.  "You should come home now."

"I don't have a home," Lily said.  It had occurred to her after about an hour of drinking that she had nowhere to go.  Going back to the bunker meant seeing Sam and she knew everyone would freak if she went back to Hastings.  So she was stuck. "I'm homeless."  She waved her arms expansively.  "I live here now.  The bar is my home."

Dean rolled his eyes at her theatrics.  Lily was dramatic when she was sober.  Alcohol just increased her dramatic flair.

“Danny’s nice,” Dean’s head jerked Lily’s way at this comment.  “He’ll let me stay here and sleep in this booth.”

“Donny,” Dean corrected her through gritted teeth.  Lily smiled at him and there was some definite bite in it.  He was sure she’d messed up the name on purpose.

“Oh right, Donny.”

"Mom wants to see you, Lil," Rose said, stepping in.  "You can spend the night there and we'll work a plan out tomorrow."  The three of them had a small discussion on the way there and had a plan they thought would work but needed to talk to Lily once she was sober.  It was her decision after all.

Lily focused bleary eyes on Dean, ignoring what Rose said.  "What are you doing here anyway?"

Rose stepped in before Dean could answer.  "He drove us over so we could take you to moms."

"Mom?"  Lily looked down into her glass seeming to hear Rose’s words for the first time.  She shook her head. "She hates when I drink.  She'll be mad."

"She understands you're upset.  It'll be fine," Rose soothed.

Dean handed Rose the receipt and she barely glanced at it before adding a huge tip and scribbling Lily's signature.  Lily was busy clinking the ice cubes in her almost empty glass and looking around.  She frowned when the waitress failed to appear.

"I need more drink.  You scared my waitress away."  She glared at Dean around Rose.  "Go away."

"Can't do that," Dean said, reminding himself to be patient, that drunk or not Lily was upset.  "Come on, Lily let's get out of here."

"Oh no, no, no," Lily was shaking her head vehemently.  "Hell no.  I’ve had one damn Winchester brother trying to tell me what to do.  I don't need another one."

Dean's eyes narrowed.  Her mention of Sam was not the thing to say to keep him calm.  He loved Lily but she’d hurt his little brother.  Rose glanced at Dean's face and seeing his expression she jumped into the fray again.

"Lil, come on, please?  No one is trying to tell you what to do.  We just want you safe..." Rose trailed off at Lily's look.  She had no idea what she said that set Lily off but her head jerked around and she glared at Rose.

"Safe?  What the hell is this fucking obsession you all have with being safe?  Life's not safe!"  Lily drained the last sip of her drink and stumbled to her feet.  She swayed but managed to stay upright.  Barely.  "We walked into a room of pissed off werewolves.  That wasn’t safe but we did it.  And we kicked ass too.”  Lily patted Rose’s shoulder.  “You did good Rosie, though to hear these guys talk,” She hooked a thumb Dean’s direction and he rolled his eyes. “I guess we should have just stayed home and let the wolves have them.”  She shook her head at Rose then.  “I don't need to be perfect like you.” Dean watched Rose's cheeks color slightly.  "I don’t care if anyone fucking likes me.  No one has to like me. I don't care.  I just want more drink."

"People like you," Charlie interjected.  "A lot of people love you."

"Na, you're just nice Charlie.  Super nice actually."  Lily gave Charlie a drunken smile.  "But I'm just...I need more whiskey.  Whiskey!" She yelled. "What do I have to do to get another drink?"

"Oh for fucks sake," Dean muttered, his jaw clenching, his patience gone.  "Lily, shut up and quit making a scene."

Lily turned and glared at him then stumbled towards him.  "You shut up."  She poked him in the chest hard.  "Oh I like this.  I'm taller than you again."  She did in fact have a few inches on him in her heels.  "Pissed me off when you got taller than me." Rose watched Dean suck in a breath and prayed he'd control his temper.  "You can't push me around.  I'm older than you.  And bigger.  And I'm...”Lily trailed off, losing her train of thought.  Then with a sloppy grin of she remembered her point.  “I should be the boss."

"Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that."  Dean rolled his eyes and looked over Lily's shoulder.  "Charlie you got her keys?  Right, we'll see you back at the bunker."  And without any fanfare he leaned over and hauled Lily up over his shoulder.  They made it halfway through the bar before Lily's surprise wore off.  Then she began shrieking, beating at Dean's back and calling him every name under the sun.  Dean ignored her and marched resolutely towards the door.  Rose was just grateful Lily was as drunk as she was. If Dean had ever tried that move when Lily was sober she would have been a lot more violent and effective in her attempts to get down.  Rose could just picture the two of them fighting in the middle of the bar.  That’s all they needed.  Charlie and Rose hurried behind them throwing apologetic smiles to the other patrons who were staring at them. 

Charlie headed off to the car Lily had driven and Rose followed Dean.  He glanced back at her when they neared the Impala.  "Keys are in my right pocket. Can you grab them for me, Sweetheart?"

Rose nodded and hurried around to dig them out.  She opened the backdoor and Dean dropped Lily in.   She kicked out at him and Dean immediately grabbed her ankle and ripped her shoes off.  "I'm not Sam.  You kick me Lily, you'll be sorry."  He gave her a threatening glare and slammed the door.

“Fuck you, Dean Winchester!” Lily yelled, kicking at the door with her bare feet.  She leaned back in the seat then and folded her arms, giving Dean looks through the glass that could kill but at least she didn't try to escape which Rose had half expected.  Then again it was quite possible she’d forgotten how to open the door she was so drunk.

Dean heaved a heavy sigh and turned to Rose who was glancing at Lily worriedly.  “Hey, she’ll be fine he said, pulling her into his arms.  “She just needs to sleep it off.”

“I can’t remember the last time she was this drunk,” Rose said, biting her lip.

“She’s hurting, Baby.”  And she was.  Dean knew that.  It was just hard to ignore the fact that 1. She hurt Sam and 2. She was a major pain in the ass when she was like this.  But he’d try to not kill her.

“I know and I hate it.”  Rose glanced up at him.  “Let’s promise we won’t fight about this, OK?”

Dean looked confused.  “Why would we-“

“You’ll take Sam’s side.  I can’t help but take Lily’s.  That’s just who we are.”  She was right Dean realized.  “So let’s just agree it’s a mess and not argue about it.  Please?”

“You got it, Princess,” Dean said with a smile and a quick kiss to her lips.

“If you guys are gonna make out I swear I’ll puke,” Lily yelled through the glass.

Dean rolled his eyes.  “Can I at least put duct tape on her mouth?” Rose giggled but shook her head.  “OK fine then.  Let’s get her to your mom.”  Dean eyed her shirt again.  “Faster we do that the faster I can get that shirt off of you.”

The drive to their mom’s hotel was not a fun one.  Lily complained the whole way, informing Dean she didn’t like him and that he and Rose were both absolutely no fun.  When they got there Lily stumbled out of the car barefoot and proceeded to pound on the wrong door.  Rose flew out of the car after her, steering her towards the right room and apologizing over her shoulder to the irritated looking woman who stuck her head out.  Dean followed behind them, grabbing Lily’s shoes off the front seat and made it to the door just as Erin answered.  Lily pushed her way inside without a word and collapsed down on the couch, throwing her arm over her eyes and ignoring them all.  Dean handed Erin Lily’s shoes and Rose and Erin had a quick conversation and then Dean and Rose were back in the car and on their way back home.

“Well that was fun,” Dean said dryly.  “Now onto more important topics – How does pizza sound for dinner?”

* * *

“Your sister can drink,” Charlie said her mouth full of pizza.   She was sat on the couch opposite Rose and Dean, three pizza boxes spread out in front of them on the living room table.

Rose nodded and swallowed her bite of pizza before she answered.  “She always has been able to.  She can out drink me in a heartbeat.”

Dean snorted.  “That doesn’t take much, Princess.”

Rose threw him a little grin then smiled at Charlie.  “It’s true.  I’m not very good at drinking.  Lily swears I’ll get drunk if I’m near an open bottle of beer.”

Dean ate another slice of pizza, listening to Charlie and Rose talk.  Rose was sat between him and the arm of the couch, her legs crossed and pressed against his own.  She had eaten one slice of pizza and was currently sipping on a soda.  She looked good Dean thought if a little tired.  A lot had happened and he decided that sleep was very much in order tonight.  Once he got her out of that damn t-shirt.

“I’m gonna go see if I can’t find Sam,” Dean said swallowing the last of his pizza.  Charlie had said Sam hadn’t been in the kitchen when she got back and none of them had seen him since.  Dean figured he needed some time but he wanted to make sure he was OK.  “Eat another slice,” he said to Rose.  She opened her mouth and Dean knew from the look on her face she was going to argue, to say she wasn’t hungry.  She was in a playful, teasing mood tonight which meant she had to argue.  He knew her well enough to know that.  Dean leaned in closer to her, his words low for her ears only.  “Don’t argue with me, Rosie.  Unless you want a demonstration of my ability to handle brats?”  He arched an eyebrow at her and watched as she blushed and shook her head.  He chuckled lowly and kissed her forehead.  “Didn’t think so.”  He got to his feet and leaned down as he crossed behind her, whispering in her ear as her went by, “Brat.”

Rose smiled at him impishly but she leaned over and grabbed another slice of pizza.  She turned to find Charlie watching the two of them, her eyes round and curious and Rose couldn’t help but laugh, the blush on her cheeks deepening.

“You two seem good,” Charlie said, smiling at Rose.

“We’re getting there,” Rose said.  “There’s still stuff to work out but we’re definitely better.”  She smiled and Charlie was amazed how much happier she looked.  Rose swallowed a bite of pizza then said, “I don’t think I ever told you I like your haircut.”

* * *

Dean rang Sam’s phone several times before he finally answered.

"What?"

Dean pulled his phone back and looked at in surprise.  That wasn't how Sam normally answered the phone.

"Sam?  Where the hell are you?"

“Dungeon,” was the short, slurred reply and then a click.

“Great.”  They’d dealt with one half of the couple tonight after a meeting with alcohol.  It sounded like Sam was on the same road himself.

Dean found his brother was sitting on the floor of the dungeon, leaning up against the wall, a nearly empty bottle of whiskey near his side. 

“What are you doing down here?” Dean asked, walking into the room.

“Drinking,” Sam said.  “And thinking how everything is all just…” Sam waved his arm vaguely.  “Just…a mess.  A fucked up mess.”

Dean leaned up against the table, taking in Sam on the floor, long legs sprawled out in front of him, shirt a rumpled mess and eyes glassy from the alcohol.  He must have started drinking just after they left.

“And you thought this was the best room to do your drinking in,” Dean said finally.

Sam nodded.  “It’s dark and quiet.”  He looked up at the wall he was leaning against, his eyes honing in on the shackles hanging there.  “And I fucked Lily here once.”  He pointed upwards in a vague way.  “Right about there.”

Dean’s eyebrows rose slightly at that.  Lily was the lets-share-all-our-sex-stories person where as Sam was more private.  He must really be drunk. 

“She was chained up and soft and warm.”  Sam considered that for a second then shook his head.  “No, not warm.  That’s not right. She was hot.  So hot.  I have a picture somewhere here on my phone,” and he went to look for it when Dean stopped him.  That was one picture he never needed to see.

“That’s OK, Sam,” Dean reassured him.  “I get the idea you guys really like to tie each other up.  Got the picture.”  He waved his hand towards Sam’s phone.  “I don’t actually need to _see_ a picture.”

Sam frowned at that but left his phone where it was next to him.  He drank the last of the bottle then set it down carefully, his fingers tracing around the neck of it.

“I was supposed to know what I was doing,” he said softly and Dean winced.  “I was supposed to be good at this…do the right thing.”

“Why?” Dean asked and Sam looked up at him curiously.  Dean knew his brother was drunk, knew this was not the time to have a deep conversation but he couldn’t ignore this.  “Why were you supposed to know what to do?  You aren’t some kind of relationship expert.”

Sam frowned.  “Yeah, but Lily’s never had one-”

“Yeah and that’s on her,” Dean said.  “Look, we’ll talk once you’re sober but you both had a part in this relationship.  I kinda doubt Lily was blameless.”  Sam just continued to look at him curiously as if this idea had never occurred to him.  “Come on, Sammy.  We gotta move Charlie’s shit into her apartment tomorrow so I need you at least somewhat functional.”  Dean moved over and helped Sam get up, wondering why his little brother had to be so big.  He was a hell of a lot easier to carry when he wasn’t so huge.

“I’ll be functional,” Sam said, slurring his words as Dean slung Sam’s one arm around his shoulders, grunting as he did so.  “I’ll be fine.  And Dean,” Sam stopped, digging his feet in and causing the two of them to come to a halt.  “I’m gonna get her back.  I’m gonna figure out what to do and get Lily back here with me.”  Despite his drunken state his eyes were determined and Dean recognized that look.  Once Sam set his mind to something he didn’t give up.  “And then I’m never gonna let her go.”

Dean nodded and got Sam moving again.  “I don’t doubt it, little brother.”

* * *

“Rose go to bed?”

Charlie looked up at the words.  Dean was just coming into the library.  She nodded and smiled at him.

“Yeah, she was looking tired.  Did you find Sam?”

Dean groaned and leaned against the other table.  “Yeah, he and Lily had the same idea though Sam preferred the dungeon for a drinking spot.  I just lugged him upstairs and got him to bed.”

“Poor Dean,” Charlie said sympathetically.  “You’re corralling all the drunks tonight.”

Dean grinned.  “Yeah, but I have a certain redhead waiting for me so it’s all good.”

Charlie smiled back, truly happy for him.  “She’s doing better.”

Dean nodded.  “She is.”  He fidgeted with his watch, Charlie being one of the people he felt he could really talk to.  “The food is still a work in progress.” Charlie nodded, having caught the exchange between the two, if not the exact words.  “And she’s still got some healing to do but she’s going the right way.”  Charlie could sense the relief in him, as clear on his face and body as it was in his words.   “What you working on?” he asked coming around to peer over her shoulder.

Charlie shrugged.  “Just trying to see if I can figure out some of what that last ominous sounding prophecy means.  You know the one about the sun, moon and stars?  I figure all that has to mean something and if I can figure out that then maybe we can make some sense of it.”

Dean nodded.  He knew they needed to do some work on that but he wasn’t thinking about any prophecies tonight.  “I’m heading to bed.”  He dropped a kiss on the top of Charlie’s hair.  “Don’t stay up too late, kiddo.  Moving in day tomorrow.”

Charlie watched Dean saunter off towards his bedroom, pleased that at least one of her adopted brothers was happy.

Dean hesitated outside his door, not sure if Rose would be in there or her own room.  He considered for a second then opened his door, following his instincts.  His bed was empty but the shower was running in his bathroom and with a grin Dean stripped his clothes off and headed that way.

Rose smiled at Dean when he opened the shower door and stepped in.  “Is Sam OK?” she asked as he eased his arms around her waist.

“Yeah.  Drunk, but OK.”  Dean ran his hands down her back.  “Did you wash your hair yet?”  Rose shook her head.  “Let me.”  Dean let himself grin like an idiot when he discovered Rose had moved her shampoo and shower gel into his shower.  She said nothing when she saw him looking at the bottles, just smiled at him shyly and he’d kissed her in reply to her unspoken question.  The two of them washed each other, their hands running over each other bodies gently, lots of kisses mixed in and more than a few caresses but nothing more.  Dean had been easily able to see how much more tired Rose looked when he stepped in the shower and he was determined to take care of her. 

 When they got out Dean wrapped a towel around his waist then wrapped Rose in one and kissed her gently.  She smiled at him so happily that Dean felt his heart clench.  He left Rose to finish up and went and dried off and pulled on a t-shirt and a pair of boxers and pulled the blankets back.  He settled down, setting an alarm on his phone for the morning and then thinking of something he called out to her that he’d be back.  She came out not long after, dressed for bed to find Sookie curled up next to Dean.

“Well I wasn’t gonna leave her alone in your room,” he said when Rose looked at him curiously.  “She doesn’t like sleeping alone.”  Rose just smiled at him wondering if anyone would believe her if she told them Dean Winchester knew her cats’ feelings.  _He’d_ never believe her if she told him his soft side was one of her favorite things about him.

Dean watched Rose as she finished up, drying her hair with a towel and putting lotion on her legs.  She was wearing a silky looking pink and white striped nightshirt and looked way too good in his opinion.  We’re going to sleep, he reminded himself, despite the fact that her legs looked amazing and she smelled good enough to eat.  But despite the fact that she kept smiling at him like she wanted to eat _him_ up he knew she was tired.  She had circles under her eyes and looked ready to fall asleep on the spot.

When Rose was done she came over to the bed and Dean took a deep breath.  She sat down next to him and leaned up against him, placing a soft kiss on his chest and then resting her head over his heart.  She was tired.  It hadn’t hit her till just before she’d gotten into the shower but everything that had happened over the last two days had caught up with her and she felt like she could barely keep her eyes open.  But she was doing her best to fight it.  She was just going to rest for a second.

Despite himself Dean grinned down at the top of her head.  He knew Rose well enough to know she had other plans when she got out of the shower.  But sleep was going to win.  He wrapped his arms around her and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

“You’re tired, Rosie.  Let me turn the lights off and we’ll go to sleep.”                  

“No, no, I’ll wake up in a second,” Rose protested.  “And then we can…” Her voice trailed off and Dean felt her body relaxing against his.  “You feel so good,” she murmured, snuggling against him.  “You’re so comfy.”

“Well there’s something I’ve always dreamed of hearing,” Dean said dryly, his hands rubbing her back gently. 

“Sorry,” Rose murmured, her voice sounding sleepier by the second.  “I’m gonna-” 

“Stop apologizing and go to sleep, Princess” Dean cut in.  “You’re tired and you need the rest.”

“Mmm, K,” Rose said sleepily, giving in, and Dean lay there with her, listening to her breathing deepen.  He waited till he was sure she was soundly asleep then moved her off of him and tucked her under the blankets. 

Dean stood and watched as Sookie moved over and settled down next to Rose and then he went and did his nightly rounds around the bunker.  He was pleased to see Charlie had headed to bed and he came back to his room and turned off all the lights except the bathroom one, stripped his t-shirt off and got into bed next to Rose.  He pulled her to him and she snuggled against his chest again and he wrapped his arms around her. 

“We’ll talk in the morning,” he said softly, brushing a kiss across her forehead.  Then Dean closed his eyes and fell asleep with his girl in his arms.


	70. They're The Lucky Ones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cars, furniture and clothes

Rose woke up before Dean the next morning which almost never happened.  Mornings were not her thing and Dean was usually up and alert way before she was.  But she’d slept so good last night.  She’d had no dreams that she could remember and she was warm and toasty in Dean’s bed, Sookie curled up next to her pillow and she herself was using Dean’s chest as a place to rest her head and a good portion of her body.

This seemed to be her new way to sleep, Rose mused, propping her chin up on Dean’s chest and staring up at him.  Recently she’d been using him as almost a surrogate bed, turning from her usual position of sprawling on her stomach and instead laying at least partly on him.  He made her feel safe she admitted to herself and safe was nice and very much needed at the moment.  And was there ever a safer place than wrapped up in Dean's arms?  If there was she didn't know it.  It made sense that even in sleep she was seeking him out, wanting to be as close to him as possible. 

Rose’s eyes moved over to take in Sookie, curled up asleep and looking right at home in Dean’s room.  She had to wonder if she’d been in here when she was gone.  She definitely seemed at ease in here.  Rose's hairbrush on the bedside table caught her eye then and she bit her lip.  It was like the elephant in the room.  She really needed to ask Dean, to get an answer, to be brave enough to do that.  But not yet.  She wasn’t that brave.  Walk into a room full of werewolves?  Sure.  Ask her boyfriend if he was serious about punishing her?  Yeah, no she’d take the werewolves.

Needing to distract herself from this train of thought Rose turned to the very tasty distraction lying just underneath her.  She trailed her fingers over Dean’s chest, tracing the lines of his body, her lips following the path her fingers set.  She moved up towards Dean’s neck, her eyes on the mark she’d left there.  Usually she was the one with marks on her but she remembered in the rush of the after effects of the fight feeling the need to mark him.  It had been instinctual, nothing she’d planned but the feeling had been strong and she’d gone with it, swept up in the rush.  She liked seeing it there, she had to admit.  She shimmied her body up his so she was resting fully on top of him, her mouth perfectly lined up with his neck.  She felt him move slightly, her moments obviously waking him up and she smiled as she reached out to kiss her way from his collarbone up to his neck.

“Well someone woke up friendly this morning,” Dean said, his voice still husky with sleep.  His hands curled around her waist and Rose pulled back enough to give him a smile then set back to his neck.

“What’s got you so interest-” Rose licked the side of his neck, right where the hickey was and Dean let out a surprised groan.

“I like that mark on you,” Rose purred.  She traced a line down the side of his throat, stopping next to the mark she’d left and sucking the skin into her mouth.  Dean let out another groan at the feel of her mouth sucking hungrily at him.  Now this was a way to wake up.  Rose was warm and soft lying on top of him, the weight of her body feeling so good.  Add in the soft pull of her mouth on his skin and this was a morning treat not to be missed.  Rose pulled back, having left a matching mark next to the original and looked down at him triumphantly.  “I like _my_ mark on you.”

Rose watched as Dean’s eyed darkened.  His hands that had been resting lightly on her waist tightened and he held her down tightly against him, wanting every inch of her body against his.  One hand moved to her head and he pulled her mouth down to his, his mouth hot and demanding, Rose's words and actions having stoked the fire that was always smoldering between them.  His tongue licked at her lips demanding access and Rose willingly gave it.  His tongue swept between her lips while his hips bucked up against hers and they both let out matching moans.

Dean rolled her over suddenly, trapping her underneath him and he grinned down at her.  “You have a greedy little mouth on you, Princess,” he said and Rose smiled up at him not in the least bit repentant.  And then there was only clothes being tugged off (“Silky, I like this.”), soft sounds of pleasure, deep kisses and gasps and moans of delight.

They had things to do today which meant no spending the day in bed, much as they would have liked to.  Dean got dressed and went to get Rose some breakfast while she took her time getting ready.  He came back to find her dressed and waiting for him.  Hair in a ponytail and wearing faded jeans, her blue hightops and a black t-shirt that proclaimed “Nerd? I prefer the term more intelligent than you.”  Dean couldn’t help but grin at that.

“Let me guess, Lily?” he asked, handing Rose a cup of tea and nodding towards the shirt.

Rose laughed.  “Yeah, how’d you know?”

“It’s not exactly your style to wear a shirt advertising you’re smarter than everyone else,” Dean pointed out and Rose just smiled.  Lily had no problem bragging - on herself or her sisters.  Dean gestured to the chair in the corner of the room and Rose took a seat, he handed her a plate of toast and took a seat on the footstool himself, mug of coffee in his hands.

“Are you up for helping Charlie move today?” he asked and Rose nodded her head, mouth full of toast.

“You sure?” Dean’s eyes were scanning over her face, looking for any trace of exhaustion, any sign that she wasn’t OK.

“Definitely.  I’m fine, Dean.”  Rose leveled him with a look.  “Did I not seem fine to you half an hour ago?” And Dean grinned and shook his head.  Rose looked down at her plate then.  “Using my powers just wears me out.  It wasn’t as immediate this time.  I guess partly due to the adrenaline rush and partly due to Cas.”

“Na, see I just think you were so hot to get me naked…” Dean said with a smirk.

Rose rolled her eyes at him and nodded.  “Yes, let’s go with that theory.”

“I just don’t want you to overdo it,” Dean said, the smirk disappearing to be replaced with a look of genuine concern and Rose couldn’t help but smile softly at that.

“I won’t Dean, I promise.”

"You get tired you sit that little butt of yours down."  Rose nodded and Dean continued.  "And no lifting heavy things or carrying too much,” he said firmly and Rose looked at him in surprise.

“Then what can I do exactly?”

“You can unpack boxes.  I’m sure Charlie has a lot of stuff she’ll need unpacked that isn’t heavy.”

Rose couldn’t help but roll her eyes at this.  “You do know I’m OK right?  Perfectly healthy here.”

“Yeah but just...let me take care of you, OK?”  There was something in Dean’s voice that tugged at Rose, telling her this was something he needed.  He was protective at the best of times and now after nearly losing her… Dean reached out and stroked her cheek, his touch gentle, his eyes showing the worry he tried so hard to hide. "I just want you to be careful.”  So despite the fact that Dean was being way too overprotective Rose gave in and went with it, nodding her head in agreement.  It was obviously important to Dean and considering all that had happened if being a little over protective made him feel better she could go along with it.  Dean smiled at her agreement and she acknowledged to herself once again that for that smile she'd do just about anything.

Rose ate a piece of toast then asked, “So is Sam OK to help today?”

“Yeah, I checked on him and he’s awake.  Downing asprin like there’s no tomorrow but he’s up.”

“Pretty sure Lily won’t be, not as drunk as she was.  Not that we were gonna have her help because obviously she and Sam won’t be OK around each other.”  Rose frowned.  “And that’s gonna be fun to juggle.”

Dean grimaced at the truth behind her words.  And Lily had to be here tomorrow for the therapy session.  Speaking of which…

“Oh Sam got our appointment with the therapist set for tomorrow afternoon.”

“Oh,” Rose said quietly, setting down her empty plate and picking up her cup of tea.  Dean studied her face trying to figure out what her less than enthusiastic reaction meant.  She’d been completely on board with talking to the doctor a few days ago.

“OK what’s going on?” Dean finally just asked and Rose glanced up at him and set the mug aside.

“It’s silly,” she said, pulling her feet up so she was sitting cross legged in the chair.  “It’s just, well I feel better than I did so it’s easier to make myself believe I’m OK.”

“You’re still barely eating, Sweetheart,” Dean said gently and Rose nodded.  She looked fragile again suddenly and Dean hated that.  She'd been so much more herself these last few days.  But everything that had happened, it was still there and ignoring it wouldn't make it go away.

“I know,” she said softly.  “I do.  Yesterday when Lily made that crack about not needing to be perfect like me?  I got angry.  Which is just…crazy I know.  And obviously I still can’t control my powers.  It’s just compared to where I was a few days ago I feel better.” Rose fidgeted with her shoelace then said, “I just know talking to a therapist is going to mean bringing up all the things I don’t want to talk about, stuff I’d rather forget and actually dealing with them.”  She sighed.  “But I know I still need to see him.”

Dean hadn’t thought about that.  He was looking at Rose going to therapy as just a continuum of how good she was doing now, just more focused on the things he couldn’t seem to fix.  He frowned.  He hadn’t considered what it would entail really, aside from making her better.  Maybe this hadn’t been the best plan.  No, they needed to do this right, to not just slap a band aid on it and go on as he knew hunters had a habit of doing.  No short cuts.  Not with Rose.

“I’ll be with you.  We’ll get through it together,” Dean said, leaning forward and squeezing her knee and earning an appreciative smile from Rose.  “And just think.  If you’re doing this well now you’ll be in and out of therapy in record time.”

“I hope so,” Rose murmured.

“So after we get Charlie moved in you wanna go to the grocery store with me? We’re running low and really need to get some stuff.”  Rose nodded agreeably and Dean took a breath, setting his own cup down next to hers.  He had some things he wanted to say, needed to say.  He hesitated though.  This was important and he wanted time, wanted to make sure they weren’t just talking and rushing out the door.   He studied Rose who was retying her one sneaker after her fidgeting had loosened it.  She looked a little shaky after discussing therapy.  He’d wait till tonight he decided.

Finished with her shoe Rose looked up at Dean and for a minute she saw hesitation there, something was on his mind she could tell.  He covered it quickly though and gave Rose a big smile and Rose let him move on.  He gave her time, she could do the same.

“Ready to go, pretty girl?” he asked, getting to his feet and pulling Rose to hers.

Rose graced him with a sunny smile and the two headed out, ready to get Charlie moved in to her new apartment.

* * *

Lily had been tormenting Dean when she threatened to throw up the previous night.  Now she was living it out in way that felt like the ultimate punishment.  Karma really was a bitch.

“I’m dying,” she said, staggering from the bathroom to drop down on the hotel room bed.

“You’re not dying,” her mother said patiently.  “You’re just paying for drinking more Irish whiskey than anybody should.”

“Daddy drank Jameson,” Lily said with a pout, curling up into a ball.

“Yes and he handled the effects of it about as well as you do,” Erin retorted.  For such a large man her husband hadn’t been able to hold his liquor at all.  It had always amused Erin that she could easily drink twice what he could without even trying.  Not that her girls knew that or needed to.  Lily could handle alcohol but the after effects were always rough on her when she over indulged and she always seemed to forget that.  Till the next time.

“I thought you got to do stupid things when your heart was broken,” Lily said with a sniff.  “Rose does stupid stuff and nobody ever yells at her.”

Erin ignored the last part which was blatantly untrue and instead asked gently, “Is your heart broken, Lily?”  She watched her oldest daughter fidget with the blankets then pull them over her head.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” was the muffled reply.

Erin frowned.  She knew the bare details from Rose that Sam and Lily had a fight and Lily had broken things off, walking away and getting extremely drunk.  Details were needed but Lily didn’t seem to be in any shape to give them.

So Erin left Lily to wallow and puttered about.  She needed time.

* * *

“Why can’t I drive?” Rose and Dean were standing in the garage with Sam and Charlie looking on.  It hadn’t occurred to anyone except Rose till they got down here that she was the only one with a set of keys.  And she wanted to drive which Dean was balking at.

“You don’t have a legal license.”

Rose looked taken aback at how he knew that but recovered quickly.

“And you don’t have a legal credit card, an FBI badge or a number of other things you still routinely use,” Rose pointed out and despite his aching head Sam had to grin.  He would never get tired of watching Rose have a smart answer for his brother.  Beside him Charlie giggled.  “And since when do you care about breaking the law?”

“Since we’re talking about you and not me.  You don’t have any kind of record, aside from your driving one.  And I’m not the one recovering from being completely worn out from battling werewolves, Sweetheart.  You are,” Dean said, his irritation showing.  He appreciated she was feeling better but why did she have to pick now to want to be independent, to fight him?

“Funny, I could have sworn I wore you out pretty well,” Rose said in a softer voice so that Charlie and Sam couldn’t completely make out what she said.  Dean clenched his jaw and Rose realized she was pushing her luck.  So she changed tactics.  “Please Dean, I’ll be extra careful.  I swear.  I just really want to drive.  Please.”

Dean narrowed his eyes and studied her for a minute, deciding.  Finally he asked, “Sam?  You OK to drive?”

“Yeah, why-” Sam was caught off guard by the Impala’s keys flying at him but managed to grab them out of the air.

“I’m riding with Rosie.  See you two at the apartment.”

Rose smiled triumphantly and slid behind the wheel while Dean got into the passenger seat.

Sam laughed and headed towards the Impala.  “She’s got him wrapped around her little finger,” he said to Charlie who just smiled as she slipped behind the wheel of her own car.  In some ways she totally did and in others not so much.  It was partly what made the two of them so much fun to watch.

“You like driving,” Dean said once they were on the road.  Rose was at ease behind the wheel he noted, looking relaxed and happy.

“I _love_ driving,” Rose corrected him.  “I’m just bad at going slow or following the rules.”

“So your rule breaker side comes out,” Dean noted and Rose looked chagrined but nodded.

“How’d you know about me having my license suspended?” she asked curiously.

“Lily,” Dean said shortly and Rose frowned at that.  They were quiet the rest of the trip aside from Dean giving Rose directions when he realized she didn’t know where they were headed.  Dean was watching Rose drive and had to admit he was impressed with how she handled the car.  Despite pulling a U-Haul they beat Sam and Charlie there and Dean took advantage of that.  Once they had pulled the car around back to the parking lot Dean got out and Rose followed.  He leaned up against the side of the car and pulled her to stand in front of him between his spread legs.  He settled his hands on her hips and she looked up at him.

“Remember when I said you were a brat?” he asked with a little smirk and Rose smiled up at him innocently.  “One of these days you’re gonna pull a stunt like you did in the garage and I’m not going to be so patient, Rosie,” he said with a mock glare.  In truth Dean loved the sassy side of her that always had a comeback and more often than not a better argument than he did.  Rose just continued to smile at him and nuzzled her head against his shoulder, knowing Dean wasn’t truly upset with her.

"The car looks good," Dean noted, glancing over his shoulder.  It practically sparkled in the morning sun and there wasn’t a dent or scratch to be seen.  "I did a good job fixing the damage."

“What damage?” Rose asked.  She was certain the car had been just fine the last time she’d driven it.

“Oh Sam and Lily did a number on it,” Dean said with a laugh.  “They took it out for the night and from what I can tell they decided to fuck each other silly on the hood.  Those shoes your sister wears did quite a number on the paint job.”

Rose peered over Dean's shoulder at the car interestedly and he laughed again causing Rose to look up at him curiously.  “How do you get away with anything?”

“What?” Rose asked genuinely puzzled.

 “Your face, I can tell exactly what you’re thinking,” Dean said and he turned her suddenly pushing her up against the car and pinning her there with his hips against hers.  He lowered his head so his mouth was right next to her ear, his words coming out lower and deeper, causing Rose’s stomach to clench in anticipation.  “And aren’t those some wicked thoughts you’re having, Sweetheart.  You have quite the dirty mind.”

Rose blushed but smiled at him unashamedly.  “Well most people don’t know that.  Only you and maybe two other people in the whole world expect me to ever have a less than pure thought,” Rose said with a dramatically innocent look.  "Sainthood, remember?"

Dean lifted her up to sit on the hood of the car and grinned at her, running his hands up her thighs.  “Care to share those wicked thoughts, Baby?”

Rose grinned back at him and wound her arms around his neck.  “Ever had sex on a car, Dean?” she asked, her eyes sparkling wickedly.

“ _On_ a car?” Dean thought, scanning through his memories while he wrapped his arms around Rose.  He’d certainly had more than his fair share of sex in a car, and he’d been part of several memorable acts against and on top of Baby.  But actual sex?  “Technically, no,” he admitted finally.

“Wanna?” Rose asked with a grin that promised all sorts of sin and Dean wondered for a minute if they could just take off for a bit, let Sam and Charlie start the whole moving in thing themselves while he and Rose took care of some other business.  He just knew the image of her spread out naked on the hood on the Impala was going to be with him the whole day.

“Hell yeah,” Dean said, smiling down at her.  He kissed her then and Rose wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling him closer to her.  Dean’s hands slid down, cupping her ass and holding her tightly against him while Rose’s hands gripped his shirt, tugging and trying to get him nearer to her.  God, she could just kiss him all day long, Rose thought as Dean's tongue teased hers.  Their lips were still locked when Sam pulled up with Charlie right behind.  The two broke away from each other slowly, hesitantly, Dean pulling Rose down off the car to stand beside him.

Charlie had the keys and pointed out the entrance to the apartment on the second floor.

“All right kiddies,” Dean said clapping his hands together.  “Let’s get this show on the road.”

* * *

“Is this normal for her?”

"Huh?" Dean glanced up from reading the directions for the bookshelf Charlie had tasked him with putting together.  Rose would have gotten a kick out of that if she'd been awake.  She was definitely a read the directions kind of girl where Dean was a more a figure it out as he went along kind of guy.  She always teased him about not reading the instructions when he inevitably ran into problems. 

Sam had just walked into the living room and was motioning towards Rose and Dean glanced back at her from his spot on the floor.  She'd spent the first part of the day putting away dishes and other kitchen things then they'd all had a quick lunch of sandwiches from the local sandwich shop and while everyone else had gotten back to the job of unpacking Rose had found a spot to nap.  She was curled up on the couch directly behind Dean, sound asleep despite the noise everyone was making.

"Yeah," Dean answered, smiling at how cute she looked.  "It's the potion Erin made.  Knocks her out for a bit."

Sam frowned.  "Can't she cut the dose down?"

Dean snorted.  "This is a cut down dose."  He checked his watch.  "She'll be out for about thirty more minutes.  First day she was out for a full two hours after she almost face planted in her lunch."  Sam looked surprised and Dean realized they hadn't had a chance to really talk about anything that had happened while they were away.  They’d have to get to that at some point.  "Erin's afraid if she makes it any weaker it won't be strong enough to do what it’s supposed to."  Sam considered this while Dean went back to staring at the directions.  Finally with a frustrated sound Dean looked up at his brother.  "Did you want something?"

"Yeah, can you look at Charlie's bed frame?” Sam ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “It's not going together right and I can't see why."

Dean's eyes lit up and he was on his feet before Sam was finished with the sentence and shoving the papers in his hand in his direction.

"I'll trade you."  Sam liked directions.  "You put this structure from hell together and I'll handle the bed."  He grinned.  "After all those are my specialty."  Sam rolled his eyes at his brother's back then started to look over the instructions himself.  He settled down on the floor across the room from the couch and got to work.

He was completely engrossed in what he was doing when a small noise from Rose got his attention.  When he'd first walked in she'd looked peaceful but now she looked anything but.  She was turning fitfully, one arm hanging off the couch and her hand grabbing desperately at empty air. She was whimpering and muttering and Sam realized she must be having a nightmare.

"Hey Dean," he called out as he moved to Rose's side.  He put a hand on her shoulder and shook her gently.  "Rose, wake up."

His words didn't make a difference as she continued to thrash about and make the most heartbreaking sounds Sam had ever heard.  She was actually crying in her sleep, tears coursing down her cheeks, her face twisted in a grimace of pain.

"Dean!" he called out louder.  Maybe his brother knew a better way to wake her up because his efforts weren't helping at all.  If anything Rose was getting more desperate, her cries and movements more frantic.

"Please don't," Rose whimpered.  "He didn't...not him…don't please!"

Dean was there suddenly, pushing Sam aside and lifting Rose up.  He had her wrapped in his arms faster than Sam thought humanly possible, his mouth right up against her ear as he settled down on the couch with her on his lap, cradled in his arms.

"I gotcha, Baby.  I'm here and that's just a dream.  Tell that evil bitch to shut her damn mouth and leave my girl alone.  Otherwise dead or not I'll kick her ass."  Dean's voice was low, the anger and urgency in it coming through.  Sam saw the strong grip he had on Rose, his touch on her firm and sure and Sam realized in an instant he _couldn't_ have helped Rose, not like his brother could.  A stand in would defiantly not work in this instance.

“Stop!  Let him go!” Rose’s voice was frantic, panicked and Dean kept talking, trying to pull her out of the nightmare.

“Come on, Rosie.  Listen to my voice.  That’s not reality, Baby.  This is.”  As Sam watched Dean entwined his fingers with Rose’s, squeezing her hand.  “Come back to me, Rosie.  You can do it.”

Dean kept talking and Rose's eyes fluttered open slowly and Sam could see they had a hazy, dazed look to them.  She blinked a few times then focused completely on Dean.

"I'm fine," he said instantly staring directly into her eyes and taking the hand of hers he’d been holding and placing it on his chest and Sam realized they'd done this before. "See?  Not a scratch on me."

Charlie appeared by Sam's side just then, taking in Rose on Dean's lap and the fear on her face.  "What happened?" she asked softly and Sam answered back just as quietly:

"She had a nightmare."

Rose ran her hands over Dean's chest desperately checking for injuries, her eyes large with fear, tears still dripping down her cheeks.

"You're not hurt," she said, her voice bleeding with anxiety, with the desperate hope that he was all right.

Dean shook his head.  "I'm perfectly fine."

"And she's not here."  Despite the fact it was a statement Rose was obviously looking to Dean for confirmation of this fact.

Dean's hands tightened for just an instant and Sam knew he was itching to kill the demon who did this to Rose.  Shame she was already dead.

"She's dead, Baby and can't hurt anyone ever again."

Having been convinced that he was indeed OK and that the demon was gone Rose buried her head against Dean's neck and curled her body into his, soaking up the comfort he so willingly gave.

Realizing they weren't needed here and the best thing they could do for the couple was to give them a moment alone Charlie and Sam headed back to Charlie’s bedroom.

Dean sat there with Rose in his arms, sliding his hands soothingly over her back.  She was trembling and he was kicking himself for leaving her alone but she'd been fine with no nightmares for several days.  They stayed like that for several moments, no real words spoken, just soft murmurs of comfort, Rose calming down and taking solace from Dean's solid presence.  Finally she pulled back and Dean was pleased to see that despite the scare her eyes were still bright, some traces of pain there and a little shaken up but she hadn't shut down like she had in the past.  She really was getting better.

"I'm not supposed to apologize, right?" she asked and Dean gave her a little grin.

"Not unless that's your roundabout way of asking me to put you over my knee and spank you.”  Dean smoothed her hair back gently from her face.

"I don't think Charlie would appreciate that," Rose murmured and Dean chuckled and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"You wanna go home, Baby?" he asked gently and Rose immediately shook her head.

"No, please, Dean.  I hate that I've made a fuss as it is."  She looked up at him earnestly.  "I want to stay."

"OK Baby."  He kissed her forehead and hugged her to him.  Something was occurring to Dean but he still had a question.  “The night we came back from Garth’s before I got home where you sound asleep?”

Rose shook her head.  “I was dozing but not deep asleep, no.  Why?”

"I think this definitely answers one question then," Dean explained.  "You haven't had a nightmare for awhile, right?” Rose nodded. “Well for the last week every time you've been asleep I've been with you, holding you or touching you in some way."

Rose thought that over for a minute then smiled at him.  "You really are nightmare repellent," she said finally and Dean laughed.  He kissed her soundly then set her on her feet with a pat to her bottom and stood up next to her.  "Come on, I have something for you to work on."  And he took her hand and led her into Charlie's room.

A short time later Dean was finishing up putting Charlie's bed together and Sam was making headway with the bookshelf (There's been enough muffled cursing and mutters of "Where the hell is part c?" and “Who the hell designed this thing – Crowley?” that Dean felt vindicated that it wasn't just him; the bookcase really was a pain in the ass.) while Charlie and Rose were camped out in the spare bedroom where they’d moved to work on their project.

The bed finally put together Dean went out to the living room to see how Sam was coming along.  Half the bookshelf was together but there were still multiple parts strewn around the room.

"You can kill a nest of vamps but can't put together a bookshelf?" Dean teased and Sam shot him a halfhearted glare.

"You pawned it off on me, Dean." He motioned to the box leaning against the wall.  "And there's another one to put together."

Dean groaned and took a seat on the couch looking over the parts and handing Sam the next one he needed.  The two worked together in companionable silence for several moments.

"So is that, the nightmare, is that a common occurrence?" Sam asked finally.

"Every time she sleeps," Dean confirmed and Sam winced sympathetically.  "Unless I'm with her which we just literally figured out.  I was a bit slow on the uptake on that."

Sam mulled that over as he slotted a shelf in place.  Then he looked at his brother.  "You make her feel safe."  And the look that crossed his brothers’ face was full of such pride that Sam couldn't help but smile.  But Dean just nodded saying nothing.

Sam turned back to the bookshelf and after a moment asked, "So Lily's not at the bunker..."

"She's with Erin," Dean supplied.  He wasn't sure how many of the details Sam needed to hear so he just said, "She got drunk and we took her there last night."

"Because she doesn't want to come back to the bunker," Sam studied the diagram for a minute then added softly, "Because of me."

It was Dean's turn to wince.  "Honestly Sam, I didn’t ask her. We just...took her to Erin’s.  She was drunk and angry and…You really wanna have this conversation now, Sammy?  I mean I'm all for it but you still gotta be feeling shitty."

Sam shook his head.  "No, not really.  I just wanted to know where she was."  He was silent for another minute, concentrating on the bookcase then asked, "Is she gonna stay with Erin?"

"Charlie's gonna ask her if she wants to stay here," Dean said and Sam nodded.  That explained why he’d had to drive the Impala this morning.  They were obviously leaving Lily’s car here.

"So that's what they're working on," Sam said with a nod to the other bedroom.

“Yeah,” Dean said, eyeing his brother, trying to figure out what and how much he should say.  Sam was still as shut down as he had been since this mess all began so it was hard to tell.  Dean just took his best shot.  “This way you guys can have your space and work out…” Dean fumbled here, not sure what to say.  He finally finished lamely with, “-whatever needs to be worked out.”

Sam just nodded and said quietly, “That’s a good plan.” 

Dean hoped Sam would start talking soon.  Something sure as hell was going on with him but Dean didn’t have a clue what it was.  He was pretty sure Sam didn’t either and until he did there was no hope of anything getting worked out.

* * *

Charlie only had one bed so it had been a matter of buying another one.  As Lebanon didn't have a furniture store Dean had set Rose to buying one online and she had enlisted Charlie to get her opinion.  She figured long after Lily had hopefully come back to the bunker Charlie would still have the bed so it may as well be to her liking.

They're settled on a king size bed with a metal scroll frame, a matching dresser with a mirror and a chest of drawers, then added in a few sets of sheets and comforter sets ("In blue.  Lily likes blue.") and a comfortable looking chair.

Rose had to wonder what her grandparents thought of their purchases over the last few months.  Lingerie, obscenely expensive designer shoes, wedding rings (Charlie had told her that story and Rose had to laugh.  It was classic Lily.) and now bedroom furniture.  If they'd complained she hadn't heard about it.

"What else do you need?" Rose asked.

"I don't think we can fit anything else in here comfortably," Charlie said turning a critical eye on the currently empty space.  The room was a good size for a second bedroom but they'd probably reached capacity with what they'd bought.

"No, you yourself," Rose corrected.  "A toaster, a chair, a wine rack.  Consider it a housewarming present."

"Seriously?" Charlie asked and Rose nodded.  When Charlie mentioned a computer desk she'd been picturing just a functional piece of furniture.  She’d had a desk back in Michigan but it was a cheap one, falling apart after years of use so she’d left it behind, planning to buy a new one once she got back and settled.  But the next thing she knew Rose was browsing the best desks for gamers money could buy and then adding in a great chair.

"Rose that's...that's too much," Charlie stammered, caught somewhere between overwhelmed and amazed.

Rose waved away her objections.  "It's not even close to enough.  Over the past few months you have spent countless hours researching God awful prophecies for me and my sisters, you've put your life on hold and now you're letting my hurricane of a sister move in with you."  Rose clicked her phone off, purchases made and looked at Charlie.  "Plus you were stubbornly nice to me when I was pushing everyone away.  You went with me to New Orleans when I really needed to go even though you knew you'd get grief for it and you threatened me for hurting Dean.”  Rose looked down for a second at her phone still in her hand then glanced back up at Charlie and the hacker was reminded suddenly of a less than sober Dean going on about Rose’s eyes to her once upon a time.  “It’s not just that they’re pretty.  I mean, they are, they’re bluer than blue.  But she has this way of looking at you that just…man it sweeps you up.”  Charlie hadn’t known what he meant at the time, had figured he was just drunkenly gushing about a girl he thought was hot, but now she did.  Now she understood.  Rose’s look was intense, focused and made Charlie well aware that what she was saying was important to her and more than that it made Charlie want to believe her.  “No one else did that Charlie.  No one else stood up to me and Dean deserves that, to have people that will fight for him, defend him.”  Rose smiled at her.  “You're loyal Charlie and I value loyalty."  Charlie looked both embarrassed and pleased at the praise, definitely not used to getting so much of it.  Rose hugged her then and Charlie returned the hug, grateful to find Rose was hugging people again.  "You're a good person, Charlie and good people should get nice things."

"OK now that's a philosophy I can get on board with," Charlie said with a grin.

The two women came out to the living room to find one bookshelf built and another halfway done and both men looking exasperated with the structures.

"Your girlfriend is awesome," Charlie exclaimed to Dean and he looked up with a smile.  "She just bought me the most beautiful desk in creation and a fabulous chair to boot.  My life is made."

"That's my girl," Dean said, winking at Rose.  "Give Rosie a credit card and she can change the world."  He studied the half built bookshelf and added, "Next time have her buy you a book shelf we don't have to build."

* * *

Rose was trying really hard to not take sides in the Sam and Lily situation.  She knew if it came down to it she'd side with Lily but she was hoping it wouldn't come to that.  She loved both parties involved and hated to see them unhappy, especially with each other.  In the meantime she was trying to cause the least discomfort to everyone involved.  So when her mom had mentioned that Lily would need a change of clothes instead of asking Sam to get her some Rose had washed the clothes Lily left in her bedroom the night she'd gotten back from Garth's.  She and Dean had headed back to the bunker once they had finished up at Charlie's, dropping off Sam and she'd gotten the clothes from the dryer and packed them up to drop off at her moms.  She knew she'd have to have Sam pack up the rest soon enough but she wanted to give him a day at least.  She smiled when she saw Lily's gingerbread man pajamas.  Of course those were the ones she’d chosen to sleep in after the blow up.  She’d had them for ages and they were always Lily’s comfort clothes of choice.  Rose had hesitated at seeing Sam's jacket in the pile but added it in anyway.  What Lily did with it was up to her.  Ready to go she came out with the bag to meet Dean in the kitchen where he was working on a grocery list.  He smiled when he saw her and they headed for the door.

"Anything you need from the store?" Dean asked Sam when they passed by the library.

Sam looked up from the book he had open in front of him and considered the question then mentioned a few things that despite his snarky comments (“Kale? Why the hell do we need that?”  “Yogurt?  Didn’t that go away with Jane Fonda’s legwarmers?”) Dean put on the list.  Then he and Rose were heading out and climbing into the Impala.  Dean grumbled and fussed with the seat and the mirrors adjusting everything after Sam had driven it and Rose just watched him with an amused smile.  Finally satisfied that things were as they should be he turned and smiled at Rose and pulled her over close to him.

"Can't do this properly in your sisters’ car," he said, then lowered his mouth to hers.  The bucket seats in Lily's car made it impossible to get up close and was one of a hundred reasons Dean preferred the Impala.  His lips tasted Rose's and his hands traced a path down her back, happy to have her all to himself again.  He'd gotten spoiled this last week not having to share her with anyone.  Rose leaned into him and Dean groaned, having to fight the urge to lay her out on the front seat and kiss his way down her body.

He pulled back finally and looked at her hopefully.  "We don't really need to stop by to drop Lily's clothes off right?  And groceries...who needs them.  We can just stay here all day." He ran a hand up her thigh.  "Explore some of these car ideas of yours..."

Rose smiled.  "Nope, we gotta go and take Lily's clothes.  And I’m pretty sure you’ll be unhappy if we skip the grocery store."  She looked at Dean knowingly.  “You get grumpy when you’re hungry.”

“I do not,” Dean said, clearly affronted.

“You so do.  You have in fact been known to snatch food out of my little sisters’ hands when you’re hungry.”  Dean rolled his eyes, knowing the incident Rose was referring to.  It involved him, Daisy and a batch of cookies.  He’d never live that one tiny, moment down.  “You resort to stealing food from an innocent child.”  Rose shook her head at him with a mock pitying look.  “We have to keep you fed, Dean so you don’t have to resort to such extreme measures.”

Dean rolled his eyes at her and turned back to the steering wheel.  “Fine,” he said with a pout. He eyed Rose out of the corner of his eye.  “And for the record I was totally set up by the sweet, innocent child you’re referring too.”  Rose just laughed and Dean couldn’t help but smile as he turned the car on.  As long as Rose was laughing and smiling at him like she was he was good doing anything.

* * *

Rose glanced at Dean when they pulled up at the hotel.

“You’re staying here?”  Dean was already playing with the radio, turning the dials and muttering about Sam’s deplorable taste in music.  He glanced up at Rose and nodded.

“Yeah I figure Lily isn’t gonna be feeling so great and I’m just not…” Dean trailed off not wanting to say it.

“You’re not happy with her,” Rose finished for him and Dean nodded looking semi guilty, not because he was upset with Lily but because he wasn’t good at not taking sides. He could not fight with Rose over this but not taking a side wasn’t in him. Thankfully Rose smiled at him, knowing full well how Dean was, gave him a quick peck on the lips and headed for her moms room.  As long as Rose was happy with him Dean didn’t really care.  He went back to fussing with the radio and waited for her.

As it turned out Dean needn’t have worried about seeing Lily.  Rose knocked and her mother opened the door a minute later, surprising Rose when she came out, closing the door behind her. 

“Well you looked well loved,” her mother said causing Rose to draw back in surprise.  Erin laughed.  “I’m sorry. It’s just something your dad’s mother used to say if you showed up with a love bite on you.”

Rose colored but smiled anyway, her hand unconsciously brushing over the mark on her neck that Dean just had to leave on her this morning.  “And what would your mother say?” she asked, knowing her maternal grandmother’s penchant for being “crude and offensive” as her mother put it.

“Something much raunchier,” Erin said with a smile that Rose returned.  These moments where she and Rose connected were so rare and far between she cherished the ones they got.

Rose handed over the bag she was carrying to her mother.  “She’s got a set of clothes and pajamas in there.  She’ll need more but I just brought this for now.”  She hesitated and added, “Sam’s jacket is in there.  It’s what she was wearing Sunday night so it was with her clothes.  I wasn’t sure if I should bring it or not.”

Erin nodded.  She wasn’t sure what the right answer to that question was either.  “What do you know about what happened?” she queried her middle daughter and Rose sighed.

“Not much honestly.” She told her mother the bare bone facts that she knew along with what Lily had told her.  Her mother winced when Rose told her how Lily had reacted in the barn and Rose could tell she was unhappy about that.  Lily’s comfort with using violence when she was upset had always bothered their mom, easily being one of the most common things Lily had gotten in trouble for as a child and the thing the two of them disagreed over most as adults.

“That doesn’t sound like Sam,” her mother said with a frown when Rose finished up and Rose nodded in agreement.  “It actually sounds more like Dean.”

Rose laughed.  “Well, except Dean never would have even pretended to be willing to let me go along in the first place.”  Erin took in Rose’s happy smile and wondered how it was possible for two sisters to be so completely different when it came to relationships.  Rose had always taken Dean’s protectiveness as a sign of affection whereas Lily took anyone trying to tell her what to do as a call for outright rebellion. 

“How is she?” Rose asked, pulling Erin from her thoughts.

“Sick and miserable.”

“Should I go see her?” Rose hesitated, obviously not sure if she should try and talk to Lily or not.  Erin shook her head.

“Leave her for now.  I asked Charlie to wait till tomorrow to come talk to her too.  You got her all moved in?”  Rose nodded and Erin paused a beat before asking, “How’s Sam?”

“Sad,” Rose said.  Sam had been fairly quiet on the way back from Charlie’s.  “Quieter than normal.  Hung over, though nowhere as bad as Lily.”

“Yes, well far be it for your sister to not do anything less than extreme.” Rose smiled, knowing how true that was.  “They’re both hurting so they both really care,” Erin murmured.  She turned all the events that she knew of over in her head then shook herself.  “I made her something to get her feeling a little better, at least less hung-over.”  Rose’s eyes widened.

“Mom, you never do that.”  Erin Sullivan had no problem with her daughters drinking but she had always firmly refused to make any kind of concoction to ease their suffering the next day.  The fact that she had this time said a lot.

“Well I need her to talk to me and that’s hard to do when she’s spending all her time with her head in a trash can.”  Erin made a disgusted face and Rose smiled.  Erin hesitated then added, “And she’s hurting.” Rose winced at that, hating that it was true and knowing it must be bad for her mom to give in and make something for her. “Badly, though she’d doing her best not to show it.”  Lily hadn’t said much since she’d first woken which was very unlike her.  Lily complained and moaned and the fact that she wasn’t said more than her words ever could.

“Tell her I love her,” Rose said.  “And if she needs me,” she held up her phone and Erin smiled.  She leaned in and hugged Rose and waved to Dean in the car.  She pulled back and smoothed Rose’s hair back from her face.

“You look much better,” she said and Rose nodded.

“Apparently fighting werewolves is good therapy,” she said with a little smile, then glanced back at Dean.  “And he’s good for me,” Rose added softly and Erin smiled, happy Rose was sharing with her.

“He always has been,” she said softly and watched as Rose’s smile grew.

Erin watched Rose climb back into the car with Dean, immediately sliding over to sit close to him.  She watched the two as they drove away, the animated way they were both talking to each other and the happy smile Dean had greeted Rose with when she got in the car.  That was good to see.

One daughter back on the right path.  Now to work on the other one.


	71. Well, I Got a Few of My Own

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heartache, Happiness & Vows

A bathroom floor

Not exactly the spot Lily expected to find herself.  True she’d drank a lot last night (A LOT her mind corrected her, just like that, all caps.)  but she’d drank a lot before.  She was no stranger to alcohol, both of the party and hard bingeing variety.  But alcohol wasn’t what led her here.  No, she was here thanks to one stupid coat.

Her mom had woken her from a fitful sleep and given her something blue and bitter tasting to chase away the headache and vomiting.  That was a surprise but Lily felt bad enough she didn’t question it, just drank it down and it worked beautifully.  A minute later the pounding was gone from her head and her stomach was no longer churning like a washing machine set on the spin cycle.  Her mother had suggested she take a shower and then they’d talk so Lily had made her way to the bathroom.  She’d emerged from the shower feeling better physically, brushed her teeth and squared her shoulders, telling herself firmly in the mirror that she was fine.  She could do this.  She was tough.  Sure she was upset things had gone so badly but she was gonna be just fine.  She was not gonna lose it over some guy no matter how good things had been.  Giving her reflection a firm nod of her head she turned, opened her bag and was confronted with how much complete and utter bullshit her pep talk had been.

Her hand reached out of its own freewill and touched the heavy green fabric and just like that, with one glancing touch all the bravado Lily had been wrapping herself in slipped away.  She sank down to the ground, the coat wrapped in her hands and buried her face in it and the tears she’d held off finally came.  It smelled like Sam, despite the laundry soap, despite the fact that Lily had worn it more than Sam for weeks now. It still smelled like him and that was too much.  That smell was comfort, security, belonging - all the things Lily had never ever gotten from any other man, had never even wanted until she had them.  That smell made this all too real and the pain way too sharp to ignore.

So she, Lily Sullivan who belonged to no man, who could walk away at any time, sat and cried on a bathroom floor, clutching a coat desperately in her hands because she couldn’t hold the man who owned the coat any longer.

* * *

“I’m never drinking again,” Lily swore, twenty minutes later curled up in a corner of the couch.  She'd cried till she was out of tears then stood and got into her clothes, dropping the coat on the end of the bed.  Her mother had popped out while she'd been showering and gotten her coffee and she was sipping it now.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Lily,” Erin warned, giving her daughter a knowing look and Lily gave her a small smile in return.   Erin moved around the room, straightening up and giving Lily time to drink her coffee and finish the muffin she’d brought her.  She eyed her oldest daughter covertly as she did so.  Lily had left her shoes off and sitting there with no makeup on, her feet bare and no snarky comments on her shirt for once she looked unprotected, vulnerable in a way she rarely did.  Erin could tell from the redness of Lily’s eyes that she’d been crying and her heart ached for her.  When Lily finished eating and was just nursing her coffee Erin sat down beside her and said in a gentle voice:

“Tell me what happened, Lily.”

Lily turned her cup in her hands a few times then finally glanced up at her mother.

“I broke up with Sam.”  She said it in the same tone of voice one would announce a national catastrophe and Erin supposed to her it was.

“Tell me the whole story, baby,” Erin urged and Lily took a breath and let the whole horrible ordeal spill out.  She left nothing out, not Sam’s harsh shut down of her over the phone or her violent reaction to him in the barn.  Lily was nothing if not forthcoming Erin thought and it was crystal clear the pain she was in.

 When Lily was done her mother said nothing, just pulled her into her arms and held her.  Erin waited for the tears to come but eventually Lily pulled back and her eyes were dry.  She'd cried out all her tears in the bathroom.  She was sure they'd replenish themselves at some point but for now she was past tears.

“I thought he loved me,” Lily said, her eyes downcast, locked on her bare feet.  “I thought…I thought OK so I haven't had a relationship before, not a real one but the one time I do I got it right." Lily reached up and tugged on the ends of her hair.  "Turns out I was just an idiot.”

“You aren’t an idiot, Lily,” Erin soothed.  “Sam’s actions don’t mean he doesn’t love you.  People make mistakes, they make the wrong call.”

Lily shook her head.  “No.”  She swallowed hard then continued.  “No, mom this wasn’t a wrong call.  Sam doesn’t love me.  He wants someone fundamentally different than me.”

“Lily,” Erin started but Lily just shook her head again.

“No, it’s OK, Mom really.”  Lily gave her a brittle smile.  “It’s just…it was good while it lasted.  We’ll need time but we’ll get over it.  Eventually we’ll both be fine and life can go on.  I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

Erin stared at Lily as if she’d grown two heads.  Nothing in that last statement sounded like anything she’d ever heard coming from her oldest daughter’s mouth.  Lily was not a philosophical, life goes on kind of person.  She generally took a more burn-down-whatever-hurt-her approach, not at all what Erin would recommend but she’d spent countless years trying to get Lily to try a different method and failed.  To hear Lily spouting this now made Erin fairly certain that Lily was at a loss with how to deal with what she was feeling.  Lily had never been through a breakup that had left her feeling anything but relieved.  Erin had watched her burn through countless boys, then men and not get emotionally entangled with a single one.  She and Sam had been the very definition of entwined.  And now that things had gone badly she was sure Lily didn't know how to deal with it.  So she was shutting down, compartmentalizing and doing her best to shove it aside to deal with later.  Erin was fairly certain that wasn’t going to work.  But instead of pointing that out to Lily (There was no way she was ready to hear that.) Erin just smiled, and squeezed her hand.

“Well if you do I’m here.”  Lily gave her a grateful smile and Erin moved on.  “Do you want to come to the hospital with me?”

Lily nodded and moved to pull on her socks and boots.  A change of scenery sounded like a good thing.

* * *

“God, I’m sick of frozen dinners,” Sam sighed.  He was helping Dean put up the groceries after he and Rose got back from the store.

“Don’t let Rose hear you say that!” Dean hissed urgently and Sam looked up at him in surprise, a box of frozen onion rings in hand.  Dean glanced down the hallway where Rose had headed a few moments earlier and seeing it was clear he dropped his voice and said, “We had a mini meltdown in the car on the way home from the grocery store.”

Sam raised an eyebrow at Dean.  “About what?”

“She saw all the frozen dinners and got upset.  She should be cooking but she doesn’t want to and so she feels guilty…”

Dean had handed the grocery list to Rose once they’d gotten into the grocery store.  It was an easy list, mostly convenient, easy food they could pop into the oven with a few exceptions.  Dean watched Rose glance over the list, biting her lip as she did.  It wasn’t till they got into the car to head home that Dean figured out what had caused the pained look to cross her face.  He’d barely closed the Impala’s door before Rose was speaking.

“I should be cooking shouldn’t I?” Her voice was soft, the guilt and worry easy to hear.

“Do you want to cook?” Dean queried, turning to look at her.

Rose hesitated and Dean could see an internal battle going on.  Finally, with more hesitation than he thought possible Rose shook her head.  She looked up at Dean, her eyes full of guilt.

“I want to want to,” Rose said and Dean turned that statement over in his head.  “But I don’t.”

“Then you shouldn’t be cooking,” Dean said firmly, despite the fact he’d love to taste her food again.  Unlike Sam he could cook – his repertoire wasn’t anywhere as vast as Rose’s – but easy dinners were just a lot more convenient and his focus right now was solely on Rose and getting her better.  And while he enjoyed cooking he didn’t love it like Rose did.  To Dean it was just a means to an ends.  To Rose it was a way of taking care of people she loved, something that brought her joy.  Or used to anyway.

“But you guys deserve better food than this,” Rose said, gesturing towards the trunk where Dean had stashed the bags of groceries, containing food Rose rarely ever bought.  Homemade tasted so much better and cooking was one thing she could do.  She’d caused so many problems, so much drama and put everyone through so much.  The least she could do-

“Rose!” Her head snapped up and despite the harsh tone of his voice his face was anything but.  He reached out and cupped her face in his hand.  “Stop it.  You’ll cook when you’re ready.  We’re not gonna starve.”

“But Dean, this is what I do.”  Rose twisted her hands together fretfully, a visible symbol of how torn she was.  “I feed people I care about…it’s what I can do.”

Dean raised an eyebrow at her and reached out and pulled her closer to him.  “Well you also happen to be able to fight werewolves now too, Rosie,” he offered then quickly amended, “Not that you’re adding that to your normal repertoire.”  He definitely didn’t want her getting the idea that was going to be something that happened from now on.

Dean watched as amusement, pride and then confusion flitted across her face.  Aside from whatever issue this was she had with cooking at the moment he supposed it had to be confusing to have your skills change suddenly.  Rose who had never been on any kind of hunt and usually was at home cooking for everyone had been on a successful hunt and wasn't cooking at all.  Where did that leave her?  Well he could give her some direction if that’s what she needed.

“Your job right now, Rosie, is to get better,” he said, his voice firm.  He wrapped an arm around her and she looked up at him questioningly.  “Let me handle the food for now, OK?  You just focus on healing.”

Rose hesitated but Dean could see the relief there.  For whatever reason Rose wanted nothing to do with food.  Period.  “That seems selfish,” she said finally.  “You have enough to handle without me not helping wh-”

Dean put a finger over her lips gently.  “Uh uh.  No arguing.  You do your job, I’ll do mine and we’ll be just fine.”  Rose looked like she wanted to argue but finally she gave in and nodded.  Dean had taken his hand away and kissed her before turning the car on and taking them home.

Dean wrapped his quick recap for Sam up while dragging several boxes of poptarts out of a bag.  That was one of the few foods Rose had actually looked interested in.  Go figure.

Sam nodded thoughtfully.  Nightmare aside Rose had seemed fine last he’d seen her but it didn’t mean there wasn’t still stuff going on with her.  And now the quiet conversation he'd heard Rose and Dean have when they got home made a lot more sense.  ("No, you do not have to help put things up. I want you to take it easy."  "But Dean-" "Nope, I'm handling the food, remember.  This counts.")

“It has to be confusing, going from being the person who stays at home and takes care of everyone to…” Sam fumbled for a word and Dean supplied one.

“Wonder Woman?”  Sam nodded with a small smile.  “Yeah, but she’s still Rosie,” Dean added.

Sam nodded. "Still things have changed. _She’s_ changed,” Sam pointed out, finishing off the bags in front of him.  “Like it or not.”

Dean waved a hand at him dismissively.  “Na, she just needs time, Sam.  She hasn’t changed that much. She’s just been through a lot.”

Sam had a sudden inkling then of a bump in the road they were going to run into at some point.  Dean was in full on protective mode right now and Sam wasn’t sure he was ever going to come out of it when it came to Rose or at least not anytime soon.  Right now she was still getting her equilibrium back.  She was content to go along for the most part with what Dean wanted.  As far as Sam knew she hadn’t even brought up getting the spell removed lately and Dean didn’t seem to be in a hurry to make that happen either.  But assuming things went well, eventually Rose was going to want to do more, to stretch and most likely use her powers.  Sam was fairly certain Dean wasn’t going to go along with that idea easily.  Sam shook his head then and shelved that thought.  They’d cross that bridge when they came to it.

So Sam made an agreeable sound, refilled his coffee cup and headed back to the library.  He had enough relationship worries of his own right now without borrowing anyone else's.

* * *

Lily found the hospital quiet and offered to spend the night, giving everyone else save Cas a break.  Her mother tried to argue but Lily won eventually and settled down on the couch, eventually drifting off into a light sleep.

“You’re not going to talk to her?” Cas asked and Daisy shook her head.

“She won’t want to talk right now,” Daisy said with a small, sad smile.  “She wants time.  She can have it here.”  Cas nodded, impressed with how well Daisy knew her sisters.

“They really said that, right?” Daisy asked excitedly and Cas nodded with a smile.  The doctors had been in earlier, explaining to everyone that they were lightning Daisy’s medication.  She was healing, the swelling had all but disappeared  and she was doing so well that the sedation was being lifted.  And that meant that soon, days even she would be awake.

Daisy jumped up off the couch and did an impromptu happy dance while Cas watched her with curious amusement. 

Awake.  Talking.  Daisy could hardly believe it.  She flopped down on the couch next to Cas and smiled happily.

“I am so ready,” she said, snuggling against Cas.  He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against him.  “I want to eat Chinese food and go to the movies and get my hair done.”  Cas smiled down at her as he listened to her happily ramble on about all she wanted to do.  Daisy was happy and that in turn made Cas happy.  He had never known happiness was so easy.

* * *

After dinner Sam was camped out back in the library and Dean and Rose were in the living room, watching an old horror movie on TV.  They were snuggled up together, Rose’s head on Dean’s chest, their legs entwined.  They were comfortable, talking occasionally, not really paying much attention to the movie.

Dean glanced down at Rose for the fifth time in as many minutes.  He wasn’t nervous about saying this, just about getting it right.  He _needed_ to say this, to make sure Rose knew.  He stilled his hand that was drifting through her hair.

“Hey Rosie?”  She glanced up at him curiously sensing his unease and he reached out and took one of her hands, squeezing it reassuringly.

“I overheard your conversation with Bess,” he said and waited.  Rose’s eyes widened slightly and her cheeks colored.  She bit her lip, looking up at him hesitantly, obviously nervous how he’d respond.  It wasn’t that she was unsure of his feelings for her; Rose knew Dean, she knew his heart.  But Dean didn’t share with many people and he could be upset with her for pouring her heart out to a virtual stranger about him.  And she’d been pretty upfront about how she felt, no coy words or double meanings.

“I liked hearing what you said,” Dean said reassuringly and Rose smiled at that.  “Rosie, I’ve never…I’m not …” Dean swallowed hard.  Suck it up, Winchester, he chided himself.  Just tell her you’re fucking serious. “You were right.  It is serious between us.  It couldn’t be anything but.”  Dean glanced at her hand in his and squeezed it again.  “You said I’d helped you through this.  Well anything you need, anything you ever need from me it’s yours.”  Dean reached out and stroked her face gently.  “I’ve never belonged to anybody but you and I never will.  This is it for me, Rose.  _You’re_ it for me.  My heart, my body, everything, it’s yours.”

Rose felt tears instantly fill her eyes and struggled to keep them from spilling over.  Her heart was full to bursting.  While she felt confident in Dean’s feelings for her hearing him say it meant so much.  She was sure of Dean, sure of his heart.  But she just hadn’t imagined he’d say anything like this today.

“Hey,” Dean said in alarm.  “You’re not supposed to cry.”

Rose laughed softly.  She swallowed, pushing the tears back and instead let her happiness shine through in her smile.  “I’m sorry,” she said, brushing aside a tear that escaped.  “I just wasn’t expecting this.”  She beamed up at Dean, her eyes shining then took a deep breath.  “All these people and prophecies saying I’m special lately and it means nothing to me.”  She shook her head and her eyes were full of so much when she looked at him. “The only thing that’s ever made me feel special is being your girl.”

Dean’s heart felt like it beat an extra beat at her words.  “I told you I liked you being mine,” He reminded her and Rose nodded.  She leaned forward and kissed him softly and Dean felt warm and happy. 

“I love being yours,” Rose said softly and Dean thought that he would never see a more beautiful sight than the happiness shining out of her eyes.  No one shone like Rose when she was truly happy.

“Well good.  ‘Cause no way am I letting you be anyone else’s,” Dean said, deciding the serious talk was done for now.

“Not even Daryl Dixon’s?” Rose teased, catching onto Dean’s desire to lighten the atmosphere and Dean narrowed his eyes at her.

“That shirt is going to mysteriously disappear,” he muttered and Rose smacked his chest.

“Don’t even joke about that,” she warned him.

“I’ll get you a new shirt to replace it,” Dean said with a smirk, letting go of her hand and cuddling her against his chest.  “Property of Dean Winchester.”

“Isn’t that what this mark says?” Rose said with a smile, motioning to the mark on her neck that Dean had happily put there this morning.  Dean grinned as they turned their eyes back to the TV, liking the sound of that.

“Damn right it does.” 

They'd wind up drifting off like that, tangled up in each other, both secure in the fact that wherever they were headed they were headed there together.


	72. The Jury's Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Therapy, "Relaxing" and Sparkly Pumpkins

Lily woke up to a hand shaking her and rolled over to find Charlie standing over her.  It took her a second to get her bearings, remember where she was. It came back to her slowly. She was at the hospital, sleeping on the couch, using Sam’s coat as a blanket.

Sitting up slowly she stretched and then turned to face Charlie. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see if you wanted to go grab some breakfast. “

Lily nodded. "I'll have to wait till Bobby gets here-"

"He's here," Charlie interrupted. "Just went down the hall to grab some coffee."

Once Bobby came back Lily stood and walked over to Daisy's bedside. She glanced at Cas. "Soon, right?"

He nodded and smiled at her, surprising her. As far as she could tell those smiles usually seemed to be reserved for Daisy and Dean only.

"Very soon." Cas cocked his head to the side, studying her. "Daisy says you should try and be like the pumpkin?" Cas seemed confused by this advice but Lily wasn't. She just rolled her eyes at him.

"Tell my baby sister I have no desire to be a jack-o-lantern." She leaned down and kissed Daisy's forehead. "And tell her it better be soon. I'm sick of talking to her through you." She paused and added, "No offense."

Charlie bit back a laugh thinking that Lily and Cas’ conversations were always a treat. He was so clueless about so much of human behavior and Lily had no tact whatsoever so their interactions were always interesting. They could have their own sitcom.

A half hour later they were settled into a booth at Paul’s Café the same place they had eaten dinner at before, only a booth away from where Sam had first shown Lily the prophecy about her. She glanced over at it enough that Charlie asked her about it. Lily grimaced and explained the significance of it and Charlie immediately looked guilty.

"We can go somewhere else if you want," she offered but Lily shook her head with a grateful smile.

"Thanks, but it's OK. I can't just avoid everything and this is Lebanon." She shrugged. "It's not like there's a hundred other choices."

"True," Charlie agreed, studying the menu. After a minute she glanced up at Lily. She knew who the jacket Lily was wearing belonged to.  "I'm personally a big fan of avoidance."

Lily smiled. "Oh I am too. But it's just hard." She sighed, laying the menu down as her smile melted away. "It's Sam," she said finally. "He's a part of my life, a part of my family. I can't just cut him out." She glanced up at Charlie to find her watching her sympathetically. "But I can't just go back to how we were before either. So I'm not avoiding so much as..."

"Keeping your distance?" Charlie suggested and Lily nodded her head. She needed some distance right now, at least as much as she could get.

“Hey what did Cas mean about a pumpkin?" Charlie asked curiously.

"It's a kids book," Lily explained with a smile.  She cupped her coffee mug in her hands.  "My Dad read to Daisy every night that he was home.  Actually he usually made up stories for her but if he was tired or feeling less than creative he'd pull a book out.  If we were home sometimes me and Rose would sneak in and listen too.  He was a really great story teller." Lily smiled fondly at the memory, some of those moments being some of her favorites.  She could still picture Daisy curled up in bed, their dad sitting next to her with a book in his hands.  She and Rose would climb up on the bed next to Daisy and listen to their father’s soothing voice telling tales of dragons and mermaids and faraway lands.  Inevitably they would all wind up falling asleep and wake that way in the morning, all piled up together on Daisy’s bed.  "He was still doing it when he died.  Daisy was way too old for it really but she's the baby so..." Lily shrugged and Charlie understood.  She’d heard enough from everyone to know Daisy was special to them all.  "Rose took over reading to her at night when my dad was gone and eventually I took part too.  Rose got good at making up stories but I tended to stick to books because Daisy said my stories weren't sleep inducing.  I mean I thought what I came up with was pretty exciting but Daisy disapproved."  Charlie smiled at that, easily able to imagine what Lily's idea of a bedtime story was.  "There was this one book I read her over and over.  It was bizarre but Daisy loved it."

"What was it?"

The waitress came and took their orders and then Lily answered with a grin.

"The Stubborn Pumpkin."

Charlie blinked and Lily laughed.  "It was all about Delilah the sparkly pumpkin."  Charlie put her own cup down deciding she needed to take this in.  "Delilah was a naturally sparkly pumpkin," Lily said, almost as if she were reciting from memory which Charlie realized she most likely was.  "She wasn't just orange.  She was iridescent.  She shimmered and shone.  And while all of Delilah's sisters were quite happy to become a filling for pies Delilah wasn't content with that fate."  Lily paused thoughtfully then said, "It wasn't a very pro pie book now that I think about it. It made all the pumpkins who wanted to be pies sound boring and uncreative.  I'm fairly sure Dean would disapprove."  She shook her head, getting back to the story.  "Anyway instead of Delilah just going along and letting the cook turn her into pie filling she hides and waits until Halloween comes and instead gets carved into a jack-o-lantern.  And she's the shiniest, prettiest jack-o-lantern ever."  Charlie looked stunned at this odd story synopsis and Lily laughed.

"That sounds like the weirdest, most gruesome kids book ever," Charlie said.  "Where did you get it?"

"No idea," Lily said with a shrug.  "Maybe one of my mom’s witch friends.  It seems like something odd they'd like."  Lily paused then said, "Daisy just loved it.  I think it was supposed to teach patience and individuality or something though I'm guessing Daisy was pushing the patience part."  She glanced up at Charlie and took a sip of her coffee.  "She adores the boys and they spoil her something awful.  Dean will try to act like he's a hard ass with her.  Ha.  Daisy can get whatever she wants with him and Sam doesn't even try to pretend."  Charlie saw the wince of pain cross Lily's face as the younger Winchester's name crossed her lips.

Charlie looked at Lily questioningly. "I swear I'm not here to interrogate you but are you and Sam....are you guys really done?"

Lily hesitated not sure how to answer that. Her head said yes.  No correction - it said hell yes they were done.  He’d hurt her and she didn’t give people chances to do that again.  But her heart rebelled when she thought that. Her heart reminded her of the soft smiles and the way Sam made her feel and of the future she’d wanted with him.  So aside from the pain that was another reason she couldn't see Sam.  Finally she just shrugged. She really wasn't ready to have this discussion right now and Charlie caught onto that fact.

"Well I may be able to help with the distance issue," Charlie offered and Lily looked at her curiously. "There's a spare bedroom at my place and come tomorrow there will be a bed in there.  Wanna be my roomate?"

Lily's eyes widened dramatically and Charlie couldn't help but chuckle.

"Seriously?" Charlie nodded. "You wouldn't mind?" Charlie shook her head. "Oh my God, Charlie that would be..." Lily swallowed hard and found herself getting really emotional. She was saved when the waitress appeared with their food. She poured syrup over her pancakes and then looked up at Charlie. "You're a lifesaver, Charlie."

"Hmm, yes so I've been told." Charlie smiled at her and Lily returned it.

"I can pay rent and-"

"Uh uh," Charlie cut her off. "It's not like I'm being put out at all. It'll be nice to have a roomate."

Lily smiled at her gratefully. "I owe you one, Charlie. Thank you."

"What are friends for?" Charlie took a bite of her waffle and then added, "And for the record when you do want to talk? I'm here."

"I know," Lily said with a small smile.

"Just do me one favor?" Charlie asked and Lily looked up expectantly. "Well two actually. Don't shut the door on you and Sam, OK? I'm not taking sides," Charlie interjected. "I don't know the whole story but I'm just saying don't close the book till you're sure it's really done, OK?" Reluctantly Lily nodded.

"What's the second one?" And this one got a grin from Lily.

"Keep the fake romantic shenanigans to a minimum around my landlord."

* * *

Rose woke to the feel of lips gliding across her shoulders and warm hands on her back. She must have made some noise she wasn't aware of because a deep voice said,

"Morning, Sunshine. I was wondering if you were going to join me anytime soon."

Rose glanced around her. They were in Dean's bed.  She was fairly certain this was not where they’d fallen asleep.

"Didn't we fall asleep in the living room?"

"Mmm hmmm," Dean agreed. "We did." His hands were stroking her back, his touch light.  “I woke up about four and carried you in here.”

“I slept through that?” Rose queried, glancing back at him over her shoulder and he smirked at her in amusement.

“Princess, you could sleep through just about anything.  You sleep like a rock.”

“Did I sleep through you undressing me too?” Rose asked.  As far as she could tell she was down to her t-shirt and panties.

Dean nodded, turning his attention back to her back.  He had her t-shirt pushed up so her back was bare to him and he seemed determined to cover every inch of it with his lips.   “I left your shirt on,” he murmured.

“That was nice of you,” Rose said, drawing in a surprise gasp as Dean’s lips brushed over shoulder blade.  Who knew that area was so sensitive?

Dean smiled at her reaction.  “Well I didn’t want you to get cold.”

“As if I could sleeping next to you,” Rose retorted.

“And I left these on,” Dean said, sweeping a hand over her bottom then tracing a finger around the edge of the elastic.

“So I see,” Rose said, turning to roll over but a large hand in the middle of her back stopped her.  “Dean, what’s the-”

“I’m not done yet,” he murmured, moving his lips down her spine, spreading kisses across her lower back.

“Not done with what exactly?” Rose asked.

“Oh I thought that would be evident,” Dean said his fingers trailing over the backs of her thighs and Rose felt her stomach clench in anticipation.  “Fun.”  Dean moved lower, nipping at the curve of her bottom and earning a small yelp from Rose that made him grin.  “Pleasure.”  He drug his fingers up the inside of her thigh and smiled when she let out a gasp.  “Seeing how many pretty little noises I can get out of you.”

“Those are,” Rose swallowed as Dean hooked his fingers in the fabric of her panties and drug them off of her.  “Some pretty lofty goals first thing in the morning,” she managed.

Dean grinned.  He knew she was trying to keep her voice even, knew that was never going to last.

“Oh I’m an overachiever, Sweetheart.”  Dean moved back up and tugged her t-shirt off too, Rose lifting up to help him. He lay on his side next to her and pulled her so she was on her side, her back flush against him then he propped his head up on one hand and let the other trail leisurely down her body.

“Now just lay back and relax.  Let me make you feel good.”  Rose smiled at his words as his hands drifted over her.

Dean watched her face as he touched her; her lips were parted slightly and her eyes were shut, her attention completely focused on the feel of him touching her.  He took his time, reveling in the feel of her and the reactions his touch brought about.  He was in no hurry, intent on just bringing Rose pleasure and enjoying that in and of itself.  His hands ghosted over her breasts, fingers tracing over her nipples, pinching softly then moving onto the indention of her waist and then to the soft skin of her belly.  She made small almost inaudible noises as he went on and Dean found he was enjoying this almost as much as Rose was.  He loved to touch her and she loved to be touched.  It was a match made in heaven.

His fingers stroked her, relishing the feel of her smooth, velvety skin under his much rougher hands.  He traced his hand over the swell of her hip, stroked her thighs almost reverently and then softly let his fingers just ghost over her sex.  Rose let out a soft whimper and immediately pushed back against him.

“Lay still, Baby.  You’re not supposed to be doing anything but feeling.”  Dean lifted her leg then, pulling it back to rest on his hip and opening herself up wide for him.  He traced a pattern up the inside of her thigh, bringing his fingers up to slide lightly over her lips.  She let out a soft noise and tried to push against his hand.

"You're supposed to be relaxing, Sweetheart," Dean said softly.  "Letting me do all the work."

"But Dean...Oh God..." He was sliding one finger in slightly, just teasing light touches, not nearly enough.

"Just relax," he said again and Rose let out a groan when he rested his whole hand against her sex, putting light pressure behind it and rubbing softly.

OK relax.  Sure, she could do that.  Just lay back and let Dean touch her and enjoy it.  He’d told her to; she could do it. Rose took a breath and made herself relax, made herself stop trying to get more and just let herself enjoy.

Dean watched her face change, saw her whole body relax at his words and watched her give herself over to whatever he wanted to do to her.  He felt a huge surge of pride and a wave of emotion wash over him.  It would never cease to amaze him the trust Rose so easily put in him.  He propped his chin on her shoulder and moved his other hand so he could stroke her side under her breasts and watched as a smile grew on her face.

“That’s my girl,” he said softly.  “Just lay back here and let me touch you.”  He stroked one finger in and moved it softly, just grazing her folds and Rose let out a soft sigh.  “There’s nothing I like more than touching you.”  He let his lips kiss their way across her shoulder to her neck, placing soft, small kisses there and felt Rose relax even more.  “I could just stay here all day, touching you, watching how you react…best thing in the world.”

“Why?” Rose asked and her voice cracked just a little as Dean added one more finger to slide slowly inside her.  “I mean I’m not complaining…I love this.  But don’t you want me to touch you too?  This feels pretty one-sided.”

Dean chuckled.  “Oh no, Sweetheart.  It most definitely is not.”  He moved his hand that was under her breast up to slowly cup it, his finger tips brushing lightly over her nipple.  "I love watching your face, touching your skin, feeling you shiver under my hands."  Dean brushed his thumb lightly over her clit and she did just that.  "When I touch you just right I swear you glow.”  There was a huskiness to Dean’s voice, a hint of a growl and Rose heard, practically felt the possessiveness there.  “My touch does that to you, Baby.  Do you know how fucking hot that is?” She was his in every sense of the word, Rose admitted to herself, to do with what he pleased.  And of anything he could do, of the myriad of choices laid out before him he chose to treasure her, to make her feel worshiped and adored.  Rose felt a rush of awe engulf her.  She had no idea what she’d ever done to deserve to be treated so specially but she was going to enjoy it.  And when the chance came she was going to make sure she made Dean feel the same way.

But for now she just let herself, made herself, revel in it.  Dean’s fingers were stroking her, touching her and leaving sparks behind.  He said he made her glow and she swore she felt it now, felt more than just touch, felt the closest she would ever feel to magic brush across her with his hands.

Rose had no idea how much time passed.  She was suspended in a bubble where the only things that existed were Dean, his touch and the feelings they brought about.  The only noises were the soft sounds of pleasure falling from Rose’s lips until finally after who knew how long Dean spoke.

"Look at you, Baby.  All laid out for me." His voice was rough with desire as he crooked his fingers inside of her and Rose felt a tremor go through her.  "Looking beautiful, just ready, needing to be touched and just coming to life when I do."  He pressed against her, the hardness of his cock pushing against her and Rose let out a soft sound of pleasure.  "I need to be inside you soon, Sweetheart."  His teeth found her earlobe and nibbled and Rose drew in a sharp breath.  "But first you've done so good, laying back, relaxing and just letting me touch you."  His hand stroked over her breast, his touch sure as his fingers tugged at her nipple.  "You’ve been such a good girl.  So now I need you to come for me."

Dean's touch was a bit firmer now, his touches meant to pull her over from enjoyment into ecstasy.  Despite the fact that all his caresses had been light, just this side of teasing they had all added up and Rose knew it wouldn't take much.  Still when her orgasm hit her it surprised her.  It was softer, slower than usual, spinning over her languidly, an embrace as opposed to an explosion. It lasted much longer than normal as well so that when it finally ended it felt like she'd been suspended in the moment forever.

Dean smiled proudly when he saw the look of bliss take over Rose's face.  He'd never get tired of that look, never stop loving being the guy to put it there.  He grinned at the surprise in her eyes when she finally opened them.

"Enjoy that, Princess?"

Rose nodded her head and gave a long stretch as Dean released her.  She turned towards him and immediately sealed her mouth over his and pressed herself against him.  Dean wrapped his arms around her and rolled her over so he was on top of her, their mouths still joined.  Rose ran her hands over Dean’s back, her fingers enjoying the feel of his skin under her hands now.  Dean pulled his mouth from hers and grinned down at her, looking the definition of smug.

“That was amazing,” Rose said.  “ _You’re_ amazing.”

“I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve,” Dean admitted.  He smiled at her again, reaching a hand up to brush her hair back then traced his fingers down her cheek.  “And I meant what I said.  Touching you is up there with my favorite things in life.”

Rose blushed and the smile on her face was luminous, drawing Dean in and making him want more.  But then he always wanted more of Rose.  This woman…

He bent his head down and kissed her, soaking up the feel of her underneath him and he moved his hips, slowly burying his cock inside of her.  Rose let out a whimper and Dean held himself still for just a minute and then he was thrusting inside of her, his strokes strong and sure and Rose was meeting him thrust for thrust.  Their tongues intertwined as their bodies joined together and they got lost in each other once again.

Later after they had both showered together (That was quickly becoming part of their morning routine, one they both thoroughly enjoyed.) Dean lay on the bed once he’d dressed and watched Rose get ready.

"Everyone deserves the chance to fly," he read from Rose's shirt and frowned.  He studied it for a second then looked at her face.  "Am I supposed to know this one?"

"Not unless you know Broadway musicals," Rose said with a smile as she pulled a pair of black jeans on and Dean grinned.

"Nope, definitely not my area of expertise."  He grimaced then.  “Despite hanging out with you and Daisy.” 

Rose laughed.  “We’ll get you there eventually, Dean.”

“Not even for you, Princess,” Dean said but he was smiling and though neither said it they both knew.  For Rose there was nothing Dean wouldn’t do.

* * *

"So I'll get your clothes and stuff while you're meeting the therapist," Charlie said and Lily agreed.  They had already stopped by Erin's hotel room and gotten the few items of clothing Lily had there. She'd decided she'd be fine sleeping on Charlie's couch for one night. They were parked in front of the bunker now and Lily was amazed at how nervous she felt. It was ridiculous. OK feeling nervous about talking to a therapist she understood. She'd never been to therapy and it was not something she'd ever planned on. Only for Rose would she even consider this. And that whole idea made her nervous. Sure Rose had seemed better last time she'd seen her but she obviously still wasn’t right and there was still a lot of shit between the two of them that needed to be dealt with. What if that couldn't be fixed?

But really what she was most worried about was seeing Sam. She was still hurting and raw and she didn't want to see him. She stopped and shrugged out of his coat at the last minute, tossing it in the backseat of Charlie's car.  He didn’t need to see her in it.

She caught Charlie's knowing glance and shrugged. She wasn't going to explain that. Charlie smiled at her and headed inside while Lily sat in the car waiting her text. It took a bit longer than she'd expected but fifteen minutes later she got the all clear from Charlie and went inside, heading for the therapy room.

* * *

It had taken longer than planned for Charlie to get Sam to help her get Lily's stuff because he's been determined he should speak to her.

"She doesn't want to talk to you right now, Sam," Charlie said as gently as she could.

Sam stopped mid stride on the way to the stairs that led to the front door and turned to look at Charlie. "Seriously?"  She felt like she'd kicked a puppy.

Charlie nodded. "Come on, Sam, help me get her stuff. Let her go do this therapy thing and give her some time."

Sam looked at Charlie with a frown. "And am I giving her time to do what, move on? Or time to-"

"You're giving her time because she's hurt and upset, Sam," Charlie said firmly. "You are too. You two talking right now won't lead to any good."

Sam hesitated and Charlie could see him weighing her words. "She's upset?" Charlie nodded. "Did she say-"

"She hasn't said much, Sam," Charlie cut in. "She's only here because she has to be. So give her time," she repeated.  She hesitated then added, "And time wouldn't be a bad thing for you either, Sam."

Sam nodded slowly then with a sigh of defeat he headed for his room and Charlie trailed behind him, texting Lily as she went.

* * *

"So Lily, you're the oldest correct?"

Lily had made it into the room managing only to see Dean who told her she was going first.  "Try not to traumatize the therapist too much," he muttered and Lily had shot back with, "I'll leave that up to you," and marched into the room.

Lily nodded now, feeling as if she'd been called into her guidance counselor’s office from high school.  The therapist guy didn't look like Lily had expected.  She'd pictured someone with little glasses and a sharp pointy beard who asked her weird questions and showed her drawings and asked her what they reminded her of.  Instead with his bald head, calm expression and blue button down shirt he looked more like her high school guidance counselor. And he hadn't asked her anything strange yet or showed her anything.  Her high school guidance counselor, a man named Mr. Larson had always been nice to her but had always made her feel as if he were expecting something more from her, some brilliant answer or life plan and it was all Lily could do not to blurt out to him that she was planning to help her dad kill monsters so college and a complicated life path weren't needed.  Of course she couldn't say that to him but this guy, Dr. Alexander was how he's introduced himself, he knew about monsters and shit according to Dean.  Looking at him now she found that hard to believe. He looked like a suburban dad who coached his daughters’ soccer team.   She bet he wore loafers, Lily thought suddenly.  He looked the type, sensible and practical.

"So tell me about your relationship with Rose," he said, smiling at her.  "What's it normally like?"

"It's good," Lily said, stretching her legs out and propping them up on the edge of the desk.  "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"You really..." Lily floundered for a second wondering how to ask this tactfully then gave up trying and just asked.  "You know about monsters, demons witches?"

Will Alexander wanted to laugh but he didn't let himself.  He kept up the professional mannerisms and simply smiled.

"I do.  I've worked with countless hunters and my father was one."

Lily's eyebrows rose in surprise.  "Really?  Wow you don't look like...I mean you look normal."

Will did let himself chuckle at that.  Lily reminded him so much of someone else he knew that it was almost comical.  Look wise she was different but her mannerisms, her skepticism and her guardedness were almost identical.

"Well it tends to intimidate my clients if I conduct therapy sessions with a glock and a machete in hand," he said dryly causing Lily to blink, then grin.  OK he had a sense of humor and didn't seem offended by her question or comment.  She could work with him and he should be able to handle what he heard from them all.

"Usually Rose and I are best friends.  We do everything together and always have," Lily said, answering his question.

Will nodded and made a note and Lily frowned.

"Is that bad?"

"There is no bad or good here, Lily," the doctor said reassuringly.  "I'm not judging you or grading you.  I’m just trying to get a feel for everyone's relationships and foundation."

"Isn't that what the forms were for?" And oh yes hers had been colorful Will remembered.

"Yes, but people sometimes write one thing and say another."

Lily's eyes narrowed at that.  "You think we lied?"

"No, no nothing like that," he reassured her.  "Just some people are more comfortable saying things as opposed to writing them and vice versa."

Lily studied him for a second then relaxed.  "I don't lie," she said.  "On paper or in person.  I suck at it."

Will grinned at that as he looked back at her form, both her words and the paper in front of him backing up what she said.  "And you're dating and living with Sam."  Silence met this and he looked up to find Lily staring at a far off spot he couldn't see.  "Lily?"

"We broke up," she said shortly and he winced at the pain in her voice.  Well that explained Sam’s behavior the other day.  "And I'm not talking about that."  Her eyes met his and the determination there made it clear that was a fact not up for debate.  "I'm here for my sister, that's it."

"Understood but if you ever want to discuss-"

"I won't," Lily said shortly.

* * *

Charlie had followed Sam to his room, planning on helping him pack up Lily's things but it was quickly evident that he didn't want her help so she took a seat on the chair and just stayed out of his way.

She watched him as he moved around the room pulling out Lily's bags and packing up her clothes silently.

"I could help," she offered but Sam shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Sam," Charlie said after a few minutes had passed in silence.

"Why are you sorry?" Sam asked looking at her in confusion.  “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

"I feel mean coming in here and making you pack up her stuff," Charlie explained.

Sam gave her a small smile.  "You're not the bad guy here, Charlie."  He looked down and folded a green, silky shirt then said softly, "That's my role."

Charlie frowned.  It was obvious Sam was in pain and she knew Lily was hurting.  They wanted to be together so why couldn't they just fix things?

"What happened, Sam?" she asked hesitantly, not wanting to pry but hating to see two people she cared about in so much pain.  "I mean you guys were so happy...."

Sam gave her a sad smile.  "I wish I knew."  Charlie frowned and Sam asked, "Do you always know why you do something?"

Charlie thought about that as she watched Sam go into the bathroom and start to pile Lily's makeup into her makeup bag.  And finally she had to step in because he was going to mess that up and so she went in and gently suggested he handle the clothes and she'd get this.  Once he'd headed back to finish up the clothes Charlie called out, "And no, I don't always know why I do something.  I wish I did."

"There you go," Sam said, opening the closet. Now that Charlie was in the other room he let more of his pain show on his face. He didn't want to do this. Lily's things should be here not in some bags to be moved to Charlie's. They hadn't been here long enough, not that there was ever going to be a time that came close to long enough. They hadn't been settled in long but it had been so damn good. Sam closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the closet frame. How the hell had this all gone so wrong so quickly? He'd always known that Lily was combustible and God knows he had a temper. But they loved each other. That should be enough to get them past the problems they faced. Right, Sam thought suddenly.  He needed to tell her that, to talk to her and make her see that walking away from this was just stupid and wrong.

"So are you saying you don't know what happened?" Charlie asked from the bathroom, coming out with Lily's makeup bag in hand. "Because if you don't know then who-" Charlie stopped when she was met with an empty bedroom and an open door. "Sam?" her eyes widened when the open door registered and what it meant. "Sam, no!"

Charlie rushed after him, dropping the half packed cosmetics bag on the bed, hoping she wasn't too late. Despite Lily not saying much this morning Charlie had a strong hunch that Sam confronting her would go very badly.

Charlie caught up with Sam in the maproom, heading towards the stairs that led below.

"Sam, stop!" she said, putting herself in front of him and causing him to come to a sudden hault.

He looked at her in irritation. "Charlie, get out of my way. I need to talk to Lily, to make her see that we can work this out."

"Sam, she's really upset. I don't think you should...maybe you should give her some time.  Remember you both need time?" Sam was shaking his head and Charlie folded her arms and gave him a penetrating look. He obviously wasn’t going to listen to nice Charlie so she’d hit him with the facts.  "OK so say you talk to her.  What's the first thing she's going to ask you?  She’s going to want an explanation for what happened.  Do you have one?"

That stopped Sam and Charlie hated herself just a little as she watched the hope and determination disappear from his face to be replaced by an expression of frustration and discouragement.

"Damn it," he muttered as his shoulders slumped and Charlie winced in sympathy.

"I'm sorry, Sam," she said gently. "But I think you need to know the answer to what happened and I'm getting the very strong impression you don't."

Sam shook his head sorrowfully and headed back down the hall with Charlie trailing after him again. Charlie grabbed the makeup bag and headed back to the bathroom and Sam went back to staring mournfully at the closet.

"Do you want to talk about it? It might help," Charlie offered.

"Thanks, Charlie but I...I got nothing," Sam said, moving finally to pull some more of Lily's clothes from the hangers.

Charlie frowned as she corralled countless lipstick tubes.

"Well you had planned on having Cas bring Lily along to help you guys out, right?"

"Yeah," Sam said, folding and adding clothes to the half full bag on the bed. "That had been the plan."

"And it changed when?" Charlie asked. "I mean right from the get go or did something happen?"

"Things were fine at first, lots of dead ends then we got to the hotel where the attack happened and there was this maid..." Sam trailed off and Charlie came to stand in the doorway.

"What about the maid?" she urged.

"She was dead," Sam said bluntly. "Her face was all clawed up and her skull was cracked open."

Charlie blanched at the image but swallowed and pressed on. "OK granted that's awful but I can't imagine it's anywhere near the worst you've seen."

"No, but she looked like..." Sam shook his head. "Lily called just then and the maid looked just like her and it just, it suddenly was clear as day that I couldn't let Lily anywhere near there."

Charlie winced at the phrase "let her" knowing how Lily felt about that but ignored it, continuing to lead Sam through what happened.

"Because the maid looked like her?" she asked in confusion.

"Yeah," Sam said with a shake of his head. Then he stopped and sat down on the bed. "Maybe?"

"OK," Charlie said, turning that over in her head and thinking there was something missing here. It didn't add up. "So if that was all, if you just panicked and just went into some crazy protective mode did you tell her that? I mean I'm sure she'd be upset but she'd forgive that." Sam shook his head. "No you didn't tell her?"

"No, I mean no I didn't tell her that because it doesn't feel wrong to me." He looked at Charlie in confusion. "That's weird right?"

"Definitely," Charlie agreed. “I mean if she did that to you wouldn’t you be pissed?”

“Absolutely,” Sam said immediately.  “I have a brother who would pull that stunt, _has_ pulled that on me and it’s always made me so fucking mad I wanted to kill him.” 

“So you get why Lily is mad.”  Sam nodded. “But you don’t think you were wrong?” 

“Nope.”

“That makes no sense, Sam,” Charlie said feeling frustrated herself.

"I know,” Sam sighed.  “See I can sit here and tell you that in theory I know what I did wasn’t fair but it still feels like I made the right call." Sam cleared his throat and added, "I broke my phone, Charlie so she couldn't find me."

Charlie's eyed widened at this news. "Wow, that's uh, thorough." She couldn't help but add a tad smugly, "Not that it stopped me."

Sam rolled his eyes good naturedly. "Yes, your supreme hackerness."

Charlie smiled then turned serious again. "You need to figure out why you felt so strongly, why you reacted like that, Sam. Because until you know why, until you can explain it to Lily you guys aren't going to get anywhere."

"Yeah," Sam sighed getting to his feet and going back to the closet. "I know."

A few more minutes working in silence and Charlie had Lily's makeup packed up and came back into the bedroom and placed it into one of the bags. She turned to Sam to find him shutting the closet door, despite the fact she was fairly certain she saw at least a few pieces of Lily's clothing still hanging there. Sam caught her eye and realized she'd seen that he'd left something of Lily's there and a furious blush crept over his cheeks.

Charlie just smiled at him and glanced away.  Who was she to chastise him if he had hung onto something of Lily's? She was still wearing his coat after all.

Sam closed the bags up and carted them out to Charlie's car and unable to help herself she reached up and enveloped him in a strong hug. She hated to see him in pain and so she confided something in him that she thought Sam needed to hear.

"She's still wearing your jacket, Sam," she said softly pulling back to smile at him and she was rewarded with a bright flare of hope in his eyes.

"She is?"

Charlie nodded. "Don't tell her I told you," she said and Sam immediately nodded. "Figure out what's going on and come get your girlfriend back, please. I hate seeing two of my favorite people so miserable."

Charlie watched Sam walk back into the bunker and she hoped desperately that he could figure out what was going on.  Despite their explosiveness he and Lily were good together and they really made each other happy.  

She headed downstairs in the direction of the room she and Erin had set up and found the hall outside was empty save for one lone soul who was hovering nervously outside the door.

“Dean?” His head shot up and he seemed surprised to see Charlie there.  “Is Lily still in there?”

“Yeah, I figure she’s telling him how nothing in the whole history of time is her fault.  I mean obviously all the drama between her and Rose is all on Rose, right?”  Dean gesticulated as he spoke and his eyes were wider than normal.  “I mean Lily the innocent, that’s totally her.  Sure she kneed my brother in the nuts and almost poisoned us all but hey that’s no big deal.  Anyone would-” Charlie placed a hand on his shoulder and he stopped.  “I’m babbling aren’t I?” Charlie nodded, fighting to hide her smile.  The shoe was usually on the other foot.  “Sorry, I’m not…” Dean ran a hand through his hair nervously.

“You’re nervous,” Charlie supplied and Dean started to shake his head then gave in and nodded with a sheepish smile.  “About Rose seeing the therapist?”  Dean shook his head hesitantly and when his face started to turn red a light bulb went off in Charlie’s head.  “About _you_ talking to the therapist.”  Dean nodded.  “Oh Dean it’ll be fine.”  She patted his shoulder reassuringly.

“You think?” Charlie nodded confidently at him.

“Hey question for you.”  At least this might get his mind off the doctor.  “The maid the werewolves killed in Wisconsin.  Did she look like Lily?”

It took Dean a second to get on track with what Charlie was asking.  When he did he had to think back.  The maid had dark hair that he guessed you could say was similar to Lily’s but that was it.

“No, why?”

“Sam said she did.”  Dean looked puzzled at that and Charlie pressed.  “Maybe because of her hair?”

“It would be like saying you and Rose look alike because you’re both redheads, Charlie,” Dean said, firm on this fact.  “She had hair that was a close color to Lily’s sure, but that’s it.  She was older and heavier and looked nothing like her.”

“Huh, so what’s up with Sam saying they looked alike then?”

Dean shrugged.  “No idea.”  He paused, thinking back to Sam’s reaction.  “He was acting weird from the get go, like super protective about her coming along in the first place and then once we got to the hotel room he just flipped.”  He looked at Charlie thoughtfully.  “What were they like on the trip to get your stuff?”

Charlie rolled her eyes good naturedly.  “Oh God, like teenagers in love.  They were all over each other. I mean what’s new about that right?  But super over the top.  They went out one night to a club in Chicago and I stayed home.  Apparently I missed quite the show.”

Dean smirked all too easily able to imagine what they could have gotten up to.  He turned all the facts over in his head.  “Why were you guys in Springfield on the way back?  I mean that’s not the most direct route.”

Charlie glanced at the door to the therapy room nervously before saying, “Lily wanted to stop in Hastings.”  Dean cursed softly knowing the quickest route would take them past Hastings and Charlie continued.  “She kept going on about wanting some more of her stuff.  Sam tried to talk her out of it and finally he offered a trip to some huge mall outside of Kansas City that Lily had been going on about to distract her.”

“Yeah, ‘cause of course he couldn’t just say no.”  Dean rolled his eyes and Charlie just let him mutter angrily for a few minutes instead of pointing out that saying no to Rose didn’t seem to do Dean much good either.

“Did you guys run into any problems?” Dean asked after griping for a bit.  “Anything that seemed to make Sam nervous?”  Charlie shook her head.  It had been a pretty uneventful trip really.

“Why?  What are you thinking?” Charlie asked.

“I’m not sure.  Just trying to connect the dots here,” Dean said and was ready to say more but just then the door opened and Lily came out.

She motioned to Dean.  “Your turn.”  She glanced around.  “Where’s Rose anyway?  This is about her, shouldn’t she be here?”

“In my room,” Dean said.  “She’ll come down when it’s her turn.”  Dean wanted her to be as calm as possible for this and in Lily’s current mood he hadn’t wanted to take a chance of a blowup.   He’d suggested Rose stay in his room till it was her time to talk.

Lily nodded and looked at Charlie.  “Everything done?”  Charlie nodded and Lily smiled gratefully at her.  “Thanks, Charlie.”

The duo left, with Charlie giving Dean’s an encouraging thumbs up over her shoulder and with a deep breath Dean opened the door and entered the therapy room, seriously wishing he were facing vampires instead.


	73. I Think You Know What I Mean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Therapy, dinner and it's a painting party!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up that I am playing a little fast and loose here with some of the things a therapist may or may not do. (Though a therapist who works with the supernatural community? Who's to say what they'd do.) I just don't want to give the impression that I think some of this is normal therapy (Though some legitimately is.) so please don't freak if some of it seems less than the norm.

Will Alexander had introduced himself to the man on the other side of the computer screen and he was waiting patiently now, sure what was coming in some form or other and figured they might as well get it out of the way.

"You're not a hunter," Dean said and Will nodded.  "But you know hunters."  Dean's eyes were trying to assess him, to see if he could be trusted.

"I do,” Will agreed.  “I'm related to a few."

"And you know this isn't a normal case, job whatever you call it,” Dean gesticulated all encompassing.

Will smiled.  "I do but why don't you explain why."

"Rose isn't just some client.  She's special and she's been through hell."  Dean's eyes shifted down, his hands fidgeting with something Will's eyes couldn't see.  "She's been hurt and she's doing better but I can't fix her and she needs to be..." Dean's eyes drifted back up to the camera.  "I need to know you're not gonna hurt her, that I can trust you with her, that you can help her."

Will thought it interesting that Dean had no problem letting Lily walk in here on her own but with Rose he felt the need to be cautious.  He understood Lily was a hunter but from he had been told Rose was more powerful than the two of them combined.  Still this wasn’t about power.  It was about protection and obviously in Dean’s mind Rose needed it where as Lily did not.  Interesting.

"What did Erin tell you about me, Dean?" Will was curious, not sure what the hunter knew.

Dean shrugged.  "Not much.  You're a therapist who knows about monsters and shit, that we could trust you and that you had one of the same powers Rose has."

Will nodded.  So not much.  Basics really.

"You can trust me, Dean.  I take what I do very seriously.  I would never willingly hurt a client though to be upfront with you some of what we deal with may well be painful."  Dean's jaw clenched at that but he nodded.  He understood that.  He may not like it but he accepted it.  "As far as me being able to help Rose I believe I can though that will depend largely on her too."

Dean eyed him for a second and Will felt very much as if he was being judged.  Finally Dean gave a slow, careful nod and Will knew they were good to start.

“So you and Rose are a couple,” he said and Dean said nothing till he looked at him long enough that Dean realized he expected a response.

“Uh, yeah.”

“For how long?”

How long?  God, how did he answer that?  These were the kind of questions he hated.

"That's kind of hard to answer."

Will looked at him patiently.

"Just an estimate.  Are you a new couple?  Been together a long time?  I'm not looking for an anniversary date here, Dean just some idea."

Ok last time he'd kissed another girl...last time he'd thought of himself as single....

"Year and a half," he finally answered.  They had so much history sometimes it was hard to pinpoint when they'd moved from thinking about being together to actually being a couple.

The doctor nodded and made a note. "So you've been together awhile."

"Uh, well I mean I was on the road for most of that and we just talked a lot on...well she moved in here like two months ago?  But of course she was-" Dean cut himself off with a frustrated sigh.  "Look I told you it's complicated.  What exactly are you trying to figure out here?"

It was Will’s turn to sigh.  He should have just gone for the direct approach.

"What Rose went through isn’t something you can fix overnight and recovery doesn't come easy.  And controlling her powers isn't a quick fix either. I like to know going into things if the people in a relationship are going to be there for the duration."

Dean's eyes widened. “Oh so you want to know if I’m gonna bolt if my girlfriend doesn’t just bounce back tomorrow?”  His jaw clenched slightly, he folded his arms and Will could clearly see anger in his eyes as he fixed him with a hard glare through the computer screen.  "Trust me things haven't been easy for the last month at least.  But I'm here.  And I will be.  If Rose is here so am I.  Permanently.  Does that answer your question?"

Will gave a small smile.  Blunt it was.  "Nicely, thank you.  And I meant no offense.  I just like to know where everyone stands to begin with.”  Dean nodded.  “Now, how about you tell me how things have been going."

An hour or so later a soft knock on the door alerted them to the fact that Rose had arrived.  Will watched as Dean ushered Rose into the room, a hand on the small of her back, hovering protectively.  Once he had her seated he crouched down next to her and Will could see his face in profile when he was speaking.  The way he looked at her, well it answered any question he’d had about Dean’s dedication to this woman.  Gone was the hardened hunter who could take a person out without blinking.  This was a man whose world revolved around the woman in front of him.

"K, Rosie I told the doc here if you need me you’re gonna come get me, no questions asked.  Right doc?"

Will cleared his throat and nodded. "Right."

"So you're safe here.  I'm gonna be just outside the door, drinking coffee and waiting for you.  OK?"

Rose nodded and smiled at him and finally he got to his feet and with a kiss to her forehead and an intimidating warning look at the camera he let himself out.

Rose faced the doctor with a small smile on her face.  He'd half expected her to apologize for Dean's actions.  He’d had countless wives and girlfriends do so over the years for behavior they thought he would deem unacceptable.  When she didn't it become quickly clear to Will that Dean's protectiveness wasn't just tolerated by Rose.  It was appreciated and valued.

"Hi Rose.  I'm Dr. Will Alexander.  I've talked to everyone else and I've heard things from their point of view and now I'd like to hear it from you."

Rose frowned.  "I don't really know where to start."

"How about you start at the point you got your powers and go from there," Will suggested.  “Just broad strokes, we can get into details later but I’d like to hear things from your point of view.”

Rose nodded and began to tell him all that happened to her in a short space of time.

The doctor listened, taking notes and occasionally stopping her to ask a question or for some clarification but for the most part it was just Rose talking for what felt like a very long time to her.  When she was finally done he kept writing for a moment and then he looked up and smiled at her reassuringly.  "Well I have to say that is a lot of change and adjustment for anyone." His face grew serious then and a thought fluttered through Rose's mind - He has kind eyes.  "And I'm truly sorry you had to go through the painful ordeal with the demon."  Rose nodded, accepting his words.

"Now I can offer some suggestions to start with but what I want to know first off is how would you like me to help you?"

Rose looked confused.  "I don't understand."

"What's your biggest problem?" Will asked.  "Is it the nightmares?  Your powers being out of control?  The relationship issues?"

Rose thought that over.  Finally she settled on, "I'd really like my life back or at least some semblance of it.  As long as my powers are out of control I have to take the potion my mom made me and deal with the side effects of that."

Will nodded and made a note and started to speak but before he could Rose was asking him a question.

"There's no way to get rid of them is there?"

"Your powers?" Rose nodded.  "You would want that?" Rose nodded her head emphatically.  Interesting.  "Can you explain why?"

Rose sighed and pulled her legs up, hugging her knees to her chest.  "I hate them.  I hate feeling out of control.  I hate worrying about hurting people.  And all these people want me now...because they just want the power."  She shrugged.  "I just liked being myself."

Will studied the redhead in front of him for a moment then offered, “It’s been my experience that most people want power, Rose.”

She shrugged.  “I’ve never been like most people so that’s OK,” and that earned a small smile from Will that Rose didn’t quite understand. “Dean, Sam, Lily, they’re hunters, they have power and they help people.  Any one of them can walk into a room that’s out of control and give you the feeling that things are going to be OK just because they’re there.  My dad could do that too.  It’s not only impressive it’s helpful, useful.  What I have inside of me is just utter chaos.” Rose worried at her shoe lace for a minute then glanced up at him.   “You’ve met all four of us now, right?” Will nodded.  “So you know what I mean.  One of these things is not like the others.” She motioned to herself and gave him a wry smile and Will had to admit he did know what she was getting at. 

All the other three were easily recognizable on sight as hunters if you knew what a hunter was.  And if you didn’t they’d still stand out to you as somehow something _more_ , something a bit more wild than a civilian, a bit more dangerous.  Even Sam who gave Will the distinct impression he tried to cover it up had that glint of danger to him.  (And wasn’t that an interesting facet to Sam’s personality?  Meeting the two brothers for the first time Will found it fascinating that Dean wore his danger on the outside like armor, only letting it slip when Rose was in the room and the softer, gentler side of his personality shown through, where Sam covered up his darker, more dangerous side, instead showing the world his friendly, more sociably acceptable side.  Both dangerous men, wearing the masks they were most comfortable in.)  All three had that certain air of recklessness about them and gave the impression that in a bad situation they were the ones you wanted on your side - in a bar fight, a riot, an apocalypse – These were the ones who would more than likely survive and if you were with them they’d drag you out alive too. 

And Rose didn’t look like any of that.  If anything she looked the exact opposite.  Even knowing she had powers Will still understood what she meant.  In no way did she come off as someone you thought would swoop in and save the day.

“You know I had my sister Daisy’s powers for awhile right?” Rose continued and Will nodded, well aware of the power shift between the sisters.  “That power I could see the good in.  I’d dream or get a vision and hunters would go to help.  It served a purpose.”  Rose shook her head.  “The power I have now it just seems to hurt people.”

“You saved that girl in Kansas City,” Will pointed out.  “The one you pulled the demon out of.”

“But she would have never been possessed if it wasn’t for me.  She wouldn’t have needed saving if I wasn’t in the picture.”  Rose bit her lip hard then said, “And all those kids the demons went after and…and killed because of me.”  She shook her head vehemently.   “The world would be better off without these powers.”

Will studied her quietly for a moment then asked, “So what was your life like before?  Before when you just had Daisy’s powers?”

Rose smiled.  “It was quieter.  I cooked, I went to work, I kept things going at our house and made sure things ran smoothly.  I made sure Daisy stayed out of trouble and I made sure Lily was OK after hunts.  I checked in on the boys a lot, made sure they stopped in so I could feed them and make sure they were doing all right.”  She thought for a moment then added, “I talked on the phone to Dean a lot.  I didn’t get to see him as much but we were still together just not like we are now, not as sure.”  She paused then and Will had the feeling she’d said more than she meant to.  “I don’t know, I’m sure it sounds like a boring life compared to my life now but it was good.”

“It sounds like you were a mom of sorts to a lot of people,” Will offered and Rose considered that.

“I guess so,” she said and her smile was an easy indication of how she’d felt about that.  “I was good at it anyway.  A lot better than I am at this.”

“Well you did have a lot longer to practice that role, didn’t you?” Will said and Rose looked thoughtful at that, not having considered that. “I do understand what you mean, Rose.  I grew up with a father who was a hunter, most of our close family friends were hunters and I never, well I don’t exactly fit that role now do I?”  He smiled and Rose smiled back, shaking her head. “Your sister and Sam and Dean, they’re all imposing figures no doubt.  But sometimes when a person is in need maybe imposing isn’t what they need.  Maybe someone a bit softer, a bit less intimidating but who just happens to have powers that are is just what the doctor ordered.”  Rose frowned at that and Will decided to leave that with her to think on.  "Do you like being a redhead, Rose?" he asked and Rose looked at him in surprise like perhaps he was the one in need of a doctor for a second before answering.

"I don't...I guess so?  I don’t hate it.  I mean, it's my hair."

"You could dye it and that might cover it up but underneath you would still be a redhead, correct?” Rose nodded and Will continued. “Your powers are like that. They may not have manifested till now but they've always been a part of you."  Rose didn't look convinced so Will moved on.  He got the impression she was someone who would take her time with things, would think them over and come to a conclusion in her own time.  "No, there's no way to get rid of them that I know of.  But maybe we can get you to hate them a little less."  He looked back at his notepad. "OK so powers first.  What next?"

* * *

Rose walked out of the room feeling an odd mixture of hope and exhaustion.  Dean leapt to his feet when he saw her.

"So how'd it go?  Was he OK?"

Rose smiled a piece of paper clutched tightly in her hands and nodded as they headed for the stairs.

"He was nice.  It went OK I guess.  I have stuff I'm supposed to do and I have to talk to him three times a week."  She made a face.  "That's a lot right?"

Dean shrugged.  He didn't have a clue.  "So what’s on your list there?" he asked.

Rose looked over it as they neared the top of the steps.  "Um, I need to keep a journal and he's got all these things he wants me to write about."

"Oh you'll like that," Dean said as he steered her towards the kitchen. "You always liked the writing assignments in school."

"Yeah but there's a difference in writing about why I admire Louisa May Alcott and writing down what I dream about."  Rose made a face and Dean nudged her.  He knew she could do this.  “He wants Lily to come back on Monday and we’re supposed to talk to him together.  I have to write about what Lily did that upset me and how it made me feel.”  She gave an impish grin then.  “Lily has to do the same about me.”

Dean laughed.  He knew how Lily felt about “homework.”  Their entire childhood she tried to convince her parents that homework was a sign that teachers weren’t doing their job.  He was actually amazed she’d even filled out the form to begin with.

"He _was_ nice though right?" Rose asked taking a seat at the table.  Dean nodded as he took his mug over to the sink.

"Yeah, not bad."  Dean got a box of cookies from one of the cupboards and brought it over to the table.  He snagged one and pushed the package towards Rose.  "Have one."

She gave him a halfway irritated look but she ate one anyway.  She swallowed then said,

"He asked me what I wanted to work on first and I said my powers."  She glanced up guiltily.  "I probably should have said something else like fixing my relationship with Lily."

"Hey no," Dean said reaching out and squeezing one of her hands.  "That was the right answer.  The sooner you can get your powers under control the sooner you can stop taking the potion."  He knew how much Rose was annoyed by having to sleep every afternoon.  And Dean was convinced her powers drained her more than just when she used them.  "Besides you're writing this list thing about Lily.  Sounds like you're working on that too."  Rose nodded but didn't look completely convinced.  Dean crooked a finger at her.  "Come here."

Rose got up and came over to him and he tugged her down to sit on his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and looked into her eyes.  "What's your job right now, Rosie?"

"Getting better," Rose said after a second’s hesitation.

"That's right and focusing on the thing that throws everything off for you that's smart."  He squeezed her waist.  "That's a good place to start."

"Yeah?" Rose was looking at him so hopefully, her face so open and needing of reassurance that Dean's heart ached.  Dean was sure this was a development from everything that happened.  Rose was so much less sure of her decision making, of her choices.  Save for the time she'd told him she'd come for him if he was in danger he hadn't seen that confident assurance he was so used to.  Rose wasn't cocky like Lily could be (And he and Sam could be too he admitted. It went along with being a hunter.  You kind of had to be.) but she'd always been sure of who she was and her choices.  She took time with decisions but once she made them she went into them with confidence.  That definitely had disappeared lately.

"Absolutely," Dean said confidently.  "You made the right call, Baby."  That got him a pleased smile and Dean rewarded that with a kiss.  Rose sighed and melted against him and Dean let himself enjoy the taste and feel of her for a few minutes before pulling back and saying, “So I’m thinking that needs to be a rule.”

Rose shook her head.  “No Dean, I’ve got it-”

“Rule Number Five,” Dean said smoothing her hair back from her face.  “Getting better is your job right now.  It comes before anything else.  Got it?”  His smile was soft and his hand cupping her cheek gentle and Rose smiled back just as sweetly as she nodded. 

“Good girl,” Dean said and Rose’s smile grew as her cheeks pinkened.  Dean kissed her again, unable to resist when she looked that happy just because of two words he said.  Two words but damn what they did to her.  And OK maybe not just her, Dean admitted.  She was his – and those words they were a part of it.  His hand slid down from her waist to her hip to pull her firmly against him as his tongue teased her lips open.  She let out a soft little noise as her hand grasped his shoulders and Dean’s hand slid from her cheek to the back of her head, his fingers tangling there. 

When they finally broke apart Dean reached around her and grabbed two cookies. 

"Have another cookie," he said, putting one in his mouth and offering her one.

"Dean," she said shaking her head.  "I don't want one."

Dean swallowed his cookie and gave Rose a cajoling look.  "Eat two more cookies and I won't bother you about eating till dinner."

"Oh wow...that's so long," Rose said sarcastically.

"Brat," Dean said, narrowing his eyes at her. "I swear you're getting brattier by the day."

Rose smiled at him sweetly but took the cookie from him and got another from the box and ate both.  "Well you called me one.  Just trying to live up to the title."

Dean laughed.  "Trust me, Sweetheart.  You're a natural.

* * *

“Daisy would enjoy this.” Lily eyed the marking she was painting on Charlie’s wall way up near the top. Once they’d gotten back to the apartment and lugged Lily’s suitcases upstairs Charlie had asked Lily if she felt up to some painting. She’d opened up her program (Which now not only could pick out what wardings were missing but work out the best spots of the room to add ones as well as display the patterns they needed to paint on the wall, making them easier to add correctly.) and told her they were going to ward the apartment.  Lily had drug through one of her bags and found and changed into an older T-shirt and pair of jeans and tossed her boots near her bag.  “She’s the crafty one of us, always putting sparkly things on plain stuff and painting and prettying up shit.”

Charlie thought over what she’d seen of Daisy and thought that fit. She could see the bubbly blond liking sparkles and shiny things. Charlie added an extra line to the sigil in front of her before saying,

“So she’s the crafter, Rose is the cook and you’re the wild child.”

Lily grinned. “Pretty much.” Lily gestured to the gallon of paint between them. “So where’d you get the paint and the black light? I feel like I’m at some kind of rave.” She paused and added, “Of the most boring variety possible.”

Charlie laughed. “Bobby had some left over from painting the devil’s trap at the hospital. Dean “suggested” I put up some protection before moving in here,” Charlie said with air quotes.  She refrained from adding that Sam had asked her today if they had any type of warding at her place.  “I promised I’d get some up today, before I spent the night.”  She’d actually spent the last night at the hospital so she could say she kept her promise and giving Bobby and Erin a break.

“And by suggested you mean required,” Lily said dryly and Charlie laughed.

“Pretty much.”

“Sounds like Dean,” Lily said. “He’s been bossy and pushy since the day I met him.”

“Well you would know, you two being so alike,” Charlie pointed out and Lily made a face at her.

The two painted in silence for a moment before Charlie said, “It’s nice though, having people who are protective of you. I mean yeah it’s a bit annoying at times but I had a long time in my life where no one gave a damn what I did.” She traced the intricate marking carefully and Lily glanced at her. “I could have been dead in a ditch for awhile there and no one would have even noticed. The boys can be pains in the ass at times but it’s nice to have someone who actually cares if you’re OK.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Lily said after a beat. “I’ve always had it,” she said with a guilty glance thrown Charlie’s way and the redhead just smiled at her and changed the subject, not wanting to make Lily feel guilty.

"So therapy went OK?"

"Yeah," Lily shrugged.  "Aside from the fact he gave me homework.” Charlie nodded and grinned at that, already having heard about the assignment in the car on the way home.  “I mean he wasn't creepy, kinda boring actually and he didn't ask me any weird or stupid questions."  Lily painted the intricate pattern carefully.  She may bitch about Dean's protectiveness but she had no desire for surprise visitors either.  "He didn't look like he'd know anything about demons."

"Is there a look I'm missing?" Charlie asked in amusement.  "And do I have it?  Or either of your sisters?"

Lily frowned.  "Good point."  She traced over the next line of the sigil before saying, "I just thought somehow hearing all the shit he must have heard from hunters he'd look more...I don't know...tougher maybe."

"Guess it doesn't work that way," Charlie said.  She glanced at Lily out of the corner of her eye.  She knew Lily had been waiting for her to say something about Sam since they'd left the bunker.  Lily might not have wanted to see him but it didn't mean she wasn't curious how he was doing.

Charlie stepped down from the ladder and sat down on the couch to run the program to check their work and Lily went and got them both bottles of water from the fridge and then joined her. "OK how is he?" she asked finally, tucking her feet up underneath herself.

"Miserable," Charlie said shortly, once she had the program running.  "Like you."

"He deserves to be.  And I'm not miserable," Lily argued.  "I'm pissed off."  Charlie glanced up her at over the top of her laptop and Lily relented.  "And miserable."  Charlie nodded and turned her attention back to the program leaving Lily to her thoughts.

On one hand she wanted Sam to hurt like she was, to miss her.  But deep down she hated to think of him hurting.  Despite the anger she still felt at him she couldn't be happy he was in pain.  She could pretend to be, could say he deserved it but in the part of her heart that Lily guarded and hid from most people she didn't want him to be in any kind of pain ever. She twisted her bracelet on her arm as Charlie clicked the screen a few times and Lily once again told herself what an idiot she was. He'd hurt her, she should be happy he was hurting too.  That was logical to Lily that was survival and Lily had a well honed survival instinct.  But instincts and logic weren't cutting it this time.  Every fiber of her being was aching to go to Sam, to soothe him, to ease his pain.

Lily hadn't always been in love with Sam but she'd always loved him.  He'd always been special to her, someone she could talk to and someone she genuinely liked.  Sam had a sweetness about him, a genuine goodness that Lily had always been fascinated by.  She remembered when they were growing up watching him refuse to conform to the mindset most hunters bought into and she'd quietly hoped he'd hang onto it.  Sam was quietly a rebel, living by what he believed was right and somehow managing to hang onto an amazing amount of gentleness despite everything he'd been through.  For Lily gentleness was reserved for a very select few people she loved and trusted.  Few people got to see it and more often than not she pushed people away as opposed to letting them in.  Sam was the opposite, showing more kindness and gentleness to strangers than Lily could ever imagine.  Rose was that way too and Lily always found herself alternating between thinking they were crazy idiots and amazing, brave souls.  But the fact that Sam was a hunter and was still that way?  Lily shook her head.  She’d never understand how he did it.

The program beeped and Charlie focused all her attention on it, finding they’d done everything right. She moved the program to the next wall and started it running again.  Lily peeled the label off her water bottle as she thought that Sam must be amazing because he'd done what no other guy had done - He'd knocked down the wall she kept firmly around her heart.  He'd gotten her to give up always being in control and let herself be vulnerable.   The crazy thing was she didn't think he'd even tried.  He'd just been himself and she'd felt safe enough with him that she hadn't worried about the repercussions.  And now she just felt wrecked.  And scared if she was honest.  And like the biggest fool alive because what she wanted to do most of all was to talk to Sam, to tell him how much she was hurting and for him to say all the right things and make her feel OK again.  And then she wanted to curl up with his arms around her and sleep.  In their bed.

"Lily." Her head flew up at Charlie softly saying her name and she was horrified to find she had tears on her face.  Charlie's face instantly morphed into a sympathetic expression.  "Hey, let's talk."  She leaned over and started to put an arm around her and Lily jerked back.

"No, I can't," she said stumbling to her feet.  "I can't do this."  And she stumbled away to the bathroom.

She reappeared fifteen minutes later, throwing out a hasty "Sorry" and sitting back down on the couch.

Charlie gave her a sympathetic look but wisely didn't push.  "Come on...let's finish this up," Charlie said getting up and pulling Lily to her feet. "Unless you want Dean barging in and dragging us back to the safety of the bunker."

Lily rolled her eyes but picked her paintbrush up.

"Hey at least that would give me someone to fight with."  Oddly enough fighting with Dean was somehow comforting to her. They'd been bickering with each other since they were children and it was as normal to her as coddling Daisy or depending on Rose.

"Yeah well don't transfer that to me," Charlie advised. "Not all of us like to fight." Lily nodded. She'd caught onto the fact that disagreements and strife upset Charlie early on and the last thing she wanted was to bring distress to her new friend.

It took about an hour more to finish off the whole apartment during which time they were mostly quiet, aside from comments or questions on the symbols they were painting. 

"So for our first night in our new apartment," Charlie said, once all the supplies were put away.  "I'm cooking us dinner."

Lily's eyes widened.  A home cooked meal sounded like heaven.

"You like Chinese food?" Lily nodded her head eagerly. "Good.  Shouldn't take long."

* * *

Dean had decided they needed to go out to dinner to celebrate surviving their first day of therapy.  He didn't say it but Rose had a feeling this day had actually been more stressful for him than for her.  And knowing how much comfort food was for Dean she readily agreed.  She dressed in a plum sweater dress and matching flats, brushing her hair out and leaving it loose save for a headband.  The temperature was supposed to drop this evening so something a bit warmer was in order, while still showing her legs off.

Dean smiled at her as she came out to meet him in the library where he was talking to Sam and the way his eyes lingered on her legs confirmed for Rose that she’d made the right choice of dress.  She'd told Dean to ask Sam to come along with them but she was fairly sure he'd done a less than convincing job.  She understood; she was looking forward to time alone with Dean too but she felt bad for Sam, was worried about him.

Sure enough Dean informed her that Sam was happy staying in and after Rose told him they'd bring him dinner back Dean ushered her out to the car.  He stopped her before they got in and kissed her, his hands holding her by the waist, his lips soft and sweet on hers.  When he pulled back from her Rose looked up at him with a smile.

"You look really pretty tonight, Rosie," Dean said smiling down at her in a way that made happiness wash over her.

She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.  "Thank you," she said softly, drawing back.

"For what?" Dean asked softly.  The evening was still around them, something in the air that made them feel quiet and reverent as if the world was making plans and they best be still so as not to disturb them.

"You made today so much easier than I thought it would be," Rose said looking into Dean's eyes.

Dean smiled at her and kissed her softly.  "That's my job, Sweetheart."  He led her to the car then and Rose moved over to sit next to him.

"You do that you know," Rose said as Dean pulled the Impala out onto the highway.  "You make all the hard things easier to deal with and all the good things that much better."  Rose glanced up at him and Dean could clearly see the emotion in her face, could see she had that look in her eyes; the one that pressed into you proclaiming it was the truth. "After this morning, how you woke me up," Dean watched as a pleased blush made its way across her face.  "I walked into that room today feeling safe and taken care of, all wrapped up in you."  Rose rested a hand on his leg and beamed up at him.  "You make me feel special, Dean."

Part of Dean wanted to laugh at that, that this woman needed him to feel special.  Demons were knocking themselves out to get to her and she left everyone who saw her powers in awe.  Not to mention the effect she had on people who just talked to her, powers aside.  She was the most amazing women he'd ever known, the very definition of special.  She sure as hell didn't need him to make her that way.

But another part of Dean quietly stated that what someone was and how they felt were two different things.  For whatever reason he was able to bring that feeling out in Rose and instead of arguing with that fact Dean was just damn thankful for it.

He laced his fingers through the hand on his knee and pulled it up to his lips and kissed the back of her fingers.

"That's because you are, Sweetheart," he said, his voice low.

Rose just shook her head slightly with a smile and rested her head against his shoulder.

Dean smiled.  He knew things weren't perfect, that there were still things they needed to talk about but for now, for tonight he was driving his car with his girl by his side.  They were going to have a good dinner tonight and not deal with anything more serious than deciding if they should have spaghetti or lasagna and Dean was going to enjoy every second of it.

* * *

Lily followed Charlie's directions and poured them both glasses of wine while Charlie got dinner going, glancing at the red liquid somewhat suspiciously.  "Do you not drink wine?" Charlie asked, amused by Lily's expression.  She shook her head.

"Not normally, no," Lily admitted.  "I'm more a whiskey kind of girl."

"Yeah, as a member of your rescue party can I suggest you lay off the whiskey for awhile?"  Lily grinned and nodded, taking a cautious sip of the whine.

Soon they were both seated at the dining room table with steaming plates of vegetable lo mein in front of them.  Lily took a bite and moaned.  "Charlie, this is amazing."  The redhead smiled proudly.  "And this isn't bad either," she said taking a sip of the wine.

"See, there are better things than whiskey," Charlie said and Lily laughed but didn't argue.

They chatted about light topics over dinner, mostly food and dishes they loved then Charlie cleared the table and insisted on doing the dishes and the two settled down in front of the TV. Charlie had brought in a box of cookies and Lily had the second bottle of wine Charlie had opened.

"I don't bake," Charlie explained motioning to the cookies.

"But you cook," Lily said, taking a cookie and munching on it.

"I taught myself," Charlie confirmed. "Fast food and frozen dinners get old fast."

"Don't tell the boys that," Lily countered. "Though if it weren't for the looks Dean throws Rose's way I would swear they just showed up at our house so often because they were looking for a meal." Lily offered the remote to Charlie but she shook her head and Lily flipped through the channels aimlessly.

"Sam wanted to talk to you today you know," Charlie said and Lily's head jerked up at that. Charlie felt she had to say it, was unable to help herself. She was trying to not be pushy since it was obvious Lily was hurting but Charlie felt she needed to know that. She figured thinking Sam didn't care enough to even try to talk to her would be worse than being irritated. "I told him to give you time, that you weren't ready."

Lily stared at her for a minute and then gave Charlie a half smile. "Thanks." Then she turned her eyes back to the TV. Charlie thought that was the end of the conversation till after a few minutes of watching bedazzled celebrities dance across a dance floor Lily spoke again.

"Rose was worried when Sam and I started hooking up." Lily took a sip of wine. "Because of something like this I guess."

"Because you all are family," Charlie said and Lily nodded.

"Be careful, Lily. It's not just you involved here," Lily said, mimicking Rose's softer tone. She rolled her eyes. "I swear she's spent her entire life telling me to be careful."

"She does generally seem to be more cautious than you," Charlie said mildly. "Though on the other hand when she's not she does wreak havoc." Lily laughed and nodded in agreement. She pulled her legs up on the couch and rested her head against the back of it, getting comfortable.

"Don't talk to the strange guy on the motorcycle, Lily. Don't share that bottle of tequila with those college boys. They look like jerks. Don't climb up on the roof by yourself." Lily took a bite of her cookie and swallowed then said, "Granted I was twelve for that last one and I did wind up slipping on the way up and breaking my arm. So she had a point." Charlie laughed and then Lily continued. "But for the most part I've enjoyed being very, totally un-cautious. The college boys were generally a bust though depending on their daddy's money they sometimes had very nice tequila but the stranger on the motorcycle was very memorable." Lily gave a salacious grin and Charlie couldn't help but laugh. She was feeling the wine now and she was pretty sure Lily was at least a little. "That's a rule of thumb for me...strange guy on a motorcycle, extra points for tattoos and I'm there.  Being careful just isn’t who I am." Lily drained her glass of wine then set it down on the table and said, "But this time...this time I probably should have listened to her."

Charlie drank the rest of her glass of wine while she considered the best answer to that but when she glanced over at Lily she had her head on the arm of her couch with her eyes closed and her breathing was deep and even. She was out like a light.

So Charlie turned the TV off, got up and covered Lily with a blanket and turning the lights off she went to bed herself.  She'd listened to Sam's heartbroken confusion, gotten a roommate and warded her new apartment against demons and their ilk.  It had been a full day.


	74. I Just Wanna Feel Okay Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dang, these people can talk.

Dean’s eyes scanned over the email on his phone.  He was sprawled across his bed, dressed save for his shoes, while Rose was still working on getting ready.  She had given the doctor permission to copy Dean on the emails he sent after their sessions and this one was his initial findings, things he saw as issues, and plans going forward.

PTSD.  Dean knew the word, knew some of the signs but seeing it there and seeing it applied to Rose…It fit, he admitted to himself finally looking at the symptoms.  He knew she’d barely slept that first month after the torture, the nightmares, the increased anger, the lack of interest in things she’d previously loved.  He knew she was improving but it didn’t mean there weren’t still signs and symptoms there.  The doctor had listed something’s he thought would help and mentioned he wanted to speak to Dean before Rose’s next session as well.

The doctor touched on her powers briefly, noting that the fact she’d had them under control before was a good sign.  He backed up what Erin and Bobby had thought - that her powers had surged forward due to what Aine had given her and also due to the trauma of the two attacks and mentioned that was something he and Rose would discuss more at length.  He also noted that currently her powers were almost certainly draining her even when she wasn’t using them.  Dean agreed.  Despite what Rose said even when she hadn’t used her powers he’d noticed she tired more easily.  She wasn’t quite as bouncy or energetic as she normally was.  At least now they knew why.

“You’re not going to let me do anything today are you?” Rose asked and Dean looked up to find her frowning at him petulantly with her phone in her hand.  They were heading to Charlie’s to help with the new furniture today, to get the guest room set up for Lily.  “Because of that stupid email and what he thinks,” she said, motioning dramatically with her phone.

Dean frowned.  He knew he could be a bit overprotective but not letting her do anything?  That was a bit of a stretch.  Before he could say anything though Rose was going on.

“I am not tired all the time like he seems to think I am.  I have energy.  If I didn’t have any energy _that_ would have never happened.”  She motioned towards the bathroom where not too long ago they had taken an extremely enjoyable shower and Dean couldn’t help the small grin that crossed his face at the mention of it.  Rose had her hands on her hips now practically daring Dean to refute her claim.  “And I don’t think…I just think he’s wrong about everything.”  She paused then added, “I think maybe I just don’t even need therapy.”

“I thought you liked the doctor,” Dean said, eyeing her and trying to gauge what exactly was going on here.

“I did but this is just-" Rose glanced down at her phone, the offending email still open there.  “It’s wrong and he obviously doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

Dean watched her, outwardly she looked angry but he saw the scared, almost panicked look in her eye.  Setting his phone aside he got up, took the phone from her hand and put it on the table with his.  He wrapped his arms around her and held her for a second.  “You need therapy, Baby.”  He drew back and looked into her scared, stubborn face.  “You haven’t had a new rule for awhile,” he mused and Rose’s eyes widened, sure of what was coming.

“Yesterday,” she protested with a groan.  “You gave me a new one yesterday.”  

“Rule number six…” And Rose groaned again but Dean ignored it, continuing on as if she hadn’t made a sound.  “You are going to therapy.  You need it and you liked the doctor just fine until this morning.”  Rose scowled at him and Dean gave her a smirk.  “See?  Problem solved.  Now you don’t have to even think about it.” His tone was firm, one that left no room for arguments.  “You’re going.”

Rose just continued to look at him with an unhappy look and Dean took her hand and took her with him.  He sat down in the chair in the corner and drew her onto his lap.  She fought him for a second then softened and leaned against him and Dean ran his hands over her back soothingly.

“What’s this all about Rosie?” Even if she didn’t agree with all the doctor had written this was a strong reaction.

“I have energy,” she said stubbornly.  “I have plenty of energy.”

“Maybe not as much as normal,” Dean said gently and Rose immediately shook her head.  “You do get tired really easy, Sweetheart.”

“Not really,” Rose protested half heartedly.  Dean pulled his head back and fixed her with a look and she squirmed.  “OK maybe I get tired a little easier.”  Dean kept the look up and Rose finally admitted, “OK fine I do.”  Dean nodded in satisfaction at getting an honest answer and leaned back.

“And what he said made sense.  Your powers are pulling at you, using all your energy.  But it’s something we can fix.  It’s just going to take a little time.”

“What if it can’t be fixed?” Rose said, her anxiety bleeding into her words.  “What if this is it and I’m stuck with out of control powers that wreck my life?”

“It can be fixed,” Dean said firmly, reassuringly.  “The doc said so and he’d know since he’s like you.”  Dean paused and asked, “Did he tell you anything about that?”  Rose shook her head.  “Ask him.  Maybe hearing how he got control will help.”

Rose nodded her head but was quiet and Dean stroked her hair.  “What else is bothering you, Baby?  Talk to me.”

Rose sighed, fidgeting with the button on Dean’s shirt.  She pulled her head back after a minute so she could look him in the eye.  “Seeing all the stuff he wrote, stuff I do and struggle with.  Nightmares, anxiety, food…It just it made it all look like so much, like I am such a mess.”

“You’re not a mess, Sweetheart,” Dean corrected her.  “You’re hurt and you’re getting better every day.”

“But I want to be better _now_ ,” Rose said and she winced at the whine she heard in her own voice.  “I want all of this just to go away and just to be myself again.”

“It takes time,” Dean said, hating that he didn’t have an immediate solution for her, one that would make all the problems and issues disappear.

Rose sighed and rested her head against Dean’s chest.  “I know.  Everything takes time and I’m awful at being patient.”

Dean laughed softly.  “You always have been.”  He kissed her forehead then said, “But hey don’t ignore the positive stuff he wrote.”  He rubbed her back softly as he spoke.  “He said the fact you had controlled your powers before was a good sign, that it would help now.  And he said you had a big, strong, manly support system which is obviously all you need.”

“Big, strong and manly, were those the exact words he used?” Rose asked with a smile and a giggle.  She knew Dean was trying to make her laugh, to make her feel better.

“Yep, those were the exact words in my email,” Dean said.  “Maybe he edited your version.  Might have been a bit much for you to take.”

“You’re crazy,” Rose said with a shake of her head.  She pulled back and smiled at him then kissed him softly.  “Thanks for talking me down.”

Dean shrugged, smiling back at her.  “I’ve had years of practice.”

“Let me help today though, Dean,” Rose said, her eyes letting him know how important this was to her.  “Please?  I can’t just sit by and do nothing.”

“You can help,” Dean conceded, earning a brilliant smile from Rose.  “But if I think you’re doing too much you have to take a break.”  Rose nodded and Dean glanced down at the t-shirt she was wearing, the same one she’d slept in last night and raised an eyebrow at her. ("Miranda is my vice" it said and he'd had a good time teasing her about it.  "You keep making me picture you with another girl don't you?" "Oh but she's not a redhead, Dean, so totally not part of your fantasy.")

”Weren’t you supposed to be getting dressed?”

“I got distracted by the email,” Rose admitted.

"Well get to it, brat," Dean said lifting her to her feet.  He steered her towards the bathroom with a smack to her bottom.  He sat on the end of the bed and pulled his boots on before standing up and saying, "I'm gonna go get more coffee.  Want anything?"  Rose shook her head and Dean headed to the kitchen with a parting shot of, "You better be ready when I get back."

Sam was at the kitchen table when Dean entered, drinking coffee and pouring over a book.

"Looks fascinating," Dean said glancing over Sam's shoulder as he went past.  "Why the hell are you reading about mermaids?" Dean filled his cup and motioned to Sam who gratefully stuck his cup out for a refill.  "Not enough Disney crap around currently with Daisy still out?"

"It's a book about Native American lore."  Sam took a sip of coffee.  "I'm trying to figure out that last bit of the prophecy.  Lots of mentions of dancing stars in here."

"Charlie was working on that the other night," Dean commented.  "You might want to see what she came up with."

Sam nodded and went back to the book.  Dean studied his brother for a minute.  He still wasn't talking.  He’d give him a few more days then he'd push him.

Rose appeared in the doorway then wearing the Hufflepuff t-shirt she'd gotten at the mall in Macy's and Dean raised a questioning eyebrow at her, having expected to have to come get her.

“I got ready quick,” she said with a shrug and Dean noticed the shirt she was wearing then.

"I practically bled for that shirt," Dean said dramatically and Rose rolled her eyes at him.

Sam glanced back at Rose.  "What am I missing?"

"Oh so much, Sammy," Dean smirked.

"Dean didn't tell you about his near death experience at the mall?" Rose asked.  "Why he barely lived to tell the tale."

Dean narrowed his eyes at her menacingly and Rose just giggled.

"Smartass."

"Takes one to know one," Rose retorted and Dean couldn't help but grin at her.  God, he loved her fire. He drained the rest of his coffee and steered Rose towards the door.

"OK we're out of here.  See you later, Sammy."

* * *

While Dean and Rose went off to at Charlie's Sam did what he did best - He buried himself in research.  If Dean liked action then Sam liked knowledge.  He likes solving a puzzle, finding the missing piece.  He loved a challenge and somewhere inside him a quiet voice piped up that that was part of the allure of Lily.  But he wasn't ready to go down that road today.  Every time his thoughts veered that direction something inside him started to panic.  He wasn't sure why he'd acted like he had and while he knew he needed to figure it out he wasn't ready to do it head on.  Not yet.  So he settled down in the library, surrounded himself with books and his laptop and kept the coffee coming.

_When the stars dance brightly, when the moon sings her story and the sun sleeps for the day then the time will be right.  Then the sister of vision will seek the blood of one of the precious ones to destroy the veil that divides this world from the purgatory her sister is locked in.  The intent, the purpose will be clear and will strengthen the blood to give it the power to release the sister of fire and to restore both sisters powers to their fullest._

God, had there ever been a more convoluted bit of prophecy?   Actually, there probably had but this one was making Sam just a little crazy.  Still, if nothing else this, what he was doing was helpful, needed.  They needed to know what this part of the prophecy meant because it definitely sounded like it was going to change things.  Anytime a prophecy mentioned certain things happening and the time being right there was a time line in place.

Sam sent Charlie a quick text to ask about what she’d found then got down to researching in earnest. And while Sam's conscious mind poured through every bit of lore he could find about dancing stars some quiet part of his brain was mulling over what he'd done and why.  Maybe if he kept this up long enough he’d not only have an answer to the meaning of the prophecy but he’d understand his actions and could talk to Lily and hopefully fix things.

* * *

Dean had expected Lily to be at Charlie's when they got there but her car was gone from the lot and it was just Charlie who greeted them when they arrived. Charlie didn't give him a chance to ask questions though and quickly got him putting the bed together, offering her assistance which she was told wasn’t needed. So she and Rose got busy unpacking the bedding they'd ordered.

"She was worried Sam was coming along, wasn't she?" Rose asked and Charlie nodded.

"She rushed off pretty quickly to the hospital when she realized we were getting help putting the furniture together," Charlie said.

“That says a lot,” Rose said and then in answer to Charlie’s curious glance she explained.  “Lily is way more fight than flight.  The fact that she’s avoiding Sam instead of just wading right into another battle with him,” She shook her head.  “It’s not good.”

“She’s hurt,” Charlie said, opening the next box. “She told me last night you were worried about her and Sam getting involved.”  Rose looked surprised at Lily sharing this but nodded her head.

“Yeah,” Rose said, unfolding a comforter while she talked.  “It was risky and Lily doesn’t have a great track record of being careful with relationships.”  Rose winced.  “God, that sounds awful.”  She glanced at Charlie with a guilty look and Charlie gave her a kind smile in return.

“Lily’s pretty up front and honest about her past not-relationships.”

“You two got close,” Rose noted, knowing Lily didn’t share with many people.

“Yeah, we did,” Charlie admitted with a smile.  She liked Lily, found her honesty refreshing and her heart kinder than people would ever imagine.  It was Charlie’s turn to glance at Rose in concern now, not sure how she’d react.  Lily wasn’t a big fan of Rose having close friends.  Would Rose feel the same?

To her relief Charlie found Rose smiling.  “I’m glad,” she said.  “Lily doesn’t trust many people and if she trusts you that’s a good thing.  Lily could use a friend like you.”

Charlie smiled and the two of them worked in silence for a few minutes before Rose asked, “So they really were serious?”  It killed her that she didn’t know this for herself.  Aside from Lily’s admission to her and Daisy that they were serious all that time ago in the bunker she only knew the little Dean had said.

Charlie nodded.  “I think it was safe to say Lily made up for all her non-relationships.”  She stacked the new sheets in a pile on the couch, ready to go on the bed.  “They were happy and pretty amazing together.”

Rose smiled softly as she adding the last comforter to the pile.  “I’m glad,” she said.  “They seemed good before I…before I left.”  Rose paused then said, “I have to admit I never imagined that,” Rose admitted, smoothing the fabric.  “I mean I know them both really well and it just never was something I could picture working in my head.  Though when you think about it a bit it does make sense.  They’re different enough to balance each other out.  And they’re both a lot more than people see them as.”

“What do you mean? “ Charlie asked, curious as to how Rose saw both Lily and Sam.

Rose sat down on the couch next to the sheets and comforters.  Her face was thoughtful and she took a moment before she said, “When people look at Lily they either see her as this bad ass hunter or just a hot girl.”  She looked at Charlie.  “You’ve been out with her, you’ve seen the reactions.”  Charlie nodded.  Lily attracted attention wherever she went.  It was funny to watch especially because Lily seemed to not even notice it.  Then again she was probably used to it.  As if confirming her thoughts Rose said, “It’s been that way our entire lives.  And Sam well people either see him as this big, giant of a guy or a sweet, harmless puppy.”  Charlie grinned at the truth there.  “Sam’s more than that, he’s smart and kind and an amazing hunter.  And Lily is kinder and smarter than people give her credit for.  I don’t know, maybe they both saw all that in each other.  They’ve certainly known each other long enough.” 

“They’re good together,” Charlie confirmed.  “She makes him laugh.”

“And he settles her down,” Rose added.

“Now if they can just work whatever the hell this is out…” Charlie said and Rose nodded in agreement.

All the bedding was out and ready to be put on the bed once it was built.  They put the excess in the hallway linen closet then Charlie peeked in and saw that Dean was still working on the bed.

"You and Dean seem happy," Charlie noted and Rose blushed and smiled.

"We are," Rose said softly.

"I knew once you two finally talked about what happened you'd be good. I mean sure Dean was really mad but once he got it out of his system-" Charlie broke off at the worried, panicked expression on Rose's face. "Rose?"

"We haven't...talked yet," Rose said hesitantly. Charlie was thrown by that. She'd just assumed by the way they were together that they'd talked, yelled, whatever it took and were past what happened. “Not about me leaving or anything that happened really.”

"Oh well, I mean maybe you don't have to discuss things," Charlie said lamely. "Maybe Dean is just over it." That got a wry smile from Rose.

"Charlie, have you ever known Dean to just get over anything?" Charlie smiled and shook her head. Letting things go was definitely not Dean Winchester’s style.  The two of them had moved onto working on putting Charlie's new desk together and Rose studied the directions for a minute before saying softly, "He's waiting. He doesn't think I'm strong enough yet to deal with it."

"And are you?" Charlie asked curiously. "Strong enough, I mean?"

Rose shrugged and Charlie could see the genuine confusion on her face. "I don't know. I mean I used to be able to tell you everything about me but now..." Her voice trailed off and Charlie nodded sympathetically. After a minute she glanced up at Charlie and said, "And have you ever really been yelled at by Dean? It’s not fun.”

“Once?” Charlie ventured.  “He and Sam found out I’d been hunting on my own and he wasn’t too happy.”  Charlie frowned.  “Neither of them was actually.”  Rose thought back to Dean mentioning something about that.

“And I bet you never did that again, right?” Rose lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Or that they know of anyway.”  Charlie laughed and nodded, the mischievous glint in her eyes giving Rose her answer.

Rose glanced down, her face turning serious again. “But anyway he's gonna yell. A lot. And it's kind of hard to convince yourself you're ready for that."

Charlie nodded, able to understand that.  She leaned over the bits of the desk and hugged Rose and Rose returned it gratefully.

It didn't take long to get the room together and Dean was as good as his word, letting Rose help as long as she didn't even appear to be doing anything he considered too much for her.  They even managed to get the desk together and set up with Rose managing the directions.  The room was finished, bed made and aside from Lily’s clothes being put up which they figured Lily would want to do herself it was finished.  It looked clean and inviting and like a restful space.

Dean and Rose took Charlie out for lunch then headed back to the bunker.  After Rose rested Dean went down to work on the Impala and Rose called Chastity, promising to follow Dean downstairs when she was done.  She owed Chastity a call, needed to catch her up in detail on what had been going on.

“Are you busy?  I can call back later.”  Rose knew Chastity was at work but generally Thursdays were slow days so she figured she’d be OK.

“Nope, I have time on my hands,” Chastity said.  “In fact, give me a second.”  There was some noise in the background and Rose swore she could hear liquid being poured into a glass.  “Aw, there that’s better.  My heels are off and I’ve got wine.  So let’s hear all the dirt.”

Rose kicked her own shoes off and curled up in the chair in the corner of Dean’s room as Sookie climbed up on her lap.  She started talking, listing some of the stuff that had happened over the last week.   She mentioned therapy and Sam and Lily having the huge fight.  And then she told her about Cooper and the werewolves.

“Wow, holy shit, Rose that’s either amazing or terrifying.”  Chastity paused, considering.  “Both.  It’s both.”

“It was,” Rose agreed.  “I mean, I was so scared.  I’ve never done anything even close to that but it was such a rush.”  Rose giggled then and if Dean had heard her he would have smiled because that was the laugh he loved.  “And God we had the greatest sex afterwards.”

“Oh now that’s a nice side affect,” Chastity agreed.  “So you and Dean have worked things out then, hmm?”

“Mmm hmm, we’re good.”

Chastity stopped with her wine glass halfway to her mouth.  She knew that tone.  “Rose?”

“Hmm?”

“What aren’t you telling me?”

“What?  Who said I wasn’t telling you everything?”

“Your voice did,” Chastity shot back.  “That’s your oh-so-innocent-that-I’m-lying tone.”

“I don’t have that tone,” Rose argued and Chastity snorted.

“You so do.  You know what?  Hang up.  I’m calling you back on facetime so I can see your face for this convo.”  And before Rose had a chance to protest Chastity was ending the call.

Rose stared down at her phone as she hung up.  She should have known Chastity would know she wasn’t sharing everything.  A second later her phone rang and then she was staring at Chastity’s knowing face.

“Well your hairs not a rats nest so that’s an improvement,” Chastity commented and Rose gave her a look.

“You know I have sisters.  If I wanted cattiness I could call them.”  Rose paused.  “Well one of them anyway.  Not that we would ever be having this conversation.”

Chastity considered that info not sure what it meant exactly but Rose's sisters weren't what she was after.  "So would this have to do with what you wanted my take on?"

Rose thought back, remembering she had said that to Chastity what felt like ages ago.

"Maybe," Rose said nervously.

"Hey Rose, come on you know you can tell me anything," Chastity said, her voice less demanding now.  Rose gave her a grateful smile, knowing it was the truth.

So taking a deep breath Rose said hesitantly, "I know.  I do, really.  I'm just...not sure I'm ready."

"This is to do with Dean?" Chastity asked and Rose nodded.  "Is it to do with him punishing you?"

Rose buried her head in her hands.  "God, you people just throw that word out like it's nothing."

Chastity raised an eyebrow.  "Us people?  So I'm not the only one mentioning it."  Rose kept her face buried and was muttering.  "Rose, did Dean mention punishing you?"

Rose gave a shuddering breath and raised her head, her cheeks flushed.  She looked at Chastity and slowly nodded her head.  “Maybe not in those exact words... but it was definitely implied.” Chastity watched as Rose fluttered her hands about, a definite sign she was flustered. “But I don't...I'm not sure he meant it, that he was serious."

Chastity took a sip of wine and said, "OK I need details here."  No way was she letting Rose get away without telling her now.  She knew Rose and it wasn't that she wasn't ready to talk it was that she wasn't sure how to.  This all made her unsure so she needed to be nudged.  Luckily Chastity was a world class nudger.  "When did he mention it?"

"The first night he got back from South Dakota."  Rose took a deep breath.  "Remember me and Lily had that blow up and Dean and I slept in his car?"  Chastity nodded.  "Then.  He wanted to hold me and I asked how he couldn't be mad at me and he told me he was."  Rose swallowed and continued, her eyes looking off in the distance.  "He said that once I was better we were gonna have a serious conversation.  About my behavior.  He uh, said I might rethink how fun I thought spankings were when we were done."  Her eyes were huge when she looked at Chastity's again, her cheeks flushed a darker red.

"And he hasn't done anything since then?" Chastity asked and watched as Rose squirmed.  "Rose?"

"Well um, he's said a few other things."  Chastity made a go on motion with her hand and Rose sighed and said, "I left my brush in his room when I left and when I tried to take it back he wouldn't let me.  He said he had plans for it.  And he'd said a few other things about waiting till I was ready.  To uh, spank me."  Rose’s cheeks were so red they were practically glowing.

Chastity turned that all over in her head.  She had to admit with what she'd heard about Dean from Rose she'd honestly expected him to just spank her the very first chance he got.  But when Rose had commented about him not losing his temper with her throughout this ordeal Chastity had gotten an inkling that Dean could be biding his time, knowing that despite the temptation that was wasn't what Rose needed.  Then.  Now was a very different story.  Chastity knew Rose well enough to know she was going to eat herself up with guilt till she had an outlet.  She may have been teasing about one of the best ways to stop beating yourself up was to have someone else beat your ass for you but there was truth there to.  But back to Rose's question.

"And you're wondering if he's serious?"  Rose nodded and Chastity couldn't hide her grin.  This was classic Rose, over thinking everything.  "Oh sweetie, I could have told you he was just from that first comment."

Rose frowned and then bit her lip.  "Yeah but Chas, I mean saying it is one thing but that's..." Rose ran out of words and just looked wary.

"OK in all this great sex you had was there any spanking fun?" Chastity asked

Rose frowned again.  And Chastity could see the exact moment it occurred to her.  "Well, no but I mean that's not unusual..."

"Really?" Chastity asked raising an eyebrow at her.  "Because from what you told me before Dean was all about spanking you."

Rose thought that over and Chastity said, "Sexy spankings are vastly different from punishment spankings and you don't want to confuse the two.  So if I were Dean in this situation I wouldn't be spanking your ass either until I was spanking it for real, not till I'd taken care of business and punished you."

"Jesus, Chas," Rose said, burying her head in her hands again. "Why do we always seem to wind up talking about spanking my ass?" she muttered and Chastity grinned.

"Oh I don't know, because it's so spankable?" Chastity mused.  “Or maybe because you just obviously need it so bad.”  Rose rolled her eyes and Chastity laughed.  “It just occurred to me that comments like this could be why Charlie asked me if we ever dated."  Rose’s eyes widened in surprise.

“She what?  No way!  Seriously?”  Rose laughed.  “Did you tell her I was much too young and impressionable for you?"

"No, I told her I was afraid you would corrupt me,” Chastity shot back making Rose laugh even more.  “Anyway, getting back to business,” Chastity said turning serious once again.  "So aside from all this is he acting exactly the same?" Chastity asked curiously.  "I mean any changes at all towards you." Rose squirmed and Chastity chuckled.  "Come on, Rose you know I'm not gonna let this go.  Out with it."

Rose sighed and finally blurted out, "He started giving me rules."

Chastity looked at her in surprise for a second.  Then she got up, taking the phone with her and refilled her glass and took a sip.  She sat back down then and fixed Rose with a look.

"So this man who you already admitted you belong to has told you he plans to punish you, has said he's going to use your own brush on you and had given you a list of rules.  And you don't think he's serious?"  She took another sip of wine then asked, "Rose what would be the point of all that?"

"I don't know," Rose admitted, sounding overwhelmed.  "Maybe he was just mad.”

“If he was just mad he would have just spanked you then,” Chastity pointed out.  “If this was just about him being upset with you then he wouldn’t have waited, wouldn’t have wanted to make sure you were OK first.”

“OK that’s a good point,” Rose granted.  “But it just…I mean it just seems hard to imagine-"

"Rose," Chastity cut her off, "Just because you're getting what you've wanted don't push it away.  You're an idiot if you do."

"I never said I wanted him to punish me," Rose protested.

"Did you argue with him about giving you rules?"

Rose bit her thumb.  "Well no, not really.  I mean I asked him why he had the right to but..."

“And what did he say?” Chastity asked curiously.  Seeing Dean just from Rose’s view point and the small amount that Sam had said was an interesting angle.  Chastity was sure she was never getting the full picture and she had to admit she wanted to meet him to see how he compared.

“He said he was giving me rules because I needed them and that he had the right to because we belong to each other.”  Chastity smiled at that, approving of Dean’s answer.  He didn’t say it as if she was his property but as if this was just a part of who they were, or who they were becoming at least.  That was a relationship, granted not one that everyone would understand or approve of but that was par for the course with these two from what Chastity could tell.

"And when he said all these things...when he mentioned spanking you for real did you protest?"  Rose shook her head and Chastity smiled.

"Rose, Sweetie, you look so much better than the last time I saw you," she said gently.  "Now I'm not saying a dominant man giving you rules is the cure all but it sure seems to have helped you."

Rose was quiet and Chastity could see the wheels turning in her head.  "I kinda thought I should argue with him...about the rules I mean."

"But you didn't."

"No, I...I feel pretty out of control."  Rose frowned.  "Which honestly I never have before and for the record I hate it."  She shook her head.  "And honestly taking care of myself right now is just...well it's easier if I can just say "Oh I have to do this because Dean said so." to myself.”

"What are we talking about here, Rose?" Chastity felt the need to make sure this wasn't anything crazy.  "What kind of rules?"

"Eating, which is still just a thing.  Um, I'm not supposed to lie to Dean, which obviously we can see where that came from." Chastity nodded.  "Go to therapy, take my potion, things like that.”

Chastity nodded.  That sounded reasonable.  And all made sense considering what Rose had gone through.

"Does that make me sound weak?" Rose asked and Chastity looked at her in surprise.  "I mean I'm an adult.  I shouldn't want someone to tell me what to do right?"

"It doesn't make you weak," Chastity said firmly.  "Actually I think being able to admit what you need, what you want makes you strong."

"Really?"

"Absolutely."  Rose smiled at her gratefully.  "And Rose don't… if there's people who think that?"  Chastity leaned toward to the screen.  "Fuck them."

Rose giggled at that but smiled even wider, Chastity being so less than discreet in her phrasing such a rare occurrence.

Rose glanced down for a second then glanced back up and her smile and her voice were softer when she spoke.  “He makes me feel safe, Chas.  I forgot what that felt like for awhile.”  She bit her lip then added, “And he makes me feel taken care of too.  Even when he’s spouting off all these rules in this unbelievably bossy tone-“

“Which you undoubtedly think is hot,” Chastity broke in and Rose flashed her a guilty smile.

“OK I do,” she admitted.  “But even then, when a part of me thinks I should be protesting and telling him I’m an adult and can make my own rules…” Rose bit her lip then added in a quieter voice, “There’s a bigger part of me that is just sighing with relief and going “Finally.”  She hesitated and added, “It feels like I’m finally finding some part of myself I didn’t even know was missing.”

Chastity smiled, truly happy for Rose.

"People need what they need.  If you're lucky enough to get someone whose needs match yours then you're one of the lucky ones.  Just appreciate it and embrace it."  Rose nodded.  "And for the record if you want to know if Dean's serious about punishing you?  Don't take my word for it.  Ask him."

* * *

Rose and Chastity chatted for a bit longer, discussing things in Chastity's life and Emma.  When they hung up Rose sat there stroking Sookie and turning over all that Chas had said.  She was Rose's sounding board for a reason; she gave good, sound advice.  Now what Rose was going to do with that advice remained to be seen.  Eventually Sookie wandered off and Rose was left with just her thoughts.  She should ask him, she knew that.  Signs or not she needed to hear it directly from Dean.  But she was scared.  And nervous and asking _that_ question left her so open and vulnerable. Asking it was as good as an admission that it was an option.  She wasn't sure she was brave enough for that yet.

"Hey," a voice said, startling her from her thoughts.  She looked up to find Dean standing there, hands covered and face streaked with grease.  "I thought you were gonna come down to the garage when you were done."  He toed his shoes off while he waited for her to respond.

"Oh sorry, I just got off the phone."

"Lots to talk about?" Dean asked, moving towards the bathroom and stripping his shirt off as he did.

"Mmm hmm," Rose murmured watching his movements.

"Did I miss all the girl talk?"  Dean asked, raising his eyebrows at her.  "Lots of discussion about me and my sexy ways?"

"Maybe," Rose said with a teasing grin.  Dean smiled and then launched off into a monologue about what he'd done to the Impala and Rose heard none of it since Dean had started unbuckling his belt and then taking his jeans off as he spoke.  Her eyes were following his hands and then the trail of skin he was baring as he slowly slid his jeans down and it occurred to her suddenly just how slow he was going.  She looked up to find his eyes twinkling at her teasingly, jeans just barely at his thighs.

"Tease," she said, smiling at him.

"And what does that make you, Miss Sullivan?" Dean asked grinning at her.  "Sitting there watching me with that lustful look in your eyes.  Why I feel downright objectified."

"Take your pants off and I'll show you objectified," Rose shot back getting to her feet and Dean laughed loudly.

"Oh someone's feeling-" Rose cut Dean off by reaching up and nibbling at his lower lip.  She ran her hands over his naked chest, pulling back and watching his face.  Her hands trailed over his skin and she smiled at him.

"You're all dirty, Dean," she murmured, moving her body against his.  She moved a hand down to brush against his stiffening cock and Dean let out a hiss.  "You really should take a shower.  Get yourself cleaned up."  She grinned at him as she pulled back and pulled her own shirt off, flinging it to join his on the floor.  She moved towards the bathroom then.  "Want some help with that?"

It took Dean less than a second to follow and answer her at the same time.  "Hell yeah!"

* * *

Later that night as Rose and Dean were both settled down in bed and Rose was just on the cusp of sleep with Dean’s arms wrapped around her when Chastity’s words came back to her. 

 _Ask Him._  

She needed to.  She could ask him now, when they were both on the verge of sleep, she could summon the courage up.  She had her mouth open, the words forming when Dean let out a soft snore.

OK so not now.  But soon, Rose promised herself.  Very soon.


	75. Sometimes You've Just Gotta Let it Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Therapy, Guns and a Quickie - AKA a typical Friday

“So Dean, you read my email,” Will said and Dean nodded. 

“Rose mentioned that you had been training her before she left.”  That got a raised eyebrow though it was more for the way the doctor explained her running away than Rose telling him he’d trained her.  “Both with firearms and in hand to hand.”

“Yeah, I thought she needed to know how to defend herself,” Dean said.  If this guy was going to disagree with him then they were gonna have a problem.  “I mean with all the threats to her out there she needed to be as prepared as possible.”

Will nodded.  “I couldn’t agree more.  I’m going to talk to Rose about some exercises I want her to start to help with her powers and if you can stop back in once she’d done then you can be here for that, so you’ll know what we’re talking about.”  Dean nodded relieved they weren’t going to have an issue.  “And I’d like you to start back with her training.  Slowly, go easily,” Will cautioned.  “Don’t overdo it.  I mentioned her powers draining her physically so you need to be aware of that.  But physical exercise is good for her, has been shown to help with PTSD and it can help Rose to feel more capable, more able to take care of herself.”  Dean nodded again.  That made sense to him and it was something tangible he could do to help her.  “Did you have any questions about my email?  Any concerns or anything in general?”

Dean thought about it then said hesitantly, “Yeah she’s uh, Rosie has always been really sure and now, well it’s like she’s lost her sense of what’s right.  She second guesses all her decisions, looks to me for a lot more reassurance than normal.”  Dean hesitated then said, “I can give her anything she needs but I just want to make sure I’m doing the right thing.”

Will looked at Dean thoughtfully.  He had to admit he was impressed that Dean was asking.  Something told him this wasn’t a man who asked people’s opinions much if at all.

“It was clear in the short time that I talked to Rose that she blames herself for what happened and that all comes back to the decisions she made.”  Dean cursed softly as Will went on.  “Now I’m not here to judge her choices or cast blame and I am in no way saying it was her fault.  After all demons do what they do and this one seemed determined to get Rose.”  Dean looked surprised at this and Will explained, “I asked your brother if I could read the bits of prophecy that pertained to Rose.  It helps if I have all the information I can.”  That made sense and Dean was impressed at the doctor’s thoroughness.  “But fault or not it’s easy to see how this would make a person feel like their decisions were less than trustworthy.” 

“I told her it’s not her fault,” Dean said and Will could hear the weight Dean put on himself in this.

“Rose was adamant about how much you’ve done for her.  But it takes time to let go of the blame, Dean and for some people guilt is harder to shake than it is for others.”  Will studied Dean for a moment then said, “I’m going to venture a guess that you know Rose better than just about anyone and that there’s next to nothing that you wouldn’t do for her.”  Dean nodded firmly.  “Then I feel safe in saying that giving her all the reassurance she needs right now is definitely in her best interest.  She’ll get back her self assurance eventually Dean, but for now giving her all the extra support she needs isn’t going to do any bit of harm.”

Dean grinned, thankful for the reassurance.  “Thanks, Doc.”  This was nice, he realized, having an expert who knew what he was talking about who didn’t mind backing up his play.  This guy had turned out to be all right.

* * *

“So Rose, any new developments?” Will asked and Rose shook her head then hesitated.

“I didn’t like your email,” she stopped short then added, “I mean, not that it was bad just that, well it was rough seeing all that written about me.”

“Can you explain why?”

Rose sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest.  She was dressed in jeans again today with a t-shirt of a blond girl from a popular show his own daughter liked, something with a planet in the name though Will was blanking on the exact title.  “Before I could kind of tell myself that some of those things weren’t really symptoms of a problem or anything.”  Rose fidgeted with a necklace she wore.  “I mean I lost my appetite, so what?  I’ve always been the chubby one.  I could stand to lose some weight.  And I’ve always had insomnia off and on.”  She sighed.  “But when I saw it all written out like that it was hard to explain away.”

Will nodded.  “Sometimes seeing things in writing is harder to ignore,” he ventured and Rose nodded.  He was the same so he understood that.  “Having seen that list is there anything else you could add to it, anything on there we didn’t touch on?  Something you’ve seen in yourself that isn’t normal?”

Rose thought about it then said, “Well large groups of people make me nervous, though I did kind of become a hermit for a month.” Will nodded.  That was understandable.  “I’m doing better with that though.  I don’t enjoy doing a lot of what I used to.  I don’t even want to look at food now.” She paused then added, “Which is really hard for Dean.”

“He likes food I take it?” Will asked with a smile and Rose nodded with a small smile of her own.

“Oh he doesn’t just like food.  He loves it.  It’s one of his favorite things in the whole world.  I used to be that way too.” Her smile disappeared and Rose tugged at the necklace around her neck, the charms clinking together and the flash of yellow on the one catching Will’s eye.  A heart, a circle of gold and the word loyal.  Interesting combination.  Will assumed it stood for something important to Rose. “Food just doesn’t appeal to me anymore.  I’ve lost my appetite.” 

“That can happen,” Will said.  “It doesn’t mean it’s permanent.”  Rose nodded and Will brought up one topic they hadn’t touched on previously.  “I know we touched on your nightmares and how vivid they are but seeing things, hallucinations, what have you, at other times isn’t uncommon.  Are you seeing things during the day?” Will asked. Rose was silent long enough that he felt the need to verbally nudge her. “Rose?”

“Not anymore,” she said finally. “At first I saw her, Aine, everywhere. I’d be in a hallway and swear I’d hear her footsteps, see her around the corner, hear her voice.” Rose shuddered at the memory. “But that faded.”

“Good, that’s good,” Will said jotting that down.  “And perfectly normal too.  Anything else from the list stand out to you?”

 “Um, I lose my temper a whole lot easier than I used to,” Rose said anxiously.  “I mean I’ve always had a temper but I worked really hard to control it and I had a pretty good handle on it.”

“That’s important to you?  Controlling it?”

Rose smiled.  “I’m the calm one of the three sisters.  It kind of has to be important.”

“And what if you didn’t have sisters?”  Rose visibly flinched at that and Will hurried to say, “I just mean if you didn’t have to be the calm one would it matter to you so much?”

Rose considered that then nodded.  “It would.  I don’t like being out of control and when I lose my temper I feel that way.  I like being able to explain myself, to put into words how I feel and why.” 

Will nodded and made a notation.

“Can I ask _you_ a question?” Rose asked and Will smiled at her and nodded.

“I think I’ve asked you enough to certainly let you ask one.”

“How did you get your powers?”Rose asked curiously.  “Were you born with them or did you get them when you got older?”

Will frowned and set his notebook aside.  This wasn’t a story he usually told his clients though to be honest his powers weren’t generally known to most of them.  Still Rose was one patient he could see the benefit of telling.

“I wasn’t born with them.  I didn’t even know I had them till I was well into my twenties. I told you my father was a hunter, yes?” Rose nodded, having liked the fact that like her Will hadn’t been a part of the hunter world, had been on the fringes like her it seemed.  “Not longer after I married my father was hunting a demon, a particularly nasty one who had a habit of going after pregnant women with at least one young child already born.”  Rose winced at that image and Will nodded in agreement.  It was horrific and what the demon did to the children was worse but she didn’t need to know that.  “My father was determined to get him and he was closing in on him, had gotten quite close several times in fact.”  Will fidgeted with his pen nervously.  After all these years this still wasn’t easy to talk about, though he could do it now without vomiting.  That was an improvement.  “Some lower demons who worked for the demon my father was after kidnapped me on his orders.”  Rose gasped softly and Will glanced up at her, seeing the surprise in her eyes.

“You don’t have to,” she started.  “If this is too hard I completely understand.”

Will smiled at her, moved by her kindness.  He shook his head though and continued on. 

“They tortured me, wanted me to call my father, to lure him there so they could kill him.”  Will closed his eyes for a second, still able to feel the knife slicing through his skin all these years later.  “I was so close to giving in; to calling him when suddenly the demons were flying across the room.”  Will frowned thoughtfully.  “To this day I don’t remember consciously thinking it but a minute later their necks were broken and the ropes holding me were torn apart.”

“The trauma made your powers manifest,” Rose said and Will nodded.

“Yes, much as your own trauma made your powers surge.”  Will toyed with his pen again.  “Perhaps if I hadn’t been in that position my powers may have lain dormant for years, maybe even my entire life.”  He shrugged.  “I don’t know but they’ve been present every since.”

“I’m sorry,” Rose said her eyes full of empathy and Will nodded in thanks.  “Did your dad get the demon?”

He did,” Will said with a smile, thinking only the child of a hunter would think to ask that.  She didn’t need to know the pain his father inflicted on the demon either.

“How long did it take for you to get control?” Rose asked curiously.

“A few weeks to be in partial control, a few months, maybe a year for total control though mine didn’t start out as strong as yours.”  That time afterwards had been hard.  He and his wives marriage had barely survived but Peggy had stubbornly stuck by him and they had emerged stronger than ever.  Without her he wasn’t sure he would have made it.  Her love and devotion made Will admire Dean and to understand how much of a rock he was to Rose

“So you understand what it’s like…” Rose trailed off.

“To be out of control?  To try to live in a normal world after everything about you has been ripped apart?” Rose nodded.  “I do.”

“What got you through?” Rose asked. 

“Determination, stubbornness, my wife.”  Will smiled at her.  “A support system is a huge asset and you have a strong one, Rose.”

“I know.  I’m lucky,” Rose said with a smile.

“You are and you’re stubborn too.”  Rose looked at Will in surprise and he smiled.  “It takes one to know one, plus all three forms said that about you.”

Rose laughed at that and they talked a bit longer before Will asked her to bring Dean back in.  

“We're not going to touch the potion dose right now," Will said.  "We're going to start slow and take this nice and easy.  I know you want to be off the potion quickly Rose, but I want to make sure we do this right."  Dean nodded at that, firmly agreeing with the doctor.  “Before I tell you about the exercise I want to ask you about your power.  Your telekinesis with the potion your mother has given you, can you feel it?” Will asked and Rose nodded. 

“It’s there. I can feel it behind the…it feels like the potion walls it in,” Rose explained and Will made a note. 

“And without the potion?  What does it feel like then?”

Rose took a breath.  She thought back to when they were in Wisconsin, when they’d fought the werewolves. 

“Strong, powerful.  Like a dragon that wants to be out and loose.”  Rose fidgeted with her necklace again and Dean reached out a hand, placing it face up on her knee and she slipped her hand into his with a smile.  Dean squeezed her hand comfortingly and Rose visibly relaxed.  “The last time I used it-“

“In Wisconsin, with the werewolves?” Will asked and Rose nodded.

“It was hard to control, to contain.  Maybe because I hadn’t used it in so long but it was pushing.”

“You controlled it for awhile,” Dean said. “Enough to take out the wolves.”

Rose nodded. “I could for a bit and then it just, it was too much.”  It had overwhelmed her, threatened to burst lose and despite the fact that she could never pass out again and she’d be happy she was OK with it if it meant she didn’t have to find out if she could pick up a barn with her mind.  Because that’s definitely where they’d been headed.

“Then she fainted,” Dean said. “And her nose bled.”   Dean’s concern at that was as clear in his voice as if he were waving a flag.  The doctor on the other hand didn’t look disturbed by this at all.

“Well hopefully we can get you started on the path to controlling this and get those problems out of the way.”  The doctor explained to Rose why he wanted her to start training with Dean again and then walked her through in detail the exercises for her powers. 

“Start tomorrow.  Do these first, before you do any other training,” Will said.  “You don’t want to be tired for them.  The sharper, more relaxed your mind is the better.”

Will looked down at his notes and said, “One more thing.  I’m seeing you on Monday with Lily and need both your answers before then.  But I’d also like you to work on a list of things that relax you.”  He glanced up to see Dean smirking at Rose and giving her a knowing look and Will couldn’t help but laugh.  He liked these two.  They glanced at him, Rose blushing and Dean smiling proudly and Will told them to have a good weekend and signed off.

“You’re so bad!” Rose said smacking his arm and giving Dean a look that was somewhere between horrified and amused.  Dean just shrugged, not ashamed in the least.

“Good session?” he asked as they walked out.

“Good session,” Rose confirmed.  She’d tell Dean about Will’s experience later.  He hadn’t said it was confidential and Dean would understand why it made her feel better, more secure.  This therapist truly understood what she had gone through.

* * *

Rose sat cross legged on one of the mats in the gym ready to try out the exercises Dr. Alexander had given her.  As well as having explained them yesterday he’d written them out in an email which Rose had pulled up on her phone.  There was a lot of breathing involved and a lot of focusing before she even tried to move anything.

Dean sat off to the side watching Rose.  She looked so focused on what she was doing, her breathing calm and even.  She’d been doing well with the therapy he thought.  And she liked the doctor, aside from her freak out over his email but she’d gotten over that pretty quickly.  Dean had to admit he liked him too which he definitely hadn’t expected.  Rose had told him about what he’d been through, how his powers had manifested and Dean figured if there was anyone who could help Rose it was this guy. 

Dean was here because they were going to practice hand to hand next and as a safety precaution.  He didn't expect things to go wrong but he knew Rose was nervous and him telling her he was going to be here had definitely made her relax.  She looked better, Dean decided, studying her.  The circles were gone from under her eyes and she had a little color in her cheeks.  She still needed to put weight back on and that was turning into a harder battle than Dean had imagined but he was nothing if not persistent.  They'd eaten before coming down here and Dean figured they could get in the fight training then eat lunch and Rose's nap before they hit the gun range.  Then maybe they'd go out to dinner tonight and take Sam this time.  He was still all locked down about what was going on in his head and had been parked in the library nonstop.  A change of scenery could do him some good.

Dean watched as Rose opened her eyes and focused on the objects she's laid out in front of her on the floor - A jump rope, a boxing glove and towel.  As Dean watched she raised all three at once, or he guessed it was her or they had a ghost who liked to juggle objects because Rose hadn't lifted a finger.  After a few minutes of them rotating and spinning through the air they all slowly lowered to the ground settling back down on the ground gently, the air around them barely disturbed and a few seconds later Rose looked at Dean for a reaction.

He gave her a thumbs up and got up and jogged over to her. 

"See you got this, Rosie," he said smiling at her.  "Feel OK?"

"Yeah," Rose said after considering for a second. 

"It’s gonna be a piece of cake," Dean said confidently and Rose smiled at him though her smile said she wasn't quite as sure as he was.

"Is that it for today?" Rose nodded.

"I'm supposed to start out slow." Super slow in her opinion but she was trusting the doctor knew what he was doing.

"Ok then.” Dean clapped his hands together.  “Are you ready to start with my training?"

“Can I pretend that’s something a lot dirtier than it really is?” Rose asked hopefully and Dean laughed loudly at that, her comment catching him off guard.

“You can pretend whatever you like,” Dean said with a twinkle in his eye.  “And if you really want to go down that road…” He winked at her and Rose giggled.  “But for now we’re talking about fighting, Sweetheart.  Ready?” He reached a hand out to her.

"No?" Rose said and Dean looked at her quizzically.  "I don't like fighting," she said staring fixedly at the toe of her shoe.

"But you need it, Baby," Dean said.  He should have been firmer with her before, pushed her to learn more.  This time he wasn't backing off.  And they'd get to her learning to get out of ropes and other bonds too.

"I know," Rose sighed, taking his outstretched hand.

"Come on," Dean said, pulling her to her feet.  "We get this done then we can have lunch."

"Oh yae," Rose said sarcastically then stopped herself.  "Sorry, I'm being-"

"A brat?" Dean cut in smoothly.  "Mmm hmm.  Wow, imagine that!"

"I was going to say difficult," Rose said and Dean smirked at her.

"I just call it like I see it, Princess," Dean said steering her towards the center of the room.  "Now come on, let’s teach you to kick my ass."

* * *

Well that wouldn't be happening anytime soon, Rose thought as she snuggled up against Dean's chest on the couch. 

"I hate fighting," she muttered as she got comfortable.

"I know, Sweetheart but you need to be able to do it."  Dean didn't enjoy making her do something she so obviously hated.  But he had to.

"And I'm awful at it," she said with a pout looking up at him pitifully. 

"You'll get better," Dean said confidently.  Though he had to admit he had his doubts if she would if he taught her.  She still pulled all her punches with him.  “You just gotta stop pulling back, Baby.  You won’t hurt me.”

“Don’t like hitting you, Dean,” Rose said, her words sounding sleepy now.  “Feels wrong.”

Rose yawned and Dean kissed her forehead knowing she'd be asleep in a matter of minutes.  As her body relaxed against his and her breathing deepened Dean heard heavy footsteps out in the library and called out knowing it was his brother.  Sam appeared a second later, glancing down at Rose's sleeping form.

"What's up?" he asked quietly.

"She won't wake up," Dean said.  "You can talk normal.  Trust me; I've carried on whole phone conversations when she's out.  Sit down for a sec."

Sam took a seat on the other couch and waited to hear what Dean wanted. 

"It's Saturday night.  You want to go out and grab some dinner with us later?" 

Sam stared at him for a second then shook his head. 

"Na, that's ok, Dean, you two go. I'm just gonna stay here and-"

"And research more?  Man, you've been doing that non-stop for days now.  You need a break."  Sam looked ready to protest and Dean played his ace.  "Rosie really wants you to come with us, Sam.  Come on."

Sam glanced at Rose again, curled up sleeping peacefully on his brothers’ chest.  Dean knew it was sneaky, knew Sam wouldn't say no if it was Rose asking.  (And seriously how did his brother ever get anywhere with every female in the Sullivan family able to get their way with him?) But Dean was worried about him and not above playing dirty. 

"Well if she really wants me to..."

"She does, man," Dean said, nodding his head.  He made a mental note to make sure Rose actually asked Sam later.  "We'll go out for...I don't know whatever you two are craving.  It'll be fun."

Sam nodded, not looking enthused but he’s agreed to go and Dean was counting that as a win.

"I have a favor to ask too," Dean said when Sam made a move to get up.  Dean glanced at Rose.  He should have talked with her about this before but the opportunity was here now and he was going to take it so he'd just have to hope she was OK with it.  "Rose needs training.  I can handle the gun part but when it comes to fight training, man Sammy she won't hit me."

Sam smiled ironically despite himself. "Think she could teach her sister that trick?" Dean winced not having thought of that angle.  Shit.  Here he was asking Sam to teach his girlfriend to fight because she pulled her punches with him when Sam had (Had? Has?  Who knew with those two seriously?) a girlfriend who hit him at the drop of a hat.

"Sorry, man," Dean said but Sam waved him off.

"So you want what, me to train her?"  Dean nodded and Sam considered that for a second before nodding.  "Sure," he said with a shrug.  "As long as she's OK with it."

"Thanks, Sam," Dean said looking grateful.

Sam just nodded and wandered back into the library.  His work done Dean stretched out more comfortably on the couch and let himself indulge in an afternoon nap right alongside Rose.  He was getting way too used to taking naps he thought then ignored that and just enjoyed curling up with his girl.

* * *

It was weird being back in the gun range with Dean.  Or maybe it wasn't and that was the truly odd thing.  It felt like a time warp and here they were again, him trying to show her how to shoot and her messing up.  Dean was staring at the target sheet and the small amount of shots she'd managed to get on it.  More than when he'd first shown her true but he'd seen how she'd shot the werewolves and it had been dead on, no hesitation whatsoever and today she was back to seeming hesitant and timid.

"Rose," Dean asked glancing over at her where she was leaning against the next stall looking at something on her phone.  "How much did you use your powers to shoot in Wisconsin?"

Rose considered then answered, "I don't know um, not that much, just a little to make sure I didn't miss."

Dean stalked over to her, target sheet in hand and took the phone from her earning him an annoyed cry of "hey!" which he ignored.  He placed a hand under her chin and tipped her face up to look at him and then held the sheet up in front of her and once he was sure she'd seen it he dropped it back on the counter behind her along with her phone.  Then he stepped back and crossed his arms and fixed Rose with a look that made her squirm.  Crap.  She knew that look.  It was the one he got when he was sure someone was trying to pull something over on him.

"Care to explain this then?”

"Um," Rose bit her lip and quickly fixed her eyes on her shoes. 

"Uh uh," Dean said, tapping a finger to her chin.  "Eyes up here.  What's going on?"  Rose met his eyes and he couldn't quite place the look there.  Confusion, maybe?  Nervousness definitely.  "Were you lying, Rose?  Was that all your powers in Wisconsin?"

"No!" Rose said her cheeks flushing hotly in denial.  "I wasn't lying!"

"Right then what you just forgot how to shoot today?" Dean asked and it occurred to him that he probably sounded angrier than the situation called for but he was confused and he hated that.  And he couldn't come up with another explanation aside from Rose lying to him.  And that idea instantly caused his temper to flare.

"No," Rose said her voice dropping and her eyes too.  In an instant Dean's hand was back on her chin pulling her eyes to his.

"Keep your eyes up here, little girl, understand?"  His words were steel, his eyes immovable and Rose responded instinctively.

"Yes Sir," and Dean couldn't hide the smug smile on his face at those words.  Rose frowned, a look of confusion flitting across her face but she kept her eyes on his.

"Good girl," Dean said moving closer to her, right into her space and Rose felt herself falling.  When he looked at her like that, as if she was his alone and would unquestionably do as he said, when he spoke with that tone in his voice that made her instinctively want to, no _have_ to listen to him, something in her just gave way.  It was both terrifying and exhilarating.  "Now explain it, Rosie.  What's the deal?"

Rose swallowed staring into those green eyes that seemed to see through every wall she put up and she realized why he'd insisted she look at him.  He knew her eyes.  He'd know if she was lying.

"You make me nervous," she managed to choke out and Dean drew back in surprise.

"I what?"  He'd never in a million years seen that explanation coming.  He wasn't the only one.  Rose had been surprised at how anxious she had felt once they'd entered the gun range.  She'd been ready to impress Dean, to make him proud with how far she'd come.  Instead she'd been overwhelmed with anxiety and fallen back into every bad habit she’d ever had.

"You're so good at this, so much better than me and I...I messed up and I, when you're watching me I start to think and worry about messing up again.  And I don't want to disappoint you."  The last line was barely a whisper. She bit her thumb and her eyes were so vulnerable looking into Dean's he couldn't help but place a soft, small kiss on her lips after pulling her hand away.

"I was watching you in Wisconsin," Dean pointed out and Rose gave him a small smile.

"Well I didn't let myself look at you," Rose said and Dean realized thinking back it was the truth.  Rose had been completely focused on the wolves and her sister the entire time.  Until all the werewolves were dead she hadn't glanced anywhere else.  "Besides they hurt you."  Rose's eyes changed then darkened and flashed with a menace Dean had never seen there before.  "I didn’t want them to ever be able to do that again so it was pretty easy to focus."

Dean's eyes widened slightly at that and some part of him was surprised at the vehemence in Rose's voice.  But he shouldn't have been he realized.  He was hers and that brought out protectiveness.  And damn but that was hot.

 "Baby," Dean said, "You couldn't disappoint me.  I've done this a hell of a lot longer than you.  If I wasn't better there'd be something wrong."

"I know but..."

"No buts," Dean cut in firmly.  "I don't know where you got this crazy idea from but you do not ever disappoint me."  He cupped her face in his hands and stared at her intently.  "Not now, not in the past, not in the future, not ever.  Understand?"

Rose searched his face intently and slowly nodded, a look of relief crossing her face.

Dean smirked.  "Oh I don't get a yes sir now, huh?"

Rose blushed and glanced down.  "Sorry about that...I don't know where that-"

"Oh I do, Princess," Dean growled, pushing her against the counter and wrapping his arms around her.  "And don't apologize for it."  His lips came down on hers and Rose whimpered as he swept her up, away from guns and nervousness and confusion, to a place where the only thing that existed was the two of them.  His hands were sweeping over her and Rose was wishing she didn't have jeans on though OK they didn't seem to be much of an obstacle because before she knew it Dean had them off along with her panties and was unbuckling his belt and shoving his own clothes down.  He sat her down on the counter and dragging a hand between her thighs he smiled triumphantly at how wet he found her.  Rose let out a sound that made it clear she approved of this plan and grasping her hips Dean pulled her to him and thrust deeply inside her.  They both let out moans and Rose wrapped her legs around Dean, pulling him deeper. Both their movements were desperate, harried, a touch of neediness bleeding through in both their actions, Dean's born out of a need to take what was his and Rose needing to feel grounded.  Dean was her rock, her anchor in everything and as long as he was touching her she couldn't be lost, or at least could only be lost in him.  

Dean's mouth sucked hungrily at her neck and Rose shivered, her hands dragging over his shoulders.  Quicker than she thought possible she felt her body tightening, felt herself spiraling towards release and then she was there, was falling and Dean was falling with her and they were both letting out cries and then gripping each other tightly as they came down.

Afterwards there were soft smiles and tender touches between them as they both redressed.  Dean brushed the mark on her neck with a finger and Rose giggled.  "I should just get a tattoo with your name," she said and Dean stilled.

"Would you?"

"Would I what?" Rose asked, zipping and buttoning her jeans.

"Get a tattoo of my name," Dean said and Rose glanced at him to find him looking vulnerable and unsure.

"Would you like me to?" She asked, pressing herself against his chest and his arms wrapped around her.

"Maybe," Dean said with a smile.

"Then maybe I would," Rose teased gently, then added seriously, "But only if you got mine."  And Dean grinned at that.  Rose was soft and compliant in one breath and then firm and demanding in the next and he found that surprisingly reassuring.  She'd always been soft and it was one of his favorite things about her but she was no push over.  Dean had a sudden flashback to Daisy telling him what he treasured most in Rose would still be there, buried under anger and pain.  It had to be her softness, Dean thought hugging her to him.  It had been hidden for awhile but it was there all along and now it was shining through again.

"You're amazing you know," Dean said and Rose pulled back to look at him in surprise.  "You just, everything you went through...and still that soft, sweet girl is still who you are."

“I don’t feel that way most of the time,” Rose admitted hesitantly.  “I mean for awhile there I just felt like I was broken, damaged.”  Dean wanted to immediately argue with her but held his tongue, knowing she needed to get this out.  “I still feel well, pretty banged up is the only way I can explain it.”  Rose fidgeted with his shirt, her fingers twisting the fabric.  “Things are hard now that never were before and things I took for granted are gone.  It’s tough.” She sighed.  “But I do feel like I’m getting pieces of me back, pieces of my life, big pieces of who I am.” Rose smiled at him shyly and leaned up to kiss him.  "Largely in part because of you."

“You’re doing all the hard work,” Dean protested and Rose shook her head.

“I wouldn’t be doing anything except hiding in my room if it wasn’t for you.  If I get credit then so do you.”  She smiled at Dean in that way she did when she knew she’d made a good point he couldn’t argue.

Dean just smiled back at her then got back to business.

"OK back to work."  He led Rose back to the counter she had been shooting at before, a new target sheet on the wall and handed her back the gun.  "Now pretend every shot is intended to take out a werewolf who wants to hurt little ol' me and let's see what you can do."

* * *

"Sam?" Sam glanced up to find Rose standing in the doorway to the library looking hesitant. He hadn't really talked to her at all since before he'd left with Charlie to get her things. God had that really been just over a week ago? It felt like months.

Sam gave her a smile. "Hey Rosie."

* * *

Dean had been sneaky, telling her once they were both in the shower that he needed a favor and asking her to ask Sam to go to dinner with them. She hadn't been able to figure out why he looked slightly guilty till he broke it to her that he'd technically already told Sam that she wanted him to come with them. Rose had given him a look but agreed to it. The look in his eyes had stopped her. "What else?"

"Who said there was anything else?" Dean demanded and Rose had laughed.

"You did, silly.  Your eyes gave you away." Rose poked him in the chest and Dean grabbed her hand pulling her close to him. "What is it?"

"How would you feel about Sam teaching you to fight?" Dean hadn't really thought about how to broach this subject with her but he'd known he needed to before dinner. All he needed was Sam mentioning it and Rose having no idea what he was talking about. That would go badly.

Rose was looking at him thoughtfully now. "You mean instead of you?"

Dean nodded, sliding his hands over her back and watching her face closely.

"Sick of me already?" Rose teased and Dean smiled, pleased she didn't seem to be upset by the idea.

"Not even," he assured her, turning her in his arms and picking up her shampoo. He poured out a generous amount in his hand and began to massage it into her hair and Rose sighed happily. He'd gotten really good at this and she had to admit it was relaxing. Both of them were quiet as Dean rinsed her hair then worked conditioner through it. When he was done Rose turned to him with a smile. "You're pretty good at that you know."

Dean smiled proudly. "Better than I was to begin with, huh?" The first few times he'd washed her hair he'd had a hard time not making it into a tangled mess of knots. "I'm a fast learner." Rose gave him a sweet look he knew well and he let out a loud laugh. "You and those dirty thoughts..."

"So why am I being pawned off on Sam?" Rose asked as she motioned for Dean to turn around so she could return the favor.

"You're not being pawned off," Dean said with a frown as he turned.

"Says you," Rose shot back teasingly.

"Yeah, says me," Dean retorted. "And me is telling the truth." He frowned at how silly that sentence sounded then continued on with a little shake of his head. "You hold back with me, Sweetheart. You're too worried about hurting me which I don't know if you've noticed the differences in our sizes lately but that's not a legitimate concern."

Rose gave a little huff of laughter. "So what, I'm being upgraded to Sam because he's the bigger Winchester?"

"Hey!" Dean protested immediately. "Taller doesn't mean bigger."

"Technically I think it does," Rose said thoughtfully.

"Can we get back to the subject?" Dean griped not amused by Rose's teasing. She mmm hmmd while she shampooed Dean's hair and he let out a soft moan of pleasure pulling a smile from Rose. Dean was a sucker for having his hair played with.

"I just thought you might be more comfortable...it might be easier for you to hit Sam-"

"I'm not Lily, Dean," Rose interrupted and Dean snorted.

"I swear you and Sam share the same brain sometimes," Dean said and Rose smiled as she rinsed his hair.

"That wouldn't be so bad would it?" She queried. "Sam has a very nice brain."

Dean peeked one eye open and looked at her suspiciously. "OK first my brothers the "bigger Winchester" and now he has a nice brain. Do I need to be jealous here?"

"No silly," Rose said with an eye roll. "I'm quite pleased with my Winchester."

"Your Winchester," Dean muttered closing his eyes again as Rose began putting conditioner in his hair. "I like that," he said finally and Rose reached out and placed a kiss on his shoulder.

"Good, because I don't intend to give you up," Rose said her voice soft but sure. Rose couldn't see the smile that graced Dean's face at her words but she could tell he liked it from the little pleased sound he made.

When Rose had rinsed his hair clean Dean turned to her and looked at her seriously. "Really are you OK with working with Sam?"

Rose nodded. "Sure. I mean, I'll try."

* * *

"What are you working on?" Rose asked curiously now coming further into the room and taking a seat next to Sam.

Sam hesitated, unsure how much Rose knew about the prophecies Charlie had deciphered. So he just vaguely said, "Trying to work out something that Charlie found."

"On the prophecies?" Sam nodded and Rose said, "Dean's going to show me what she found." She frowned thoughtfully. "At some point. We haven't gotten to that yet."

Sam nudged her shoulder with his. "Well hey, he just got his girlfriend back. Give him a second."

Rose laughed and nudged him back and Sam couldn't believe the difference in her: In a short amount of time she'd started to look much more like the girl he'd grown up with. Gone was the drugged, detached expression from her face and instead she was smiling, her eyes sparkling as she laughed with him now.   She was dressed like herself again too in a cute short floral dress and matching brown shoes, care obviously having gone into how she looked.  She wasn't one hundred percent yet, he knew that and knew it would take longer but she was recognizable as Rose to him now and he was relieved. He'd hated seeing her like that.

"What do you have there?" Sam asked, noticing her holding something on her lap.

"Oh prezzies!" Rose said with a smile. "I got everyone something when I was in New Orleans," she explained and Sam raised an eyebrow at her and leaned back in his chair.

"Buying forgiveness?" he teased and Rose smacked his arm.

"Stop it. You sound like Chastity. They're “I missed you” presents."

"And what did Chastity call them," Sam asked with a smirk and Rose frowned at him.

"Sam, you are coming very close to not getting a present," she informed him and Sam held up his hands innocently. "Oh fine. She called them "I ran away and am trying to buy my way back into your good graces" gifts,” Rose said and Sam laughed.

"I liked her," Sam admitted once he'd stopped laughing and Rose had to smile.

"I figured you would. She's amazing isn't she?" Sam nodded.

"I'm trying to imagine what you bought my brother," Sam mused looking thoughtful. "It must have been impressive because it certainly worked getting him to forgive you and let’s be honest, that doesn’t come easily with Dean.”

For just a second Sam saw a flash of panic flash in Rose's eyes but before he could ask about it the look was gone and Rose was smiling and handing him a large book.

"To feed your obsession," she said and Sam looked down at a book entitled "The Axeman of New Orleans." Rose watched as Sam's eyes lit up and knew she'd chosen rightly. His eyes quickly scanned the back and read the synopsis.

"Oh I haven't read anything about this guy," Sam said excitedly. "And I can’t say that about many serial killers.  Thanks, Rose!"

Rose smiled happily glad she'd gotten it right. Her face sobered then and she glanced down at her hands as she said,

"I don't have a present for this but can I say thank you?" You were the first person to make me re-think how I was treating you all." Rose glanced back up at Sam who was smiling at her kindly. "I know you tried to look out for me when I was such a mess and I didn't make it easy."

"Hey Rosie, people in pain tend to do that," Sam said gently and Rose smiled at him gratefully.

"Well it meant a lot, Sam." She leaned over and hugged him and Sam wrapped his arms around her, happy to have her back. "Thanks, Sammy," she said softly against his shoulder.

"Anytime, Rosie," Sam said against her hair. "You know I've always got your back.  Us college kids stick together remember."

Rose laughed softly at that and was so thankful she had a family like this.  She pulled back after a minute then looked at Sam inquisitively.

"So you're gonna teach me to fight, huh?"

Sam smiled. "That's the rumor."

"I'm not very good," Rose said with a small frown.

"Eh, I'll get you there." Sam grinned at her. "I'm a much better teacher than my brother."

Rose let out a giggle. "Oh no I'm so not getting in the middle of that argument."

"Spoilsport," Sam said pulling on a lock of her hair.

"You're going to come to dinner with us, right?" Rose asked and when Sam hesitated she rested her head on his shoulder and gave him her most pleading look. "Please, Sammy? It'll be fun I promise."

And Sam gave in and nodded partly because he really couldn't say no to Rose and partly because some fun sounded like a nice change of pace. Sitting here in the library he kept halfway expecting Lily to stroll in any second and then a bitter little voice would remind him that wouldn't be happening because he'd screwed things up. So maybe a night out would do him some good.

"I guess I could..." Sam started and Rose graced him with a brilliant smile. "I'll need a shower though," Sam hedged and Rose made shooing motions at him.

"Go, get ready," she said. "We'll wait."

"He's sad," Rose said when Dean came into the library a few minutes after Sam left.

Dean sighed and leaned against the table next to her. "I know."

"We'll take him out, let him talk if he wants to, let him have a few drinks," Rose said with a determined expression.

"I've already had him drunk on me once this week," Dean protested and Rose looked thoughtful.

"If I drink with him he'll drink slower," she proclaimed and Dean looked at her for a second having a feeling this was going to be an interesting evening.  Because that plan didn’t sound like it would work at all.

Half an hour later Sam reappeared showered and dressed in clean clothes and Rose greeted him with a smile.

"Come on boys, let's hit the town!"


	76. Maybe This is Wishful Thinking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vino, Starbucks and a classic BM

How this kept happening to Dean he didn't know.  He'd had more than his fair share of drunken nights but lately he seemed to be the designated driver/savior to all drunks.  Not that Sam and Rose were drunk technically, he thought eyeing both their rosy cheeks and goofy grins.  But they weren't technically sober either. 

They had wound up at a small spot not far outside of Lebanon.  They'd ordered dinner and chatted a bit, Rose pulling Sam into the conversation and Dean had smiled at her, watching her work her magic.  She hated people being in pain and while he knew she was trying to not get in the middle of Sam and Lily she couldn't sit by and see Sam hurting and not try to ease his pain.  It just wasn’t who she was.  Dean watched his girlfriend make his little brother feel better and felt his heart grow just a little warmer every time Rose got a smile or a laugh from Sam.

They'd ordered a bottle of wine at Rose's urging and Dean had one glass of wine before ordering a beer but Sam and Rose had several glasses each.  Well no, Sam had several glasses.  Rose had two and was a giggling, silly, adorable mess.

"I like wine," she announced suddenly and Sam nodded.

“Wine is good,” he said solemnly and Dean rolled his eyes and just settled back to watch them.  They'd eaten and were just down to their bottle of wine though God knows they didn’t really need any more.

"Chastity likes wine," Rose continued.  "She always gives it to me."  She turned to Dean then.  "She likes you too, Dean."

Dean smiled at her.  "She doesn't know me, Princess."

"She talked to you on the 'puter," Rose countered.  "And she says I talk about you a lot so she feels like she knows you."

“She seemed to know you pretty well when I met her,” Sam threw in with a sly grin.  Dean shuffled in his seat a tad uncomfortably.  He knew that grin Sam was wearing.  It was the same one he wore as a kid when he was going to unleash some secret Dean would rather stay under wraps.  Sam put a finger to his lips thoughtfully.  “Let’s see how did she describe you?  Oh yeah, funny and smart and what was that last one?  It seemed really important to her.” Sam paused dramatically and Dean rolled his eyes. “Oh yeah, bossy, she seemed pretty adamant that you were _very_ bossy.  And that Rosie here especially liked that about you.”  Sam was grinning at him like an idiot and Dean just scowled at him.

“Drink your fucking wine and shut up,” he said and Sam picked up his wine glass and took a sip, a wise ass grin on his face.

For her part Rose was giggling and blushing and smiling up at Dean he realized when he glanced her way.  Her eyes were shining and while a lot of that was probably from the wine she did look happy.

“You _are_ bossy,” Rose murmured leaning up against his shoulder and Dean quirked an eyebrow at her.

“That a complaint, Princess?” he asked lowly, winding a lock of her hair around his finger.

Rose grinned and shook her head emphatically.  “Uh uh.  I think it’s hot.” 

Dean knew she was tipsy, wasn’t quite drunk but she definitely wasn’t sober either.  But she was looking up at him with such an open, honest look on her face admitting that that he couldn’t resist sliding a hand over her thigh (And damn if that dress hadn’t been driving him crazy all night long.  It was short and her legs look amazing in it.) and leaning down towards her. 

“Well that’s good to know, Sweetheart,” he murmured in her ear and felt Rose shiver.  “’Cause I plan on bossing you around for a very long time.”

Dean pulled back and took in her slightly glazed smile and then he eyed the bottle of wine which was close to empty.  Reaching out he poured the last of it into his empty glass and gulped it down. 

“OK dinner’s done,” he announced.  “I’m going to pay.  You two winos drink the rest of what’s in your glasses and then we’re leaving.”  Dean ignored the pout Rose was sending his way and the “Spoilsport,” that followed him as he left the table.

He helped a sleepy Rose into the backseat of the Impala where she curled up and was asleep before they even left the parking lot.  Sam stretched his legs out in front of him and laid his head back against the headrest.  Well at least he looked relaxed, Dean thought.  And they’d gotten him away from his computer. If nothing else they’d accomplished that tonight. 

Sam glanced back at Rose sleeping soundly in the backseat and smiled.  “Man, she’s out already.”  Dean mmm hmmd and Sam looked back at him.

“You know I always thought I’d be better at relationships,” he commented idly and Dean slid a look over his way.  “But man, I mean you and Rose seem to have this all figured out and I’m just….me and Lily aren’t even talking, we’re not even together.”

Dean sighed.  So much for relaxed.  Looks like the melancholy phase has hit.  He opened his mouth to reply but before he could Sam was continuing on.

“I saw what Rose was like that whole month and wow I don’t know what you did but she’s just all shiny and new again.” Dean frowned wondering if Sam realized he’d made Rose sound like a bowling trophy.  “You just…” Sam gestured to Dean.  “You know what you’re doing.”

“You’re drunk, Sam,” Dean said shortly.  “You wanna talk about this tomorrow great but you’re not-”

“No man, Dean you just….there’s some secret right?” Sam sat up straight and looked at him with such desperate hope that Dean felt his heart clench.  He hated seeing his brother so unhappy.  “Some right thing you have to say or do that just makes it all work out?”

Despite him saying he didn’t want to talk about this tonight Dean found himself saying, “I’m not some relationship expert here, Sam.  You want hook up instructions, want a pick up line then I’m your guy.  But relationships, uh uh.” Dean shook his head.

“So how’d you do this then?” Sam asked in confusion gesturing towards the backseat where Rose was sleeping peacefully.  “Because you did it.  You waved some magic wand or said some words or some other magical shit and just fixed it all.”

“I followed your advice, little brother,” Dean said, glancing over at Sam who looked confused at his words.  “I know Rose and I went with my instincts.”  Dean glanced in his rearview mirror, smiling at the sight Rose made.  Curled up on the backseat, one hand tucked up underneath her head with her hair spilling out all around her.  Her cheeks were flushed and she looked relaxed and sweet.  “The reason I know what I’m doing, Sam is because I’m doing it with her.”  He looked over at his brother to find him listening intently.  “This works because it’s not just me, it’s us.  And no, things aren’t all worked out between us because that’s a work in progress.  But yeah, we’re doing good, we’re headed the right direction because we’re getting there together.”

“Never ever saw you be so patient before,” Sam said eyeing his brother curiously with just a touch of wonder in his eyes.

Dean shrugged.  “She’s worth it.”  He grinned at his brother after a minute passed in silence.  “You gonna remember any of this tomorrow?”

It was Sam’s turn to shrug now.  “Maybe?  I don’t know.  I don’t drink wine much.”

“Well either way we’ll talk tomorrow.”  Dean shook his head.  “You gotta talk this out with someone, Sammy.”

Sam gave a sleepy nod and leaned his head back against the seat again and Dean drove them all home in the silence of the night.

Dean nudged Sam awake when they pulled up at the bunker. 

"Come on Sam, I need you to open the door.  Rose is asleep and I don't wanna wake her."

Sam grumbled a little but he woke up eventually and opened the front door and the door to Dean's room as well.  He watched his brother lay Rose down gently on the bed and He lounged against the door frame as Dean pulled her shoes off and then turned to face Sam.

"You're all in aren't you?" Sam asked sounding more with it now.  His eyes were still glazed and his body was more relaxed than usual but he seemed sharper than before.  Whatever else he may or not hold onto tomorrow there was no doubt in Dean's mind that he'd remember this.

Dean didn't even hesitate.  He nodded immediately.  Sam raised a brow in surprise.  "So that's it?  No more screwing around?  No more cruising bars looking for the local flavor?  Rose is it?"

"Rose has always been it, Sammy," Dean said with an almost shy smile.  "I was just passing time."

Sam looked intrigued and muttered something that sounded like "Kind of like placeholders."

"Come again?" Dean said walking towards him. 

"Never mind," Sam said with a shake of his head.  "I'm going to bed."

Dean clapped him on the shoulder as the two moved out into the hallway, Sam headed to his room and Dean to lock everything up.  "We'll talk tomorrow," he said. 

Sam gave his brother a half smile and headed towards his room.  He stripped out of his clothes quickly, pulling on pajama pants and falling into bed.  And just like every night since Lily left he inevitably found himself on her side of the bed, his body searching even in sleep for the one he was supposed to be sleeping next to.

Dean did his rounds, making sure everything was locked up tight then headed back to his room where he got Rose to rouse enough so he could undress her and slip one of his t-shirts on her then he pulled boxers on and climbed into bed next to her.  She turned to him immediately and he pulled her to him and smiled when she snuggled against his chest.

"Tonight was fun," she murmured, half asleep.

Dean smiled and kissed her forehead.  "Mmm hmm, it was."  Despite the fact that Sam was hurting and Rose still had to be urged to eat, dinner out with his two favorite people would always be a good time in Dean’s book.

"Mmm," she threw a leg over his and nuzzled her face against his chest.  "But here is best."

Dean lay there in the quiet of his home, feeling Rose drift off to sleep in his arms and he wondered how he'd gotten so lucky.  Because this, he thought settling down and closing his own eyes.  This was the good stuff.

* * *

"I'm here!" Charlie announced loudly letting herself into the bunker late the next morning.  She spotted Sam waving at her from the library and headed down the stairs and his direction.  She dropped her bag onto the table next to Sam and shook her head sending raindrops flying.  "God, its pouring out there."

Sam was just about to reply when loud music poured out as a door opened somewhere down the hallway.  Lady Gaga, Charlie identified as a door closed cutting off the music.  Dean appeared a few minutes later. 

"You could fucking kill people with that music," he was muttering and Charlie did her best to hide her grin. She hadn't thought Lady Gaga would be his taste but obviously she was Rose's.

"Hey Charlie," Dean said glancing her way.  Then with a decidedly sour expression on his face he turned to Sam.  "So?  How'd it go?  I do get to hear that right?"

Sam looked at his brother levelly.  "It went fine."

"Fine?" Dean complained.  "That's it?  That's all I get?"

"It was only her first day, Dean," Sam said.  "OK she did pretty good," He conceded when Dean crossed his arms and planted his feet like he was never going to move if Sam didn't give him something.  "She's got good balance and pretty strong legs."

"Did she pull all her punches?" Dean demanded and when Sam shook his head Dean looked mollified and left, heading towards the kitchen.

"What was that about?" Charlie asked turning to Sam curiously.

Sam sighed.  "I got tapped to be Rose's new fighting instructor."

"Was she still holding back with Dean?" Charlie asked remembering Dean complaining about that before.

Sam nodded.  "Yeah and I don't mind.  But Dean was pissed when I told him I didn't want him watching us." 

Charlie's eyes widened.  "Oh I bet."  She'd seen how Dean was with Rose, barely letting her out of his sight.

Sam knew his brother and there was no way he wanted him watching him train Rose.  He’d lose it if he thought Sam was at all rough or aggressive and it certainly wasn’t like Sam would ever take a chance on hurting Rose.  But Sam knew from personal experience that Dean was nothing if not a mother hen.  Rose was quite possibly the only person Dean hovered over more than he did Sam.  He treated Rose like she was fragile, easily breakable and there was no way you could train someone to fight like that.  Rose herself had done fine in training and hadn’t seemed at all taken aback at Sam’s methods.  She had a long way to go but she was actually better than Sam thought she would be.

Music poured out again, this time continuing after the door closed and soon after Rose appeared in a “Shiny” t-shirt and jeans with her hair in braids and her phone in hand with Lady Marmalade playing.  She stopped it when she saw Charlie and Sam and smiled at them both.

"Hey," she said giving Charlie a little wave.

"Hey Rose," Charlie said.  Before Charlie got another word out Dean was there, standing behind Rose and pulling her out, ushering her towards the kitchen.

"And that?" Charlie asked.  Dean had seemed anxious to get Rose out of there.  “What was that about?”

"That," Sam said with another sigh, “I have no idea.  Your guess is as good as mine.  Maybe he wanted her to eat, maybe he was afraid we’d say something that would upset her.”  Sam dropped his voice conspiratorially.  “He’s in total mother hen mode right now with her.”

“Huh, I kinda think of him more as a momma bear,” Charlie mused and Sam let out a small laugh at that image.  “You can understand why, Sam,” Charlie said taking a seat.  “I mean, after what she went through and how rough it was on him…”

“Oh I know,” Sam said with a sigh.  “I understand.  Just at some point he’s gonna have to loosen up, right?”

Charlie shrugged and pulled her laptop out and taking that as the change of subject it was Sam turned to the information he’d found.

* * *

Rose stared at the blank page in front of her and tried to think.  The noise around her was nice, not distracting but just a nice background hum of business.  She glanced around in mild surprise at finding herself here. 

She'd managed to convince Dean to let her leave the house without him today.  That in itself was amazing.  Charlie had been by the bunker discussing some bit of prophecy with Sam and had asked her about therapy when she and Dean passed through.  Rose had mentioned having writing assignments and Charlie had offered to take her out if she needed a change of scenery.  Rose’s first instinct had been to decline, the idea of being out without Dean in a place full of strangers sounded alarming.  But then a little voice in her head reminded her she was supposed to be trying to get better.  She liked Charlie, the boys trusted her.  It wasn’t like they were going far away.  It would be a good chance to try.  

So here she was in the local Starbucks staring at her new journal while Charlie clicked away on her laptop.

"Dean wasn't thrilled with this plan, huh?" Charlie asked when she saw Rose staring at her page blankly.

_“You sure you’re up for this, Baby?” Dean had looked so concerned you would have thought she and Charlie were going to hunt a demon instead of just hang at their local Starbucks._

_“Honestly, no?” Rose had admitted and Dean’s frown had only deepened.  “But I want to try.”_

_His eyes had scanned her face nervously.  “Are you sure?  You don’t want to push too quickly too fast.”_

_“But if I don’t try I won’t know.”  Rose had looked at him pleadingly. “Please Dean, let me try.”_

_“You’ll call if you need me?”  Dean’s eyes scanned her face again, looking for any sign she shouldn’t go. “If you need anything?”_

_Rose smiled, pushing her fear aside.  “I always need you, Dean.”  And that had earned her a soft smile. “But I promise I’ll call if I need anything.”_

Rose offered her a smile.  "Not really?  I mean I haven't really been away from him for awhile."  Rose fidgeted with a pen then took a sip of her drink.  Dean had in fact flat out refused at first and then Rose had pointed out she was supposed to be working on getting better.  Going out without him was a big step but she shared with him all points her mind had pointed out to her.  He'd finally reluctantly agreed. 

And had texted her three times already.

“He’s definitely in protective mode,” Charlie mused and Rose smiled and nodded.  Charlie took a sip of her coffee and studied Rose.

"Nervous?" she asked gently and Rose looked at her in surprise.

"Is it that obvious?"

Charlie shrugged.  "If I had been through what you have I think I'd cling pretty tightly to the person who made me feel safest."  Charlie thought for a moment then said, "Well honestly if it were me I probably would have taken off, changed my name and started over."  Rose looked surprised and Charlie smiled.  "It's been my M.O. in the past."

Rose took a sip of her coffee then asked, "So me running probably didn't seem too crazy to you."

Charlie grimaced.  "No, but don't tell Dean that, OK?"

"Your secrets safe with me," Rose assured her.

"I'm not saying you were right," Charlie hastened to add.  "But I understand why you did it." It was Charlie’s turn to fidget nervously now.  “The thing is with running is it can become a habit.  But eventually if you run enough you’re not only leaving the bad stuff behind but the good stuff too.”

“Yeah, I know,” Rose sighed.  She glanced around the busy coffee shop again then smiled at Charlie.  “Thanks for this, by the way.  It’s a good step for me.”

“Anytime,” Charlie said with a smile then said, "And thanks for the present, by the way.”  Rose had given her the Orphan Black t-shirt she’d gotten her in New Orleans before they left the bunker and gotten a shriek of delight from Charlie.  “And I'll be quiet now so you can finish your list."

Rose gave her a grateful look and turned back to her writing.  She tucked her feet up under herself and after thinking for a few more minutes she began to make a list.

* * *

Dean dropped the bottle of whiskey on the library table with a thump, two glasses clinking as he set them down next to it. 

"OK out with it," Dean said, pouring two glasses and taking a seat.  As unhappy as Dean was with Rose going off with Charlie for a few hours it did give him the perfect opportunity to talk to Sam.

Sam glanced at the glass Dean had pushed in front of him and looked at his brother curiously. 

"Out with what?"

"Whatever the hell is going on with you," Dean said.  "Whatever the hell what happened in Wisconsin was about, what you pulling a protective boyfriend act straight out of my playbook was."  

Sam sighed.  "Dean, I don't-"

"And shut off the damn laptop," Dean interrupted.  "You haven't looked away from that thing in a week."

"Bit of an exaggeration," Sam said but saved what he'd been working on and closed the laptop.

"Rosie's out with Charlie for a bit so you've got my complete attention," Dean said, picking up his glass, leaning back and propping his feet on the table.  "So come on Sammy.  Spill."

Sam frowned and fidgeted with his glass.  He knew Dean was going to bother him till he talked.  He was stubborn like that.  And somewhere deep down Sam knew he needed to talk.  But he didn't know where to start.  Luckily his brother knew when he needed a push.

"Why'd you tell Charlie that the maid in Wisconsin looked like Lily?"

Sam glanced up at him in confusion.  "Because she did."

Dean shook his head.  "She didn't, Sam."

Sam frowned and Dean dug his phone out of his pocket and did a quick search for the maids’ obituary.  Then he slid his phone across the table to his brother.  Sam picked it up and looked at the picture shown there and his frown grew.  The woman looked nothing like Lily; easily ten years older than her and with no similar features save for her dark hair.

"What the...,"he muttered.  "I could have sworn..." He trailed off and looked up at his brother in confusion, passing his phone back.

"When I was in Oklahoma with Lily on that vamp job there was a girl they were holding hostage.  Not sure if they were gonna drain her or turn her but she was in bad shape."  Dean took a sip of his whiskey and glanced at his brother who was watching him intently.  "We got her out, saved her but it was close.  She had red hair, not the same as Rose's but close and for a few minutes when I thought we hadn't got to her in time I thought I was going to lose it.  I knew she wasn't Rose but some part of me felt like I _had_ to rescue her, that if I didn't then Rose..." Dean shook his head.  "But I mean Rose was in trouble. She was messed up bad and I just put all that on this stranger."  Dean looked up at his brother.  "So exactly what were you trying to save Lily from, Sam?"

Sam drained the glass of whiskey in front of him and Dean leaned forward and refilled it as Sam slumped down in his chair. 

"God, I don't know."  He considered the amber liquid in his glass and finally spoke.  "Those days with Lily on the road, when we were getting Charlie's stuff?  They were nice."  Sam smiled softly and Dean watched him closely, seeing the happy content look in his eyes as he spoke.  "We were just together, just being us, not fighting anything or running from anyone."  Sam drank some more.  "I can't remember the last time that happened.  Or the last time I got to just be with Lily for any amount of time without worrying."

"I heard you had quite the time in Chicago," Dean commented and watched in amusement as Sam's cheeks turned red.  "Anything you could have been arrested for?"

"Yeah," Sam said quietly a small smile on his lips.  "If we'd been caught."

"Damn."  Dean's eyebrows flew up in surprise.  “Some day when we’re both very, very drunk I want to hear that story.”  And that earned a grin from Sam.

Sam took another sip then said, "And then we came back and didn't even make it here before we had to go deal with dead bodies and werewolves.  And suddenly this woman that I've spent the last week just watching in...in fucking awe at how just mind blowing she is, she wants to go deal with monsters who would like nothing more than to rip her throat out."

Dean studied him a second then said softly, "So you slipped."  Sam looked at him in confusion and Dean expounded on his statement.  "You went from a hunter to a boyfriend.  And you couldn't slip back into being a hunter quick enough."  Dean shrugged.  “And what man would willingly want his woman to be in a dangerous situation?"

Sam gave him a wry smile.  "Yeah, voice that thought to Lily and I'll sit back and watch what happens."

"No thanks, I saw the demonstration in Wisconsin," Dean said wincing.

"OK so how do you do it with Rose?" Sam asked after taking another drink. 

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

"Well I mean she's got powers.  She wiped the floor with those werewolves without breaking a sweat.  How do you balance hunter vs. boyfriend?"

"I don't," Dean said flatly and Sam raised a curious eyebrow.  Dean drained his glass, refilled it then said, "I'm her boyfriend, that's it.  The hunter part doesn't come into it."  Dean sipped then went on, "Rose isn't a hunter.  She's not someone who's meant to be out there doing that shit."

"Could have fooled me," Sam said softly and Dean shot him a glare.

"That was the exception to the rule," Dean said.  "And we're not talking about me here.  I'm not the one dating a hunter and then telling her to stay at home."

Sam gave him a curious look.  If he didn't know better he would have sworn Dean sounded pissed at him.

"Look Sam, I get that it's gotta suck worrying about Lily but...she's a hunter, man.  That's who she is and asking her not to be is like asking you or me not to be."

Sam studied his glass for a minute, swirling the liquid around then said, "You said I slipped?" Dean nodded. "That's a good way of putting it I guess.  I mean I just..." Sam ran a hand through his hair in agitation.  "I liked it so damn much, just being a normal person for a little bit and looking at her like she was just this woman I was planning a future with." Dean raised an eyebrow at that.  That was serious.  "And getting the call about Cooper was like a slap back to reality."

"Is this at all to do with that bit of prophecy about her?" Dean asked and Sam considered that.

"Maybe?" he conceded. ""We haven't talked about it yet you know.”

"Still?"

"Yeah Lil put it on the backburner, labeled it untouchable and I left it." 

"Jesus, Sam."  And if there was a small part of Dean that pointed out he was a hypocrite since he and Rose had yet to discuss her leaving he shut it up by justifying that she was still recovering.

"I didn't think it affected me but then Lily threw in my face that I probably loved it because it meant she'd have to change.  And I snapped back that she wouldn't let us talk about it."  Sam took another drink.  "It didn't occur to me till later that it really did bother me we hadn't discussed it."  Sam paused then added in a quieter voice, "And even later that I had kind of started looking at her differently because of it."

“And maybe that’s partly why you reacted like you did in Wisconsin?” Dean ventured.

Sam slowly nodded.  “Yeah, probably.  But Dean, how could it not?” Sam said, his exasperation coming through.  “I mean come on, it is kind of a game changer.”  Dean nodded his head and Sam continued.  “I tried not to and it just…God, I don’t know.  I can’t help how I feel.”

"Sam you gotta..." Dean was trying to think of how best to say this. "Sometimes you worry about upsetting people too much.  Sometimes you have to, if something's important to you then you have to ask, push and deal with the upset later."

“Yeah but Dean it’s her deal,” Sam said, the frustration evident in his voice.

“If you two are together there is no Lily’s deal or Sam’s deal.  It’s both of yours.  It affects you both,” Dean said giving his brother a look that didn’t let Sam back away from that fact.  “You think she hates it,” Dean said after a minute and Sam nodded.  Lily had freaked out, shut down when she’d read it.  Her feelings about it were pretty clear.  “Maybe she does, maybe she doesn’t,” Dean said with a shrug.  “If you two don’t talk you’ll never know.  And maybe if you two would talk about this damn prophecy it would clear the air between you two.”

"Yeah well getting Lily to talk about something she doesn't want to talk about isn't easy," Sam said.

Dean considered his brother for a second then said slowly,

"Sam, look I get that you want to keep Lily happy but sometimes you gotta...push," Dean said gently. 

"Oh like you push with Rose?" Sam threw back at him and Dean frowned thinking Sam had no clue.

“Oh you think Rose wanted to eat?  Hell, still wants to eat?”  Dean shook his head then, knowing this was a different situation and they were different couples.  "This isn't about me and Rose though," Dean said.  "I just mean, look I can speak to this because I can be the same way.  Sometimes I get so wrapped up in shit I can't tell something's important to Rose.  She's good at telling me."  Dean gave him a look.  "You have to do that, Sam.  Otherwise you're both going to be unhappy."

Sam thought back to what Lily had said to him about telling her when he was unhappy.  But this was more than that; this was him having to push her to share something she didn’t want to.  That was hard for Sam, went against his natural instincts.  And he was slowly realizing that because he’d been so happy he hadn’t pushed at all, even when he knew they needed to talk about the prophecy.  So much had been going on and he’d just enjoyed being with Lily so much that it hadn’t felt right to push her to discuss it.

And now that had blown up in both their faces.

“So what about when you’re so happy you don’t want to talk about the shit?” Sam asked.  “I mean, let’s be honest, Dean there’s a whole lot of dark and less than happy stuff in our lives.”  Dean nodded in agreement as Sam played with a pen on the table.  “I was happy, _we_ were happy,” Sam said with a sigh.  “It was just hard to push and bring up a topic that I knew was going to upset her.”

Dean felt a pang of guilt go through him at that.  He and Rose still hadn’t talked about her running away or a myriad of other things.  Though in this case Dean had legitimate reasons to put off talking about it he reminded himself.

“I get that,” Dean conceded.  “You live this life you learn pretty quickly to soak up all the happiness you can get.”  Dean grinned to himself then and then glanced at his brother.  “These women do bring a hell of a lot of happiness with them though, don’t they?”

And despite the pain and heartache he currently felt Sam couldn’t help but return the smile.  “Yeah, they do.”  Despite everything there had been more laughter and happiness in the bunker since the girls had moved in than ever before.

“So I guess,” Dean said thoughtfully, drinking the last of his whiskey.  “It’s all a matter of timing.  You have to know when the time is right or when you just don’t have the luxury of putting off a conversation.”  Dean sighed and Sam had a strong hunch that Dean was talking from personal experience.  “Look, I’m not saying it’s easy.  Hell, Sam there’s some stuff Rose and I still haven’t gotten around to discussing that we need to.  I’d much rather let her heal, take our time, enjoy being together.”  Dean filled his glass and leaned over and topped up Sam’s.  “But at some point we’re gonna have to give in and have that talk.  I know that.  But I’m trying to give her every second I can and make sure she’s ready before we…” Dean hesitated then finished up with, “Go down that road.”

Sam was instantly curious just what exactly the two of them hadn’t discussed.  Dean and Rose seemed good, happy together and he would never have guessed that things weren’t settled between them.

“You wanna protect her,” Sam said finally and Dean nodded.  “Yeah, don’t try that with Lily.  It doesn’t go well.”

“But Sam you knew that,” Dean said.  “I mean, Lily didn’t like being protected even when we were kids.” Dean gave him a knowing look.  “And I thought her being all badass was something you found hot.”

“It is.”  Sam moved his glass around, leaving little circles of water behind.  “But suddenly when it came to her being more than…” Sam broke off and Dean filled it in for him.

“More than some hot chick you were banging?” And Sam gave him a look that said those weren’t exactly the words he would have chosen but he nodded anyway.

“I mean she was always more than that,” Sam said.  “I mean, she’s Lily.”

“Yeah, but man you got serious about her.  You both got serious.”  Sam glanced at his brother and Dean nodded.  “She loves you, dude.  I saw the way she looked at you, how she was with you.”

Sam smiled.  He knew how Lily felt but it was nice to hear it was so obvious. 

“Hell, Sam even the whole rescue mission in Wisconsin that was planned by her.”  Sam looked at him in surprise then shook his head.  Of course it was.  It’s not like Cas or Rose was going to plan that. “Rose said she was freaking out, was bound and determined to bring you home.”  Dean gave his brother a grin. “And don’t tell me it wasn’t just a little bit hot the way those two swept in there and kicked ass.”  Sam gave him a grin in return and a nod of his head.  He couldn’t that.   

“Look, you just gotta talk to her.  Explain why you had a freak out and talk this thing out,” Dean said with a sigh. 

“Explain to her that this prophecy she hates made me start looking at her differently?”  Sam snorted.  “That’s gonna go over well.”

“You can’t change the facts, Sam,” Dean said.  “If anyone can understand a prophecy flipping your point of view on its head it should be these girls.”

“I hope so,” Sam said quietly.

“She’s coming over Monday to have a group session with the doc and Rose.  Wait till they’ve had their talk and worked things out and are feeling all emotional,” Dean advised.  “Then she’ll be all softened up and in the perfect mood to listen to you.”

Sam nodded his head slowly feeling just slightly hopeful that maybe that plan would work.

“Yeah, maybe,” he hedged.  He smiled at his brother and raised his glass.  “Thanks, Dean.”

Dean grinned, bringing his own glass up.  “Anytime, little brother.”

* * *

"So how'd the list making go?" Dean asked later that evening when he and Rose were both in his room.  Dean was puttering around the room like he did while Rose was curled up in the chair in the corner, watching him.  He did this in the evenings, got all his stuff in order, fussed with things getting everything put away and ready for the next day before he went to sleep.  He’d done it since he was little and Rose took comfort in it, found it oddly endearing. 

Dean had spent all the time since she’d gotten back to the bunker making sure she was OK.  Though considering the amount of texts he’d sent while she was out there was no way he couldn’t know that.  There’s been a brief period of radio silence when Rose assumed Dean was talking to Sam but other than that every twenty minutes or so a text had came in.  Rose smiled, thinking it was sweet.  She didn’t mind really.  This was the first he’d actually asked about her writing though.

Thinking now, she frowned, her fingers combing through Sookie’s fur from where she was laying in her lap.  She’d enjoyed her trip out with Charlie, the quite buzz that was a busy coffee shop.  It had taken her awhile to get the list done and she still wasn’t really happy with it. (She’d finished her writing on Lily a day earlier and emailed it to Dr. Alexander that night.  Dean had teased her, calling her teachers pet for getting her assignment in early, telling her something’s didn’t change.)  Most, almost everything actually she listed was something that used to make her relax.  Cooking, reading, baking.  She hadn’t done any of those in so long.

“It went OK,” she said slowly and Dean stopped in the middle of taking his watch off.  He knew by the tone in Rose’s voice there was more there.  Instead of barreling in though he gave her a chance to talk.  He made a small noise to let her know he’d heard her but said nothing and the room was silent for a minute, aside from the noise of Dean’s socks rasping against the floor as he moved about the room.  His patience paid off when finally Rose spoke again.

“I managed to come up with about five things I think.”  Dean glanced at Rose as he took off his flannel and dropped it in the clothes hamper.  She was sitting cross legged in the chair, already dressed in black and white pajamas covered in peace signs, and knowing Rose she’d have the pants off before getting into bed.  She claimed Dean made her too hot to sleep in anything too heavy and he’d loved that comment, teasing her about it to no end.  Her hair was still in braids as she’d worn it during the day and she could pass for a teenager at a slumber party.  Hell, how she managed to still look so young… Dean shook his head, clearing his thoughts and focusing back on Rose and what she was saying.  Or wasn’t saying as the case may be because she hadn’t added anything to that last statement.

“Five’s good,” Dean said now and Rose bit her lip.  OK enough patience.  “Rosie?”  Rose looked up at him and Dean asked gently.  “What’s wrong?”

“Out of those five things?  I still only do two of them,” she said guiltily as if this was the most shameful confession ever.

“Can I see the list?” Dean asked and Rose nodded and setting Sookie aside she got up and padded over to the ledge at the top of the bed where her purse and journal were.  She opened it to the right page and handed the journal to Dean and he took it and sat on the end of the bed.  She stood nervously in front of him till he reached a hand out and snagged her hand and tugged till she sat down next to him.

Dean looked at the list in front of him:

Relaxing :

  1. Reading
  2. Cooking
  3. Baking
  4. Bubble Baths
  5. Talking to Dean, Lily or Chastity



“You see?” Rose said her agitation clear in her voice.  “And even number five,” Rose waved her hand towards the open journal. “Well me and Lily aren’t really talking still.”

Dean frowned.  OK she was right this list was pretty much made of things she hadn’t done recently.  Well except the last one and Dean was happy to see his name came first.  _Quite the ego you have there, Winchester._ His room didn’t have a bathtub, only an awesome shower.  He’d have to make sure Rose still took baths in her room.  And that could be fun. 

“Well you’re gonna talk tomorrow so hopefully that will be back on track soon,” Dean said absently.  “But Sweetheart there’s more you do to relax than is on this list.”

“There is?” Rose asked hopefully.

Dean nodded.  “And I’m leaving off the most obvious one,” he said with a small grin.  “Get your pen,” he said, standing and moving to the top of the bed.  While Rose dug a pen out of her purse Dean settled on the bed, leaning against the headboard and when Rose came back he pulled her down to sit between his legs, her back resting against his chest.

“What about TV?” Dean immediately suggested once Rose was settled.  “I know you have your shows you like and your movies too.  Those help you relax.”

Rose nodded and jotted that down and Dean rested his hands on her thighs, relishing the feel of having her so close to him.  “And what about music?  You like to sing along to songs I hate,” Dean said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. 

“You don’t hate all my music,” Rose protested and Dean tugged on one of her braids.

“I could live the rest of my life and never hear that woman you were listening to this morning again and be A-OK.”  Rose giggled as she added that to the list and Dean smiled.  If Rose was giggling she was relaxing.  Guess she was right about talking to him relaxing her.

“You love looking at clothes, shopping for them.  What about that?”  Rose hesitated for a second then wrote out, “Shopping.” 

“And you always relax when we’re in the car. I think you like driving and long car rides as much as I do,”  Dean mused.  Rose could hear the smile in his voice at that fact and “Driving/Car Trips,” was added to the list.

“I’ve got one,” Rose said and Dean watched as she wrote down, “Cuddling with Dean.”  He smiled at that one.  _Most mentions on the list!_ his mind crowed.

“I think that’s my favorite on the list,” Dean said and Rose smiled happily. 

“I guess I should just let you do my homework from now on,” Rose said and Dean grinned.

“Fairly sure that goes against the good schoolgirl code of conduct,” he smirked and Rose just laughed.

“So that’s ten.  I think that’s good.” Rose said, setting her journal and pen aside and turning in Dean’s arms to lean against his chest.  “Thanks,” she said softly.

Dean hugged her to him.  “No problem, Baby.  And those other things?  They’ll come back.  You’ll enjoy them again.”

“I hope so,” Rose said with a sigh, snuggling closer to Dean.  “I miss reading,” she admitted.  “But my mind wanders and I just can’t concentrate.”  Dean could hear the frustration in her voice and he kissed the top of her head soothingly.

“You’ve had a whole lot going on to think about, Sweetheart.  It kind of makes sense for that brain of yours to be working overtime.”

“I miss cooking for you too,” Rose murmured and Dean felt a swell of hope in him.  It was the first time she’d mentioned missing anything to do with food.  “I like cooking for you.”

“Oh yeah?” Dean asked and Rose nodded.

“Gotta keep your stamina up right?” she teased and Dean reached down and gave her bottom a soft pinch earning a shriek from Rose.  “No really, I like cooking for you because you love it so much.”   Rose looked up at him with a smile.  “You genuinely enjoy and appreciate it and you smile and your eyes are so happy then.”  Rose reached up and cupped Dean’s face in her hands and kissed him, her lips as soft as her gaze had been on his face.  Dean leaned into the kiss, his arms tightening around her as her tongue darted out to just brush against his lips.

“You make me happy a lot more than just when you cook for me, Rosie,” Dean said, pulling back from the kiss.  “Don’t get me wrong, I’m looking forward to you cooking again but if I’m with you I’m happy.”  Rose scanned his face and Dean could see her trying to gauge if he genuinely meant it.   Something in his face must have convinced her because the next thing he knew Rose was turning to face him, sitting on her knees between his legs and staring at him intently. 

“How on earth are you with me?” she asked sincerely and Dean couldn’t help but blink in confusion.  “I have so much drama, all these issues going on and you are just amazing.”  She stared at him in wonder.  “You’ve been patient and kind and you’ve pulled me through bouts of hell that I was sure were going to destroy me.”  Dean watched as tears gathered in her eyes.  “I have no idea how I managed to…God, what did I ever do to deserve you?”

Dean smiled at her.  “You want a list?  ‘Cause I could make one.  I think I just demonstrated how good I am at those.”  Rose just shook her head at him.  “Easiest answer is you’re you, Sweetheart.  I’m no saint, Rosie.  If anyone knows that it’s you.”  He reached out and snagged one of her hands and linked their fingers.  “We get through stuff together.  I can do or be whatever you need because that’s what you’ve always done for me.”  Dean’s smile softened.  “I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out how I deserve you.”

Rose was leaning in then, her body pressed to his, their lips were meeting, hands touching and soon after clothes were being discarded quickly as their emotion was swept up in passion and need.  Later when they were laying together, legs intertwined and both drifting off to sleep the last thing Rose heard was Dean mumbling:

“I should totally help you with all your writing assignments.”


	77. Heaven Knows it Wasn't You Who Set Me Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tornado meet Volcano, Only One Place They Call Me One of Their Own, Memories  
> AKA my musical summary

"She'll be late."

Will glanced up at Rose. He had been perusing the two emails he'd received from Rose and Lily one more time when she spoke.

"I’m sorry?" he asked now, noting that Rose was a bit more dressed up today. Gone were the jeans and t-shirts and in its place was a pink linen flared skirt and scoop necked lavender t-shirt, a necklace of a pink crystal star hanging around her neck and pink flats on her feet. Even her hair was more restrained, held back in a low ponytail. Interesting that she chose to dress this way on the day that they were having a joint session with the sister she had the conflict with. He supposed Rose must feel more in control in this outfit, the clothes making her appear more put together and possibly making her feel that way too. Will wondered idly what Lily would appear in.

Siblings fascinated him, always had. As an only child the complicated relationships that brothers and sisters had was endlessly interesting to Will. Take Rose and her older sister. At first glance the two couldn't be more different. But on paper there were more similarities there than one would see at first glance. Both were concerned with control, though in different ways; Whereas Rose was concerned with not feeing out of control Lily was adamant about no one controlling her. Both obviously had tempers and both loved strongly and deeply. Shaking himself from his thoughts Will tuned back into Rose's answer.

"Lily," she said. "She'll be late."

"This is the norm for her?" Will asked with a smile, not surprised in the least by this. Everything Lily wrote screamed "My way!"

Rose nodded. "She's been late her entire life, including her birth if you ask my mother." Rose smiled at that and Will could see the amusement on her face at the memory. "She'll be late and if you ask about it she'll give you this whole spiel about how time is just a man made construct and time itself doesn't really exist aside from how we choose to perceive it." Rose rolled her eyes then added, "That's assuming she even notices she's late. She doesn't really pay attention to time. Lily doesn't really care about things like punctuality."

"That must make her an interesting hunter," Will noted, having grown up hearing how being late could cost someone their life.

"Oh she's different when it comes to hunting," Rose assured him. "Then she's more like, well like a soldier I guess." Rose toyed with her necklace absently. "She told me once that hunting has enough rules that the rest of her life didn't need any."

Will turned that over in his head. It made a perverse brand of sense. Most hunters he knew were some version of rebel. You put your life on the line all the time the normal rules of society lost their weight. Will had opened his mouth to say something to this effect when the door opened suddenly.

"-not late," Lily's voice drifted in, her words obviously directed to Dean who had though to put a chair in the hallway to make his time waiting more comfortable.

"Yes, you fucking are," Dean bit back. "And don't give me that shit about time is just a concept. Just get in there."

Lily flipped Dean off then came into the room muttering something about some men and their narrow minds.

To say she looked the opposite of Rose was putting it mildly. Skintight black jeans hugged her, high heeled black boots with buckles and zippers added to her already considerable height and her black t-shirt summed it up as it proclaimed "Pretty Good at Bad Decisions." Her own version of armor Will thought. Obviously both sisters were nervous about today's meeting.

Lily made her way over to the empty chair next to her sister and it was interesting to Will that Lily spoke first.

"Hey Rosie," she said, her voice softer now. Will had heard both boys call Rose that and had to assume it was a family nickname. Rose looked slightly startled to hear Lily use it but she recovered enough to smile and return it with,

"Hey Lil."

Will cleared his throat, drawing both their attention his way.

"Right, let's get down to it shall we?"

* * *

Looking back Will was still not really sure where things went wrong. He had been doing this a long time and he could usually tell when a session, especially a joint one was going to go badly. Though he didn’t usually do family counseling; He generally stuck to individuals or couples so maybe that had been how he’d failed to see the blow up coming.  But still none of the normal signs were there, at least not overtly. Both women had been anxious coming in but both had seemed to genuinely want to work things out. Both had been open and upfront in their emails, admitting their anger at the other but also that they loved the other. Things had initially gotten off to a promising start with both sisters admitting the last few months had been tough ones.  If Will had to pinpoint the tipping point he would guess it came about when he read a line from Rose’s email.

“I feel like Lily doesn’t value friendships other than ones in our family.  Outside friendships are important to me and I really need her to understand that.”  Will looked up to see Lily’s face immediately darken.

“They shouldn’t be as important,” she said before Will could even get a word out.  “Family comes first and other friends aren’t as stable or as vital.”

Rose was frowning and Will opened his mouth to ask her how she felt about that but she was answering already.

“I don’t agree.  Not at all.”  Lily gave her an incredulous look.  “My friendship with Chastity is important.  It’s not more important but it’s not less either.  Just different.”

“That’s bullshit,” Lily snapped.  “Equal but different relationships make no sense whatsoever.”

“It does to me,” Rose said stubbornly and Will broke in before Lily could respond.

“Lily, isn’t it possible that Rose’s friendship with Chastity is a good thing?  Perhaps it’s good to have a different perspective.”

Lily was shaking her head before he could finish his sentence.  “Nope, no.  Secrets and trust should stay here, with us.  How does Rose even know this Chastity person can be trusted?”

Rose just stared at her aghast.  “I’ve already had this argument,” she said.  “I don’t see the point of saying the same things over again.  We don’t agree.”

Will was looking down at the email when Rose spoke again. 

“And just what’s the difference in your friendship with Charlie?” she asked.  “She’s not family.”

“Sure she is,” Lily said.  “Sam and Dean look at her as a sister.  They trust her.”

“Sam trusts Chastity,” Rose countered and Lily’s jaw clenched.

“Yeah, well he has a weakness for attractive women,” Lily said, brushing Rose’s argument aside.  “He obviously isn’t the best judge of character.”

“Since when?” Rose demanded.  Sam was a great judge of character and had no more weakness for pretty women than any other man.  That whole argument made no sense.

“If I can just break in here,” Will interjected and both women turned to look at him.  “Disagreeing is understandable but you two are not here to fight but to work out your differences so that you can move forward.  Agreed?”  Both nodded their heads with a small degree of reluctance.  “So getting back to some of your thoughts…”  Will glanced down and decided to read something that Lily had shared.

"Lily you wrote that you didn't understand what Rose could get from her other friendships that she couldn't get from you or your other sister."  Will looked at Lily who nodded her head sharply.  Turning to Rose Will asked, "Rose, can you explain what you get from your friendship with Chastity?"  It didn't escape Will's notice that just the mere mention of that name made Lily grind her teeth.

Rose smoothed her hands over her skirt nervously.  "I get a different perspective, a different outlook."  Rose glanced at Lily out of the corner of her eye before going on.  "She doesn't see me as just the middle sister, the one who takes care of everyone.  She sees me as Rose, with all my personality, not just the parts she likes.”  Will winced at the last comment which was very obviously pointed at Lily.  Lily's eyes narrowed predictably and Will jumped in before she could snap back.

"Lily, wouldn't you say that you get something similar to that from your friendship with Charlie?  That it's a healthy and beneficial thing to have a friendship that's separate?"

Lily looked at him for a moment, her eyes measuring his words.  Finally she nodded and Will gave an inaudible sigh.

"I like Charlie," Rose said softly and Lily jerked her head in Rose's direction.  "She seems like she'd be a really good friend."

Lily studied her sister for a second, her eyes calculating.  "She is.  I trust her."  Lily paused a second then added, "She was here when everyone else left."  Rose visibly flinched at that.

Deciding that was a good segue to another of Lily's comments Will jumped in.

"So Lily you wrote that Rose's action of running away left you feeling betrayed and hurt.  Can you explain why in some detail?"

Lily would have liked to think that if they hadn't talked about Rose's friendship with Chastity she would have had a better response.  But in all honesty she wasn't sure she would have, no matter the case. Rose had hurt her and Lily only knew one way to react to that.

"Isn't that kind of clear?  Because she fucking left me," Lily snapped.

"I didn't leave you, Lil," Rose said gently. "I left everyone to try and keep you all safe.  I know it wasn't the right choice now but at the time-"

"At the time you just left," Lily broke in.  "And I don't give a damn about anyone else you left.  You left _me_."  Lily's agitation was growing, her emotions at the situation becoming almost a physical presence in the room.  Talking about all this was just bringing it all to the surface again.

"I know, Lil and I'm sorry-"

"No!" Lily was on her feet now, unable to stay still when she was this upset.  "No, you really don't know.  While you were off on your one woman road trip I was here."  Lily waved her arms and started to pace.  "Here with Daisy in a coma and all this shit about her and Cas' plan coming out and prophecy coming out our ears and my relationship with Sam getting fucking serious and you-" Her finger pointed at Rose, accusation and hurt practically dripping from it.  "You, the one person I wanted, hell I _needed_ to talk to was too busy running around and hanging out with your new bff Chastity to even think about what the hell was going on here."

Rose looked stunned.  Both girls had indicated they rarely fought and if her expression was anything to go by Will had to imagine it was a rare thing for Rose to feel the brunt of Lily's anger and disappointment turned her way.

"That's not true, Lily.  I cared and I thought about you all a lot."

Lily snorted.  "Yeah, you cared so much that when you did call I wasn't good enough to even get a word from you."

Rose looked surprised at that.

"I called Dean-"

"Of course you called Dean.  Why wouldn't you call Dean?  Because he's your one true love and I'm just your sister."  That seemed to stroke a nerve with Rose and Will watched as color rose in Rose's cheeks.

"Actually I called Dean because I knew he would listen to me and not just yell."

"Did it ever occur to you that you fucking deserve to be yelled at?" Lily yelled.

Now Rose was on her feet as well and Will realized this whole situation was spiraling out of control.  He'd assumed letting them talk, letting Lily get some of her anger out might help.  He'd obviously misjudged the situation and the heat invovled.

“Rose, Lily,” he began.

"Of course that occurred to me!" Rose yelled back as the chair Lily had been sitting in flew up and slammed back down, the wood creaking pitifully as it did.  "Every single day I'm more than aware of just how badly I messed up and if I’m not you'll be sure to remind me!"

"Ladies if we could just sit down," Will tried again to no avail.

"Oh yes, far be it for me to criticize Saint Rose," Lily sneered. "Even when you're running away and wrecking people's lives you still have your defenders.  You can do no wrong and I can do no right."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Rose asked as Will tried in vain to get their attention.  If Sam or Dean had been there they could have told him it was no use.  When Rose and Lily were locked in battle like this no one else mattered.  They were each other's soul focus.

"Everyone's always on your side, the nice girl, the good one," Lily sneered derisively.  “Everyone caters to Rose.”

"Oh God, Lily cut the pity party," Rose said rolling her eyes.  "You do whatever you want and wreak havoc and then get upset when people don't defend that."  Rose glared at her sister.  "I screwed up.  I own that.  You might try that sometime."

Lily narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.  "I take responsibility-"

"Ha!" Rose's expression clearly indicated her derision of Lily's cut off statement.  "You take _no_ responsibility.  You never have.  You always have an excuse, a justification and screw anyone else's feelings."  Rose gave her sister a scathing look.  "You want to be a saint?  Try growing up first."

Lily's cheeks flushed angrily and she took a menacing step towards her sister who stood her ground and stared back at her defiantly.

"Me Grow up?  Are you serious?  You ran away like a selfish, spoiled child!"

“And what did you do with Sam?  Things got tough so instead of staying and fighting you ran.”

Lily looked ready to explode at that comment.  Will was getting seriously worried that this could turn physical and was grateful to see Dean open the door and stick his head in.

"Everything OK in here?"

"Oh it's perfect," Rose said at the same time that Lily snarled, "Its fine."

Dean raised an eyebrow.  "Yeah, I can see that," he said slowly entering the room and easing over towards them.

Will cleared his throat, trying to get both women's attention again.  Their eyes were locked on each other with laser beam focus.  "Perhaps we should call it a day and try again another-"

"Forget it," Lily snapped as Rose said, "That won't be necessary."

"Hey girls," Dean said hovering by them.  "Take a breath, cool off and we'll work this out later."

Two shakes of two different heads greeted him and Lily was stalking towards the door and gone with a slam so hard Will expected the door to break.  Dean glanced at Rose and winced slightly at the anger radiating off of her.

"Sorry about that," she said glancing at Will and then she too was heading for the door leaving Dean alone in the room.

Dean stared at the door for a second slightly in awe of went down.  Then he glanced at the screen and Will's equally stunned face.

Dean sank down into the chair that Rose had recently vacated and realized as he glanced over that Rose had actually broken Lily's chair.  That was some repressed anger there.

Finally he gave Will a wry smile.

"So I'm gonna guess that's not how that was supposed to go."

* * *

Rose marched down to her old bedroom and stripped her clothes and jewelry off as soon as the door shut behind her.  She pulled jeans and an old, faded Eagles t-shirt on, put sneakers and headed down to the gym without saying a word to anyone.  She’d grabbed her earbuds and jammed those in her ears and had music blaring immediately.  The only person she passed was Sam who looked at her with an expression of confusion that quickly changed to concern at her demeanor but she didn’t stop to explain.  She needed to be alone, to not talk to anyone right now.  She was so angry she didn’t think she could stop the words that would come out of her mouth.

Rose grabbed a pile of tennis balls when she entered the gym and piled them next to her where she sat on the mats.  (And why there were tennis balls was anyone’s guess.  As far as Rose knew there were no tennis courts here.  Though who knew? Maybe there was a secret court behind one of the million doors.  She was grateful though because these were the perfect thing to get her anger out.)  Taking a breath she surpassed all the normal things she did usually to center herself and just let her power flow out.  The first tennis ball flew up into the air and like a rocket soared across the room, slamming into the wall and she watched with satisfaction as it exploded with a loud *POP*.

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this angry.  Every word Lily had thrown out today had just stoked the fire higher.  She was a child?  Lily could be the most reckless, self centered person she knew and she had the nerve to throw that accusation at her?  *BANG*

She pulled her earbuds out now and let the music spill out of the phone.  Now that she didn't have to worry about anyone talking to her she could let the music pour out along with her powers. *WHAM*

*SPLAT* went another  tennis ball and Rose shut her mind off, letting herself just focus on the tennis balls and how good it felt to let her power and her anger all tunnel into them.

A quick volley of three or four of the balls flying against the wall was like a soothing balm to Rose’s raging temper.  She eyed her remaining pile and figured she may have to find some more.  This could take awhile.

* * *

Lily stormed into her car and tore away from the bunker going way too fast.  She drove mindlessly, not paying attention to where she was going, trying to clear her mind and drive away all the thoughts battering at her brain.  She was so angry she had tears in her eyes and that made her even angrier which then made more tears appear.  She couldn’t believe Rose had the nerve to act like she didn’t take responsibility for her actions.  It was Rose who no one ever blamed, who got away with everything.  

Lily drove for hours, her mind refusing to shut up and just playing back word for word all the insults and jabs she and Rose had hurled at each other.  She didn't even notice where she was until a sign flying by on the highway caught her eye.  That startled her enough that she actually took note of her surroundings.  She got off at the next exit and stopped, taking in where she was.  Then she took a deep breath, dropped her forehead against the steering wheel and breathed out one word:

"Shit."

* * *

Dean had sat and talked with Will for a short time after the chaos that had been Rose and Lily's therapy session.  He'd wanted to update him on the fact that Sam was going to be running Rose's fight training from now on and plus he felt like he should kind of stay a bit.  The doc had looked, well not shaken up by the incident necessarily but definitely thrown.  Dean was surprised by that, figuring family members must have melt downs in therapy all the time.

"You an only child?" Dean asked curiously and Will had looked taken aback by his question but slowly nodded.  "I figured.  Brothers and sisters can be vicious with each other.  Me and Sam, hell more often than not we'd end up beating the shit out of each other when we fought."

"I was concerned those two might come to blows," Will admitted and Dean shook his head.

"Na, not likely. The Sullivan's were really big on the "You don't hit your sister," rule."  Dean looked thoughtful.  "One of the few rules Lily plays by."  He shrugged.  "I'm not saying it couldn't happen but it's unlikely." 

“You grew up with them, correct?” Will asked and Dean nodded. 

“Yeah, only home I really knew,” Dean admitted and Will winced slightly though Dean didn’t notice.  “If me and Sam weren’t out with our dad we were at the Sullivan house.  It was a great place to grow up too.  Always busy and kinda crazy but really safe and fun.”  Dean paused.  “Rose’s parents are…well her mom’s kinda flighty, a lot more now than she used to be but growing up she was great and Rose’s dad was awesome.”  Dean took a sip of coffee then added, “My parents were great too; just stuff happened that they couldn’t be there much.  So yeah, most of my childhood was spent with the Sullivan’s.  We’re all family,” Dean said and Will could see in his eyes how very much that concept meant to him.  “Which is why this sucks so bad.  The girls aren’t like this.”

"They said they don't normally fight," Will said and Dean nodded in agreement with that statement. 

"Yeah, usually those two are as thick as thieves.  Nothing can come between them and trust me you don’t want to try. But now..." Dean shook his head.  "They just keep butting heads and hurting each other."

"I'm surprised they don't normally," Will said and Dean looked surprised.  "Well they both are strong willed with very strong opinions and personalities."

Dean thought about that a moment.  "I guess normally Rosie just goes along with Lily most of the time and Lily holds her nastiest comments away from Rose."  Dean took another sip of his coffee.  "But Lily was really hurt by Rose running away and then shutting her out and so she lashes out.  And Rose feels like people she cares about aren't valued by Lily and that's a big thing with her."

Will nodded, able to see that. "They've both changed through this ordeal too I would venture." 

Dean shrugged then looked at his watch.  "OK I've given her enough time on her own to cool down.  Gotta go find Rose now."  Dean glanced up at Will.  "Same time, same bat channel Wednesday?"  That earned a smile and a nod from Will and Dean left in search of his girlfriend.

* * *

"Have you seen Rose?" Dean asked Sam and his brother nodded.

"She tore through here about an hour ago. She went down the hall then headed back downstairs." Sam looked curious.  "What the hell happened?"

"Lily and Rose happened," Dean retorted.  "Their therapy didn't go so hot.  They wound up screaming at each other and both stormed out."

Sam winced.  "So guess I won't be talking to Lily today."

Dean clapped his brother on the shoulder.  "Trust me, Sammy.  Today is not the day you want to do that."

Sam watched his brother thoughtfully as he headed back down the stairs.  Something told him Dean was wrong about that.  Call it instinct, call it intuition, call it just knowing Lily.  But he knew deep in his bones he needed to reach out today.  So he picked up his phone and sent out a quick text and then turned his mind back to his research. 

* * *

Home.  Of course she'd headed here without even thinking about it.  Once Lily had realized where she was she was only a mile or so from her house so she’d driven the rest of the way.  She peered up at the house now, at its steepled roof and multitude of windows, debating whether she should get out and go inside.  What harm could it do?  She was already here.  If someone was looking for her, was trying to hunt her down she was pretty obvious; the damage was most likely already done.  After a moment’s hesitation she muttered, "Fuck it," and got out heading to the front door.

Opening the door and walking inside was like going through a time warp for Lily; from the insanity her life had become these past few months to the warmth and serenity of what it had been.  This house held her childhood, hell up until a few months ago it held her life.  Until she'd stayed at the bunker she'd never lived anywhere else.  She walked straight through to the kitchen at the back of the house, where so many moments of her life had taken place, pausing in the doorway.  She let her fingers trail over the marks that were carved into the wood there.  All five of their heights marked there through the years.  From itty bitty to their high school years when their dad had to take over from their mom as all but Daisy had gotten taller than her.  Years of memories were here.  If there was ever a building that could hold her heart this was it.

Lily's phone buzzed and she glanced down to see a message from Charlie.

_"You OK?"_

Dean must have told her what happened, Lily figured.  Or she was just checking in as it had been...an hour since she left the bunker and a little over two hours since she left Charlie's place.

_"Yeah, things went shitty at therapy."_   Lily hesitated then added, _"I may not be home tonight."_   Now that she was here, was home, it was too much to just leave right away again.

Charlie asked if she wanted company and Lily assured her she was OK.  She was just putting her phone back into her pocket when it buzzed again.  She raised it up expecting a reply from Charlie.  Instead a message was there that took her breath away.

_"Hey.  I know I'm probably the last person you want to hear from.  But if you need a listening ear I'm here.  Always."_

Lily slid down to the floor, her back resting against the door frame, her eyes level with their earliest measurements. 

"Shit," she said.  Because that was Sam, knowing she was angry and more than likely to lash out and here he was, offering her his heart anyway.  "Damn it," she said next.  Because she'd like nothing more than to unload her chaotic emotions on Sam, knowing he could take them all and still be as strong and gentle as he always was.  "Fuck," she said. Because despite trying to hang onto her anger she wanted him here. He'd be unhappy she came home, upset with her for putting herself in danger but there wasn't a doubt in her mind that if she called him he'd be here as fast as he could get here.  And how many people in your life could you really say that about?  That no matter how upset you were with each other you knew that person would come through for you no matter what?  Not many. 

Lily sighed.  She may have taken her time falling in love but when she’d done so she’d fallen for one of the nicest, most loyal guys in the world.  “I couldn’t have fallen in love with a selfish asshole?” she muttered.  Lily fidgeted with her phone and finally admitted to herself that it went both ways; if Sam needed her, despite the fact she was still upset with him and that her heart felt tender and bruised she’d be there without question.  It’s just how they were.

Did it mean they could fix things?  Lily didn't know, wasn't sure.  The issues were still there.  But it did mean they could at least salvage their friendship if nothing else.

_Oh yeah, 'cause you'll totally be satisfied with that_ , her mind whispered.  _Shut up_ , she growled.

Her eyes moved back to the doorframe, to the marks there and she focused in on two marks that didn’t match the others, that weren’t as neat at the rest.  Most were done in their moms neat, precise pen marks and then in their dad’s firm impression of ink.  But these were sloppier than those, done in marker as well and Lily grinned as the memory associated with them came flooding back to her. 

The marking of their heights had been a big deal, something their mom did every so many months and always did with so much pomp and circumstance (Lily always got to go first as she was oldest, a fact she loved.) and fuss (“You’ll be taller than us all soon!” - Which in Sam’s case turned out to be true.) over how much they’d all grown.  No one but the grownups was allowed to mark their heights; that was a rule.  For once it hadn’t been her or Dean, admittedly the resident trouble makers, breaking the rules.  Erin was pregnant with Daisy at the time and hadn’t taken their heights for several months, a fact that both the youngest at the time were greatly bothered by.  Both Sam and Rose were convinced they were growing all the time and were frustrated they weren’t being measured and applauded for this.  So they had decided to take matters into their own hands.  They’d waited till Brendan was on a hunt and Erin was busy elsewhere in the house and then they’d made their move.  Lily had been there when Erin had caught the two of them, Rose peering over the top of Sam’s head, purple marker in hand already dragging across the wood.  A vivid line was already there well above the one Rose was making, Sam apparently having already marked Rose’s height using the chair that was still sitting by them.  “What are you doing?” Erin had hissed out and both Sam and Rose had frozen on the spot then slowly turned to look at her, their eyes huge, looking terrified at being caught.  Looking back Lily figured her parents had probably laughed about it privately and now those marks on the wall (The purple having faded to a lighter lavender shade over the years.) were part of a cute story they would tell and laugh at on occasion.  But at the time it had been _such_ a big deal.  Lily remembered feeling a small sense of triumph.  Those two so rarely got in trouble without Lily or Dean dragging them along, it was nice to be innocent for once.  Erin had done a magnificent job of making them both feel horribly guilty (Their mom excelled at that, turned guilt into an art form really.) and both Rose and Sam had been suitably contrite.  They had made Erin a card with a drawing that Sam drew (All sad faces and broken hearts surrounding stick figures of he and Rose.) and words that Rose wrote (“We are sorry we broke the wall forever and ever and we hope you still love us.  And that the baby in your tummy is pretty.”) and after a long lecture about not breaking rules and why some jobs were best left to the grownups all was forgiven.  And no one except Erin or Brendan ever made a mark on the doorframe again.

Those two were hard to stay mad at even then, Lily thought.  Then pulling herself from the memory she looked at her phone again, at that one message for what felt like forever.  Then with a snap she got to her feet and shoved her phone in her pocket and headed to her room.  One thing always worked for Lily to get her head clear.  When nothing else could get her to think straight the answer was always one thing and one thing only - Dancing.  And because she was home it meant she could go to her favorite place in the world to dance.  It was far enough from home that she didn't feel she was taking a huge risk and as she was home now she could change, go out and then spend the night here before driving back in the morning and no one needed to know she'd ever been here.  She considered calling one of her friends as she changed into a black top and short skirt but figured that wouldn't be a good idea.  No, she decided as she put on a pair of black heels, she would go out on her own.  While it wasn't her norm she had done it before.  She headed out, locking the door behind her.  And by the time she was back home she was sure she'd know just how to respond to Sam's text.

* * *

Dean followed the loud music, the voice of a pissed off sounding guy letting loose a barrage of lyrics about a tornado meeting a volcano (Pretty fitting for Rose and Lily actually he thought.) and wound up at the gym.  He pushed the door open just in time to see the last of what had once been an impressive pile of tennis balls explode against the far wall.

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed just as the song ended and Rose turned her head his way in surprise.  Dean took in the tattered remnants of tennis balls, now nothing more than scraps of fabric and rubber.  "That's an impressive display there, Rosie," he said grinning at her easily.

Rose was leaning back against the wall now, her legs stretched out in front of her looking drained.  Dean wasn't sure if that was from her display of her powers or from the blow up with Lily, probably both.

Rose shrugged, turning the music off as the next song started. "If I didn't do something I was going to explode.  I figured tennis balls were replaceable."

Dean nodded and came over and crouched down in front of her.

"You wanna talk about it?" He asked carefully.  She looked so worn out he didn’t think she’d want to discuss it now but he wanted to give her the option. Rose immediately shook her head and Dean gave her a gentle smile.  "OK no problem. No discussing what happened."

"Not yet," Rose said and Dean nodded, hearing the message loud and clear.  Not now but soon.

"Want to go for a drive?" Dean ventured and Rose thought for a second then shook her head.

"I'm tired." She glanced at the floor covered with the debris from her tennis ball homicide.  "I may have overdone it," she admitted.

"Come on," Dean said, reaching out a hand and pulling her to her feet.  "I've got you."

Dean led her to his bedroom and left her there then returned a minute later with her favorite pajamas in his hands.  That got him a big smile.

"You get in your PJs, get comfortable and I'll be back in just a few minutes."

By the time Dean returned with a tray loaded with hot dogs and other snacks Rose was in her pajamas and snuggled under her purple blanket on the bed with Sookie cuddled next to her.

Dean handed Rose his laptop and instructed her to find them a movie.  He changed quickly into pajama pants and an old Def Leppard t-shirt then came and joined Rose on the bed, snuggling under the blanket with her. 

"What are we watching, Sweetheart?" He asked handing her a hot dog.  They balanced the laptop between them and Dean grinned when he saw the familiar credits for Ghostbusters start to roll.

"That's my girl," he said.  "Excellent taste in movies."

They watched two movies, finished their hot dogs, snacked on the candy and were halfway through a third film when Rose drifted off.  Dean turned the computer off and cleared the bed then tucked Rose in and snuggled up next to her.

"Thanks, Dean," she said sleepily as he pulled her to him.  "You always know the right thing to do."

"You're my girl," Dean said.  "It comes with the territory."

"Thanks, Dean," she said again, snuggling against him sleepily.

"Anytime, Sweetheart," Dean said kissing her forehead.  "Anytime."

* * *

Lily meanwhile was having a very different evening.  She'd danced till she felt like dropping, putting all her angst and anger into her movements, ignoring any of the unwanted attention coming her way and then drove home and fell into her bed, boneless and spent.  It felt so good to be in _her_ bed, in _her_ home that despite the upheaval of the day she drifted right off.  But it wasn't long till her restful sleep was disturbed by an irate voice demanding of her:

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

And her eyes flew open to find her youngest sister staring down at her with the fires of hell burning in her eyes.


	78. I Would Lay My Armor Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Omnia Paratus & Finally!

Lily knew that both she and Rose had reputations for being fierce when angered.  Neither would deny they had tempers.  But people tended to brush Daisy off as being cute and sweet.  Spoiled and bratty at times sure but she was more laid back than her sisters, more likely to go with the flow.  She looked angelic and adorable too, like Tinkerbell as Dean would say and so people tended to overlook the fact or maybe most just didn't see it but Daisy had a wicked temper all her own.  Her temper wasn't as quick as Lily's or as hot as Rose's and it took a lot to get her there but when Daisy was well and truly angry she was indeed an intimidating force to be reckoned with. 

Lily was never more aware of that fact than right now.  She'd been sleeping so peacefully only to be pulled from sleep to be confronted by a vividly angry Daisy. 

"Daisy...what?" It took Lily a moment to grasp that this was in fact a dream.  Only in her family would being in another state, sound asleep not be enough to escape them.

"What, that's a great question," Daisy said sarcastically, from the end of Lily's bed where she was perched.  "Pretty sure that's what I asked you.  What the hell is wrong with _you_ more specifically?"

Lily groaned and drug herself up to a sitting position.  She pulled a hand over her face and tried to clear her head.  "You're gonna have to be more specific than that, Days," she said finally.  “There’s a multitude of options there.”

Daisy glared at her and bit out, "You and Rose need to get your shit together.  I am fed up with the drama."  Daisy's eyes were flashing and the color was high in her cheeks. Her whole body was practically vibrating she was so upset.  "You two were supposed to fix things, to work it all out.  You were not supposed to scream at each other and make things worse."

"Hey this is not just on me-" Lily protested.

"I didn't say it was, Lily," Daisy interrupted.  "Quit defending yourself when I haven't told you off properly yet." 

Lily rolled her eyes and sulked.  "Well I don't see Rose getting told off."

"You're the oldest!" Daisy yelled.  "We all follow your lead!  When all you're doing is bitching and feeling sorry for yourself and keeping your guard up so damn high no one can reach over it trust me it's a pretty crappy one to follow."  Daisy's eyes were a broadcast of her emotions; the green darker than normal now as her anger came across loud and clear in them.  "Rose screwed up.  She knows that.  And if you would give her half a chance and quit berating her for a second you might realize that  too.  She'd probably even apologize to you because she feels terrible.  But why should she, hell how _can_ she when you won't give her a chance?"  When Lily just continued to sulk Daisy plowed ahead.  "And what do you think you are in this whole mess?  Blameless?"  She demanded, giving Lily a sharp look.  "You pushed her when she needed time.  And you couldn’t borrow a little bit of sensitivity from somewhere?  You pretty much told her she shouldn’t be upset over Ryan’s death because you didn’t know him!”  Lily flinched at that and Daisy felt some satisfaction over that fact.  She knew Lily had to know that was wrong. “Did you even once try and put yourself in Rose's place and imagine how she must be feeling?"  Lily squirmed a little, a guilty look crossing her face.  Daisy raised a hand and started ticking things off on her fingers."She lost someone she cared about and blames herself for it.  She had a demon shadowing her mind and affecting her thoughts for over a week, which I don’t know about you but that sounds like my own personal idea of hell.”  Lily winced at that and Daisy hoped that meant she was getting through to her.  “She was sure she was going to get you and Dean killed just by being around you.  She had to watch a demon possessing her friend kill Ryan right in front of her."  Daisy shook her head, her eyes full of the pain she'd seen in Rose's mind.  "She was tortured, Lily. Our sister, the one who can't stand to see anyone hurt was bound to a chair and tortured till she almost died.  And you can't cut her any slack?  What the hell, Lily?"

Lily was frowning now and Daisy studied her sister with a calculating gleam in her eye.  She’d thought a lot about whether this was the right move or not.  She’d even mentioned it to Cas and she’d still been undecided about this course of action.  Lily looked guilty at her words so she knew she felt them but she still didn’t think she understood.  Not entirely.  Lily wasn’t a word person.  Words didn’t carry the same weight with her that they did with Rose.  Actions were what mattered.  It’s one of the main reasons Daisy had considered this.  She hated the thought of exposing Lily to the pain of what Rose went through but she just didn’t think it would have the same impact to describe it.  Finally, choice made she murmured, “I’m sorry,” leaned forward and brushed Lily’s cheek with her hand and swept Lily up into the memory of what Rose had gone through. 

She kept Lily from feeling Rose’s actual pain but she made her an eye witness to some of the most brutal aspects of what Rose had suffered at Aine’s hands.  Daisy watched her sister’s face become awash in the horror of actually seeing what Rose had suffered and she hoped she’d made the right call.  She pulled Lily back then, back into the safety of her own room and watched her carefully.

Lily was shaking, her hand unsteady as she swept her hair back from her tear stained face.  It took her a moment to collect herself enough to speak.

“How did she even…how do you come back from that?  And how the hell did she hold out?”

“Sullivan stubbornness on both counts I’d say, of which Rose has always had more than her fair share,” Daisy said, then her voice gentled.  “And she loves the people she was protecting.”

Lily looked at Daisy then.  “And how the fuck did you do that?  That wasn’t a dream, Days.  That was…” she faltered, unsure.  “What was it exactly?”

“A memory,” Daisy said.  “Rose let me into it when we were fixing her.  I thought you needed to see it.”

“How the hell can you do that?” Lily asked looking at Daisy in surprise.

“I don’t know,” Daisy said, looking curious herself then giving a careless shrug.  “Just, once I have the memory it’s there.  I keep it and I can share it like that.”

“You’re like fucking Memorex,” Lily said and Daisy laughed.  “Dreams, my ass,” Lily said then, sitting back against her headboard and wrapping her arms around her knees.

Daisy gave her an ironic smile.  “Yeah, well we’re all a little bit more than they said we’d be, aren’t we?”  Lily looked up at her sharply.

“You know?”

“About your bit of prophecy?  Yeah.”  Daisy’s eyes were knowing, her eyes seeing more than Lily ever realized before.

“You kept that quiet,” Lily said and Daisy shrugged.

“It’s yours, not mine.  I figured if you wanted to talk about it you’d bring it up.”

Lily was looking at her like she’d grown two heads.  “OK who are you and where’s my bratty little sister?”

Daisy grinned.  “I grew up?”

“Yeah, well stop it,” Lily grumbled.

“I wish I could, Lil,” Daisy said softly.  Daisy's eyes saddened then and Lily felt another wave of guilt wash over her.  "You and Rose are supposed to be solid, steady.  I’m not, Mom’s not.  You two are the rock of us.  So much is coming and if you two aren't right then we don't even stand a chance." 

“Oh well that doesn’t sound ominous or anything,” Lily commented and Daisy cracked a grin.

“You know, I did technically almost get myself killed for you both,” she pointed out.  She threw in the puppy dog eyes for good measure.  “The least you two idiots could do is get along.”

“OK first off, I’m still reserving the right to be mad at you over that stunt,” Lily said but Daisy didn’t look at all moved or worried.  “And secondly, are you seriously trying to pull a mom move on me here with a guilt trip?”

“I don’t know.  Is it working?” Daisy asked curiously and Lily couldn’t help but laugh.  This was the Daisy she knew. 

“We’re supposed to make things easier for each other, not harder,” Daisy said and now a genuine look of remorse did cross Lily’s face.  “We’re family; more importantly we’re sisters.  The rest of the world can attack us and we’ll stand strong like a fortress because we have each other’s backs.”  Daisy looked at Lily pointedly.  “Sound familiar?”  Lily nodded her head.  Damn little sisters that threw her own words back at her.  “Maybe you should actually put them into practice then.” 

Daisy glanced down at her hands and twisted her wedding rings around her finger nervously.  "And I need you two.  I'm married," she said shyly.  "I don't know...anything really and you two are supposed to be there when I wake up.  You're supposed to laugh and tease me and love me and do all that to each other to.  Otherwise I'm going to wake up and my family will be broken."  Her voice was so wretched, so sad at the thought that Lily felt tears well up in her eyes.  She wanted that too she realized.  So much.

"Sorry, Days," she said gently.  "You're right."

"Rose loves you so much, Lil.  You aren't replaceable to her.  Her having Chastity doesn't change that at all.   And her having Dean doesn't either."  Daisy's gaze turned shrewd.  "You falling in love with Sam didn't make Rose any less important to you did it?"

"Who said I love Sam-" Lily began only to be cut off by a fed up Daisy.

"Oh don't even try that.  I know you like the back of my hand.  You love Sam so much it hurts.  Now how about you quit being an idiot and work things out with him too?  Unless you really do have a goal to destroy every relationship in your life."  Lily glared back at her and Daisy softened.  "People make mistakes, Lily.  But only cowards use that as an excuse to walk away."  Lily drew in a sharp breath at that but before she could respond Daisy was going on. "My big sister is no coward so I have no doubt in my mind that by the time I wake up you'll have all this fixed."

Lily sighed.  “It’s not that easy, Days.”

“It is,” Daisy said firmly.  “Quit making excuse and holding onto your oh-so-righteous anger.  You know what that gets you?  Loneliness and pain.  I think we’ve all had enough of that to last us a lifetime.”

Lily snorted.  “Yeah, no kidding.”

“Look, there’s a lot we can’t do anything about,” Daisy said pragmatically.  And when exactly had Daisy learned that philosophy Lily wondered?  Daisy has always been much more pie in the sky than feet on the ground.  “We can’t change prophecy or get rid of our powers or erase demons from the face of the earth.  But this, this you can fix.”  Daisy straightened her back and fixed Lily with a hard glare.  "Fix it, Lily.  Fix the mess with Rose and then talk to Sam.  Just fix it."  Daisy leaned towards her then and said firmly, "Now wake up and get your butt back to Kansas and I'll never tell anyone you were here."  And she snapped her fingers waking Lily with a start.

Lily sat up suddenly, looking around finding it hard to believe Daisy wasn't actually here.  God, that kid had no problem telling her off.  She was like Goldilocks with a bazooka.  But she was right, Lily admitted with a sigh.  Damn it.  She glanced at her clock, saw it was just after seven and groaned.  She got out of bed and showered quickly before throwing a fresh set of clothes on and packing a bag of clothes to take back with her.  And then she added another bag of just shoes.  Because hey she was here, she might as well get something fun out of this trip.  And then she picked up her phone and opened it up to read Sam's message again.  She still wasn't sure what to write.  She wasn't ready to talk.  Despite Daisy's advice she was still not convinced things were fixable with them.  But she needed to say something.  He'd reached out and Lily loved him, cared about him too much to ignore that. 

So finally after what felt like an eternity of thinking she replied with:

_"Thanks, Sam.  That means a lot."_

She frowned.  You would think with all the time she spent thinking that she would have had a smarter, better response but that would just have to do.  Sam knew her and would hopefully get what she meant.

Then she picked up her bag, locked the house up behind her and got in her car ready to head back to Kansas.  She had things to do and a relationship with her sister to fix.

* * *

"Ready to talk?" Rose glanced up from her cup of tea.  She was still in her pajamas while Dean was dressed, sitting on the end of the bed watching her with knowing eyes.  He'd brought her breakfast and she'd just finished her pop tart but was still nursing her cup of tea.  She sighed and gave a tentative nod of her head.

Dean listened patiently as Rose poured out the whole sordid tale of her and Lily's failure of a therapy session.  She left nothing out, sharing all the hurtful comments from both sides.  Dean winced at some of them but didn't look surprised at much of it.  He'd seen enough from both sisters to get a good grasp of their feelings.  Dean listened to Rose wrap up her story by saying:

"I can't believe she thinks I was out just having fun and forgetting about everyone."  Rose’s disbelief and anger came across loud and clear.  "And I mean to hear her tell it she was just in hell here."

Dean searched Rose's face, looking for a trace of understanding there.  He saw anger and hurt, both of which he understood but nothing that said she was aware of just how much pain she'd caused Lily.  Dean sighed.  He'd really hoped he wouldn't have to get in between the two sisters.  History had taught him that rarely worked out well.  He'd hoped that they'd work this all out talking to the therapist but if this session showed one thing it was that neither was listening to the other.  And in this case Dean was going to have to tell Rose some hard truths he knew were going to hurt her and Dean hated that with every fiber of his being.  But it would hurt Rose a lot more in the long run to destroy her relationship with Lily.  And he cared about Rose way too much to let her do that.

So Dean took a deep breath and got up surprising Rose.  He set his own cup down and took Rose's from her hands placing it down next to his.  He sat back down this time right in front of her and took one of her hands in his. 

"You trust me?" he asked and Rose looked thrown by his question.  It took her a second to grasp what he was asking but once she did she replied.

"Of course, but-"

"I need you to do me a favor and just listen for a few minutes, OK?"  Rose looked even more confused.  "I promise I have a good reason so just give me a second?"  Rose slowly nodded and Dean gave her an encouraging smile.  He squeezed her hand then took a second to get his thoughts together.  Finally he started.

"Do you remember how we talked about what would be a deal breaker for us in a relationship?"  Rose nodded.  That conversation had taken place on the way to their weekend away.  She wasn't likely to forget that anytime soon.  "Both of us listed anyone trying to come between us and Sam or Lily."  Rose winced at that and Dean made himself continue.  "The thing is Baby, not everyone feels that way about their brother or sister.  We're not normal, but then we knew that."  He gave Rose a little grin and she just watched him warily.  "We share our lives with them; we'd give up just about anything for them.  We love them a crazy amount.  But we both do so I think it's safe to say I understand your relationship." He waited for Rose to nod again before he continued.  Now for the part he hated.  "And in this case I can put myself in Lily's shoes and imagine how I'd feel if Sam left, leaving me to wonder if he was OK.  And then he finally called but it wasn't me he reached out to."  He watched as a look of dawning comprehension slowly made its way across Rose's face and he fixed his eyes on his hand that held hers, unable to see that look and continue.  "And if during that same time I found out he had some whole part of his life I knew nothing about, a friend who was important to him that he deliberately kept from me..." Dean shook his head, either unable or unwilling to put words to his feelings.  He glanced up at Rose then before saying softly, "You hurt Lily an awful lot, Baby, way more than I think you understand."

Rose looked at him slightly open mouthed, her shock clear. 

"We're some of the only people who know Lily, really know what she's like beyond the surface shit.  And nobody knows her better than you.  Hell Baby, how'd she react after we went away for the weekend?  And that was over me who's always been here, someone she trusts.” Dean gave Rose’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “I'm not saying it's normal but you know Lily.  It makes sense her seeing Chastity as a complete threat.  As far as she's concerned you chose Chastity over her."

Rose continued to gape at him for a few seconds more, then finally found her voice, her eyes showing a touch of disappointment, a hint of anger as she finally got out, "But I was trying to..." she floundered then tried again.  "I didn't mean to…"

"While you were gone," Dean continued not commenting on her intent. "Charlie deciphered a shit load of prophecy, some about you, some about your sisters, some about the demon witch sisters from hell.  None of it good.  Lily spent a lot of time at the hospital, keeping an eye on Daisy."  Dean glanced at Rose meaningfully then slowly pulled his phone out and clicked a few times then read something aloud to Rose, the part of the prophecy that foretold Aine trying to kill her.  _“The sister of radiance will do everything in her power to remove the gifted one from this earth. She has been hidden from her all these years but once the knowledge is hers she will seek to kill and destroy her and no one in her path will be spared.  The gifted one must be protected from her at all costs.”_   Rose’s eyes were wide as she listened to Dean read. "Lily couldn't keep you safe or even try and I know how that would have killed me if it were Sam out there after hearing that bit of prophecy.  She felt helpless, powerless to protect one of the people she loves most in the world."  Dean rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand gently.  "She missed you, Sweetheart.  Bad.  And she feels like you didn't care if you ever saw her again." That got Rose looking at him in surprise again and Dean felt like that had hit home with her.  "I'm not trying to argue your side vs. hers.  You both did your fair share of damage to each other once you got home.  But you're leaving hurt her deeply and you need to know that, to understand it or you guys will never get anywhere."

Rose's eyes had dropped to the blankets, focused on their joined hand.  Dean stayed quiet, giving her time to absorb what he'd said, to come to grips with it.  Finally she glanced up and Dean saw what he'd been going for here: realization of what her actions had done to Lily.

"I didn't realize," she said softly and Dean could hear unshed tears in her voice.  "And I should have.  I've been so wrapped up in myself-"

"And you need to be to a certain extent," Dean broke in gently.  "Getting better is job number one, remember?  But you and Lily need to be on the same page or that relationship is never going to heal and you’ll just keep hurting each other." 

"God, I, I practically destroyed my relationship with her," Rose said, some tears spilling over now, making Dean have to move next to her so he could wrap his arms around her.

"Na," he said assuredly.  "The shit me and Sam have done to each other over the years has been pretty awful and we survived."  Dean squeezed her tightly.  "We don't have normal relationships, remember?  Ours are extra fucking durable."

Rose gave him a tentative smile.  "I hope so."

"Trust me," Dean said.  "Talk to her, let her know you understand how much you hurt her and you guys will be able to work it out."  Dean paused then said, "And try not to ever make me have to be the one to tell you something like this in future."  He wiped tears from her cheeks. "I hate making you cry."

Rose snuggled against his chest, soaking up comfort for a minute then she pulled back.  "OK I need to get dressed and go talk to her."

Dean smiled at her and kissed her forehead.  "That's my girl," he said drawing a smile from Rose.  He stood and pulled her to her feet.  "And for the record?  I better be the one you call first in any situation.  That part your sister is just gonna have to get used to.”

“Because I’m yours,” Rose said with a little smile and Dean gave her a quick kiss.

“Exactly.”  He patted her bottom then said, “Now you get dressed and let me call Charlie and see if Lily's there." 

Rose made a face.  "Good idea.  After yesterday if she heard I was coming over she'd probably leave."

Dean gave her a reassuring hug. "You two can fix it, Baby."

Rose gave him a hopeful smile as he walked out hoping with everything she had that he was right. 

Rose pulled on jeans and blue t-shirt adorned with umbrellas and the words “In Omnia Paratus” (Fitting for today she thought.) as she mulled over what Dean had said.  She could do this, she told herself.  She could talk to Lily, apologize and they could fix things.  She could have her sister back.  _Please let me get my sister back,_ she prayed silently, her mind a lot less certain than she wanted to be.

Dean burst through the door just as she was lacing her sneakers up.  “Change of plans, Princess!”

* * *

Driving fast was nothing new to Dean.  He’d raced through streets and tore up the highway more times than he could count.  It had very rarely been for happy reasons.  This was one of the few times he was driving towards a good thing.  Very shortly they were pulling up in front of the hospital and Rose was practically vibrating in her seat in excitement.

“Lily won’t want to see me.  Are you sure it’s OK I’m coming along?” Sam had asked even as his body language practically screamed how much he wanted to come along. 

“Yes!” Rose said her smile huge on her face and her hand darting out to tug at his arm.  “You have to come with, Sam.  You’re family.”  And that had settled it, Sam’s worry easing and Dean’s smiling down at Rose gratefully. 

Dean took Rose's hand and they quickly made their way to Daisy's room with Sam hurrying behind.

“She squeezed your hand?" Rose said immediately when they had barely made it through the door.

Cas glanced up at Rose and nodded. Dean took in the crowd in the room - Bobby, Erin, Lily and Charlie were all there along with Cas and Daisy.  Dean watched as Sam’s eyes immediately flew to Lily, a look of concern on his face.  Lily met his eyes and Dean could see a flood of emotions there before she shuttered them. Dean looked back at Sam then, gauging his reaction.  To anyone else it would have looked like no reaction at all but Dean knew his brother all too well.  He saw the small quirk of his lips and then the furrowing of his brow.  So there was hope but nothing was going to come easily with these two Dean thought with a sigh. 

"So this mean's she's waking up like today right?" Lily asked looking from her mom to Cas.

“Maybe not today,” a voice said from the doorway and they all turned to see a young doctor standing there, smiling at their obvious excitement.  “But very soon.  And this reaction is a good sign.”

The doctor talked a little bit about what they could expect, saying it most likely wouldn’t be today that Daisy woke but in the next few days and that it most likely would be a gradual process. He was obviously encouraged and that came across loud and clear to all assembled there, giving them all a sense of hope.

After the doctor left Rose drifted towards Daisy’s bedside where Lily already was seated in the chair close by.  Dean leaned against the wall and watched Rose perch on the end of the bed, staring at her younger sister.

“She’s still doing OK, right?” she asked softly, looking towards Cas.  The angel nodded.

“She is.”  He thought for a second and added, “She’s stronger than ever now,” and Rose smiled.  Dean noticed that when the doctor had been talking Lily had hung on his every word.  Rose in turn had seemed more interested in what Cas had to day.  That fit them he guessed.  Lily was all hard facts and proof while Rose was more feelings and intuition.  He watched as Cas and Rose carried on a quiet conversation and reminded himself to talk to them later.  He wanted to know when exactly they’d started getting along.

Dean looked up as Bobby walked up to him.  “You gonna be here awhile?”

Dean glanced at Rose.  She’d want to stay for a bit he figured and she wanted to talk to Lily.  There was no reason they couldn’t do that here. 

“Yeah, I think so.”

“I’m gonna take Erin back then and get some food.”  Dean glanced at Erin, seeing the circles under her eyes.  The hospital visits and the stress seemed to be catching up with her.

“You guys go take the night off,” Dean said.  “One of us will stay here.”

“Are you sure?” Erin asked.  She glanced over at the hospital bed, her eyes lingering on her three daughters.

“Positive,” Dean said.  “We’ve got it handled.”

Bobby gave him a grateful smile and a clap on the shoulder as he passed, ushering Erin out.  “Thanks, Son,” he said gruffly.

As soon as they left Dean approached the bed.  “I’m gonna run down to the cafeteria and get us some lunch.  You want anything, Lil?”

She nodded.  “Sure.  I’m not picky.  You know that.”  Dean glanced at Rose who started to shake her head. He gave her a look and she sighed and nodded, Lily watching the interaction curiously. 

Dean gave Rose a quick kiss on the forehead, whispering “You’ve got his, Sweetheart,” in her ear before heading towards the door.

“Want some help?” Charlie offered and Dean nodded and Sam came along as well.  Dean stopped and looked at Cas.  “Hey Cas?  You want to come with us?  Stretch your legs maybe?”

Cas looked confused.  “No Dean, my legs are fine, thank you.”

Dean rolled his eyes.  He looked meaningfully at the sisters hoping Cas would catch on which of course he didn’t.  “Cas, just come with us, OK?”  Dean finally asked with a sigh.

Still looking confused Cas got up and went with the group.

Dean stopped at the door, taking one quick look at the three girls together.  _Work it out,_ he begged them silently.  Then he closed the door behind himself.

“Not very subtle are they?” Lily said dryly and Rose smiled.

“Not in the slightest.  I’m pretty sure at least two of those people don’t even know the meaning of that word.”

The two were silent a moment, both their eyes back on Daisy then Lily shot Rose a curious look.

“So what’s up with you and food?”

Rose startled, surprised by Lily’s bluntness.  She shouldn’t have been, she’d been around it her entire life but it had been awhile since she’s dealt with it.

She shrugged.  “I’m just not hungry.”

Lily frowned.  “Like ever?”  This concept was unfathomable to Lily.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Rose said.

“That sucks.”

Rose half smiled.  “Yeah, Pretty much,” she repeated.  She glanced down nervously at her hands then back up at her older sister.  “I’m sorry,” she said softly.  “I never really got how much I hurt you.”  Her eyes were open and honest and Lily could clearly see the regret there.  “I know I did and I can’t change that but trust me that it was the last thing I’d ever want to do.  You’re my big sister, Lil and I…I love you so much the fact that I hurt you-“

“Hey no,” Lily was out of her chair then and wrapping her arms around her sister.  “No, I’m sorry.  I was a world class bitch to you and then I didn’t really even give you a chance to _be_ sorry I was so busy telling you off.  I’m pretty good at that.”  Rose laughed softly through the tears she now had on her face, as she stood so she could properly hug her sister.  God, how long had it been since this had happened?

“Not with me though,” Rose pointed out.  “Not usually anyway.”

“Yeah and you usually confide in me,” Lily said pulling back.

“I know,” Rose said.  “Can I, can we sit and I’ll tell you-”

“Yes, please,” Lily replied in a rush, taking her seat again and motioning to Rose who went and took Cas’ recently departed chair.  Both girls pulled their chairs up as close as possible to Daisy’s hospital bed, the blond between them as they spilled their hearts out. 

“I panicked,” Rose admitted.  “I woke up in what felt like a nightmare.  All this awful stuff had happened and all I could think was how I was this target and all of you were in danger because of me.  Leaving seemed logical.”

Lily nodded.  “I can see why you’d think that.  I mean it’s not true but I can see how at the time…”

“I didn’t want to leave,” Rose admitted.  “And I defiantly didn’t want to leave you.  There were so many times when I was out there on my own and all I wanted was to call you, to have you there beside me.”  Rose brushed some tears aside.  “I hated not being able to talk to you.”

There were tears on Lily’s face now too as she said, “I hated the thought of you being out there on your own.  I was so scared something would happen.”

Words poured out, emotions flowed freely and finally the sisters opened up to each other.

“…should have seen Dean’s face when I told him about your license!”

“…bed and breakfast.  You need to go meet her.”

“I can’t believe Danny showed up.”

“Yeah, you and me both.  I thought I was dead before he got there.”

“He and Dean were totally combustible.”

“God, Lil the hunter in Kansas City…”

“Yeah, Dean broke his nose.”

“What??”

* * *

“I don’t understand why I had to come with you, Dean,” Cas complained.  “I don’t need to eat.”

Dean rolled his eyes as he took a bite of his cheeseburger.  He’d tried to explain but Cas seemed so on edge at having to leave Daisy’s side Dean wasn’t sure he’d even heard him.  Sam tried this time.

“Lily and Rose need to talk,” he explained.  “If they have an audience it’s going to make that less likely to happen.”

Cas seemed to think that over.  “Daisy was adamant that she wanted them to make up,” he allowed and seemed to relax slightly.  Dean couldn’t help but smirk at that.  It was pretty clear that what Daisy wanted she got with Cas. 

“You think it’ll work?” Sam asked looking at his brother.  Dean took another bite and chewed thoughtfully for a moment before answering. 

“Yeah, I think so.”  He took a swig of soda then continued.  “Rosie’s in the right frame of mind so as long as Lily doesn’t blast her I think they’ll be OK.”

“I don’t think Lily will do that,” Charlie offered.  “She was really upset after yesterday.  She never even came home last night.”  That got all eyes turned her way and Charlie suddenly looked distinctly uncomfortable, realizing how that sounded.

Dean glanced at Sam and seeing the look on his face Dean asked the question.  “Where was she?”

Charlie shook her head and ate a French fry.  “She didn’t say.  Just said therapy went badly and she probably wouldn’t be home.  I didn’t see her till she came and picked me up this morning.”  Charlie had just gotten out of the shower when Lily called, wanting to know if she wanted to go get some coffee and breakfast.  The two of them had been sitting at Starbucks when Lily had gotten the call about Daisy.  They’d practically flown to the hospital.

Dean met Sam’s eyes and he could see the look of confusion and worry there.  He saw Cas moving out of the corner of his eye then and picked up on the angels’ sudden discomfort. 

“Cas?”  Cas’s eyes cut his way then slid away quickly.  “You know something about this?”  The angels’ eyes darted around the crowded cafeteria.  They’d gotten down here not long before the lunch hour rush and by the time they had gotten food (A cheeseburger for Dean, a chicken sandwich for Charlie and a salad for Sam) and sat down at a table it had filled up with people grabbing food and talking loudly.  “Cas?” Dean asked again and the angel sighed.

“I may,” Cas said.  “But I swore I wouldn’t say.”  Dean opened his mouth to let Cas know how very not OK that was but Cas turned to Sam before Dean could get a word out.  “She wasn’t with another man.  She was with a large group of people and then alone for the rest of the night.  She was seeking comfort but not in the way you imagined.”

“Thanks, Cas,” Sam said giving Cas a small smile then fixing his eyes on his salad.  It wasn’t that he thought Lily would just hop into bed with some other guy; He had more faith in her than that.  But he had to admit his heart had skipped a beat when Charlie had said she was out all night.

“And you know this how?” Dean demanded and Cas turned to him.

“Because Daisy talked to her, visited her,” he said as if this was such an obvious fact that Dean should have known it. 

Dean rubbed his forehead in agitation.  “Damn, I’ll be glad when she’s awake and statements like that won’t confuse me.”

“I feel safe in saying that Lily too is in a mindset to talk,” Cas said smugly and Dean eyed him for a second, made a face at him, then with a shake of his head went back to his cheeseburger.

* * *

“Why didn’t you tell me about Chastity?” Lily asked the one thing that she truly didn’t understand.

Rose bit her lip and finally tried to explain.  “We share just about everything, Lil and that’s great, I mean I know that,” Rose hastened to assure her sister.  But sometimes I want something just for me, you know?”  Lily didn’t look like that made sense to her so Rose continued.  “I was selfish with her.  I wanted someone in my life who saw me as me, not just your sister.”  Lily looked confused and Rose smiled.  “Lil, you’re fairly dynamic.  There are a lot of times when I feel invisible when you’re around and most of the time I’m OK with that.  I don’t want to be the star of the show. But sometimes I just…I want someone who I’m first with.”  Lily mulled that over and Rose wasn’t sure if it would make any difference but at least Lily wasn’t arguing with her.  “You guys, you and Sam and Dean you’re all so strong and amazing and can do all this incredible stuff.  And I’ve always just been sweet little Rosie who stays home and cooks for everyone.  A real nobody compared to you guys.”  Rose fidgeted with her hair for a second.  “It was different with Chastity.  And Ryan,” she added softer.

Lily winced.  OK that she had to apologize for that but first…

“Rose you’re not invisible.  You’ve always been amazing in your own way.”  Rose started to shake her head and Lily gave her a challenging look.  “Don’t believe me?  Then just check out the way Dean looks at you sometime.  You’re not a nobody, Rosie.  You never have been.”  Rose gave her a soft smile and Lily took a breath, reaching across the bed and grabbing Rose’s hand.  “I’m sorry for what I said about Ryan to you, for making it sound like his death was no big deal.  It was a shitty thing to say and I know that.”  Lily bit her lip then said, “I was just…I was upset and worried about how you were acting and having a hard time dealing with the fact you had this whole other part of your life I knew nothing about.”  Lily shook her head.  “But it doesn’t excuse me saying something that horrible.”

“-being tortured…”

“I still can’t believe that happened to you.”

“Me either.”

“Daisy showed me what happened to you,” Lily confessed and Rose’s eyes widened.

“She can do that?” Rose breathed and Lily nodded.

“Yeah, looks like “dreams” is a pretty expansive description,” Lily said dryly with air quotes.  She took a breath then said, “I can’t even begin to understand how you must feel after that.  I mean seeing it was awful enough but you…damn, if you ever try and tell me you aren’t tough.”  Lily shook her head.

“I’m sorry you had to see it.”  Rose looked at their joined hands thoughtfully then looking back up she gave her sister a little half smile.  “I figured you would have handled it a whole lot better, been able to get away or fight back somehow.”

Lily looked at her sister in stunned silence.  Then finally she gripped Rose’s hand tightly and said, “Rosie, I’ve never been tortured which I’m beginning to realize puts me in an elite little club in this family.”  That got a small smile from Rose.  “I know, how fucked up are we all that torture is normal?”  Lily gave a small shake of her head.  “But there’s no way I…Sweetie, she cut you and dug that knife in so many times and you didn’t even tell her-“ Lily stopped, unable to put into words what she’d seen.  “I’d have folded.  No way I could have taken that,” Lily admitted.  Rose looked unsure and Lily pressed on.  “If you’re comparing yourself to me here then you’re wrong.  We’re not even in the same ballpark.  No way could I go through that and not beg her to kill me in a heartbeat.”  Lily hesitated then added, “And God, Rosie the things she said to you…”

“I still…I can’t help but feel guilty over all the kids…” Rose admitted and Lily immediately shook her head.

“Don’t.  That’s not on you.  Not at all.”  And while that in no way wiped Rose’s guilt away the fact that the two people she trusted and admired most had both immediately told her she wasn’t at fault did ease the ache a little.

The girls talked for well over two hours sharing all that happened while they were apart.  Well almost all.  If they were honest both women held back a few things, not out of any mistrust or malice but more so because in both their cases there were a few things they hadn’t discussed with anyone and weren’t quite ready to.  That would come in time.  And there were small details, minor stories left out that would be filled in as the days went on.  But for the first time in a long time it felt like they were on the same page again when for so long they hadn’t even been in the same book.  There were a lot of tears shed by both women and more than a few laughs thrown in.  Over all it was a wonderful homecoming for two people who loved each other very much.

“You really hurt me when you shut me out like you did,” Lily confessed and Rose couldn’t hide the pain that caused her; It was written all over her face.

“I’m so sorry, Lil.  I was really messed up.”  She bit her lip and said, “I swear I thought I was doing the best thing for everyone-”

“By pushing me and Dean away so we wouldn’t be targets,” Lily finished.  “Sam told me.  Did you really think that would work with either of us?”

“Logic and reasoning were not my strong points at the time,” Rose admitted.

“And me pushing probably didn’t help make things easier,” Lily said.  “I just couldn’t help it.  I wanted you to be you again so badly and was convinced if I just kept trying…”

“And the more you pushed the more frustrated I got.”

“Well, you can’t say we’re not both stubborn,” Lily said and they both laughed.

"I'm sorry I pushed too hard," Lily said and those were words Rose never expected to hear come out of her sisters’ mouth.  "I kept thinking if you could just get past what happened...but that's stupid because it's not that easy." Lily looked at her regretfully. "We’re supposed to make things easier for each other, not harder and I failed.” Lily looked truly ashamed of herself. “I'm sorry, Rosie I should have been more patient, given you more time and been more understanding."

Rose smiled at her and squeezed her hand.  "I didn't know what I needed, Lil and couldn't exactly tell you.  It's partly why I shoved everyone away.  That and trying to keep you and Dean safe." Rose bit her lip then admitted, “I never thought about how hard it must have been for you, to have me out there knowing I was in danger and unable to help me. And to make matters worse Dean said all the prophecies that came out were pretty horrible.”  Rose gave her a regret filled look.  “You’ve spent your entire life protecting me, even when I didn’t really need it.” Lily smiled at the truth of that statement – She could rival Dean for over protectiveness. “And the one time I’m really in danger I run so you can’t protect me.  I’m sorry, Lil.   I should have realized how that would make you feel.”

Lily gave her a smile and squeezed her hand, grateful that Rose understood it had been horrible for her too.  She may not have been the one running or the one being tortured but in many ways it would have been easier for her if she had been.  Knowing someone you love is in distress and being unable to help them is the worst kind of pain.

“I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you when I called too.”  Rose hesitated before admitting, “If I’m honest I didn’t really want to call at all.  Chastity made me when I told her the truth about my situation.”

“I still can’t believe you told her everything.”  Lily didn’t want to fight anymore but that fact was hard for her to swallow.

“I was putting her in danger by being there.  I owed her the truth,” Rose explained. “And Lil, I trust her.  Like you trust Charlie.”  Lily kept her expression open, trying to understand. “She’s strong and she’s loyal.  I really think you’d like her, Lil.  Once you got to know her.”

Lily didn’t touch on that for now, instead saying, “Mom pointed out to me that I would have flipped out on you if you’d called me,” she admitted and Rose smiled.

“You’re not known for being calm, Lil.” Lily tipped her head in acknowledgement of this fact.  “I wasn’t wrong for calling Dean,” Rose said delicately and Lily watched her closely, seeming to get Rose was trying to find a balance in this part of her life, between Dean and Lily without making either less important.  That was a tall order. “He’s my boyfriend.  He’s the one I’m supposed to call, Lil.  Just maybe next time, not that there should ever be a next time like this,” Rose hastened to add and Lily nodded her head firmly.  “Next time I’ll send you a message too.” 

Lily nodded, not loving that plan but doing her best to accept it.  She was tired of fighting with her sister. 

“Just make it a good one, one that only we’ll understand,” Lily said and Rose nodded with a grin.

“So you and Dean are…” Lily left the sentence hanging and Rose smiled.

“We’re good, still working out things from all of this.” She waved her hand to encompass the past few months.  “But we’re good, we’re…” Rose searched for the best way to explain it.  “We’re us,” she settled on finally.  “We’re us like I always dreamed we would be only better.”  Lily took in Rose’s smile, the light that shone in her eyes when she talked about Dean and knew that despite everything else she was well and truly happy with him.  And Lily was happy for her even if she did feel the slightest twinge of jealousy. 

“So now if I ask if you two are serious the answer would be-”

“We’re serious,” Rose said definitively getting a thumbs up from Lily.  She hesitated then asked, “You and Sam-” and Lily cut her off with a shake of her head.

“We’re not…anything now,” Lily said sadly. “Aside from apart, I guess.”

“And sad,” Rose said and Lily looked at her sharply.  “I live with him,” she said softly. “I see how he feels.”

“And Daisy’s with an angel,” Lily said, rapidly changing the subject. 

“We need a girl’s night for sure,” Rose said and Lily grinned.

“Definitely.  Once the brat wakes up we’ll do that.”

“With Charlie?” Rose asked and Lily looked surprised. “She’s your friend and like you pointed out – She’s family to the boys so she’s family to us.  Plus? I like her.”

“OK, with Charlie too.”  Lily hesitated then asked, “Why aren’t you jealous or threatened by her?  I mean, try as I might I can’t help but feel that way about Chastity.”

Rose smiled.  “Because there are a few things and a few people I am utterly and completely sure of in this world.  One would be the handsome guy who drove me here.”  Rose smiled that crazy in love smile again and despite her own heartbreak Lily couldn’t help but smile in return.  Rose squeezed her hand then, their hands still joined over Daisy’s legs.  “The other would be you.  You’re my big sister and you’re my best friend.  Nothing and nobody changes that.”

“I thought Chastity was your best friend,” Lily sniffed, some of her disdain sneaking in despite her best efforts.

“Chastity is my best friend, but a different kind than you,” Rose explained and Lily raised a questioning eyebrow.  “Chastity I found.  We met and clicked and were best friends.  She knows me, knows my secrets.  But you are the best friend I was born having.  Not everyone gets one of those.  I’m one of the lucky ones.”  Rose squeezed her hand meaningfully.  “You not only know me now, you’ve known me from the minute I was born.  Think about that silly game we played with the boys.  You think there’s another person alive who could get those questions right?”  Lily shook her head, looking proud of that fact and Rose smiled.  “One of you doesn’t negate the need for the other, Lil. I promise.  So why would Charlie make me feel threatened?  She may be your friend, and I’m really glad she is.  I’m glad she helped you when you needed it and that you have another listening ear.  But she won’t ever be me and Chastity won’t ever be you.  And this,” she held up their joined hands, “Is something no one can ever come between. We’re sisters.”  Lily watched as Rose dropped their hands back to the bed and felt the truth behind Rose’s words.  History was hard to beat and they had plenty of it and a bond that despite the damage they’d inflicted on each other recently that could never be severed.

“Well said, little sister.”  The two shared a happy smile and Rose suddenly noticed the shirt Lily was wearing.

“Hey, we match,” she said, motioning to her own shirt and Lily looked surprised, glancing down at her own then let out a small laugh.  Lily’s shirt had an umbrella on it as well, hers with the phrase, “You jump, I jump, Jack.”  True they liked a lot of the same shows but they had scores of shirts between them.  What were the chances they would wear ones from the same show, much less the same scene on this day?

“Great minds right?” Lily said with a grin and Rose nodded. 

“I want you to meet Chastity and Emma,” Rose offered gently and Lily winced.  It was going to take her time, if she ever got there, not to see this woman as someone who had stolen her sister.  “Not right away, but maybe around the holidays?”

“Maybe?” Lily ventured and Rose nodded, accepting that for now.  “I’m surprised they haven’t come barging back in by now,” Lily said glancing at the door.  “Cas has hardly left Daisy’s side this whole time.”

“Dean texted me not long after they left,” Rose said, looking at her phone now. “Saying to take our time.”  She giggled.  “He had to throw in a cocky bit about how many guys can hold off an angel for you of course.”  Lily laughed at that then Rose added, “Though about fifteen minutes ago he texted again to say Cas is getting antsy.”

Lily looked at her curiously then.  “So who talked to you?”  Rose looked surprised and Lily rolled her eyes.  “Come on, with two people as stubborn as us someone had to step in and family therapy obviously was not a success.  So who was it?”

“Dean,” Rose admitted and it was Lily’s turn to look surprised.  She definitely hadn’t expected he would be the one to talk to Rose about them.  “He pointed out the similarities between our relationship and his and Sam’s and made me see how he would feel in your place.”  Rose winced.  “He painted a very vivid picture.  What about you?” Rose asked curiously.

“Oh I got a barrel load of Daisy telling me off in my dream,” Lily said.  “Remember how mad she was that time I tried to play match maker with her and Jamie, that boy she liked in her class?”  Rose nodded, remembering well how embarrassed and in turn angry Daisy had been at Lily.  She’d yelled at her, thrown things at her and then refused to speak to her for a week.  “Oh she was about that level of angry.  And man, she pulled a mom level job on the guilt trip.  Jesus, think Cas has any idea what he’s gotten himself into?”  Lily grinned at Rose and Rose returned it.

“Not even,” Rose said.  “But it’ll be fun to watch.”

The two were giggling together, partly because of Rose’s comment but mostly because it was just so good to be together again, when Cas appeared beside Rose suddenly, making both women jump.

“Guess he got tired of waiting,” Lily said dryly.  “Hey!”

Cas grabbed both their free hands without a word and pushed them towards Daisy’s hands.  They instinctively grasped them and only then did Cas speak.  “She needs you.”  Even before his words were out a small glow was emanating from the three women.  Rose looked at Lily, her eyes as wide as Lily had ever seen them and she was sure they matched the surprised expression on her own face.  As she watched Rose’s eyes drifted closed and she slumped forward across the bed and with a sigh Lily gave in and went with it, allowing her own eyes to close and the warm feeling to wash over her as she dropped across the bed next to her sisters.

The door to the room crashed open then to reveal Dean in the door frame looking alarmed with Sam just behind him.  “Cas, what the hell-” He stopped short upon seeing the sisters passed out in a heap with a glow emanating from them.  “Oh great. This again.”


	79. And We Never Even Know We Have the Key

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Wizard's Playground, Teenage Dean Thoughts & Adult Dean Thoughts too (In this case the teenage ones are way more fun.)

"I'll give you points for drama," Lily said glancing around.  All she could see for miles was a sea of red, red flowers actually, poppies to be precise.  Seated amidst the poppies were her sisters, both dressed in long, white, gauzy dresses similar to the one she wore and in the distance was a city that shimmered with a lustrous green light, an actual emerald city.  "You drug us onto a movie set, Days?  Really?"

Daisy shrugged a completely unapologetic smile on her face.  "It's my favorite.  These powers cause enough problems; they come with some perks too and I for one intend to use them."

"Ok but if some ugly ass green witch comes and tries to get these beauties off me I'm blaming you."  Lily nudged her sister with her toe, unable to stop herself from admiring the ruby red of her shoe, of all their shoes.  Daisy and her matchy matchy outfits.  Lily rolled her eyes and dropped down next to her sisters in the flowers.  “I guess I should be glad you didn’t have us all in blue gingham pinafores.” Daisy’s eyes lit up at that thought and a wide grin spread across her face as Lily shot her a warning glare.  “Don’t even think about it.”

"Wicked ruined this movie for me," Rose admitted, drawing her sisters attention away from their clothes as she leaned back in the poppies. "I feel bad for the wicked witch now that I know she's Elphaba."

"Oh no, you just have to separate the two," Daisy said earnestly.  "Just look at them as completely sep-"

"Hey guys?” Lily interrupted.  “Can we save the movie dissection for another time? Preferably when we're all conscious."

"You're no fun, Lily," Daisy said with a pout. "I haven't seen you two together forever and ever."

"I know, brat," Lily said poking Daisy's arm.  "But I don't think you brought us here to discuss wicked witches." Lily paused. "Then again with our life maybe you did."

"What _did_ you bring us here for, Daisy?" Rose asked curiously.

Daisy let out a very put upon sigh.  “So seeing you two isn’t reason enough?  I have to have a life altering event or earth shattering news to justify bringing you here?”  She gave an impatient wave of her hand and Lily and Rose blinked in surprise when they found themselves back in their own kitchen.  But this time Daisy thought with satisfaction they were all there, all in their right places.  Lily was in her seat, Daisy was perched on the counter and Rose was leaning up against it.  She gave a satisfied nod of her head.  Finally.

Rose glanced down at herself, noting she was back in jeans and her t-shirt.  “Aw, I liked that dress,” she said in disappointment and Lily had to laugh.

“I liked the shoes,” she admitted when Rose looked up at her and they shared a grin and Daisy felt another little wave of satisfaction.  These were her sisters acting like themselves again and Daisy was partly responsible for bringing them back together.  She considered giving herself an actual pat on the back but stopped herself when she decided that would be too weird.

“Some people are just never happy,” Daisy said rolling her eyes at her sisters dramatically.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s us,” Lily said dryly.  “Cute shirt, copycat.”

Daisy glanced down at her own Gilmore Girls shirt, festooned with a line of coffee mugs.  “Um, hello this is whose dream?”  She stuck her tongue out at her oldest sister.

“You and your obsession with everything matching,” Lily said poking Daisy’s leg.

“She likes things to match too!” Daisy protested pointing at Rose.

“Yeah but-”

“Hey guys?” Rose broke in and her sisters both stopped and looked at her.  “Pretty sure we’re getting off topic again.”

“Oh.  Right.”  Lily looked at Daisy curiously.  “OK brat.  Did you really just want to see us or is there something else going on?”

Daisy bit her lip and looked down at her lap for a second.  When she glanced back up at her sisters she looked slightly hesitant, a bit tentative.

“I did want to see you.  But I need something from you too.”

* * *

"She won’t be taking you along this time,” Cas said and Dean glanced at him sharply.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he demanded, stalking towards the angel.  He stopped right by Rose and reached out a hand towards her but Cas stopped him.

“Don’t touch her, Dean.  You’ll get pulled in and this isn’t for you.”

Charlie appeared in the doorway then, gasping for air. “Is….everything….OK?” she managed between deep intakes of air.  Sam reached out to her and drew her towards the couch and Charlie dropped onto it gratefully.

“Oh yeah, everything is fine,” Dean said sarcastically.  “Cas just flew up here to what, help them all along on some astral dream trip?”

“I didn’t fly,” Cas said evenly.  “And yes, I wanted to make sure they all went along smoothly.”  He smiled down at Daisy.  “I didn’t want any more stress on her than necessary.  She’s so close to waking.”

“Uh Cas, maybe next time why don’t you try and tell us that?” Sam suggested and Cas nodded slowly, finally sensing everyone’s alarm.

“I thought some crazy shit was going down, that Daisy had relapsed or some demon had gotten in here…” Dean dropped back against the wall just behind the chair Rose was in, almost in Cas’ normal spot, his eyes fixed firmly on Rose.

“Oh no, Daisy just needed her sisters and I wished to facilitate it,” Cas said and Dean rolled his eyes.

“Next time,” Charlie huffed out, still getting her breath back.  “How about you bring me with you?”  She looked at Cas who nodded as she waved a hand towards the boys.  “I can’t keep up with these two.”

“How long is this gonna take?” Dean asked grumpily and Sam could hear the worry he was trying to hide.

Cas cocked his head to the side.  “Not long,” he finally said and Dean gave an impatient noise and crossed his arms, continuing to stare at Rose.

"Good 'cause if a nurse comes in this is gonna be hard to explain," Dean muttered.  "Did they talk?  Did they work things out?" he asked after a minute, eyeing the sisters collapsed across Daisy's bed.  He saw Sam out of the corner of his eye hovering just behind Lily.  His eyes were on her and Dean could almost feel the longing spilling out of him.  He started to reach a hand out towards her then remembering Cas' warning he folded his arms across his chest, almost seeming to have to hold himself back. 

Charlie watched the three men surrounding the bed and couldn't help but smile.  The way they hovered there so protectively, all so focused on the three women in front of them.  One family had taken out the Winchesters and an angel. Not bad, Charlie mused, pretty impressive actually.  Another thought occurred to her then - The power in this room, the things they could all do were nothing short of mind blowing, completely off the scale.  This was probably the one group that could make Charlie feel positively normal.

"I believe so," Cas said in answer to Dean’s question.  He paused then smiled.  "Daisy's happy."

"So what is this?" Dean asked motioning to the three women.  "A dream, a vision, did Daisy just want to chat?"  Cas just looked at Dean impassively not saying anything and after a moment Dean huffed out impatiently, "What?"

"It's between Daisy and her sisters."  Dean looked ready to protest and Cas said, "Daisy's power, Daisy's rules."

Dean rolled his eyes and muttered something about the nerve of some people.  "Munchkin is on a fucking power trip."

Cas cocked his head to the side for a second, making that expression he did that made Dean feel like he was hearing a voice only he could hear.

“The Munchkin” And Dean had to smile at Cas making air quotes.  Who knew he even knew how to do that? “Said to tell you she is not on a power trip.  She just needs something from her sisters.”  Cas paused then added, “And she says you need to take a chill pill.”

Charlie let out a giggle at that and she and Sam shared a grin as Dean shot Cas a decidedly unamused look. 

* * *

“That’s it?” Lily asked as the glow that had been emanating from Daisy died down.  Daisy opened her eyes and gave a nod of her head and Lily and Rose both pulled their hands back from where they had been resting on Daisy’s shoulders.

“Huh,” Lily said sitting back and looking nonplussed.  “I figured we’d feel something, like a drain or a pull.”

“Yeah, me too,” Rose admitted and Daisy smiled at them both.

“Nope, I didn’t take anything from you.  I just needed…” Daisy paused thinking of how best to explain it.  “Think of it as a realignment.  You could say I needed our powers to sync back together.  Between you two being all bitchy with each other and me being attacked things were just slightly out of whack.”

“What does us not getting along have to do with your powers?” Lily demanded.

“Our powers are connected, Lily,” Daisy said giving her oldest sister a look that made it clear she thought she should know that already.  “When you guys were being so mean to each other it caused a disruption in the energy.”

“She sounds just like Mom,” Lily said glancing at Rose.  “Doesn’t she?” Rose nodded and Lily glanced back at Daisy.  “You sound just like Mom with all the energy shit.  I swear if you start waving crystals around…”  Daisy just pursed her lips and stared back at Lily.  “So if we get pissed at each other then our powers won’t work?” Lily waved a hand at Rose. “Sorry, but I watched her throw shit around the room while she was angry at me.”

“I’m not saying they won’t work,” Daisy corrected her.  “They just won’t be as strong, as fluid as they can be.  Do some homework sometime, Lily.  It’s not a coincidence there’s three of us.  It’s a pretty powerful number.  Our powers work better when we’re in sync and they at their best when we’re together.”

“And you’re good now?” Rose asked somewhat anxiously.  She’d had enough issues with her own powers.  That last thing she wanted was for Daisy’s to be messed up.  If what Daisy said was true she wondered if she’d see any change in her powers now that she and Lily were no longer at odds with each other.

“I’m good,” Daisy said reaching out and squeezing Rose’s hand reassuringly.

“So you’ll wake up now?” Daisy shook her head and Lily frowned.  “Why not?”

“Soon,” was all Daisy said and Lily narrowed her eyes at her.

“What are you and Cas getting up to in this…this mind palace of yours?” she asked suspiciously.

“Oh good reference!” Rose applauded and Daisy rolled her eyes again.

“I am not Sherlock, Lily.  And we’re not getting up to anything,” Daisy objected her cheeks reddening despite her best efforts to stop them. “Just now that I’m back in sync with you two we want to make sure everything is good, all systems go.”

Lily just continued to look at her then glanced at Rose with a sly smile.  “She’s blushing.”

Rose nodded with a smile of her own.  “She is.”

“I’m pretty sure that means Daisy has been having some sexy, naked time with an angel,” Lily said wiggling her eyebrows and making Rose laugh.

“You guys.  That’s not true.  Stop,” Daisy whined but her sisters ignored her.

“We may just have to have a word with him,” Lily said thoughtfully.  “Make sure his intentions are good.”

“Oh my God, you two stop!” Daisy had a look of abject horror on her face at the thought of them saying anything to Cas.  She would die.

“Well he did marry her,” Rose pointed out.

“That’s true,” Lily said thoughtfully. “He gets points for creativity that’s for sure.”

“I swear I am going to give you dreams about naked clown’s line dancing if you don’t stop!” Daisy burst out in frustration.  Her sisters stared at her in startled surprise for a second then burst out laughing and after a moment Daisy couldn’t help but join in.  Finally their giggles subsided and Lily smiled at her youngest sister.

“We miss you, Days and as good as this is,” she waved a hand around at their surroundings. “We miss seeing you for real.”

“Soon,” Daisy promised.  “Very soon I’ll be awake and you’ll be sick of me.”

Lily gave her a big hug and Rose joined in.  “We can’t wait,” Rose assured her.

* * *

Sam couldn’t keep his eyes off of Lily.  Having her this close and not being able to touch her, knowing that even when she woke up she’d be keeping her distance - It was a new form of torture.  Sam sighed and stretched his legs out in front of him from his spot against the wall.  At least she’d responded to his text.  _"Thanks, Sam.  That means a lot."_   Not exactly a breakthrough there but she’d answered him, had accepted his words.  That was something right?

God, why did he have to fall in love with a woman who didn’t want him to protect her?  Why’d he have to love someone who wanted to be there fighting right alongside of him?  It would have been so much easier if she just wanted to stay at home, do research, not put herself in danger.  But a small part of him knew, admitted with no small amount of reluctance that one of the things that had always attracted him to Lily was that she didn’t want that; she wanted to be his equal, wanted to be by his side or hell, if she had her way probably out in front of him.  He loved that about her, he admitted to himself.  Not only was her spirit, that fire inside her sexy as hell but it was nice to have someone who didn’t look at him as a hero, as a savior, but just as a man.

So how did he explain all this to her?  How did he make her see that he loved her as she was while at the same time it scared him?  He didn’t want to change her.  Despite what Lily thought he didn’t want that.  He knew his reaction had been over the top and after talking it out with Dean he saw why he’d had such a strong one.  Now he just needed to talk it out with her.  And they needed to talk about the prophecy too he admitted. He’d give her a little bit, make sure she was past the anger and then they’d talk.  They’d work this out, Sam thought confidently.  They had to.

“Hey Dean,” Sam said, drawing his brothers gaze away from Rose for a second.  “We never got them any food.”  Dean cursed softly.  They’d been planning on picking up food on the way out but in the panic that ensued when Cas stood and announced Daisy needed him and then just disappeared that had been forgotten.  (And that whole fiasco had caused a stir – One man standing up and disappearing and the other three people seated with him running from the room.  Thank God hospitals were use to chaos though Sam had to imagine that whole scene had been weird enough to be noticed.) “Want me to go back and get them something?” Dean nodded and Charlie stood up with a sigh, figuring she’d come along to help.  “What should I get Rose?”  Normally Sam would know the answer to that question himself but with her eating issues at the moment he wasn’t sure what the right choice would be.

“Get her some French fries.  And if they have mac and cheese.”  Sam made a face, thinking that was quite possibly the most unhealthy lunch combination he’d ever heard of but he didn’t argue, just headed out with Charlie to get the food.

"So you and Rose seem to have worked your differences out," Dean commented turning to the angel and Cas nodded.

"We had an enlightening conversation," Cas conceded.  "I believe we came to a mutual understanding."  Well that didn’t tell him much, Dean thought with a sigh.  Obviously he’d have to ask Rose if he wanted a straight answer.

Dean studied Cas who was hovering by Daisy’s bed side, not unlike how he’d done in the time she’d been out but with a different aura about him.  He was nervous Dean realized and thinking about it he had to figure he knew why. 

“You nervous about Days waking up?” he asked and Cas looked taken aback by Dean’s observation then slowly he nodded.  “Because you two haven’t been, uh, together in real life right?”  Cas nodded again.  “Hey man, just remember you worked through that whole her not knowing you two were married thing.  You worked that out so I think you can handle just about anything.”

Cas gave Dean a small smile and looked somewhat less anxious and Dean settled back to wait for the girls to wake up.

* * *

“She squeezed our hands,” Rose said softly and Dean smiled at the happy look on her face.  “And soon, so soon, she’s gonna be back here with us talking and oh Dean, she’s so cute when you talk about Cas to her.  She blushes and is just adorable.”

It was a few hours later and Dean had Rose snuggled up on the couch with him.  She and Lily had woken up just after Sam and Charlie had gotten back with food for them.  They’d eaten, Rose with a little nudging from Dean as usual and then everyone but Sam had left.  Both girls had wanted to stay but Cas had assured them Daisy wouldn’t be waking that day.  Dean hadn’t missed the glance that passed between Rose and Lily and wondered if they didn’t know more than they were sharing.  Charlie and Lily had gone back to their place and Dean and Rose had come back to the bunker and Rose had napped on the couch with Dean and just woken minutes earlier.

“She blushes huh?”  Dean ran a thumb over her cheek.  “I seem to know someone else who does that too.  Must be a family thing.”  He winked at her and Rose giggled burrowing her head against his chest.  Dean couldn’t help but grin at her now.  She was warm and sleepy, cuddled in his arms and looking so happy it made him ache.  “Daisy does really seem to like him a lot,” Dean agreed and Rose opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself.  Instead she snuggled against him, burrowing down into the couch.  “It’s kinda funny thinking of her being married,” Dean mused.  “I mean she’s just a baby.”  Rose let out a little snort and Dean looked at her.  “What?”

“Dean, she’s not a baby.  I mean, yeah she’s young to be married but Daisy’s always kind of been the odd sister out when it comes to relationships.”  Rose let her hands wander over Dean’s chest as she spoke and Dean was just thinking they could stop talking now.  Sam was out, they had the bunker to themselves…and then Rose said, “I mean Lily had God knows how many guys by Daisy’s age and I’d had…I don’t know….quite a few boyfriends already too.”

Dean growled and leaned down and caught Rose’s lips, his arms wrapping around her tightly.   His mouth was hot and demanding on hers, one large hand splayed across her lower back.  Rose was slightly surprised by Dean’s reaction.  He knew she’d had previous boyfriends and he’d never reacted like this before.  She let herself enjoy the kiss then once his lips moved onto her neck she ran her hands through Dean’s hair and asked about it.

“What’s with the jealousy, Dean?  We’ve discussed past boyfriends before.”

Dean paused, his lips at the edge of her neckline, lips hovering just over the swell of her breasts.  He stayed there as he considered her question.  It was true.  He knew Rose had boyfriends before him and he’d never felt this surge of jealousy before.  His lips brushed over her skin softly and Rose let out a soft noise and Dean decided introspection about his reaction to the mention of her ex's could wait.  He sat up and tugged his shirt off, his eyes never leaving Rose.  Her eyes were first curious at his reaction then interested as he stripped his shirt off.  He smiled as he watched her eyes roam over him.  He had to admit the hungry look in her eyes stroked his ego, made him feel better as he was constantly craving her.  He at back on his heels and tugged her hand and motioned where he wanted her.

“Come here,” he said, pulling her slightly so she knew he wanted her on her back and Rose moved, putting her legs on either side of his hips.  He smiled down at her for a second then reached out and tugged at the hem of her shirt.  “Take it off,” he said a teasing smile on his face and Rose quickly complied, tossing her shirt on top of Dean’s on the floor.  He let his own eyes roam over her now and watched as a pleased blush suffused her face.  He wasn’t the only one who liked being desired.  He smiled his approval when Rose took her bra off without any prompting and then lay back on the couch and Dean leaned down and immediately took one pink nipple into his mouth.  Rose let out a surprised sound that quickly morphed into one of pleasure as Dean sucked at the hardened bud.  His fingers stroked and pulled at her other breast and Rose instinctively wrapped her legs around Dean, pulling his hips to hers and rubbing against him.  Dean groaned at the feel of her moving up against him and the vibration traveled through Rose’s entire body.  He pulled his mouth back, leaving just his teeth around her nipple and Rose shivered making Dean grin as he let go entirely.

“I figure we have the bunker to ourselves,” Dean said trailing a finger around her breast.  “We might as well take advantage of it.”

Rose gave him an amused look.  “Having sex on the couch, that’s taking advantage of it?”  She gave him a grin.  “Do you have some couch fantasy I don’t know about?”

Dean shrugged with a grin.  “I figure anywhere I can get you naked is a good thing.”  He moved his lips down to trail over the smooth skin of her stomach.  “In a perfect world you’d never wear clothes and I could just do this all the time.”  Dean’s lips left soft kisses behind and Rose let out a soft sigh at the feel of them.

“That sounds nice… but could get a little chilly,” Rose said, squirming as Dean found a ticklish spot then gasping as his lips found a spot on her side that was surprisingly sensitive.

“I’d keep you warm,” Dean responded predictably and smiled up at her.  His lips made a path down to the top of her jeans and he was leaning back then and unbuttoning and unzipping them and sliding them off of her.  He sat back and looked at her, lying there in just a pair of purple panties and smiled.  “Rose Sullivan lying on a couch in front of me with just this tiny scrap of fabric on…”He traced the edge of her underwear with his finger and Rose squirmed.  “Mmm, I’d call that a fantasy come true.”

Rose blushed but shook her head at him. “I’d say you have to up your game then, mister.  I’m not fantasy material, Dean.”

Dean frowned at her.  He was still frowning as he stood up and started stripping the rest of his clothes off.  “Take those off,” he said, motioning with his hand towards her and Rose pulled her underwear off quickly and tossed them at him.  “Brat,” he said with a grin.  Then he stopped and just stared at her, his eyes drawing over every last curve of her body and then he finally met her eyes.

“You used to make out on the living room couch with your boyfriends.”  Rose’s eyes widened at that and Dean knew he’d surprised her.

“How did you-”

“You said something about it to Lily once and I overheard,” Dean said getting back on the couch.  He sat back between Rose’s spread legs and looked down at her.  Dean ran a hand over his cock, sliding his hand up and around the length of it and watched as Rose’s eyes immediately locked in on the movement.  “That night when I went to bed I couldn’t help but picture that.”  Rose glanced up at his face for a second and then her eyes were immediately back on his hand.  “I pictured you with some nameless, faceless guy, your lips locked on each others.” Dean touched her lips with one fingertip, his touch light and teasing and Rose unconsciously parted them even as Dean moved his finger away. “Your hands getting braver as you went on, touching, stroking.”  His hand on his cock was stroking, twisting and Rose’s eyes were locked on, never moving even as her breathing picked up slightly and Dean smiled as he watched her swallow at his words. "I imagined him getting up the nerve to unbutton your shirt,” Dean reached his free hand out and drew it between her breasts and Rose unconsciously arched her back, wanting his touch but he just teased, his fingers just brushing against the side of her breasts and then moving on.  “Would he slip his hands inside your shirt, maybe even be brave enough to get your bra off?”  His hand ghosted right over her aching breasts, just brushing her nipples and then leaving.

“You would have,” Rose gasped out meeting his eyes and Dean grinned but didn’t answer; the look in his eyes answer enough.

“I imagined he spent some time touching these beautiful legs of yours,” Dean moved his free hand over her thighs, his touch soft, barely just a whisper.  “You always wore those short skirts on dates that showed them off to perfection.”  The way Dean looked at her legs now, at her thighs in particular made Rose who had always secretly hated that part of her body suddenly feel like they were quite possibly the most alluring asset she had.  “And he had to have gotten his hands on this luscious ass of yours.”  Dean trailed a finger up the back of her one raised leg, trailing it over the curve of her bottom and Rose let out a noise at his touch even as his hand all too quickly moved away.

“And then would he have slid his hands up underneath that short little skirt you were wearing?”  Dean’s hand on his own cock was sliding still, drawing Rose’s eyes back to it even as his other hand swept over her sex that was just aching for his touch.  She couldn’t help the whimper that escaped her lips or the way her body bowed, wanting his hands on her.  “Would he touch you like you wanted?  Would he listen to the sounds you made, the way you moved to know what you needed?”  Dean slid a finger, just one finger, up between her drenched lips and Rose whimpered again.  His finger slid in smoothly and Rose wiggled desperately wanting more.

“Oh please,” she breathed out softly.

“Would he have figured out that despite everything you say to the contrary that you love to be teased?”  Dean added one more finger and the two dipped inside her, making Rose clench and have to bite her lip to keep from begging Dean for more.  “If you’re teased and touched just right you just open up and soften so beautifully.”  Dean’s voice was hoarse and his hand on his cock had stopped, knowing he had pushed his self control to the limit.  His eyes were heated when he admitted, "You've always been my best fantasy material, Rose." Rose blushed at that and smiled up at him, her own eyes showing how his words along with his touch had affected her.

Dean moved then, laying on top of her and kissing her deeply.  Rose’s mouth was open, inviting his tongue in and Dean was more than happy to oblige her, his tongue stroking and tasting and Rose joined him happily.  He pulled his mouth back and moved it to her ear after a few moments of heated kissing and said quietly.  “I told you, Sweetheart that I’d come with your name on my lips before, remember?”  He pulled back to watch her eyes.  They darkened at his words as she nodded her head.  “Well that night was definitely one of those times.”  Dean watched as a pleased smile curved Rose’s lips up.  She liked that idea, that image and Dean loved that she did.  “Then after, you know what I promised myself?”  Rose shook her head, her eyes curious.  “I promised myself that whatever that guy did with you when I got my shot I was going to do it better.”  Dean slipped inside her at his words and Rose let out a pleased gasp as his touch and movement stoked the fire that had been building inside of her.  His hips rocked as he thrust inside her deeply and he watched Rose’s face as the sensations overtook her.

The words were gone then as it was just touching and movement.  Dean’s body moved with Rose’s in a rhythm that was perfect.  Their hands grasped each other, their fingers stroked and lips found spots to kiss as they both got lost in each other.  There were soft sounds and bodies moving together in a way that worked magic on them both.   Finally as Dean felt Rose tensing, felt her body nearing release he locked his lips on hers, wanting them to be as connected as possible.  She let go, her cries spilling into his mouth and a moment later Dean joined her.

They lay there afterwards, catching their breath with Dean’s forehead resting against Rose’s and she smiled up at him.

“Was all that true?” she asked unable to contain her curiosity.

“Yeah,” Dean said with a bashful smile.  “Way more times than you can possibly imagine.”

Rose thought to herself if it was possible for something to be both impossibly sweet and incredibly hot at the same time this was it.  Dean wouldn’t appreciate the sweet comment but the other one he would.

“That’s unbelievably hot,” she said to him, earning a pleased smile.  One day she’d have to share some of her own fantasies with him.  He’d certainly starred in enough of them.

* * *

“I hadn’t met any of them,” Dean said a bit later as Rose stood and picked his t-shirt up and slid it over her head.  They’d need a shower before heading to Charlie’s.  She looked at him in confusion and Dean explained as he stood and pulled his jeans on.  “You asked about the jealousy.  Well before when we talked about your past boyfriends they were just some concept, some idea.”  Dean glanced around to make sure they’d picked up all their clothes then headed down to his bedroom, letting Rose lead the way.  “I knew there were guys out there who had…touched you.”  He practically choked on that and had to stop a second before continuing and by then they were in his room.  “But after meeting Danny…” he shuddered.  “I don’t know, it’s just different.”

Rose walked to the hamper and dropped the clothes she had in her hands in it then turned to Dean.  She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Whose shirt am I wearing?” she asked softly and watched as even now his eyes darkened.  She kissed him softly then pulled back and said, making sure to look right in his eyes as she did, “I’m yours Dean.  Whatever, whoever came before doesn’t matter.”  He smiled at her and Rose could see by his eyes that he got it.  Good, she didn’t want him to ever feel insecure about her.  “Now we need a shower before we head to Charlie’s.”

“You got out of practice two days in a row,” Dean pointed out a little while later as Rose washed his hair.  “Gotta get back on schedule.”

“Mmm hmm,” she said and Dean smiled. 

“Try not to sound so enthused,” he said dryly.

“I’m just more focused on tonight,” Rose admitted as she rinsed his hair.  “I’m so happy to be going to Charlie’s to have dinner with Lily and not have to worry we’re going to snap at each other.”

Dean turned and hugged Rose.  “Me too, Baby.  I know how tough that was for you.”

“Thanks for pointing out how I hurt her,” Rose said softly.  “I needed to hear that.”  Dean smiled and was opening his mouth to say that anything she needed he would give her when she surprised him by saying; “I hurt you too, didn’t I?  And we’ve never talked about it.”

Dean pulled back to look at her in surprise.  He hadn’t seen that topic coming.   And he should have he realized.  Knowing Rose like he did it made sense that she would go from the knowledge she hurt Lily to facing the fact that she hurt him too.  But Dean hadn’t prepared to discuss it, wasn’t sure they needed to.

“We need to, don’t we?” Rose was saying when Dean was silent.  “I mean it’s there and I’m so sorry and maybe if we talk about it-”

“Rose, no,” Dean said but Rose was barreling on.

“I know you were mad at me, horribly mad and still are and I understand why so if you want to yell at me, if that will help, I can… I’m ready.”  Rose seemed to be visibly steeling herself.  “I can take it.”

Dean couldn’t help his smile.  She looked so adorable, standing naked in the shower with him, bracing herself and asking him to yell at her.

“Not gonna happen, Baby,” he said, dropping a kiss to her nose and then getting out of the shower.

Rose stood there, stunned into silence.  Dean yelled.  He always yelled.  Even when the situation didn’t necessarily call for yelling it was a Dean default.  True he yelled at her least of all but it happened and if there had ever been a valid reason to yell Rose was certain her behavior called for it.  Once her surprise wore off she scrambled out after him, stepping into his arms that were holding a waiting towel out for her.

“What do you mean you aren’t going to yell at me?” she demanded giving Dean a challenging look and Dean couldn’t help but chuckle as he walked out into his bedroom and opened his closet. "You said-"

"When did I ever say I was going to yell at you?" Dean interrupted glancing back over his shoulder at her and he could almost see the wheels turning in her head.  "I said we'd have a conversation.  And I think I made it pretty clear what I meant by that.  Yelling was never mentioned."

"But you're mad at me," Rose said dropping down to sit on the bed and Dean could practically feel her confusion.  "And you yell when you're mad." He walked over to her and pulled her to her feet and into his arms.

"Baby, get dressed, OK? And then we need to get going or we'll be late and Lily will never let me hear the end of it," Dean suggested giving her a hug.  "Then I swear tonight we'll talk about this if you want but you and I having conversations half dressed never ends in us getting much talking done."

Rose laughed and nodded and Dean spent the time he was getting dressed trying to get his thoughts in order.  Rose may have been ready for this but he wasn’t and now he had to play catch up.  He sighed as he shrugged into his coat and then paused and smiled as a thought suddenly occurred to him.   He was fairly certain he’d have more time to think about all this.  So he sat his thoughts aside and set out to enjoy dinner.

* * *

Dean smiled at Rose in the car on the way to Charlie's.  She'd dressed in a cute little dress with sunflowers on it and she looked so excited.  He loved seeing that look on her face.  Feeling his eyes on her Rose turned to look at him.  She took in the blue button down he wore.  "You look good in that shirt," she said reaching out to brush her fingers over his shoulder.

“And you look pretty in that dress, Rosie,” Dean said earning a happy smile from Rose.

Dinner was nice.  Charlie made spaghetti and garlic bread and Dean just about inhaled the first plate Charlie put in front of him.

“I never knew you could cook,” Dean said looking at Charlie suspiciously.  She in turn just smiled proudly back at him.  “Just what other secrets are you hiding?”

Charlie patted him on the cheek as she picked up his empty plate.  “Way more than you’ll ever know,” she promised him and that earned a chuckle from everyone, Dean included. 

Charlie went to get him seconds and Lily followed her to grab the bottle of wine she’d left in the kitchen Dean noticed Rose had barely touched her plate, too busy talking and laughing with her sister.

"Eat something, Sweetheart," he said and Rose pulled a face.  Dean moved his body closer to hers, his voice low.  "Oh you are bratty tonight.  You really want me to spank you on Charlie's couch?"

Rose blushed and picked her fork up taking a bite.  She glanced at Dean and the look in her eyes made Dean make a low noise in his throat.

"God, Babe don't look at me like that otherwise I'll be using Charlie's couch to fu-"

"Hey, leave my couch out of this," Charlie said breezing back in with a plate loaded with spaghetti for Dean.  Dean smirked as he watched Rose blush furiously and concentrate on her plate.

Lily was filling their glasses and Dean noticed as dinner went on that Rose was mostly sticking to water.  She sipped at her wine glass but it barely went down.  He figured she wanted to stay clear headed.

It was good to watch the two sisters enjoy being together again.  They both laughed easily and smiled at each other quite a bit, obviously pleased to be back on good terms.  All four of the people seated around the table were pleased with the evening.  Between the food and the lighthearted conversation the night was a definite success.

After dinner Charlie brought out a store bought cake and while it was good it did make Dean miss Rose's baking.  That caused one of the only awkward moments of the night.  Lily finished her slice and frowned when she noticed Rose barely picking at hers.  Thinking it would be a nice compliment she said, "That was good Charlie but can't compare to Rosie's."

Rose gave her sister a tight smile and Lily looked confused and upset she'd said the wrong thing.  "Are you-"

"Rosie's off kitchen duty right now," Dean interjected.  "She's too busy fulfilling my needs," he said smugly knowing the reaction that would get. Predictably Charlie rolled her eyes, Lily threw her napkin at him and Rose smacked his arm.  It lightened the mood and the rest of the night passed smoothly.  Dean noticed Rose was looking tired though and managed to finally get her out the door.  Lily had started hinting Rose could spend the night and Dean got Rose in the car as quickly as possible at that point.

Rose leaned her head against his shoulder in the car and dozed lightly on the way home.  There was no way she was up for what would inevitably be an emotional conversation tonight.  Dean had been fairly certain that would be the case considering the day’s events.  He woke Rose and ushered her inside and she undressed sleepily, pulled one of his shirts on and climbed into bed.  Dean smiled, locked up, undressed himself and climbed in bed next to her.  She turned to him immediately resting her head on his chest.

"Sorry I'm so sleepy," she murmured and Dean kissed her head.  "We'll talk tomorrow?"

"We'll talk tomorrow," Dean confirmed.  "You've had a busy day, Baby.  Don't apologize."  Dean paused and then added playfully, "Unless..." And Rose gave a sleepy giggle.

"Thanks for helping me get my sister back, Dean," she said her voice heavy with the pull of sleep.  "It's the second best present you ever gave me."

"You did all the work, Baby," Dean said.  Then curious he asked, "What was the best one?"

"You, silly," Rose mumbled and Dean felt her body relax as sleep overtook her.

"You got that wrong, Rosie," Dean said even though he knew she couldn't hear him.  "You're the gift. I'm just the guy who got lucky enough to be with you."  Dean brushed her hair back, placed a kiss on her forehead and went to sleep.

* * *

Dean woke well before Rose the next morning.  He figured with all of the emotion of the day before between Daisy showing signs of waking up and her and Lily’s reunion she was probably exhausted and would sleep quite a bit longer, which was good because he needed time to think.

Rose had slid down in the bed, her head resting almost on his stomach and her knees drawn up and pressed against his side.  It didn’t look very comfortable so Dean pulled her up a bit higher, pulling her body to rest atop his more.  That was better.  Rose gave a soft sigh in her sleep and settled against him.  Dean rested one hand on her back and ran his fingers of his other hand through her hair, letting his mind wander.

For so long he had pushed aside any thoughts of what Rose had done, of her actions and how they’d made him feel, focusing instead on getting her back on her feet and capable of functioning day to day.  She was better now, not wholly but so much better than she had been.  She was still fragile, still not eating as much as she needed to but she was coping better, was able to handle more now.  She was strong and despite the fact he still felt the need to protect her that strength was slowly coming through.  He glanced down at her and smiled at the image of her sleeping on his chest, in his shirt.  He didn’t kid himself thinking there would be no more bumps in the road but he felt like she had her feet on the ground now, that she’d let him help her and they’d get through any obstacles that came up.

Compartmentalizing was something you got pretty good at if you were a hunter, at least if you wanted to last any amount of time.  So putting his feelings about something in a box was something Dean could do and do well.  When Rose had said he was mad at her yesterday he hadn’t responded because he honestly didn’t know how to.  Was he mad at her?  He tangled his fingers in a curl and wrapped it around a finger.  He truly didn’t know.  He had been.  He’d been so angry with her at times when she was gone that he honestly wasn’t sure what he would do if she appeared in front of him.  But now….OK he was going to break this down in his head, go over everything.

Rose ran away.  Point blank, right there in black and white she ran and put herself in danger.  And yes, there was a big bubble of anger there.  Not as strong as before maybe…no, no it was still pretty strong, Dean thought as he ground his teeth.  Because putting herself in danger was a big thing to Dean and she needed to know that.  OK so anger was there, check.

Her actions when she came home, well the first little bit wasn’t on her.  The demon had influenced her so he didn’t feel he could blame her for her actions then.  But after that, the shutting everyone out and shutting down…was he angry about it?  He had been.  She’d hurt him, had hurt everyone here and they definitely needed to talk about it.  But he understood why she’d acted that way, couldn’t say he wouldn’t have done the same thing.  As long as she understood that shutting him out like that wouldn’t work he didn’t feel a surge of anger over that anymore.

He had been royally pissed about her not telling anyone the potion had stopped working so quickly and he was pretty sure she knew that.  But as time went on and he got a clearer picture of just how very unclear her thinking had been at the time his anger had dissipated.  She had been religiously taking the new potion her mother made her and doing really well.  And food issues aside she’d been taking better care of herself in general and letting him take care of her too.  He was fairly sure it wouldn’t be an issue in the future and he felt it was pretty well handled.  So anger over that was off the table.

The funeral…Dean felt his jaw clench.  Fuck, that did still piss him off.  He’d just gotten her home, had this big emotional episode with her and he wakes up to her telling him…no, scratch that, wakes up to his brother telling him that Rose doesn’t want Dean coming with her to the funeral.  That had fucking hurt and he'd been nervous and worried the whole time she was there. She’d walked into a situation that could have been dangerous and hadn’t let him go with her to keep her safe.  OK they really needed to talk about that one because it sure as hell still made him mad.

What else…oh yes…OK one more thing that did still irk him.  The fact that she had told him she was fine when they’d talked on the phone.  If she’d mentioned the fact that she was hearing voices in her head maybe they could have gotten a handle on things earlier and staved off such a big blow up.  And this went back to her keeping things back, which she did all too easily.  That definitely still made him angry and they needed to discuss it.

Overall it wasn’t much, Dean realized.  Three things that still made him mad when he thought about them wasn’t bad considering all that had happened.  And even those he didn’t feel the need to yell at her about.  Seeing what she'd gone through had softened his anger he realized.  He stroked her hair, still just so damn happy to have her back.  He realized so much of what she'd done had been due to panic and trauma.  He understood that and he was proud of how she was doing.  Despite the difficulty of all this she was improving and the girl he knew was emerging more and more.

They'd talk about this.  He’d deal with it, _they’d_ deal with it when she was ready but he felt sure they could talk about it today and be OK.  Or maybe not today, maybe tomorrow he thought staring at her face.  Dean wasn’t sure how she was going to feel when she woke up.  A lot had happened yesterday and Dean didn’t want her tired when they had this conversation.  So he’d play it by ear, see how she felt when she woke up and go from there.

That decision made Dean moved Rose off him carefully, not wanting to wake her.  Easing out of bed he made his way to the kitchen and flipped the coffee pot on.

"You're up early," a voice behind him said and Dean jumped.  Spinning around he found Sam sitting at the table drinking a cup of Starbucks coffee.

"Shit, Sam, give me a heart attack why don't you?" Dean huffed moving over to take a seat across from his brother.

"Sorry.  I would have started that," Sam motioned to the coffee maker. "But I didn't figure anyone else would be up for awhile."

"You just get back from the hospital?" Sam nodded.  "Any change?"

"Nope, but the doctors haven't been in yet today."  Sam hesitated then said, " Bobby's going to come over later along with Charlie."

Dean raised an eyebrow.  "You got something?"

Sam shrugged.  "Maybe?  I think so."

Dean nodded then said, "Just don't show any of it to Rose, OK?"  Sam looked confused and Dean went on to explain.  "She hasn't seen any of the prophecy that Charlie worked out yet and I want to keep it that way for a little while longer."  Dean paused then added, "Well no, I did show her one bit but it was the part to do with Aine so nothing that was a surprise.  But other than that she hasn’t read any of it."

"Why not?" Sam asked.  He assumed when Rose said she hadn't seen any of the prophecies yet it was just a matter of priority and time.  He didn't realize Dean was purposely keeping it from her.

"Because that's a lot to handle along with everything Rose is dealing with," Dean said as the coffee pot finished.  He got up to pour himself a cup, took a long drink and then leaned back against the counter and caught Sam's disbelieving look.  "What?"

Sam cleared his throat and tried to think of how to say what he was thinking without upsetting Dean too much.  "That's a bit of overkill don't you think?"

Dean looked at him like he was an idiot.  "Uh no, I don't."

Sam let out a sigh.  "Dean, come on, man.  I get that you want to be...careful with her.  No doubt she’s been through a lot,” Sam allowed and Dean nodded in firm agreement with that fact.  “But she needs to know some of this stuff.  I understand you’re protective of her keeping her from the facts isn’t going to help her.”

Dean gave him a look and Sam couldn't decide if he was pissed off or just surprised by Sam’s argument.  Before Sam got a chance to find out a loud, bloodcurdling scream split the air. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I was wiped out after the Season 12 finale last week. Geez!  
> Just an FYI the next chapter needs some polishing up so it's either gonna go quickly (in the next few days) or it will be a bit as I'm out of town next week. Fingers crossed my muse is mouthy.


	80. All You Ever Wanted Was Right There In Front of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When in doubt go for breakfast, The Good Stuff & Girls who clutter are the best girls.

If Rose had wanted a career in horror movies she could have easily had one.  Sam could still remember watching Halloween with Dean and the girls as a kid and Lily pointing out that Jamie Lee had nothing on Rose.  It was true.  She had a set of lungs and could scream to match and quite possibly beat any scream queen there was. 

So there was no doubt in either boy’s mind who was responsible for the glass breaking scream that startled them both.  The mug in Dean's hand fell to the ground, shattering and spilling hot coffee across the floor.  He barely noticed though, running down the hall and reaching his door in record time with Sam hot on his heels.  He threw open the door and found Rose sitting up in bed, her breathing labored and a look of utter panic on her face.

Dean was confused.  He'd left Rose in bed more mornings than he could count and she hadn't had a nightmare.  He didn't understand why, whether it was that she wasn't soundly asleep or if it was something else entirely but he didn't question it, just assumed it was a rule that worked.  But now that had obviously changed.

Dean rushed to her side as tears started to fall.  "She killed her," Rose said her voice trembling.  "She said I didn't listen to her so she killed her."

"Shh, Baby," Dean pulled her into his arms, holding her close.  "It's OK, it was just a dream."

"But she's right, Dean, I didn't listen to her and maybe...what if she does...”  As Rose grasped at Dean’s shirt, her fingers desperate for something to hold onto, the look in her eyes was one of complete terror.  Sam wasn’t sure who the “she” was in Rose’s dream but the idea of her being hurt was obviously horrifying to her.

"She's dead, Sweetheart," Dean said calmly obviously well used to this question.  "And I'm the only person you have to listen to, Baby."  If it had been any other moment Sam might well have rolled his eyes or snorted at that but it seemed to calm Rose a little.

"But Lily was hurt, Dean...was, Oh God," she buried her head against his chest and sobbed.  Lily, of course it was Lily Sam thought as he watched as Dean grabbed his phone and typed out a text lightning fast all the while still comforting Rose.  A second later his phone rang and Dean picked up and pressed the phone to Rose's ear.  Sam could easily hear the voice that carried through the phone line, a voice he knew well.

"Rosie?  Sweetie, I'm OK."  That brought more tears on Rose's part but also a small look of relief.  Sam took that as a good time to leave, making his way back to the kitchen, and closing Dean's bedroom door behind him.

Lily talked to Rose for a few minutes and Rose visibly relaxed as her sister’s voice reassured her she was fine.  Dean held her the entire time, his mind trying to work out why today was different.  What had caused such an awful a nightmare this morning?  If anything Dean would have figured things would be smoother now that one less problem was pressing on Rose, that she would be more settled now that she and Lily had worked things out.  Something nagged at him about that.  He ran his hands over Rose’s back soothingly, listening to the distant murmur of Lily’s voice and thought about it.  As he listened to Lily reassuring Rose once again that she was perfectly fine it hit him suddenly.  The last time Rose had a nightmare this severe, one where she woke up screaming was the day after the drive in.  Two things that day had in common with today were that Rose had been really happy and she and Dean had touched on him being unhappy with her.  Could that be it?  Could it just be guilt eating at her and causing the awful nightmares?  Dean didn’t see why not.  Rose always had been someone who could eat herself up with guilt.  In a case like this where she had done something’s that were actually worth being guilty over it made sense.

Rose hung the phone up and handed it to Dean and then slumped against him.  Dean just wrapped his arms around her and held her, letting her take her time to talk.

“I’m sorry,” she said finally, after they’d sat there in silence for several minutes.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for, Rosie,” Dean said gently.

“I do,” Rose argued.  “I never used to cry this much or have breakdowns like this and I’ve never felt like such a complete and utter mess.”  She shook her head, her discouragement clear. “God, could I be any more pathetic if I tried?”

“You’re not pathetic!” Dean said passionately, causing Rose to look at him in surprise.  “You went through some awful shit.  Now cut yourself some slack.”

Rose just continued to look at him, her dejected expression not changing and Dean could tell she was spiraling, heading towards a really bad day.  He'd seen that look after the nightmare she'd had about Ryan.  They weren't going to do that again.  Not if he could help it.

“OK come on,” he pulled her up with him and ushered her into the bathroom.  “Shower time, then we’re heading out.”

“Wha – Dean, what are you doing?” Rose stood there in stunned silence as Dean pulled his shirt over his head and reached for hers.  He yanked it off of her and leaned around her, opened the shower door and turned the water on.

“I’m moving you.  We’re not staying here; you’re not going down that dark hole again.”  Dean cupped her face in his hands.  “I know that spot, Baby.  It’s full of guilt and depression and pain.  It doesn’t help.  So you’re not going there.”  His voice was firm and sure as if just by saying it would make it so.  He kissed her soundly then let go and pulled away, pulled his boxers off, hooked his fingers in her panties and pulled those off her and then he opened the shower door and pulled her in after him to stand under the stream of water.  "Remember you said you wouldn't shut me out," he reminded her, his eyes watching her anxiously.

Rose nodded numbly.  She stood there in the shower as Dean’s hands worked shampoo into her hair, slightly unsure of how she’d even got here.  She’d been in the dream, surrounded by blood and screams of pain…Rose gave an involuntary shiver and Dean hugged her body against his, as if he knew she needed the contact. Then suddenly she was here… It was quick, so quick she felt practically breathless.  The shock of it had worked though, stopping her from falling headfirst back into that pit of despair.  She focused in on the feel of Dean’s fingers in her hair and let herself enjoy that.  Dean rushed her through the shower, not letting her slow down or stop and then pulled her out of the shower quickly.  His eyes were on her face as he wrapped her in a towel and dried her off himself, his hands quick but gentle.   “How we doing, Princess?” he asked and Rose gave him a small smile which Dean took as a good sign.  He kissed her forehead and turned her towards the bedroom with a swat to her bottom.  “Now get dressed, fifteen minutes and we’re out of here.”

Rose made her way into the bedroom but then stood there looking lost.  “What am I supposed to wear?” she asked.  “I don’t even know where we’re going.”

“Good point,” Dean said.  He headed towards the closet and opening the door he perused Rose’s clothes that had migrated there.  He pulled out a short, casual gray dress and handed it to her.  “This’ll work.”  She nodded and started getting dressed and Dean knew she still wasn’t right yet.  Normally Rose would have had more questions, or comments or a reason that dress wouldn’t work and she would have definitely made a remark about him picking her clothes out for her.  But she wasn’t crying, was letting him touch her and was moving so that was progress.

Before Rose knew it they were breezing through the bunker, passing Sam with a careless wave and in the Impala headed…well she didn’t know where they were headed.

“Dean, where are we going?”She asked turning towards him.

“Breakfast,” Dean said confidently.  “We’re going out for breakfast and we’ll figure the rest out from there.”

“I’m not really – Oh, OK,” Rose said, giving in when Dean threw her a look.  She didn’t know why she bothered even arguing about eating anymore.  It was more habit than anything she guessed.  She argued, he either told her why she had to eat or gave her a meaningful look and she gave in.  It was practically a routine by now.

“You’re bossy today,” she commented after they’d driven in silence for several moments, the only noise Dean humming along to a song on the radio.  He flashed her a knowing look now.   He didn’t voice aloud how happy he was to hear her voice.  And her arguing with him was a good sign.

“Mmm hmm and today would be one of those days when you need me to be,” he said and Rose pursed her lips but said nothing.  They pulled up at their destination, an obviously popular place from the number of cars parked in front of it, but instead of getting out Dean just turned the engine off and pulled Rose over close to him.  “Isn’t it, Baby?” he said, his words low and husky and Rose shifted in her seat, fighting the pull she felt.  Dean grinned, knowing she was fighting, was doing her best to not give in.  That was definitely a good sign but he wasn’t going to give in either.  So he just upped the ante.  “Come on, Sweetheart, don’t fight it.”  He looked down at her, his own eyes intense to meet Rose’s wide conflicted ones.  He traced her cheek with his thumb and watched as her eyes closed.  “You know deep down you want to be a good little girl and do what you’re told, what I tell you to do.”  He leaned down and brushed his lips over her ear and he felt a shiver go through her at the touch.  “Because we know what happens to naughty little girls, don’t we Rosie?”  He heard her breath catch in her throat and watched her bite her lip.  Dean smiled to himself.  He hadn’t exactly planned this but if anything could get out of her head… He knew he’d parked well out of view of the door and that there was no one near them but Rose hadn’t paid any attention to where they parked.  So when he slipped a hand up her thigh, under her skirt her eyes immediately flew open in surprise.

“Dean!” she started to protest and Dean stopped her with his words.

“What happens to naughty girls, Rosie?” He dragged his fingers over her thigh, his fingertips tracing over her skin.  He glanced up at her face.  Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes looking dazed but not entirely there yet.  She was still fighting it.  He teased a finger around the edge of her panties and watched her eyes shut again almost against her will.  “I know you know the answer, Baby.”  He gently, oh so teasingly just grazed the center of her panties and Rose moaned and her hips jerked.  “So answer me.”

“They…” Her voice was soft, faint in the quiet of the car as his fingers stroked oh so softly over the tender skin of her thighs.  He was teasing, stroking her thighs then just glancing his fingertips over her sex.  “They…they get spanked,” she said, her voice hoarse and Dean immediately cupped her sex in his hand.  “Oh God, please,” she begged, not even sure what she was asking for but needing more.

“That’s right, Rosie, they do.  And what would we call a girl who let someone touch her like I’m touching you in the middle of the parking lot in broad daylight?”

“Desperate?” Rose choked out and Dean let out a loud chuckle at her response.  He turned her then so she was facing him, draping her legs over his one knee and sliding his hand inside her panties, dragging his finger through the wetness there.

“Do I make you desperate, Rosie?” He asked as if he had no idea the answer.  “Is that why you’re so, so wet with me having barely touched you?”

“Oh God, yes you do,” Rose moaned, burying her head against his neck.  And it was the truth.  A half hour ago she’d been despondent, on the verge of falling down into that dark place again and he’d stopped her.  His actions, his touch had snapped her mind into another space entirely.  How he did it she had no idea but she didn’t care.  “Please, Dean.”

Dean moved his fingers, burying them deep inside her and watched her face.  God, she was beautiful like this.  “Open your eyes for a second, Baby.”  Rose slowly fluttered her eyes open and Dean looked into them, searching as he moved his fingers slowly.  He wanted her all the way over the edge.  “I want you to relax today, let me worry about everything.  Understand?”  She nodded, wiggling slightly and Dean had to smile at her desperation for more.  “So tell me who’s in charge today, Rosie?”

“You are, Dean,” she said immediately and her eyes were soft, unfocused on anything but him.  That’s the look he wanted.

“That’s right and are you going to be a good girl and do exactly what you’re told?”  She nodded her head eagerly.  “Good girl,” he said, brushing her hair back with his free hand.  “You like when I tell you what to do, don’t you Sweetheart?”  He pulled his fingers out then dipped one finger back inside of her and she arched her back, searching for more.

“Yes,” she moaned, her eyes closing again and her head falling back against his shoulder.  “Please, Dean…”

“You want more, Sweetheart?”  He spread her legs slightly and added one more finger then scissored his fingers inside of her and immediately felt her clench around him as she let out a desperate moan.  “That’s my girl,” he said, his eyes locked on her face.  “I’m gonna take such good care of you today, Baby,” he murmured, moving his fingers as he spoke.  “Whatever you need, I’m gonna make sure you get it.”  He crooked his fingers inside of her, brushing just the right spot and drew a whimper from her.  “Good girl,” he said his words as tempting as his touch, his voice as smooth as his fingers.  Dean kept the words coming, soft, sweet words about how good she was, how beautiful as his fingers pulled her closer and closer to the edge.  Her cheeks was flushed, her lips parted and just by watching her face Dean knew she was almost there.  He pumped his fingers, brushing his thumb right against her clit and crooked once, twice more and felt her clench and come around his fingers, gasping and moaning his name into his shoulder.

He slowly withdrew his fingers and rearranged her clothes, smoothing her skirt down and smiled at her.  “Better?”  She nodded her head and Dean was pleased to see the same look still in her eyes when she opened them and smiled at him.  “That’s my girl,” he said again leaning down and kissing her softly.  He gathered her into his arms and held her for a few minutes before pulling back and saying, “Now how about we go get some breakfast?”

Rose nodded then smiled up at him softly.  “Thanks for getting me out of my head.”

“Anytime,” Dean said.  He looked at her, his eyes scanning her face, pleased to see she looked much better than she had an hour ago.  “I’m still in charge today though.”

Rose looked at him curiously.  “Do you like being in charge with me?”    

Dean immediately nodded.  “Oh yeah, Baby, I do.”

“Why?” She honestly couldn’t imagine the appeal. 

Dean shrugged.  “It just feels right.”  Rose slowly nodded, agreeing.  On her end it definitely felt right. Dean opened his door and walked around to her side then ushered her towards the entrance, his hand on the small of her back.  “Welcome to Paul’s Café.  Best breakfast in town.”

They were seated quickly, the main breakfast crowd having eased up now.  Looking at the menu Rose smiled at Dean playfully.

“So if you were going to order for me what would you get?”

“Waffles,” Dean said automatically earning a big smile from Rose.  “And for me?”

“Pancakes, eggs sunny side up and bacon extra crispy,” Rose recited as if by memory and Dean gave her a thumbs up.

They ordered (The exact same things the other one had picked out) then sat there, Dean drinking his coffee and Rose sipping at her water.  “So what else are we doing today?” Rose asked and Dean gave her a sinful look.

“That wasn’t enough for you, Princess?”  Dean teased with a shake of his head.  “Man, some women are just insatiable.”

Rose smiled at him sweetly.  “Well some men just aren’t up for a challenge.  And no, that was not a dare,” she hastened to add when Dean’s eyes narrowed.  “God knows you’d take me up on it and I would never walk again.”

Dean laughed at that and Rose smiled.  He loved when she was like this, all sassy but sweet. She’d bounced back today much quicker than last time.

“What do you want to do today, Sweetheart?”  Dean asked and Rose considered.

“Well I have therapy this afternoon,” she said.  “And aren’t I supposed to have training with Sam after?”

“You can play hooky,” Dean said and Rose looked at him in surprise.  “He’s working on some prophecy stuff anyway.”

“Prophecy like my prophecy?” Rose asked.

Dean nodded as their food was delivered and they dug in.  Well Dean dug in and Rose nibbled but she was eating.  “At some point,” Dean said hesitantly, “We’ll go over it all.  So just don’t worry about it for now, OK?”

Rose nodded but looked at Dean questioningly.  “You don’t think I’m ready to hear it?”  It wouldn’t surprise her after this morning.

“It’s not that,” Dean said truthfully.  He thought best how to explain it.  “I figure with all you went through and all the aftermath you’ve kinda had to live in that world for awhile now.  And you’re just getting used to all this again, the good stuff so I’d like you to revel in that a little longer.”

“The good stuff?” Rose queried before taking a bite of her waffle. 

Dean motioned to her plate.  “Waffles, cuddling on the couch, annoying me with awful music.”  He lowered his voice and raised his eyebrows at her.  “Illicit sex in public places.”  He chuckled when Rose blushed.  “The stuff that makes all the shitty parts of life bearable.”

“Is that your list or mine?” Rose asked and Dean considered.  “Because my list would include a few of those but there’s definitely some missing.”

“Care to share?” Dean asked, eating some bacon and putting some on Rose’s plate.

“You sharing your bacon with me,” Rose said with a smile and Dean grinned.  Rose was quiet for a moment, her face thoughtful then she said, “Making you laugh, washing your hair and seeing on your face how much you enjoy it.  Eating breakfast with you in bed.”  That one surprised Dean.  He hadn’t realized she liked that last one so much.  She chewed on the piece of bacon Dean had given her and then added, “And lest I come off as obsessive I’ll add some other people in here.  Snuggling with Emma and laughing with Chastity.”  She took a sip of water before continuing.  “Teasing you with Sam which will never _not_ be fun.”  Dean made a face at her at that and Rose laughed.  “Talking to my sisters and listening to them squabble with each other over something silly.”  Rose smiled and looked at Dean with soft eyes that made Dean’s heart beat an extra beat.  “I have a lot of good in my life and I know it.  You just happen to be the very best part.”

Dean swallowed hard.  Damn but she could blind side him with a huge bit of emotion he never saw coming.  Rose ate another bite of waffle and then looked up at him.  “So what about you?  What’s on your list?”

“I claim all the stuff I listed before...especially the last one and a few others probably not meant for diner conversation.”  Rose rolled her eyes good naturedly at that one.  “I promise to share all those later,” he said with a wink.

“Your etiquette knows no bounds,” Rose said dryly.

Dean thought about it for a minute then put his fork down and looked at Rose.  “Your smile. Watching you do something you truly love.  Your whole face lights up and it’s just amazing.  Falling asleep with you at night.  Watching you get ready in the morning.”  That drew a surprised look from Rose.  “I’m supposed to have other people on here too so I’ll say um, drinking a beer with Sam when we don’t have a case and can just relax, watching Charlie get excited about some geek girl thing she loves, seeing Cas finally understand some human thing and yet still look like a dork doing it.” Dean took a sip of coffee as Rose giggled at the Cas comment.  “Watching a movie with Daisy that she loves.  She giggles or cries or has some strong reaction and then has to tell you all about why after.  It’s adorable.  And I swear I never said that word.”  Rose giggled but loved that fact Dean put that on his list.  Daisy loved movies and Dean did too.  The two of them had always enjoyed doing that together even if their tastes were wildly different and quite often led to some heated debates.  Dean paused then said, “You can never repeat this last one and I swear I’ll deny it if you do.”  Rose nodded instantly intrigued and Dean took a breath and said, “Watching Lily with Sam.”  Rose was truly surprised by that one.  She hadn’t seen that coming in a million years.  “Look I never thought they would work and right now I’m pretty afraid I was right.  But when they were together…” Dean paused and took a bite of his pancake before going on.  “Sam was happy.  He was peaceful in a way I haven’t seen him be…maybe ever.  And Lily was sweet with him.  She was…” Dean floundered and Rose supplied the perfect answer.

“Her best self?” Dean nodded and Rose smiled.  She hadn’t gotten to see them at their most serious but that was the way she’d describe herself with Dean.

“They were good together,” Dean admitted. “A whole hell of a lot better than I ever imagined they could be.”

“Then they’ll work it out,” Rose said confidently.

“They aren’t talking,” Dean pointed out and Rose shrugged and took another bite of her waffle.  “They barely looked at each other at the hospital yesterday.”

“Yes, they did,” Rose countered.  “They looked a lot.  Just when they were sure the other one wasn’t looking.”

“OK well looking doesn’t add up to action,” Dean said.

“They don’t need action,” Rose said.  “They need time.”

Dean studied her curiously for a second.  “You seem pretty damn sure they’ll get this fixed.”

Rose nodded and smiled the calm, sure smile Dean hadn’t seen for awhile.  “I haven’t talked to Lily about her and Sam yet, not recently awyay so I’m just…going by what I think.  But Lily is sad and I’ve never once seen her that way over a breakup.  I’ve always figured that once she fell in love, if she ever did, that would be it.  I didn’t expect it to be with Sam but she’s always been full of surprises.” Dean nodded at that in full agreement and Rose took a sip of water before she continued.  “Some people go through love easily, they love this one, they love that one.  Lily’s not like that.  She guards her heart, you know that.  So if we assume she loves Sam then that’s it.  End of story.  There is no alternative, no other option.  She’s going to be difficult and Sam’s going to be stubborn and the two of them will most likely make us crazy in the meantime but eventually they will be back together.”

Dean stared at her, realizing she’d put some thought into this. “You believe in them that much?”

Rose nodded.  “And I believe in love and I have faith in people.”

“Still?” Dean asked, unable to stop himself.  “After everything that happened?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Rose asked.  She took a deep breath and said, “I was alone on the road and met a wonderful woman who was kind to me and treated me like I was her own daughter.  I met a sweet older man in Arkansas who recommended local places to eat that would be safe for a girl on her own and watched out for me.  I showed up at Chastity’s front door and she took me in no questions asked, even after she knew I posed a threat to her and her family.”  Rose made herself not focus on what the consequences of those actions had been, but instead on the goodness.  “I met nothing but kindness and compassion from people I met.  I mean, OK the hunter I met was kind of a jerk but I can see why in his position.”  Rose shrugged.  “Overall people surpassed what the world would have you believe.”

Dean just stared at her in awe.  Most people he knew who had been through what she had would have nothing but a bleak outlook on life.  But here she was, glass half full and seeing the world and the people in it as good.

“Rosie, you will never cease to amaze me,” Dean said and Rose smiled at him as a pleased blush graced her cheeks.

“Well you constantly amaze me so I think that’s fair,” Rose said and they just smiled at each other for a moment.

"So any requests for the day?" Dean asked leaning back and taking a sip of coffee.  “And for the record all serious discussions are off the table today, Sweetheart.”

Rose looked at him curiously. “You mean-”

“We’ll talk about what happened later,” Dean said.  Rose frowned and Dean reached out a hand and grasped one of hers.  “This morning was rough on you.  You’re doing really good, Baby, but we don’t need to have that conversation today.”

Rose glanced down at their hands and Dean watched as a cloud made its way across her face.  Dean watched her bite her lip and he squeezed her hand.  “Rosie?”

She looked back up at him then and the worry was back in her eyes.  “I’m never going to be myself again am I?”

“Hey you are yourself now,” Dean said but Rose was shaking her head.

“I could handle things before, Dean.  I could…I was never a problem.  I was the easy one, the one who didn’t make waves.”  Rose gave him a half smile.  “And now everyone is making allowances for me which I appreciate,” Rose was hasty to add.  “But I hate that it has to happen, that I can’t just get past everything and be me again.”

“OK, stop,” Dean said squeezing her hand.  “Seriously stop it.  You are handling things; you’re doing so much better.  No one expects you to be OK overnight except you.”  Dean leaned closer to her, looking intently into her eyes.  “We make allowances for each other when we need them because that’s what people who care about each other do.  It’s not a bad thing, Rosie.”

“I just don’t want to be a burden or a problem-”

“OK no,” Dean cut her off sharply.  “That line of thinking stops right now.  You are not a burden.”  Dean gave her a piercing look.  “Do I look burdened to you?”

“Well no but you worry and-”

“I worry,” Dean cut in.  “Whether I have a reason to or not.  You know that.”  He looked at Rose and she slowly nodded.  Dean was definitely a worrier by nature.  “But this burden shit…nu uh.  It stops now.”  Dean paused then said, “We take care of each other, we always have.  You need a little bit more of it right now and who knows, in a few weeks time it could be me or Sam who needs it.  I mean come on, you spent dinner Sunday night making him laugh and enjoy himself.  That sounds like care taking to me.  You couldn’t have done that a month ago, Sweetheart.”  Dean looked at Rose till she nodded again.  “You are getting better but you have to give yourself time.  No more beating yourself up.  In fact that’s a rule,” Dean said with certainty making Rose groan softly.  “Rule number seven – No beating yourself up.  You are not a burden or a bother or anything like that and we’re all lucky to have you.”  He paused and his voice was lower when he spoke, the emotion evident.  “Some of us more so than others.  Understand?”

Rose’s eyes were searching his, seeming to want to make sure that this was really how he felt, that he wasn’t just trying to make her feel better.  Slowly she nodded and a small smile came back to her face.

“So back to my question,” Dean said once he felt the subject was settled.  “Anything you especially want to do today?”

Rose shrugged.  "Nothing that comes to mind." 

Dean was trying to think of what they could do when Rose asked softly if they could just get drinks from Starbucks and go home. 

"We can go out later after therapy right?"  Dean nodded looking concerned.  "I'm just tired, Dean." 

As Rose made a quick trip to the restroom Dean sent off a quick email to Dr. Alexander asking if he could talk to him before Rose did today.  He wanted to get the docs take on Rose's guilt and if he was handling it right.  Not that he was going to go into details but he wanted to make sure he was doing the right thing by distracting her.  It made sense to Dean but he wanted to make sure he wasn't screwing up somehow.  He got an almost immediate reply and slid his phone away as Rose returned.  He liked having the doc to check in with, Dean realized.  He knew Rose hated all of this and Dean hated her going through it so the quicker they could through it the better. 

* * *

As sounds of alien weapons firing down on the New York skyline filled Dean’s room he let his eyes roam around.  He’d seen this movie enough times that he could recite some of the dialogue but Rose loved it and Dean found it amusing and it was good for something to watch without having to pay close attention.  The two of them were lying on his bed watching their second movie of the day.  Rose had slept through most of the first one, waking up just as the big sight scene at the end was starting and they’d shared soft, lazy kisses throughout this one. 

Looking around now Dean was surprised by just how much was out of place in here.  Both their jackets were thrown on the chair in the corner and Sookie had decided to make a bed of them, the gray loafers Rose had been wearing lying on the floor nearby.  There was a bottle of water, a small pile of ponytail holders and some flower barrettes on the bedside table on her side and both their phones and her journal on his side (along with her hairbrush that still hadn’t been touched).  Dean’s room was usually neat as a pin but at the moment there were definitely more things out of place than normal.  It wasn’t messy by any stretch of the imagination but it certainly wasn’t as orderly as it usually was either.  It looked different, less neat true, but homier, warmer, more lived in.  Looking into the bathroom he saw a brush of Rose’s on the counter next to his comb, her pink toothbrush next to his blue one and a bottle of her perfume alongside his aftershave.  He liked seeing her things in here he realized, liked seeing them next to his own.  His eyes moved to the closet next, taking in their clothes hanging there together.  (Which he could easily see as Rose had left the closet door open as she often did when she came home and stripped her dress off.) He liked seeing their clothes together, liked seeing them mingled in the closet, her pinks and florals next to his darker colors and plaids, her dresses next to his shirts.   He liked the visible image of their things intertwined just like their lives were.  It made him feel happy, content and those feelings were priceless in Dean’s book.  Rose hadn’t slept anywhere else since they came back from Wisconsin and Dean didn’t want that to change. 

The realization dawned on him as he took in all these details that this wasn’t just his room anymore.  It was there’s. 

_“You and I remember Budapest very differently.”_ Rose giggled at the line of dialogue and Dean smiled down at her, snuggled up against his side under her blanket.  As soon as they got home she had changed into a perfectly ugly pajama top that was covered in brightly colored cats.  When Dean told her it was truly obnoxious Rose had just laughed happily.  Dean studied her face now as she watched the movie, one hand absently stroking his chest.  She looked better after her nap. 

"Move your stuff in here," he said suddenly getting a surprised glance from Rose. 

"Really?" she asked looking at Dean like she wanted to be sure he was serious.  She'd tried hard not to overstep.  It was his room after all.

Dean nodded.  "I can bring your dresser in here and there's plenty of closet space."  He rolled over suddenly trapping her underneath him.  "I like your stuff being in here."

"You do?"  Dean nodded.

“Almost as much as I like you being in here.”

Rose smiled up at him.  "I'm not making you crazy?"

"Not in that way, Baby," Dean said giving her a cheesy smile to go with the line and Rose giggled.

“Even though I leave my shoes out?”  It was true: Rose had a bad habit of leaving her shoes everywhere.  Dean had tripped over her shoes at least three times this week alone. 

“You _are_ messy,” Dean mused thoughtfully as if he was rethinking the whole thing.

“I am not!” Rose said her voice rising with outrage as she smacked at him playfully.  “You’re just a neat freak.”

Dean smiled at her then.  “I can deal with tripping over your shoes if I get to have you.”

Rose smiled back.  “I can deal with you sighing at me as you close the closet door if I get to have you.”

Dean laughed, dropping a kiss on her nose and Rose looked up at him shyly then. "I didn't want to take over, putting my stuff everywhere."

"You can put your stuff anywhere you want," Dean said seriously.  "It's your home too, Rosie."  Dean swallowed and said, "I want it to be our room, OK?  Not just mine but ours."

Rose smiled at him slowly.  "Dean Winchester are you officially asking me to move in with you?"

"Hell, yeah." Dean grinned at her; the very grin that she knew for a fact had broken dozens of hearts.

Rose's smile grew, turning into the patented Rosie beam.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.  "Absolutely."  She looked thoughtful.  "Though if I ever get all my clothes here there's no way they'll all fit."

"Then we'll turn your old room into a closet," Dean said.  "You can put what you wear most in here and what you don't wear that often in there."

Rose blinked.  "Did you just offer to build me a huge closet?"

Dean looked confused at the excited look in Rose's eyes.  "Well yeah I mean it won't take much.  Just some shelves and bars.  We'll keep the bed in there and it can be like a place for you girls to hang out when you're getting ready for one of your girl nights.  And there's the ba-"

Rose cut Dean off by kissing him again.  "That's the best idea ever."

Dean smiled; pleased he'd made her so happy.  "Stick with me, Sweetheart.  I have a million of them.”  He kissed her then said, “I’m starving.  We need to get some lunch before your meeting with the doc.”

"But Dean I ate a big breakfast," Rose complained and it took him a second to catch the teasing glint in her eyes.  "I'm still full."

"Oh really?"  Rose nodded.  "You sure about that, Rosie?  'Cause I know a way to get you to agree to anything."  Rose looked at him warily and once it occurred to her what he meant by the way his hands were moving to her sides she tried to backtrack.

"You know suddenly I'm starving."  But it was too late and as she was trapped underneath him she had no way to get away.

He tickled her mercilessly while she shrieked and tried to get away from him.  "Are you gonna eat?  Lots of food you little brat?"

"Yes! Yes!  I'll eat loads!" Rose shrieked loud enough for the trio researching in the library to hear her and give each other questioning looks.

"That's better," Dean said, stopping the tickling and grinning down at her.  It took her a minute to get her breath back and Dean just watched her the whole time.  Her breath finally back Rose glanced up at him to find his eyes on her.

"What?"

"Damn, if you aren't the most beautiful girl," Dean said softly and Rose blushed with pleasure but still came back at him with sass. 

"Oh sure, tickle me till I can't breathe then try to get back in my good graces again by saying that," Rose teased.

Dean shook his head at her and stood pulling her up with him.  "Come on, brat.  Let's see how much loads of food is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my muse for speaking to me this week. It meant I got this published before I headed off for the mountains. Hope you enjoy it.


	81. Lighten Up While You Still Can

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mermaids, Math & Margaritas

Dean Winchester liked a therapist.  What was this world coming to?  He’d sat down with the doc before Rose went in and talked about her awful dream and panicked reaction.  Will agreed it was most likely brought on by guilt and that getting Rose out and away, giving her a change of scenery was a good idea.

“She gets stuck in her head, in what happened and if I can get her out, distract her and get her to focus on something else it helps,” Dean had explained.

The doctor had smiled slightly at that and agreed with Dean’s course of action.  He’d also said that guilt took time, getting over it was hard and that everyone dealt with it differently.

“Yeah, tell me something I don’t know,” Dean muttered to himself now.  He was sitting in the hallway, cup of coffee in hand, waiting for Rose to get out of her session.  He’d spent the time so far texting with Cooper (Who was doing much better now that the other werewolves were out of the picture.  He and Andie were even going to Homecoming together.) and turning the doctors words over in his head.  He was just taking a sip of coffee when the sound of heels clicking loudly along the floor made him look up.

* * *

“So Rose, Dean says you and your sister managed to work things out.”  Rose nodded and he could see her clutching her journal nervously.  “He also said you had a rough start to the day.”  Will looked at her sympathetically.  “Do you want to discuss it?”  Rose hesitated, biting her lip as she debated how to answer.  “There is so right or wrong answer here, Rose,” Will assured her. 

“Is it OK if we don’t?” Rose asked.  “At some point, yes but right now I’d rather not.”  She felt much better than this morning and really didn’t want to go over it all again.  Not yet.

“That’s fine,” Will assured her.  “Right then moving along, I read your list of things that make you relax.  Ten is a good number.  Now are all of these things that you’re currently doing?”  Will had a hunch they weren’t, given her issues with food.  Rose immediately shook her head and Will nodded.  “OK then, let’s go over the list and you tell me what you can’t do right now and we’ll come up with a plan.”

* * *

“Hey Lil, didn’t expect to see you here,” Dean said eyeing the woman in front of him.

Lily leaned up against the wall, Starbucks cup in one hand and car keys in her other.

“Rose freaked me the hell out this morning, with how panicked she was from that dream,” Lily admitted.  She looked at Dean and he was easily able to see the worry there.  “Is she doing this all the time?”

So Dean explained the nightmares to her, how generally they could keep them away if he was with Rose and Lily looked at him shrewdly.

“So that’s why you hustled her out the other night when I mentioned her staying over,” she said.  “You didn’t want her to have to explain that.”  Dean nodded and Lily allowed herself a small grin.  “And here I just assumed you were being your usual possessive self.”

Dean flipped her off good naturedly and he began to fill Lily in on a little of what Rose had been going through.  He assumed Rose would tell Lily this and it made sense for her to know.

“So you and me are the perpetual victims in her nightmares, huh?” Lily said when Dean had given her a quick rundown.  He nodded and took a sip of his own coffee.  “Makes sense I guess.”  Lily grinned at him.  “I mean we are pretty damn special.”  Dean couldn’t help but grin back.

“That we are,” he said then looked at her curiously.  “Why are you here anyway?  I mean aside from being freaked out.”

“I’m stealing my sister from you for the afternoon,” Lily said with a grin and Dean sat up straight, not liking the sound of that one little bit.  “She could use a day out and we could use some time.”

Dean eyed her suspiciously.  She was not going to like his concern.  ““When you say a day out you mean-”

Lily waved her hand expansively.  “Out.  Away from here.”

Dean kept up his suspicious expression.  Dressed in a Five by Five t-shirt, (And Dean actually knew what that was from.  Trust Lily to want a t-shirt from one of the most unlikeable characters on the show.  Though if memory served correctly Sam had liked Faith.  That should have been a clue right there.) skintight black jeans and blue high heels she looked like trouble.  Which was exactly what Dean was trying to keep Rose away from.

“Yeah, I got that part,” Dean said.  “But where are you two going to be going?  What are you going to be doing?”

Lily looked at Dean like he was insane.  Then she grinned suddenly.  “You know if you ever have a kid I can only imagine how much hell you’re gonna put anyone they date through.”

Lily’s comment caught Dean off guard and he just looked at her in surprise for a second then gave in and laughed at that image and the truth behind it.  Then he took another sip of coffee before saying, “It’s just been a rough morning for Rose.  She’s pretty worn out.”

“I wasn’t planning on entering her in a marathon, Dean,” Lily said dryly.

Dean toyed with the idea of showing her the email from the doctor for half a minute to give her some idea of what he was talking about.  But that would be going too far he decided quickly.  Unless Rose Okayed that he wouldn’t do it.  But he could give Lily some insight.

“She gets tired easier now,” he said and Lily frowned.  “The powers drain her and they’re still not under control.”

“Even with the stuff my mom made?” 

Dean nodded. “That keeps them in check but it makes her tired too.  Hell, for all I know it adds to her wearing out so easily.”  Dean sighed.  “And then after this morning and the nightmare she had that wears her out too.  She wound up falling back asleep.  So you can see why I’m concerned.”  Lily nodded.

“We won’t do much,” she promised.  “I swear we’ll take it easy.”

“You couldn’t just stay here?” Dean suggested.  “Watch some movies, hang out?”

Lily was shaking her head before Dean even finished the sentence.  “I can’t.”  And if Dean had any doubt that Lily was as messed up by her and Sam’s break up as his brother was her eyes drove it away.  They were shuttered, true.  She was trying not to give her feelings away; she wasn’t dumb.  She knew what side Dean would come down on in the Lily vs. Sam debate.  But around the edges he could see pain and sadness, very much like he’d seen in Sam’s eyes.

“You could talk to him,” he said gently and Lily swiftly shook her head.

“Don’t.”  A half a beat passed then: “Please.”  And that sealed it for Dean.  That wasn’t a word Lily would often say, least of all to him.  He and Lily loved each other but more often than not they needled each other, picked on one another in the way that siblings who love each other but compete with each other do.  It was clear she was hurting and as much as Dean would defend his brother to the death, would always take his side, he couldn’t hurt Lily either if he had a way not to.  So he gave in.

Dean fidgeted with his mug, his other concern coming to the forefront now that Rose’s energy level had been discussed.  “I’m just…I don’t want you guys anywhere you can get hurt.”

Lily smiled at him and it was a softer smile than normal Dean realized.  “I get that, Dean.  You’re protecting her.  And if you ever repeat this I’ll deny it but it’s kind of nice.  I like that she’s got someone who looks out for her.”  Lily glanced at the door to the room Rose was in and deciding she could be awhile she sank down to the floor.  Dean immediately started to stand up to give her the chair and Lily raised an eyebrow at him.  “Don’t even.”  Dean couldn’t help but grin as he settled back down.  “I get that you’re kind of leery of her going out and you want to keep her safe.  But I’m not gonna put her in danger, Dean.  I’ve been looking out for her a long time.”

Dean sighed.  He knew this had to suck for Lily and he hated coming off like the bad guy here.  But with all the things going on, all the factors that there were he couldn’t help but worry.

“You know you’re in danger too, right?” he said carefully and Lily just gave him a curt nod of her head.  “Can you just tell me where you’re going at least approximately?”

“No where all that exciting,” Lily said then seeing from Dean’s expression he wasn’t going to stop till he got an answer she gave in.  “There’s a tiny little nail place I discovered over by the hospital.  I’m gonna take Rosie to get our nails done, maybe stop in one of the little clothes shops there, probably grab some dinner before we come back.”

Dean nodded.  That sounded safe, well as safe as they could be honestly.  “Just keep an eye on her, OK?  If she seems tired cut your plans short, head back here.  And if your plans change tell me.”  Lily nodded and Dean looked at her sharply.  “And watch your back.  Things have been quiet and that makes me nervous.”

“You think something’s coming?” Lily asked curiously and Dean hesitated then nodded slowly.

“Well if the prophecies to be believed, yeah.  Bobby, Charlie and Sam are all upstairs trying to figure out what that last bit means.  Sam’s determined to crack it.”  Dean noticed the wince Sam’s name brought about but didn’t comment.  “Hey uh, I haven’t told Rose any of the prophecy stuff Charlie found yet.  So just…don’t mention it OK?”

Lily nodded.  “Wasn’t planning on mentioning prophecy today anyway.” Lily quirked a teasing eyebrow at him.  “I get that you’re not an expert on girl talk so let me just clue you in – Doomsday shit doesn’t usually come up.”  The door opened then and Rose appeared and Dean immediately got to his feet.

“Hey ya, Rosie,” Lily said standing and smiling at her sister’s surprised expression.  She reached out and pulled her into an easy hug and Dean could see the relief in her at seeing her sister whole and healthy after the panic of the morning.

“Lily!  What are you doing here?”  Rose looked overjoyed at the sight of her sister and if anything decided it for Dean that was it.  She happily hugged her sister back and Dean grinned at how good that was to see.

“Stealing you away from your boyfriend,” Lily said with a cocky grin.  Rose glanced at Dean questioningly and that didn’t go unnoticed by Lily.  Dean gave Rose a little nod and Lily stopped the frown from forming on her face.  Was she seriously asking his permission?  “I figured we’d go get our nails done, do some shopping, get some dinner.”

“Sounds good,” Rose said smiling at her.  “I just need to go grab my purse and coat.  You wanna come with?”

Lily immediately shook her head and Rose gave her a sympathetic look.  “Na, you just get what you need and I’ll be waiting here.”  She slid into Dean’s recently vacated chair.  “In your boyfriend’s chair, now that he’s finally moved.   Where were you raised, Dean?  In a barn?” She gave him an evil grin.  “Isn’t a gentleman always supposed to give up his chair to a lady?"  Dean let out a snort at that.

“Yeah, well when either one of us fit into those categories we’ll worry about it then,” Dean shot back and Lily laughed.  She watched the two walk away and heard Dean murmur to Rose softly, “You’ll be fine.  It’ll do you good to get out.”  That’s when it occurred to her that Dean hadn’t been giving Rose permission.  He’d been encouraging her.  And that made all the difference in the world to Lily.  She sat back, stretched her legs out and pulled her phone out to play some moves on that stupid dice game that Daisy had gotten her hooked on while she waited. 

* * *

“Are you sure you’re OK with me going?” Rose asked as they walked up the stairs.  She knew how nervous Dean had been when she’d gone out with Charlie and after this morning he must be feeling extra protective. “I mean we had talked about doing something.”

“No, Baby it’ll do you good.” Dean refused to let Rose see how nervous he was.  She’d gone out with Charlie who was a hell of a lot less prepared than Lily and she’d been fine.  He’d hovered over her then and he wasn’t going to do it now.  At least not visibly.  “You’ve missed Lily.  Go out, have fun and then come home and tell me all about it.”  Dean rubbed a hand soothingly over her lower back as they made their way up the stairs.  “As long as you feel OK to go.”  Rose nodded.  She felt a lot better than this morning.

“You’re sure?”  Rose stopped on the stairs and Dean did too.  Her eyes were nervous and he pulled her towards him so he could kiss her.  There, that lessened the look.

“I’m sure.  And you’ll be fine.”  He tucked her hair back behind her ear and smiled at her.  “You’ll have fun.  And if you need me I’m here, you know that.  If you need anything I’ll be there in a heartbeat.”

“Yeah?”  Rose’s eyes were looking less scared now, more sure, more excited.

“Totally.”  Dean gave her a cocky look.  “I happen to have this angel friend who can get me anywhere I need to be in a flash.”

“Well OK then…” Rose turned and continued on up the stairs with Dean following.  As they passed the library Sam called out to him.

“Hey Dean. Can we borrow you for a second?”

Dean held up a hand and said, “Give me just a minute and you can have me for the rest of the afternoon.  Rose is going out.”  Rose continued on towards the bedrooms while Dean paused in the doorway.

Sam looked surprised.  “She is?  With who?”

“Uh, Lily,” Dean said, glancing at Sam.  “She showed up when Rose was in therapy and wants to take her out.”

“She’s here?” Sam asked, standing up so quickly his chair fell over.

“Yeah, downstairs waiting for Rose.”  Dean looked at his brother knowingly.  “You don’t have long.” And he turned and followed Rose.

Without another word, without even righting his chair, Sam headed the way Rose and Dean had come leaving Bobby and Charlie to stare after them both.  Bobby gave a snort and turned back to his book.

“Idjits,” He muttered and Charlie laughed.

* * *

“Lily mentioned you guys getting dinner,” Dean said, watching Rose pull out her purse and shrug into his coat.  She’d changed when she woke up from her nap into jeans and red t-shirt with a quote about mornings being for coffee and contemplation and Dean actually understood this one as well, having watched the show himself.  She went to run a brush through her hair now and nodded as Dean came up behind her, staring at their reflection in the mirror.  “I want you to eat, Rose.”  She opened her mouth to respond and Dean continued before she could.  “Enough that I would be happy.”  Rose’s mouth instantly formed a pout and Dean chuckled.  He brushed his lips against her neck.  “Such a brat.”

“Am not,” Rose said, eyes twinkling.

“Oh you are,” Dean said, grinding his hips against her bottom from behind and Rose let out a surprised sound that instantly turned to a pleased one.  Dean’s hands flexed on her hips and his lips nibbled at her neck.  “You are such, a naughty, bratty, little girl.”  Rose let out a whimper and that and Dean grinned.  “And I bet knowing you, Sweetheart, mmm no, I guarantee I know what you need.”

“You do?” Rose looked up at their reflections in the mirror and was shocked at the difference in her eyes.  They were dark and needy and Dean’s expression was one of smug certainty when he caught her eyes watching them.

“Mmm hmm,” Dean said, his fingers moving to the button on her jeans and swiftly undoing them and tugging them down.  The brush Rose had been holding fell from her hands as Dean ran a hand over the front of her panties and Rose squirmed.  “See?  I bet you’re already wet and I’ve barely touched you.”

“Yeah, but you said…all those things,” Rose fumbled and winced at how silly she sounded.

Dean chuckled and turned her to face him.  He lifted her up on the bathroom counter and tugged her jeans all the way off.  “All those things?  What kind of things would those be, Rosie?”  His eyes were twinkling and his grin was so amused at her it was impossible to miss. 

“Stop,” she complained.  “You’re teasing me.  And undressing me and we don’t have time for this.”  Despite her complaints Dean noticed her hands were slowly stroking his chest and she was leaning towards him, her mind and body obviously not in agreement.

“Oh we do have time for this,” Dean said, reaching down and popping the button on his own jeans.  He shoved them and his boxer briefs down in one smooth motion.  “First off, your sister has spent the better part of my life making me wait.  She can wait for once.”  Dean pushed up closer to Rose then.  “And this won’t wait,” he reached up and grasped her wrist and pulled her hand down to his cock.  Rose immediately grasped him in her hands and Dean moaned.  He let himself enjoy the feel of her soft hand sliding over his heated flesh for just a moment then stopped her.  He lifted her hand from him and kissed it softly.  “You are going to walk out that door knowing you’re mine, Sweetheart.”  Rose let out a small noise at that and squeezed her thighs together and Dean grinned.  He ran a hand over his hard cock and watched as Rose’s eyes immediately focused in on his movement.  She unconsciously licked her lips and Dean was the one making the noise this time.  He shook his head, reminding himself they did need to hurry and placed his hands on her hips.

“Lift that gorgeous ass up for me, Baby,” he said and slid her panties off and then slid his own fingers inside of her, pulling a loud noise from Rose and sending her hands grasping at shoulders.  “And look at that.  I was right, Baby.”  Dean moved his lips to her ear, his voice low and husky sounding.  “You are so wet, so ready for me, naughty girl.”  He felt a shiver go through her at his words and grinned.  Then he pulled back from her and slid his fingers out too and licked them clean, causing Rose to whine and pull at his shoulders, tugging him towards her.

“Quit teasing, Dean.”  Dean felt a smug feeling wash over him at the look in Rose’s eyes and the desperate tone in her voice.  She was rubbing against him urgently and her hands on his shoulders were gripping him fiercely.  He loved that he could get her like this so easily.

“Yes, M’aam,” Dean said with a pleased grin and with a firm grip on her hips he drove his cock into her.  Rose let out a whimper and Dean’s hands found their way to her bottom, his fingers grasping her cheeks.  The sounds coming from them were desperate, matching their frenzied movements.  This was supposed to be quick, just a reminder to Rose who she belonged to and because Dean was desperate for her twenty four seven it would tide him over till he had her with him again.  But even quickies weren’t all that quick with the two of them.  They tended to get so wrapped up in each other that everything else just faded away.

Dean buried his head against her neck, his lips seeking out skin to kiss and Rose’s hands were scraping at his back.  Her legs wrapped around his hips as he pounded into her and she was close already.  “Oh God, Dean,” she breathed out and he moved his head, his mouth finding hers and kissing her deeply.  Rose groaned into his mouth and Dean flexed his hands on the soft flesh of her backside.  He pulled back when he felt himself getting close. 

“I’m in charge today, Sweetheart,” he grunted as he felt her legs tighten around him.  “Just because you’re out there doesn’t mean you’re not mine.  Understand?”

Rose’s eyes were dark as she nodded and she felt the coil that was so tight in her belly start to loosen…

“You remember who you belong to,” Dean said, thrusting a little harder, a little more desperately.  “And you act like it.”  Dean quickened his pace as he felt Rose tighten and heard her gasp out his name.  A few more hard thrusts of his hips and he was coming inside her with a shout.  Their lips met as they both came down from their high, softer and gentler now.  Rose smiled at him as he pulled away and her hands tenderly stroked his hair as he got a washcloth and cleaned her up.  He lifted her down from the counter then and she hurriedly redressed.  He stopped her before she walked out the bedroom door with a hand to her shoulder.

He pulled her back against him and wrapped his arms around her, his lips brushing against her ear.  “You behave today, Baby and enjoy yourself.”

“Is that an order?” Rose asked playfully and Dean laughed at the sassy tone in her voice.  That’s how he wanted her leaving the bunker: Confident of who she was and who she belonged to.

“Damn right it is,” he growled playfully and followed his words up by pulling back and landing a hearty smack to her bottom and Rose blushed and giggled happily as the two of the walked out to meet Lily.

* * *

Sam was nervous as he made his way down the stairs, running over in his mind a brief idea of what he wanted to say to Lily.  He had to take this chance, had to try.  He stopped when he saw her sitting in the chair in the hallway, her long legs out in front of her, her black hair curling down and caressing her neck.  She was completely focused on her phone in front of her, her eyes glued to the screen.  God, she was gorgeous and he missed her so much it was an actual physical ache.  He gave himself a minute to watch her before speaking.

“Lily?”

Her head jerked up at the soft voice and Sam watched as a brief expression of panic crossed her face.  Shit, Lily thought.  She wasn't ready for this.

"Sam..." she didn't seem to know what to say after that.

"Are you..." Sam shuffled his feet then moved closer to her, coming to stand across the hall from her.  "Dean said you're here to take Rose out?"

"Yeah," Lily said relaxing slightly at the topic that didn’t focus on them.  "I figured it would be a good idea.  Get her out, give us some time together."

Sam smiled and Lily winced inwardly at the touch of sadness she clearly saw there.  If there was ever someone who had mastered the art of the sad smile it was Sam.  God, she hated seeing him like this, knowing he was this way because of her.  "I'm glad you two worked things out.  I know how tough that was on you."  Lily just nodded her eyes wary.  Her guard was up and she wasn't giving much away.  It was awkward and weird between them, two things it never was.  He'd well and truly broke them, Sam thought.  Or maybe they'd broken each other. 

At least they weren't screaming at each other though he wasn't sure this was much better, just quieter.

"Dean said you were researching the last prophecy Charlie deciphered?" Sam nodded and Lily gave him a small, tight smile.  "You're good at that.  I'm sure you'll figure it out." 

“I hope so,” Sam said giving her a small smile at her compliment.  “We’ve got some idea but there’s a few things that aren’t clear.”

“It’s a prophecy,” Lily said.  “When are they ever clear?”  Sam nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, uh, Lily, can we talk?" Sam asked, his voice sounding more hesitant than he intended.  But this wasn't going like he'd planned or hoped.  Which was dumb on his part he realized.  Things with Lily rarely went according to plan.  And he knew this wasn’t going to be easy.

"Aren't we doing that now?" Lily asked playing dumb.

"I mean really talk.  About us."  Sam looked at Lily, his eyes intense and for just a second Lily wavered.  Her eyes looked into his and Sam could see the unhappiness there.  Then they shuttered again and Lily shook her head.

"Not today, Sam.  I'm just waiting for Rose and then I'm out of here."

"Ok later, another day," Sam said, latching onto the fact she hadn't said an outright no.

"Maybe," Lily said getting to her feet.

Footsteps were sounding down the stairs then and Sam knew he didn't have much time.

"Tomorrow.  We can go to lunch and talk."

Lily gave him a funny smile.  "I can't tomorrow."

"OK Wednesday then."

"I don't know..."

Rose and Dean were at the bottom of the stairs now and Sam reached out in desperation and snagged Lily's wrist.

"Please, Lil.  Let's talk." He gave her a half smile.  “We need to work this out.”

Lily glanced at Sam's hand on her wrist and then up at him.  For just a minute she let herself really look into his eyes, really feel his hand on her.  It was the first time they’d touched in over a week she realized and she missed that more than she could explain.  Not just the sex though yeah, definitely that but she missed the small casual touches too, her feet resting in his lap while they watched TV, her fingers running through his hair when they were laying in bed together, sleeping against him.  She felt herself waver for a minute and knew from the look on Sam’s face he saw it.  But then her eyes drifted to the door just behind Sam and she remembered the fight that got them here, all the things that were said, all the damage done and knew she couldn’t chance that again. 

"Maybe we shouldn't," she said and her eyes weren't guarded now. They were open and so sad and Sam wasn't sure how he felt about that.  Glad that she hated this, upset she was hurting, angry any of this had happened to begin with.

"Of course we should," Sam said certain now that he knew she was upset as well that they could do this.

But Lily was shaking her head.  "Maybe we should just admit it didn't work out, hang onto the good memories we can and try and salvage our friendship."  She gestured to Rose and Dean who were hanging back, trying not to intrude.  "It's not just us involved, Sam."  She pulled her wrist from his reach then looked at Rose.

"Ready?" And before Sam could respond Rose was kissing Dean then slipping by him with a sympathetic look thrown his way and following her sister out.

Dean came up behind his brother.

"Didn't go well?"

Sam shook his head.  "She was way too calm," he said.  "I don't know if that's a bad sign or..." he drug a hand through his hair.  "Hell I don't know anything here."

"Well, at least she didn't hit you," Dean said clapping his brother on the back.

"I think I'd almost rather she had," Sam said softly and Dean snorted. 

"You always were a masochist." 

"At least then I'd know she thought I was worth fighting with," Sam reasoned.

Dean sighed.  "Look, I know I said to talk to her but maybe you both need some time."

"Since when?" Sam asked throwing his brother an irritated look.  "You said I should explain, that we needed to talk…you _said_ to talk to her."

"Yeah but I've since had a conversation that lead me to believe waiting may be the way to go," Dean said calmly.

"What the hell are you talking about, Dean?" Sam was glaring at him, irritated and frustrated now and Dean kept his voice calm and even.

“Just heeding a certain redhead’s advice," Dean said turning his brother towards the stairs.  “Come on, let’s go see this research you want me to take a look at.”

* * *

"So I found this nail place not too far from the hospital," Lily said super cheerfully.  "It's cute and well kinda small but still really nice."

"Sounds good," Rose said glancing at Lily with a touch of concern.  Lily’s over the top cheeriness was making her nervous.

"And then we can check out some of the little shops they have,” Lily continued. “I don't know if they're any good or not but who knows what we'll find."

"Mmm hmm.  Lily are you-"

"And food!" Lily said loudly.  Way too loudly.  Rose was quickly going from concerned to worried.  "We'll have to go to a...a place...oh shit.  Shit."  Lily pulled the car over frantically to the side of the road, her face pale, eyes wide and her breathing way too fast. 

"Lily are you...are you having a panic attack?" Rose was watching her in shock.  She’d never seen Lily like this. 

"No, no," Lily waved a hand dismissively, trying her best to look calm and failing.  “I’m fi…fi-ne.”  The panicked look on her face said otherwise and Rose slipped a hand to her back rubbing soothingly. 

“Hey look at me.”  Lily met Rose’s calm blue eyes and tried to focus on her.  “You’re OK.  Just focus on me, OK?  Time your breathing with mine.”  It took a few minutes but Lily calmed down, her breathing returned to normal and the color came back to her face.  “Better?”  Lily nodded.  “What’s going on, Lil?  You haven’t had a panic attack since…wait, have you ever had a panic attack?”

“Yeah, once.  But you weren’t there.”  Lily shook her head when Rose looked curious.  “Long story for another time.”  She dropped her head against the steering wheel, resting her forehead against it and closed her eyes. “Damn it.”  She slapped a hand against the side of the steering wheel.  “This is not how today is supposed to be going.  I’m supposed to be taking you out, enjoying our time together, maybe causing a little ruckus, not falling apart on the side of the road.”  She paused.  “Wait, no ruckus.  Ruckus would be too much according to Dean.”  Rose raised a curious eyebrow at that but before she could ask Lily was turning her head to look at her, opening her eyes and repeating: “This is not how today is supposed to be going.”

“I feel pretty safe in saying most of the days over the last few months haven’t gone like they were supposed to,” Rose said with a wry smile and Lily laughed.

“Yeah, you could say that.”

Rose looked at her sister as she straightened and leaned her head back against the headrest, staring at the steering wheel as if it were going to somehow answer all her questions.

“This is about Sam isn’t it?” 

“No…” Lily said trying her best to bluster her way through this.  She took one look at Rose and gave up.  “Yeah,” she said softly.

“If you’re this miserable, and I’ve been around Sam and know how unhappy he is, then why don’t you just talk to him?” Rose suggested gently. “I’m sure you can work out whatever’s wrong if you try.”

Lily shook her head regretfully.  “Talking won’t do any good.  We need to just…let go and move on.”  She straightened her spine and looked determined.  “I’m sure if we just take a little time we’ll be OK.  We can just move on and be friends and be just fine around each other.”

Rose looked at Lily suspiciously then shook her head and said with a small smile, “You know, Lily you are a truly awful liar.”

Lily shot her a sour look.  “Who said I was lying?”

“I know you,” Rose said.  “I know when you’re lying though honestly right now anyone would.”  Rose gave Lily a gentle smile.  “Come on, Lily.  Level with me.  What’s going on really?”

Lily studied her hands for a second then glanced up at Rose.  “Let’s go get our nails done first.  Let me work up to the heart spilling part.”

Rose smiled at her, happy to be able to talk to her sister again and hopefully make her feel better.  “Deal.”

* * *

“No, there are no mermaids,” were the first words that greeted Sam and Dean when they reached the top of the stairs.  They glanced at each other bewilderedly and entered the room to find Bobby and Charlie in the midst of a heated debate.

“How do you know?”  Charlie was demanding in the tone both boys knew meant she was determined to prove a point.  “I mean most people think there are no vampires.  But we all know that Edward and Bella could be a real thing.”  Charlie grimaced.  “I mean, minus the romance.  And the sparkles.”  She shook her head to clear that image away quickly.  “Anyway I’m just saying we don’t actually _know_ for a fact that there are no mermaids.”

“Guys, why are we talking about mermaids?” Dean asked as Sam took a seat and he made his way to the mini fridge to grab a beer.

“There was a mention of mermaids in some real obscure bit of Native American lore and Charlie here latched onto it,” Bobby said, his irritation at her stubbornness clear.

“And I pointed out that we don’t technically know there are no mermaids because well do any of you go deep sea diving?” Charlie asked looking around at the hunters.

All three men looked at each other, none having a good answer for that.  Their silence made Charlie smile triumphantly.  Score one of the hacker.

Dean finally shook his head and sat down next to the redhead.  “OK well Charlie get’s a point and can have her visions of mermaids.  Just know that if we ever get a call about a case in the middle of the ocean it’s you we’ll be sending.”  Sam laughed softly at that and even Bobby chuckled as Charlie just kept smiling, pleased with her victory.

“So where are we at guys?”

* * *

"How are these even real nail polish names?" Rose asked giggling at her sister.  Lily wiggled her green nails at her, titled "Green Means Go Harder" and Rose was almost certain she'd only picked it for that reason.

"Berry It Deep," Lily said eyeing the fuchsia color Rose had chosen.  "Yeah, definitely share that name with Dean."

"He's never needed any encouragement," Rose murmured quietly and laughed when Lily choked on a sip of coffee.  Rose was doing her best to make Lily laugh and smile. Her little panic episode had freaked Rose out more than she wanted to admit.  Lily didn't have meltdowns like that, or not that Rose had ever known.  She was going to get Lily to talk but that would come over dinner.  For now she was keeping it light.  And Lily was always up for hearing naughty details so despite the fact that Rose didn't plan on divulging any truly intimate details she had no problem sharing a few racy details here and there.

"Good idea though," Rose said responding to Lily's suggestion and she pulled her phone out and texted Dean a snap of her nails. 

_"It’s called Berry It Deep – You like?"_

_"Don't I always?"_ Came flying back less than a minute later bookended by thumbs up signs and Rose giggled and put her phone away.

"He approves," Rose assured her sister, looping her arm through hers.  "Where to now?"

* * *

"So we've figured out that all these signs are actually pointing to two events," Bobby said.  

"That come close together," Sam interjected and Charlie nodded in agreement.

“OK what events are we talking about?" Dean asked.

Bobby looked at Sam and Sam nodded, telling him to go ahead.

"Well the stars dancing brightly...if you look back through years of lore that almost always refers to a meteor shower, usually a big ass one that used to have people believing the sky was falling."

Dean nodded thinking that made sense. 

"Sun sleeps for the day and the moon sings her song seems to point to a total solar eclipse," Bobby continued.

"The sun sleeping part I get," Dean said, "But how does the moon sings her song fit?"

"A total solar eclipse tosses things on its head," Charlie broke in.  "You'll have night sounds, night creatures out making the noises we generally associate with night."

"Thus the moons song," Sam said and Dean nodded.

"Ok so sounds like you got this all wrapped up.  What's the issue?  What do you need me for?"

"There's not a full solar eclipse in the calendar for the next two years," Bobby said and Dean glanced up at him hopefully.

"So we have that much time?"  Bobby was already shaking his head before Dean finished.

"No, there's no way it's that far off.  There's been too much weird shit going on and besides when did we ever have more time than we imagined?"

"Good point," Dean said with a shake of his head.  "So couldn't it be a less than full eclipse?  Is there a semi eclipse?"

"Not if the part about the moons song is true," Charlie said.  "It has to be total for that."

Dean sighed.  "OK so what?"

Sam shuffled some papers in front of him nervously. 

"These are the papers Danny gave me from his brother, uh Sean."  Dean made a face at the mention of Danny but glanced at the papers Sam handed his way.  "They're copies of the priest’s notes and we think the dates are referring to the dates of the eclipse and meteor shower."

"Sooo...." Dean was getting irritated with feeling like he was being lead through a maze.

"Look at the numbers, Dean," Bobby said and Dean looked at the papers in front of him.  One was in Gaelic so not much use to him but the other was the translated version and the numbers still didn't make sense to him.  He remembered Sam rambling on once about the Gaelic way of counting (And why out of anything that chose to stay in his brain did that decide to stick?). though he didn't remember any details.  But these numbers were just arranged in one - no make that two long running lines without any breaks. 

"What the fuck?" Dean asked letting his eyes run over the lines. 

"A good summation," Sam commented.

"And this is supposed to help how?"

Sam shrugged.  "Beats me."  He fidgeted with a pen before saying, "I'm not sure if Danny had any idea what his brother gave to us or not.  But I figured I'd give him a call and see..."

"Great, just fucking great."  Dean said.  He liked Danny as far removed from their lives as possible. 

"Unless you can make sense of that," Sam said hopefully and Dean gave him a look.

"I'm good with numbers, Sam but I'm no Beautiful Mind."  Dean leaned back in his chair as Charlie gave him a sympathetic smile.  "Call the son of a bitch and do it while Rose is out.  He upset her enough last time."

* * *

"OK this was a good idea," Lily admitted.  Rose had suggested they drive to a small town she'd gone through with Dean that had a good Mexican restaurant.  Lily loved Mexican as much as Rose did and talking over queso and margaritas sounded like a good idea.  And as promised Lily had let Dean know they’d changed plans for dinner.  He’d been surprisingly cool with it making Lily believe he really meant what he’d said about just wanting to know where they were. "And _this_ was an even better idea," Lily said, raising her cranberry margarita.

"I'm the girl with the plan," Rose said with a grin taking a sip of her own blackberry margarita. 

"Dean really must be rubbing off on you," Lily said with a raised eyebrow.  "Planning, drinking, you're turning into a regular hunter, Rosie."

Rose laughed.  "Yep, that’s me."  She giggled then as an image came to her.  "Can you picture Dean and Sam ever drinking margaritas?"  Lily had to laugh at the image as well.  They stopped laughing long enough to order and then sat back and munched on chips.

"Don't let Dean hear you say that about me being a hunter," Rose advised after a few minutes had passed and Lily snorted.

"How does that not make you crazy?" she asked.  "I mean don't you feel smothered?"

"By Dean?" Rose asked and Lily could tell from her tone that the idea had never even occurred to her.

"Yeah, I mean he's so over protective," Lily said.  "He acts like you're helpless.  That would make me crazy."

Rose took a sip of her drink, letting the slightly tart flavor wash over her tongue while she considered how to answer in a way that Lily had a chance of understanding.

"He doesn't look at me as helpless." Rose knew that for certain.  "He treats me like I'm special, someone worth being careful with." She smiled a soft, intimate smile and Lily felt a small stab of jealousy go through her.  "Dean's careful with what's important to him.  I like being in that category."

Lily studied her sister.  They'd always approached the opposite sex so completely differently.  Their food arrived then and both girls were quiet for a moment.

"I just think people shouldn't want to change people they're in relationships with," Lily offered.

Rose frowned.  "Dean doesn't want to change me, Lily.  That's the last thing he'd want."  Rose watched her sister take a bite of her burrito and figured that comment had very little to do with Dean and Rose and everything to do with Lily and Sam. 

"People do change naturally though when they get in relationships," she said earning a look from Lily.  "I mean I never asked him to stop but I'd have a pretty big problem if Dean was hitting up the local bar looking for a conquest."

Lily grinned at her sister.  "I'm pretty sure you're more than enough of a challenge for him."

"Being a challenge is something members of our family seem to specialize in," Rose agreed.  "The point is he changed naturally once we got together.  And I did too.  It happens."

She looked down at her own plate and remembering her promise to Dean she took a bite of her enchilada.  As if on cue her phone buzzed.

_Having fun, Sweetheart?_

_Mmm hmm.  At dinner._

_Remember...eat enough to make me happy, K?_

_Don't think that's possible. :p_

_Be good, brat.  Half the plate._

Rose rolled her eyes, a pleased smile on her face despite her action and put her phone down turning back to her sister.

"So what did Sam try to change about you?"

Lily took a drink of her margarita, draining the glass and motioned to their waitress that she'd want another and Rose realized there was a very good chance she'd be driving home, especially when Lily reached out and snagged Rose’s half full glass.  “You weren’t drinking it,” Lily argued when Rose started to protest and Rose just gave her a disbelieving look but let her have it. 

"He wants me to be safe," Lily said with a scowl.

Rose waited, after a minute had passed realizing that was it.  And now she knew why Lily had the meltdown about being safe at the bar.

"OK but...whys that bad?"

"You wouldn't understand," Lily said.  "You're not a hunter."

"Yeah, thanks, Lil I am aware of that fact," Rose said sarcastically.  She took another bite of her enchiladas and before she got a chance to ask anything else Lily was staring at her and asking her own question.

"Is this seriously how you eat now?"  She gestured to Rose's plate which was barely touched and Rose squirmed uncomfortably.  "You love Mexican food, especially cheese enchiladas.  What gives?"

"Food is just...it's hard," Rose said lamely.  She didn't know how to explain it.  God knows she wished she did.  If she understood it maybe she could fix it.  Sensing her sister’s discomfort and trying to live up to what Daisy had reminded her of _(“We’re supposed to make things easier for each other, not harder.”_ ) Lily turned to teasing her sister.

"Do I get to like, threaten to tell Dean if you don't eat now?" She'd easily caught onto Dean's insistence that Rose eat at the hospital.  Her eyes widened when Rose actually blushed.  "Wait, seriously?" 

"No, you don’t,” Rose said in irritation, glancing down at her plate.  “I just, I promised him I'd eat, OK?” she said defensively glancing up.  “It’s a big deal to him.” 

“And heaven knows what Dean wants from you he gets,” Lily drawled lounging back and smiling at her sister mischievously.

“Shut up,” Rose said giving her sister an annoyed look.

“So the question is what would he have to ask for you to actually say no to him?” Lily mused looking thoughtful.

“I say no plenty,” Rose protested and Lily smirked knowingly at her.

“Oh do you now?”  She took a sip of her margarita.  “That’d be a first since you never have before.  Not when we were little, not when we were teenagers…something’s don’t change.” 

“OK can we get back to the topic of you and Sam now please?" Rose asked shooting Lily an annoyed look.

Lily grinned at her sister but nodded and after taking another bite of food Rose continued.

"Dean's a hunter," Rose said going back to their original conversation.  "I want him to be safe."

"Yeah but that's never gonna happen," Lily said.  "Hunting isn't safe."

"No, but I'd like to think, to _hope_ that maybe Dean is a bit more careful...I mean I hope he was always careful and I don't know, maybe it's arrogant but I'd to believe he's more careful  than ever because of me." Rose's voice was soft, a touch unsure even and Lily was certain this wasn't a thought she'd voiced with anyone else.  Despite her opinion that Dean was way too protective Lily didn't have a doubt he adored Rose.  (And right now she understood his protectiveness with her sister.  She may tease him because well, it’s what they did but she got it.)

"Rosie, I'm pretty sure Dean would wrap himself in armor if it meant he'd come home safely to you."  Rose smiled at her gratefully and took another bite of enchilada.  She studied her sister thoughtfully while she chewed then asked, "So you don't care about Sam that much?"

Lily froze with her fork in midair.  In retrospect she should have been prepared.  Rose always had been able to cut to the heart of the matter and to do it looking purposely innocent.  Sure enough when she glanced up at her sister Rose was smiling at her sweetly.  Lily put the bite of food in her mouth and chewed before setting it down and glaring at her sister.

"Has anyone told you lately that you are in fact extremely evil and wicked?" Lily asked and Rose grinned and shook her head.

"Nope, 'cause the only person who would ever say that wasn't talking to me."

"Well luckily I'm back to tell you that you are indeed devious and awful."  Rose giggled and took another bite of her food and Lily noticed she was eating better now that they were talking and not focusing on the food.

Lily drained her drink and when the waitress came by ordered another one. 

"Give me the keys," Rose said and Lily handed them over with an exaggerated sigh.  "Now answer the question."

"You've gotten bossier too," Lily said.  She took another bite of her dinner then sighed.  "It's not that simple."

"Ok then explain it, Lil," Rose said her voice less demanding and more coaxing now.

Lily smiled her thanks as the waitress brought her drink and she took a sip and thought how to explain.

"If it was just a matter of Sam wanting me to be careful on hunts I'd have no issue," Lily said finally.  "I want him to be careful when he's out there and I worry about him.  So if it was just that..."

"But it's not?" Lily shook her head regretfully.

"Imagine if Dean wanted you to be a hunter. If to be happy he needed you to be tougher, harder, more..." Lily searched for the words and Rose filled them in.

"More like you?" and Lily nodded in satisfaction.

"Exactly.  And so all the parts of you that were the opposite now feel unwanted."

Rose took one more bite of her enchilada and pushed the plate away. Lily saw she'd eaten exactly half, no more, no less.  She made a hand motion and at Rose's nod she slid her empty plate in front of Rose and took her half empty plate and started to eat.  No point in it going to waste.

Rose watched her sister dig into her leftover enchiladas and thought about what she'd said.  She knew Lily's habit of taking any criticism as a direct attack and her tendency to overreact all too well so she took Lily's comments with a grain of salt.

"So you feel like Sam wanted you to change, to become what, some stay at home hunter’s girlfriend?"  Lily considered then nodded.  "Did he tell you he wanted you to give up hunting?"

"No," Lily admitted.  "But it was coming.  I'm sure of it."

Rose felt very much like some key information was missing here.  This wasn't all adding up and she knew better than most how much Sam found Lily's bad ass persona hot.  She’d been on the receiving end of his comments about her all too often.  Did getting involved and serious really change his opinion that much?

"I never got what all the fuss about love was," Lily mused.  Having finished Rose's plate she was focused solely on her drink.  Rose was hoping all the food would soak up some of the alcohol in her system.  "I mean I'd watch you with all your boyfriends who fawned over you and brought you presents and shit and think it all just seemed like a big hassle."

"Love isn't presents, Lily," Rose said and Lily rolled her eyes at her. 

"No shit, Sherlock.  Oh Sherlock, you like him."  Four margaritas was gonna be it.  Rose asked the waitress for the check the next time she came by. 

"And you like romance novels," Rose pointed out.

Lily shushed her loudly.  "Don't tell anyone that!"

"Ok we need to get you home," Rose decided.  She should have cut Lily off earlier. 

She had Lily safely buckled in the car and was behind the steering wheel when Dean texted again.

_You headed home soon?_

Rose smiled.  They'd gotten so used to being together it was odd to be out without him but she thought she'd done well.

_Yep should be home in about an hour, maybe a little more._

_Make sure your crazy sister drives careful._

Rose hesitated.  Answering would either mean telling him the truth that she was driving which he'd most likely object to or lying which was a big red letter no with Dean.  If she told him she was driving he’d most likely send Cas to get them, causing a fuss which Rose didn’t want. But she didn’t want to lie either.  In the end she just didn’t respond.  That wasn’t technically lying she reassured herself.

"I went home you know," Lily said suddenly and Rose looked at her in surprise.

"You what?"

"After our therapy nightmare," Lily said.  "I didn't mean to.  I was just driving and before I knew it I was in Hastings."

"Oh Lily," Rose said in dismay.  "Does anyone else know?"

"Daisy...and I don't know does Cas know everything she does?” Lily looked confused. “He sure seems to."

So the boys didn't know, their mom didn't know.  But now she did.  Rose sighed.  Great.

"We're adults and it's still like you're sneaking out and asking me to cover for you," Rose muttered starting the car and pulling out.

They passed a Starbucks and Rose detoured and drove through the drive through, figuring coffee would be a good thing for them both. 

"Oh cinnamon!" Lily said lighting up at the sight of the coffee chain.  Rose looked at her in surprise and Lily went on to tell her in great detail about her newly discovered love for cinnamon flavored coffee.  She rattled off her drink name and Rose placed both their orders and pulled ahead. 

"Will miracles never cease," she mused watching her sister practically inhale the coffee. 

Lily flashed her a happy smile then as Rose watched in horror Lily crumpled.  Rose pulled over into a parking space quickly and took the drink from Lily's hands, putting both their drinks into the cup holders and wrapping her arms around her sister.

Between the alcohol and being around one of the only people Lily truly let her guard down around she couldn't hold the tears back.  She sobbed into Rose's shoulder and Rose let her, rubbing her back soothingly.  Lily cried solidly for several minutes then finally pulled back, taking a deep breath and Rose dug in her purse for a Kleenex, handing it to Lily. 

"Better?"

Lily shrugged.  "Maybe a little?  I guess better than keeping all that in."  Lily leaned her head back against the head rest.  "I never wanted to fall in love," she said, her voice rough with tears.

"But you did anyway?" Rose asked and Lily closed her eyes as if in physical pain.

"I did," she said opening her eyes again after a moment had passed and focusing on her hands.  "It wasn't like I thought it would be.  I was expecting…I don't know a big wave or a flash of lightning.  Instead it was soft and slow and it worked its way into every part of me.  Before I knew it loving Sam was the very best part of my life."  Lily fidgeted with her bracelet then looked at Rose.  "I...I love Sam so much that sometimes being without him hurts so much I feel like I can't breathe."

"I'm sorry, Lil," Rose said sincerely.  "I wish I could fix it for you."  She hesitated then added, "I do think you should talk to him though.  Give yourself a little time then talk to him.  You guys love each other and you're both two of the most amazing people I know.  If anyone can work it out it's you two."

Lily shook her head sadly.  "No, he wants someone else, someone so much nicer and sweeter."  She glanced at Rose.  "Too bad you've got a Winchester.  You'd be perfect for Sam."  Lily narrowed he eyes.  "Of course then I'd hate you and have to kill you if you touched him."

"Um yeah and Sam's my brother, Lil.  I am so not his type and vice versa."  Rose thought about pointing out that wanting to kill another woman who touched Sam wasn't exactly a sign of moving on but didn't bother.  Lily would have to figure that out on her own.  She glanced at the dashboard clock then and felt her eyes widen.  They needed to go now!  She picked her phone up and texted Dean quickly saying they'd got hung up but would be home soon.  She texted Charlie too so she'd know they were on their way to her place first. 

"OK let's go, Lil.  Let's get you home."

Lily rambled most of the way home, mostly about inconsequential things and Rose got to hear a few more details about the sexual adventures of Lily and Sam than she needed to.  Finally she got her to Charlie's, got her safely inside and tucked into bed and was ready to head back to the car and to the bunker when she stopped.  Not because she wanted to but because she had no choice.  She panicked for a second when she got just outside the apartment and couldn’t move and then it hit her.  The spell.  Of course she couldn’t drive herself home.  She had to have someone covered by the spell with her. 

She turned to find Charlie looking at her curiously from the entryway and it must have dawned on Charlie about the same time that it did Rose why she wasn’t moving.  Her expression quickly went from confusion to understanding. 

“Want me to come along?  I can bring Lily’s car back,” she offered and Rose gave her a grateful smile.

“Thanks, Charlie,” she said.  This was the first time aside from the very first day that the spell had ever been a problem.  She guessed that was progress; it meant she was moving on and leaving her hermit lifestyle behind.

Rose pulled Lily's car up to the garage at Charlie’s request.  “I have something to replace,” Charlie explained and darted inside and put a bottle on top of the large toolbox while Rose watched curiously.  Then she ran back, hugged Rose and slipped behind the steering wheel and drove away with a wave.  Rose shook her head, having no idea what all that was about and turned and headed up the stairs.  A wave of exhaustion hit her as she neared the top of the stairs.  It had been a really long day. 

When Rose reached the top of the stairs the first thing she saw was Dean, sitting at one of the library tables on his own.  The table lamp was on, spilling light across the papers spread out in front of him and glinting off the half full glass of amber liquid set next to it. Dean’s hair was mussed, his sleeves rolled up and he looked tired.  He must have been at it awhile, Rose realized, smiling at how attractive she found the sight of him like this.  Her man in a library, oh that was a sexy sight indeed.  Rose leaned against the doorway and let herself drink in the sight of him for a few seconds before saying softly,

"Hey Mr. Winchester."

Dean glanced up in surprise then a soft smile made its way across his lips at the sight of her. 

"Hey, Sweetheart, about time you got home."

And with a matching smile Rose crossed the room to Dean, happy to be home.


	82. Next Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts, Plans and Steps

“You’re sure you’re ready?” Cas asked, his lips brushing softly against Daisy’s forehead.  They were curled up on the couch in the ski lodge, enjoying the heat of the fire and the comfort of each other’s arms.

Daisy nodded her head firmly.  “I am, Cas.  I promise.”  They’d had this conversation several times over the last few days.  Even after she’d realigned her powers with her sisters they’d had the conversation again.  Cas was so cautious about waking her up too soon but Daisy knew with every fiber of her being that she was ready.

“And you’ll still…” Cas hesitated and Daisy pulled her head back from where it was resting on his chest to look at him curiously.  “I mean…once you’re awake…”

“I’m still what, Cas?” Daisy asked.  “I don’t understand what you’re trying to ask.”

Cas looked at the delicate looking blond who was snuggled on his lap.  She was nothing short of magnificent and she had brought back so much life into his world.  She’d added a glow, a shimmer that had never been there before.

Daisy smiled, obviously hearing that thought.  She giggled softly and smiled at Cas.  “I do like glitter.”  After searching Cas’ face and him still not finishing his question Daisy reached out and touched the ring on Cas’ hand lightly.

“It’s real, right?” Cas looked confused and Daisy clarified what she meant.  “I mean you’re actually wearing that in the real world.  If someone walked into the hospital room right now they would see that on your hand.”

“Yes, of course,” Cas said.  “I haven’t removed it since I first put it on.”

“And these,” Daisy trailed her fingers over her own rings, the gold and diamonds shimmering in the fire light.  “These are on my hands.”

“They are,” Cas affirmed, the strong feeling of how right that felt surging through him, earning a small smile from Daisy.

“Did you put them on me?” Her voice was softer now, her eyes warmer as she glanced up at him.

“Yes, I, uh,” Cas cleared his throat searching for the calm he was known for - Funny how that disappeared around Daisy.  “Your sister bought them but I put them on you.”

Daisy smiled at him and it was a smile of such hope and full of such plans that Cas, for just a moment thought that maybe the world was spinning too fast.  This was his future he realized, wrapped up in blond curls and green eyes that transfixed him.  One small human that held so much.

“I want to see them,” Daisy murmured.  “I want to open my eyes and look at my hand and see those rings there for real.”  Daisy took a deep breath and summoning up her courage she continued, “And then, once I’m really awake, the very first second we’re alone, I want you to kiss me.” Cas felt the air rush from his lungs at her words, at the passionate look in her eyes. “For real, Cas.  I want you to kiss me for real and then I’ll know I’m really your wife.”

Cas smiled at her and pulled her closer to him again.  “I’m looking forward to that, little one.”

He’d had fears, self doubt that once Daisy was awake that she would indeed want a future with him.  But her words had erased those and Cas found himself looking forward to seeing their relationship grow.

Daisy once again pulled her head back from where it was nestled on his chest.  She smiled at him, an impish smile that tugged at something in him.  Her one hand reached out and tangled in his tie and she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with a naughty gleam.

“We could practice now, you know,” she said looking up at him with a blush staining her cheeks despite her brave words.  She tugged gently on his tie wrapped around her fist.  “The kissing, I mean.  After all, we have the time.”

Cas smiled, bringing a hand up to stroke her hair back from her face.  “Isn’t it a human proverb that practice makes perfect?”

Daisy grinned.  “It is.”

“Then I think,” Cas said, lowing his mouth to hers, “It would be wise to put that into practice.”

* * *

After they’d kissed hello for several long minutes Rose had curled herself up in Dean’s lap and made herself comfortable.  He held her to him burying his face in her hair and stroking his hands over her back, glad to have her back in his arms.  He knew her going out with Lily was a good thing, that they needed time together and that it meant Rose was healing.  But he’d been more anxious than he wanted to admit.  He’d kept himself from texting her endlessly but only by distracting himself with the damn prophecy and by flat-out refusing to hover.

“Have a good time, Sweetheart?” he asked after a minute had passed in silence.  He’d expected her to be chattering away about her time out but she was quite, just snuggling against him.  Not that he was complaining.

“Mmm hmm,” Rose murmured nuzzling against his neck, obviously more interested in snuggling against him than in talking and Dean chuckled.

“You sleepy?” Dean asked wondering if she’d done too much today.  She’d looked tired when she came in.

“A little,” Rose said and Dean smiled.  It was always “a little” with Rose.  Far be it for her to admit to being exhausted, which Dean was fairly certain she was.  “It was nice,” Rose said softly, her voice slightly muffled against his neck.  “Being with Lily again, talking with her – It was good.”  Dean felt his own eyes drift close at the feel of Rose’s fingers running through his hair.  God that felt good.  “I missed that.”

Dean smiled at the happiness he heard in Rose’s voice.  He knew how important the relationship between her and Lily was to her.  He was glad that it was back on track.

“I’m happy you got it back, Sweetheart,” Dean murmured.  His eyes were tired from staring at lines of complicated numbers that refused to make sense and with a sleepy, warm Rose in his lap he was ready for bed himself now.  “You’re tired, Rosie,” he said softly. “You need to go to bed.”

“But I’m comfy here,” Rose protested snuggling closer to him and Dean laughed softly.

Dean stood up, setting Rose on her feet and earning a whine of protest in the process.  “Go on, go get ready for bed and I’ll be right in.” Dean gestured to the papers on the table drawing Rose’s eyes to them.  “I just need to straighten this up first.”

“What is all this?” Rose glanced over the papers curiously, her eyes scanning the lines of numbers and she wrinkled her nose in distaste making Dean grin.  Rose was no fan of math.

“Who the hell knows?” he said reaching out and gathering the papers into a neat pile.  He felt Rose hovering behind him, definitely not heading towards their room.  _Their room._   Dean smiled at that then shook himself, bringing his mind back to what he was saying. “Some numbers meant to drive a sane person crazy.”

“Prophecy stuff?” Rose asked and he felt her leaning against his back, wrapping her arms around his waist.  Dean smiled again.  He wasn’t the only one who’d felt weird being away from each other.  Rose hadn’t stopped touching him since she’d gotten home, not that he was complaining. 

“Mmm hmm,” he murmured picking up and drinking the rest of the liquid left in his glass.  He reached out and turned the lamp off then turned to face Rose who immediately pressed herself against him.  “Didn’t I tell you to go get ready for bed?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist and giving her a look that was meant to be stern but was way too happy to come close to that.  When Rose was like this, all soft and sweet he couldn’t say no to her.

“Come to bed with me, Dean,” Rose said smiling up at him.  “I’ve been away from you for hours and hours.”

Dean gave a dramatic sigh which didn’t fool Rose for one minute.  She knew how Dean was when he was irritated and this was definitely not it.  “All right brat,” he said.  “Let’s get you to bed.”  Rose let out a surprised squeak when he reached down and scooped her up in his arms.  “You’re obviously only going to get there if I take you.”

“Well you know us brats,” Rose said with a little smile.  “We’re difficult that way.”

“Aw Rosie,” Dean said with a smirk.  “One of these days we’re gonna have to deal with that brattiness.”

Rose’s eyes flew up to his as she felt a little flutter of something not quite nervousness but not exactly excitement either go through her at his words.  Their eyes met and her pulse kicked up a notch despite her tiredness but she didn’t pursue it.  Instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled against him as he carried her through the hallway, burying her head against his neck.  “I missed you tonight, Dean,” she said softly and felt his arms tighten around her.

Dean didn’t respond till her got to their door and deftly opened it.  He stood there for a few minutes once he’d kicked it shut behind him and stared down at Rose who stared right back at him.  Rose wasn’t sure what he was thinking, what thoughts were going through his mind as he stared at her but he didn’t look unhappy, didn’t look troubled so she just let him take his time with whatever it was.  Finally he smiled at her in a way that made Rose think that whatever had been running through his mind was a good thing.

“I missed you too, Sweetheart.”  He kissed her softly, gently, almost chastely then lowered her to her feet.  “Now get ready for bed.  You had a long day.”  He turned her in the direction of the bathroom and swatted her ass getting her going in the right direction.

Not long after Rose was curled up in bed with Sookie on her pillow and Dean lying next to her.  As she drifted off to sleep with her head on his chest she thought about how nice it was to come home to Dean.  She could get used to this.

Dean laid awake awhile longer his hands stroking through Rose’s hair as his mind whirred away.  He’d had a moment tonight when Rose said she had missed him and it occurred to him that he’d genuinely missed her too.  Not because he was worried about her (Though yes, that was there too.) but because he honestly just liked her being with him.  He didn’t like being away from Rose, not even for a few hours.  And that was just…odd to him.  Not that he’d ever liked being away from her but this was different, was more.  If another guy had said the same to him about his girlfriend or wife Dean would have laughed at him, would have most likely thought and told him he was whipped.  But why?  I mean weren’t you supposed to like the person you were in a relationship with?  I mean otherwise why even be with them? It wasn’t like they couldn’t be apart from each other.  They were adults, they could function.  They just didn’t _like_ to be.  He’d gotten used to her being with him, being able to reach out and find her there, to grab a quick kiss, to know if he had something to say she would be within earshot.  And damn but he liked that he admitted. It was both comfortable and comforting.  Maybe he’d had this all wrong.  Maybe this was normal and he’d just never realized what a real relationship was like.  Dean let his fingers twist in Rose’s hair as he thought this through.  He knew at times they’d have to be apart.  She’d do things with her sisters and he’d have to go on cases.  Dean frowned, not liking that last part at all.  So he set it aside: He’d worry about that part later.  But he figured liking to be with her most of all was a good thing.  He smiled as she snuggled closer to him, her cheek against his chest, her body soft and warm against his.  He kissed the top of her head then closed his eyes.  Yep, definitely a good thing.

* * *

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

The question caught Rose off guard and she stopped mid-swing.  Sam had her practicing with a punching bag, working on her punches and her body movement.  All that was a lot harder than it sounded, Rose had quickly realized, a lot harder than it looked in the movies.  Training with Sam was a completely different world than training with Dean.  Dean had been solely focused on her learning to defend herself; there had been a lot of blocking and ducking and her trying and failing to punch him.  With Sam he'd spent the whole first day figuring out what she could and couldn't do, seeing what she knew, what she had any experience with, where her strengths lay.  It was a much more analytical approach to training than with Dean (Sam actually had a clipboard with a checklist for heaven’s sake!) and made her curious what learning to shoot a gun with Sam would have been like.

Bringing herself back to the here and now Rose swiped a lock of hair off her sweaty brow and glanced at Sam curiously.

"I mean with therapy," Sam said and a flash of guilt passed over his face.  "I haven't really - I kinda stepped out after that first day."

Rose smiled at him.  She'd invaded his house, been perfectly awful to him for over a month and he was taking the time to teach her to fight and he felt he wasn't doing enough.  Winchester guilt at its finest she thought with a shake of her head.

"You've been kind of busy, Sam," Rose pointed out.  "Working on prophecies I mean.  And you are supposed to have your own life you know."

Sam gave her a lopsided smile.  "Yeah, that's not something I excel at."  Sam turned serious then. "Seriously, how's it going?"

Rose looked thoughtful and Sam gestured over to the stack of extra mats in the corner.  He walked over and Rose followed him, both dropping down.  Sam stretched out while Rose pulled her gloves off and took a long sip from her water bottle.  Once she'd settled down next to him she finally spoke.

"It's going good I think.  I mean, I'm talking a lot, more than I thought possible."  Sam chuckled at that and Rose smiled.  "And I like Dr. Alexander.  He's a good listener and he's pretty good at giving practical advice." Which brought to mind yesterday's session.  Usually Dean and her talked afterwards but going out with Lily right after meant she hadn't talked about it with anyone. She looked at Sam and realized he'd be a good person to talk about this with.  "He had me make a list of things that relax me."  Sam nodded, remembering her mentioning it to Charlie.  "Well there were things on the list I kind of lost that I'd really like back."  Rose fidgeted with her shoe lace then glanced up at Sam.  "Dr. Alexander wants me to pick one and start working on it."

Sam nodded encouragingly.  "That sounds good, sounds like he thinks you're making progress enough to try to stretch a bit."

"Yeah."  Rose bit her lip.  Logically she knew it was a good thing but it made her nervous, mostly of failing if she was honest.  Rose had always been a creature of habit and stepping out of her comfort zone didn't come naturally to her.  One thing she'd definitely learned through all of this was that she could get stuck in a routine way too easily, even if it wasn't a healthy one.  Left to her own devices she wouldn't push, wouldn't make herself stretch.  It was definitely a weakness. But she needed to, she knew that.  She took a breath, ready to push.  Out of her choices she'd picked reading to try to start back up first.  And Sam loved to read as much as she did so he'd be someone who'd understand.  Honestly he was the perfect choice for this. "I figured since food and cooking are not really working right now I'd start with the easier one - reading."  Rose smiled when Sam's eyes lit up at the word.  He's always been her fellow bibliophile. 

"I can absolutely help you with that," Sam said looking excited at the prospect.  "Is it just a concentration issue?" Rose nodded and Sam continued on.  "OK so you said you used to read at coffee shops, at Starbucks."  It had actually been Lily who had shared that info but Rose didn't correct him.  "How about we make a trip out a few days a week?  We can go in the afternoons after you and Dean are done in the shooting range."

Rose smiled; she couldn't help it, Sam's enthusiasm was contagious.  And God, how lucky was she to have a family like this - that after everything she'd done jumped at the chance to help her.  Chastity was right - What she had really was priceless.

"That sounds perfect.  Thanks, Sam," Rose said and Sam grinned at her.

"Of course you're going to have to convince my brother to let you out of his sight," Sam said his tone completely that of a teasing little brother.

"Hey I've gone out twice now without him," Rose protested and Sam laughed.

"Yeah, and I've been the one stuck here with him.  I know what he was like."  He looked at Rose knowingly.  "How many texts did you get?"

"He did a lot better yesterday," Rose said in Dean's defense.

"You know I'm just teasing, right?" Sam said and Rose smiled and nodded at him. "It's just always fun to see "Mr.-Badass-I'm-Too-Fucking-Cool-To- Care" turn into an overprotective mother hen."

Rose giggled at the truth of that and collapsed back against the mats.  "I'm tired.  We're done for today, right?" she asked hopefully.

"Were you this lazy with my brother?" Sam asked and Rose smacked at him as she protested and Sam laughed.  "OK fine.  We're done for today."  Sam lay back as well giving Rose a lazy smile.  “He waited up for you last night didn’t he?” Rose nodded and Sam laughed.  “I knew he would.  He tried to play it cool but I knew there was no way he was going to bed till you got home.”  Sam’s smile faded then and he gave Rose a quick, questioning glance and she knew what he wanted to ask.

"You want to know how she is," Rose said quietly and Sam nodded, looking anxious.  Rose sighed.  She had a soft heart at the best of times and despite the fact that Sam was an adult now who towered over her and could take a vampire out without breaking a sweat, in her heart he would always be the little brother who had toddled after her with a book in his hand begging her to read it to him.  She couldn’t help but want to help him, to ease his pain.  Staying out of the middle of he and Lily was proving impossible.

"I wasn’t going to ask," Sam said looking guilty.  "I mean I know it puts you in a bad spot."

“Well see you didn’t ask, Sammy,” Rose said with a smile, easing his guilt.  “I’m offering.”  Rose turned on her side to face him.  “She’s…” Rose hesitated.  How much did she say here?  Lily was her sister and she would always be loyal to her but Lily wasn’t making the best choices.  She was unhappy and she wanted to be with Sam but she was standing in her own way. “OK do you really want her to change into someone like me?”

“What?” Sam couldn’t have looked more shocked if Rose had said Lily was joining a convent.  “No, of course not.  I mean not that you’re not great, Rosie,” Sam said quickly.  “But come on you know I’ve always liked that Lily’s so…” Sam searched for the right term.

“Buffy-esque?” Rose suggested with a smile and Sam nodded with a small smile of his own.  “That’s what I thought but she seemed convinced.”

Sam realized that Rose was most likely missing a chunk of the story as he was fairly certain she didn’t know anything about the prophecy Lily had gotten.  No way was he going to tell her either if Lily hadn’t. So he just said:

“I just wanted her to be careful.  OK yes I kind of freaked out in Wisconsin,” he allowed.  “But I never got the chance to explain.”

Rose gave him a commiserative look.  “You know Lily.  She’s not big on letting people explain.  She’s convinced you want someone different.”

“Well she’s wrong,” Sam said firmly and Rose smiled at him.  That's what she'd needed to hear.

“That’s what I figured but I had to be sure.”  Rose studied Sam for a second then said, “Honestly, Sam she’s a mess.”  Sam’s head jerked her way in surprise.  He knew Lily had looked sad yesterday but she’d seemed to be handling herself.  Then again she could fake that pretty well Sam knew.  He’d seen her do it more times than he could count.  “She’s hurting.  She’s never been through a breakup before and she wants nothing more than to be back with you.”

Sam frowned.  “Are you sure she’s aware of any of that?  ‘Cause she shut me down pretty quick when I tried to talk to her, to get her to even agree to talk.  That seemed to say ready to walk away as opposed to wanting to be with me.”

“She’s still wearing your jacket.  Do people who are ready to move on do that?” Sam shook his head and Rose could tell from the look in his eyes he liked that. “She told me how much she loves you too,” Rose said softly and Sam’s eyes widened at that and his lips turned up in a small smile.  “My sister has never said she loves a guy in her life, Sam.  Not one.  That’s a pretty big deal.”

“God, I screwed up,” Sam said, sitting up and running a hand through his hair in agitation. “I should have just let her come to Wisc-”

“OK Sam, I’m not picking sides of who messed up,” Rose said, sitting up herself and crossing her legs. “Things happen and people make mistakes.  And I’m sure me putting some of those doubts in Lily’s head about her and relationships didn’t help matters either.”  Rose frowned.  She guessed she and Lily should talk about that at some point.  “You want my advice?”  Sam nodded eagerly.  If anyone knew Lily it was Rose and he was looking for all the help he could get here.

“OK well making Lily talk when she doesn’t want to doesn’t work.  We both know that.”  Sam nodded, in total agreement on that fact. “So what I’d suggest?” Sam’s intense look turned to one of uncertainty as Rose told him her idea.

Sam frowned.  “We’re not living in the same place anymore, Rose.  It’s not exactly easy-”

Rose cut him off.  “You’ll still get plenty of chances.  Even with her staying at Charlie’s our lives are way too connected.  And besides which, if you had some help I’m sure Lily may just stop in at the bunker a little bit more.”  Rose’s smile was just this side of devious and Sam found himself returning it.

“I could definitely use some help,” Sam said and Rose’s smile grew into a grin.

“Then you’ve got it.”

Rose and Sam talked a little more, planning and plotting. Sam left Rose’s training session that day feeling the most hopeful he had in ages.  Dean may be the natural strategist but Sam was no slouch in that department either.  And with Rose helping him he felt he had a secret weapon.  Now he just needed an action plan…

* * *

The hospital room was quiet, the sun slanting through the windows as the late afternoon set in.  Erin was on the couch knitting away and Cas was at his usual spot by Daisy’s bedside.  He was contemplating the item Erin was making with some curiosity.  He wasn’t sure what it was exactly but it had grown rather bulky over the last month.  He was just about to ask Erin about it when a small sound caught his ear.  He glanced around the room, his eyes landing on Daisy and he realized the sound was coming from her.  She was blinking her eyes slowly and her mouth was moving but no real words were coming out, only small sounds.

Cas immediately leaned in towards her and Erin looked up at his sudden movement.

“Castiel, what’s-” Cas waved a hand silencing her as he leaned in closer and Erin flew to the bedside.

“Daisy?” he said softly and she blinked again, her eyes slowly moving to focus on him.  He stroked a hand over her face gently and smiled at her.

“Cas,” Daisy finally managed to breathe out and a small smile touched her own face.  She slowly moved her eyes to take in her mom and graced her with a smile as well before her eyes closed again.

There were tears in Erin’s eyes when she said, “She was awake.  She was even talking.”  She sounded beside herself, as if she couldn’t quite believe it was true.

“She was,” Cas confirmed the smile still on his face.  “Though she’s out again.”  Cas looked at Erin, taking in her anxious excited expression and reminded her, “The doctor said it would most likely happen like this, in small bursts.”

Erin smiled and nodded.  “I need to call the girls.”  And back to the couch she went picking up her phone and dialing.

Cas meanwhile sat back in his chair and focused on Daisy again.  He lifted her hand to his lips, brushing a soft kiss there and whispered to her, “You’re doing good, little one.  Keep coming back.”

* * *

“Why’s he stopping?” Dean demanded as he and Rose rushed through the hospital lobby.  All three of them had been delighted to get Erin’s call and had flown out to the car. (Though Rose hadn’t looked surprised Dean had noticed and again he wondered what all Daisy had told her and Lily.  Rose hadn’t offered up anything and Dean hadn’t asked.) But now that they were at the hospital instead of going with them to Daisy’s room Sam was detouring off towards the coffee shop.

“He needs to get something,” Rose said rushing forward.  “Don’t worry about it.  He’ll be up in a minute.”

Dean narrowed his eyes at Rose as they got in the elevator, the doors sliding smoothly shut behind them.  He’d noticed Rose and Sam talking quietly all throughout the day.

“Rosie,” Dean said looking at her suspiciously.  “Are you plotting something with my little brother?”

Rose beamed at him and giggled.  “Maybe.”

Dean grinned at her.  She looked so happy he loved it.  And she was grinning mischievously which he never could resist.

Dean wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.  “Are you being naughty, Sweetheart?” Dean asked her as the floors flew by.

Rose shook her head emphatically.  “Nope.  Not at all.”

“Hmm.”  Dean looked at her disbelievingly.  “Not sure I believe that, Rosie.  What are you two up to?”

Rose shook her head at him, her eyes dancing with barely suppressed mirth.  “I really can’t say.”  And the doors opened to Daisy’s floor giving Rose the perfect opportunity to slip out of his arms and the elevator before he could push any further.

He caught up with her at the door and with one more suspicious glance thrown her way the two walked into Daisy’s room together.

“Rosie!” Lily said smiling at her sister from her spot in the chair by Daisy’s bed.  “She’s actually making noise!”

“Is she awake?” Rose asked hurrying to hug Lily in happiness.

Lily shook her head.  “Not yet.  But she was for a little bit before, right?” Lily glanced at Cas and he nodded his head.  Rose perched on the foot of the bed and Dean came up behind her, taking in Daisy’s still sleeping form.  She moved while he was there, tossing about a little and making small noises but her eyes remained firmly closed.  Dean dropped a kiss on Rose’s head and moved over to talk to Bobby.

Sam meanwhile was just getting off the elevator, coffee cup in hand.  “I need you to make me the best cup of coffee you’ve ever made.”  That had gotten a surprised reaction from the barista, shortly followed by a look of excitement.  Sam figured you probably didn’t get a lot of unusual requests working at a coffee shop at a hospital and he’d wound up having a nice, ok definitely semi-flirtatious conversation with the barista before getting his order.  She’d seemed impressed with his request so maybe that was a good sign.  He’d spent a lot of time thinking about what Rose had said to him and it made sense.  He loved Lily, he believed she loved him.  Now all he needed was to get her to be willing to give them another chance.  Of course there was always the chance this whole plan would piss her off and he’d wind up with coffee thrown in his face but it was worth a chance.  He had to try.  So with a deep breath Sam walked into the hospital room ready to do just that.

Because of where he was in the room Dean got to see Sam’s face when he came in the door.  Sam looked at Rose anxiously and she nodded encouragingly.  If it weren’t for the fact that Lily was totally focused on Daisy she would have caught it too but as it was she was taken by surprise when Sam appeared beside her with a coffee cup in hand.

Lily startled, looking at Sam in surprise and he gave her a small smile, offering her the white paper cup.  She stared at it for a second, stared at him for a second longer then slowly took it.

“You got me coffee?” she asked sounding confused.

Sam nodded and smiled.  “Just like you like it,” he murmured and reached out and squeezed her shoulder then moved away to stand by Cas.  Sam asked him about Daisy while Lily glanced around, seeming to realize he’d brought no one else coffee, just her.  She glanced at Sam in confusion and Dean watched as Sam gave her a smile, no hesitation, just a smile and Lily just continued to look confused.  But after a second, after Sam had glanced away Dean watched Lily take a hesitant sip and then a tiny smile touched her lips.

Dean grinned.  Now that was smart.  Lily liked to feel important, had always loved to go first, to get special treatment.  Smooth move, Sammy.  Dean watched Lily glance up at Sam again with a curious look in her eyes.  She seemed confused and pleased at the same time.  Dean glanced at his brother who was furtively looking at Lily.  When they were younger Sam had always been kind of goofy acting around Lily, the effects of his crush on her making him the very opposite of cool.  But as he’d gotten older that had eased up and once they’d gotten together it had been funny for Dean to see how together Sam was with her.  Not flustered or overwhelmed but confident and sure.  He may tease his brother about his skills with women but Dean knew his brother was more than capable; some might even call him smooth with the opposite sex. (Dean certainly wouldn’t.  That was his dorky kid brother.  No way was he giving him that credit.)  Still when they’d hooked up the first time Dean had figured Sam was in way over his head.  Lily went through men like they were disposable plates, something to be used and tossed aside.  He figured at best it would be a one off thing, at worst Sam would get too emotionally involved.  The fact that they worked, that they actually made each other happy and Sam had held his own with her had surprised no one more than Dean.  He eyed his little brother curiously.  Sam had said he was going to get her back and when he set his mind to something he stuck with it.  When he wanted to be Sam could be the very definition of the word determined.  Glancing between Lily and Sam now Dean felt his grin grow.  This should be interesting to watch.

Soft voices caught Dean’s ear and he realized that Erin and Bobby had been having a conversation while he was ruminating on the fun of watching Sam and Lily.

“-you tell them, darlin’,” Bobby was saying, his hand squeezing one of hers reassuringly and Dean blinked.  _Darlin’?_ Nope, don’t want to hear that.  Dean shook his head to clear it and watched as Erin got up from the couch.

“The doctor was in here earlier,” she said moving over to stand by Sam, her eyes on Daisy. Everyone stilled to listen to her.  “He’s pleased she woke up and actually spoke.  He said most likely she’ll do this, slide in and out of consciousness for a bit.  There’s no telling how long till she’s fully awake but she’s on the way.”

Lily and Rose glanced at each other and smiled and Dean watched Rose reach out and stroke Daisy’s blanket covered foot.  They both looked pleased and Dean couldn’t help but smile at that.

Time passed.  Bobby and Charlie went to get food for everyone as no one really wanted to leave the room in case Daisy woke up.  She’d blinked her eyes again but hadn’t spoken and Dean knew there was no way either Rose or Lily was leaving that room till she did.  The hospital staff were understanding and Dean had a suspicion the doctor may have left word that they were all right to have such a crowd.  They’d actually pulled another chair into the room for them.  Dean took the food from Bobby and walked over and tugged on Rose’s hand.  “Come on, Sweetheart.”  He pulled her with him, took a seat in the new chair and tugged her down on his lap.  “Eat some dinner, Baby,” he said softly and Rose shocked the hell out of him by not arguing.  She nibbled at the sandwich Bobby brought her and smiled at Dean.

“Well aren’t we agreeable today,” he murmured softly against her ear and Rose blushed and smiled at him. 

“Would arguing make a difference?” she asked.

“Nope,” Dean said succinctly, popping a chip into his mouth.  “Doesn’t seem to stop you though.”

“Yeah, well we have an audience,” Rose said quietly and Dean glanced around to find that they did indeed have several pairs of curious eyes on them, all of whom turned a different way when Dean caught them looking.  Dean thought about that as they ate and figured quite a few in the room hadn’t really seen him and Rose together as a couple, not for any length of time anyway.  Then add in the fact that Rose was still recovering and it made sense that they were curious.  Dean just chose to ignore it.

More time passed with little change and finally Charlie, Bobby and Erin all made their way out, Erin reluctantly but at everyone’s urging as she looked exhausted.  The girls refused to leave her bedside with Cas long ago having given up his seat to Rose while Dean pulled the other chair up next to her so Cas could still be close by.

The boys took the couch, Sam leaning his head back and nodding off while Dean shut his eyes but was unable to sleep.  He sat and listened to the girls reminisce about Daisy as a little girl, most of the stories familiar to him, a few new to him.

“Remember when she was six and was convinced her hair would straighten out and turn red as she got older?” Rose was saying with a laugh and Lily joined in.

“She was so sure she would have hair the same color as yours and as straight as mine by the time she was in high school.  And God was she mad when you told her that wasn’t likely to happen.”  Lily reached out and stroked one of Daisy’s blond curls.  “She’s still just as blond and curly as ever.”

“What about when that friend of moms gave her that craft kit full of sparkles?”

“And some idiot made her a wand that she could put the sparkles in so she could scatter pixie dust.”  Dean shifted uncomfortably, feeling Lily’s eyes on him because yeah he’d admit it.  He’d been the wand maker.  It had been a damn impressive wand too.  All of Daisy’s little friends had wanted one but Dean had refused saying there could be only one. “And she of course put sparkles on all of us and we all let her because you know she’s Daisy.”

“And then it wouldn’t come out of Dad’s hair.”  Rose was giggling softly now.

Lily shook her head.  “He walked around for a week with purple and green glitter in his hair and beard.”

“Bet that scared some demons,” Rose said with a laugh. “She got that from him, didn’t she?” she asked after a second.  “That quirkiness, that “I don’t care how it’s usually done” attitude.”

“Yeah, I guess she did,” Lily said thoughtfully.  “She never has done a single thing normally.”

“And we wouldn’t know what to do with her if she did.” Rose said with a fond smile.

The girls were quiet for a minute then Lily asked, “Do you think we get to feel, I don’t know partly responsible for how she turned out?”  Rose looked at her curiously.  “Well I mean come on; from the time she was what, eleven?  We pretty much took over taking care of her.  Mom was just barely there, especially for the first two or three years.”

Dean listened intently now, never having heard the girls really talk about this.  It was one of those things that went unmentioned - the fact that Erin had pretty much handed the reins of everything over to the girls when Brendan had died.  She’d done better as time went on and was better lately but there were years there where she was more like a roommate than a parent, especially with Daisy.

“I know I’m proud of her,” Rose was saying.  “I mean we got both parents and Daisy only got that for awhile.” Rose was quite for a few minutes and Dean would have been bet that she was chewing on her thumb like she did when she was nervous or really thinking.  “Yeah, I think we do get to take some credit,” she said finally. 

“We did pretty good, huh?” Lily asked.  “I mean, considering.”

“I think so,” Rose said.  “We did the best we could and I think she turned out wonderfully.”

“And spoiled,” Lily added.

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Rose said.  “And she was pretty spoiled to begin with; she is the baby after all.  And the rest we can blame on those two on the couch.”  Dean couldn’t help but smile at the truth in that statement.  “She may be a brat but she’s our brat and she’s also sweet and smart and she saved us, Lil.”

“Yeah,” Lily grumbled.  “I’m still not happy about that last part.”

“Well you two can hash that out at some point,” Rose said.  “I’m staying out of that one.”

The girls were silent for a few minutes and Dean felt himself finally slipping off.

“You’re not gonna try to get some sleep?” Lily asked and Rose shook her head.

“I can’t,” she said and Lily frowned.  “I’d have to be with Dean, like actually touching him or I’d wake everyone up screaming.”

Lily’s frown grew.  “Well we could, I don’t know, move everyone around.  Or I’m sure you’ll fit on the couch with them.”  She gestured to the boys who were both sound asleep now.

Rose shook her head.  “Na, that’s OK.”  She smiled and pulled her feet up underneath her.  “You get some sleep.  I’ll wake you when she does.”

“You sure?”  Rose nodded and Lily gave in and curled up in her chair and closed her eyes.

It was quiet for a few minutes and Rose glanced around the room, taking in all the sleeping figures and the only one awake with her – Castiel.  She glanced at him and he nodded at her.  From the look in his eye she had a feeling he’d actually been paying attention to their conversation.  He was so quiet and so often he seemed to be somewhere else, as if he wasn’t even aware of what was going on around him it was easy to forget that he was there. But then again they had been discussing Daisy, something he was interested in.  His next words proved her right.

“Daisy told me about after your Dad died,” he offered.   “She had many stories about you and Lily and how you stepped in and took care of her.”

“My mom was there,” Rose was quick to point out.  “She didn’t leave us.” And Cas though how very much like Sam and Dean that was – They could criticize each other all they liked but heaven help anyone else who did. He knew from what Daisy had told him that Rose and her mother weren’t close, that more often than not they were on opposing sides.  But of course she was defending her now because she was her mother.  “She stayed,” Rose said in Erin’s defense.  “She just…couldn’t function.  She’d forget to do things that needed to be done.  It was just easier for us to take over.”

“Daisy said as much,” Cas said knowing that family’s were very complicated.  His time with the Winchester’s had taught him that.  “But she was firm on that fact that you and Lily were good at taking care of her.”

Rose smiled at him now, assured her mother wasn’t being put in the role of villain.  “We tried,” she said.  “I mean it was kind of like being thrown in the deep end.”  Cas looked confused not sure what part water played in this.  Seeing the puzzled look on his face Rose tried to explain.  “Were you ever given a job to do that you weren’t sure you were able to handle?”

Cas nodded immediately.  “When I was first put in charge of my garrison I had grave concerns if I was ready.”  Rose looked slightly taken aback at that, not sure she pictured angels having garrisons but then again she had envisioned harps too.  Shaking that thought from her head she went on.

“OK so imagine you had never been prepared for that role, had little to no training.”  Rose looked at Daisy and her face took on a soft, content look.  “And then imagine you realize that this job, this role matters more to you than anything else you’ve ever done.”  Cas nodded his head seriously, able to see how overwhelming that would be.  Rose glanced back at Cas and smiled seeing he understood and continued.  “We’re her sisters and we always took care of each other, her especially because she was so much younger but there’s a big difference between looking out for someone and being responsible for them.  Suddenly we were signing permission slips, getting her up for school, arranging sleepovers, all the things a little kid needs.”  Rose reached out and stroked Daisy’s hand softly.  “We’re not her mom; we all have one of those.  But for awhile we had to be the best substitutes we could be.  We tried to fill in all the gaps, to make sure she wasn’t missing anything but it was tough.”

Cas looked at Rose intently.  He couldn’t read her thoughts but he could easily tell how much this point meant to her.  He _could_ sense Erin’s emotions, could read her thoughts and knew the guilt she carried from that time.  Humans were so difficult.  Why they couldn’t just say what they thought and felt Cas would never understand.

“In all the stories Daisy told me there was never a note of lacking,” Cas said and Rose looked at him in surprise.  “She missed your father but she told me countless tales of birthday parties, visits from the boys, bedtime stories with you and Lily, school trips with you chaperoning and huge, elaborate Halloweens.”

Rose grinned.  “Halloween is a pretty big deal at our house.”  Cas nodded, the detailed pictures Daisy had painted easily conveying that fact.  He wasn’t quite sure he understood why but it had been a highlight to Daisy.

“Her stories were happy, Rose.  Very full of love and laughter.”  Cas looked at her seriously.  “It was one of the happiest childhoods I have ever gotten to hear told.”

“That means a lot to hear.”  Rose reached out and touched his hand and smiled at him gratefully.  “Thank you, Cas.”

Cas nodded and slipped back into silence and Rose sat there alone with her thoughts for awhile.  Then finally she caught movement in the dim light from the bedside lamp.  She leaned over the bed and nudged Lily who woke up with a start.

“Wha-” she started and Rose nodded towards the bed and they both looked down to see a pair of green eyes blinking up at them.  Lily and Rose leaned their elbows on the bed in mirror images of each other and smiled down at their little sister.

“Hey Sweetie,” Rose said.

“You back with us, Days?” Lily asked.

For a long minute Daisy blinked up at them and then slowly she licked her lips and croaked out, “Hi.”

Rose and Lily glanced at each other and smiled ecstatically then glanced back down at Daisy.

“Hi yourself,” Lily said reaching out and squeezing Daisy’s hand.

“Is this real?” Daisy asked in a voice that sounded hoarse from not being used in so long.

Rose squeezed Daisy’s other hand.  “It’s real, baby.  And we’re so, so happy to see you.”

Cas looked on from behind Rose, watching the three sisters interact and sensing Daisy’s growing strength and happiness.  The way both Lily and Rose looked at her was so full of love that Cas wondered how either could ever doubt how well they’d done with her.  Cas felt a sense of satisfaction, watching the three of them together.  Out of everything Daisy had missed this topped her list.  These three needed each other to be completely happy, to be whole. 

So Cas leaned back and just watched.  In a minute he would wake Sam and Dean.  He knew the boys loved Daisy, knew they’d want to talk to her and be a part of this.

But for now, for this little bit, this moment was just for the sisters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all, this chapter just about killed me. I had the last chapter ending differently than it did and I knew as soon as I started writing this one it was wrong so I had to change it all up. And then I just got stuck. Which for the record? Sucks. I think this is the longest I've ever gone between updates. Sorry about that. But anyway I finally got through it and I'm pretty happy with it for the most part. Yae! 
> 
> There's an idea buzzing around in my brain....a little one shot based on Sam's conversation with the barista. We'll see where it goes. If it works you may get a quick little fic. If not I'll have just put some words down on paper for nothing. We'll see how it goes.
> 
> Hope you enjoy and feedback is appreciated. :)


	83. It's Been So Long

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pinky Swears, Teasing Little Brothers and Shiny Objects

"So, your sister is awake," Will said after Rose greeted him with the news.  "And your reunion was all you had hoped for?" Rose had mentioned how odd it was to not have her sisters to talk to several times. It was easy to tell how much they both meant to her. 

Dean had brought her home early that morning after her mom and Bobby had come back to the hospital.  Daisy had stayed awake about fifteen minutes the first time then fallen back asleep.  She’d woken up an hour later and the boys had gotten a chance to talk to her then, their happiness obvious by the big smiles they wore.  She’d stayed awake a bit longer that time before nodding off.  That had gone on for a bit - her waking up for a few moments, then falling back asleep - until she finally slept solidly for a few hours and was just waking up when Rose and Dean left.  Charlie had shown up at the same time, said hi to Daisy with a bright smile and driven Lily home.  They were all exhausted but happy and things felt more right than they had in a long time.

Rose nodded her head now.  "It was perfect," she said with a bright smile.  "I'm not sure how long it will take her to get out of the hospital or even stay awake for more than a short period of time but just to be able to talk to her, to hear her talk to us is wonderful."

Will smiled at Rose’s obvious delight.  It was easy to see how close the sisters were and her happiness practically shown through the screen.

“I’m going to guess you didn’t get a chance to work on any of the things we talked about-” Will begab but Rose was shaking her head.

“Oh no, I did.  Well at least a little,” she said.  “Sam wanted to help and I mentioned that reading was an issue.”  She paused with a small smile.  “I used to read to him when he was little,” she explained and then drifted off, obviously lost in a memory.  She shook herself after a second and continued.  “Anyway, he suggested we go out together to Starbucks and maybe that will help.”

Will nodded.  “That sounds like a good idea.  And it will help with you getting better at being out, though from what you said you’re doing OK with that now.”  Rose nodded and Will could see the hesitation there.  “But you’re nervous.” Rose bit her lip and then nodded again.  “Can you tell me why?”

Rose pulled a leg up underneath herself and fidgeted with her shoelace.  It took her a minute to speak but Will had learned that was her style.  She liked to take her time, make sure what she was going to say was right before she let it out.  In the meantime, Will studied her t-shirt, trying to work out the meaning. He enjoyed the different shirts Rose wore. Sometimes he knew what they referred to, other times he didn’t have a clue. Today’s read “Looking for a mind at work,” and it baffled him.  He’d have to text Ellie and ask if she could explain it.  He’s done that quite a few times lately and he was fairly sure his daughter was amused by it.  Finally, Rose gave a soft sigh and spoke and Will focused back in on her.

“What if I can’t do it?  What if I can’t concentrate enough to read?  What if I never want to cook or eat again?”  She looked at Will with eyes that were full of concern.  “What if those parts of me are just gone and I’m going to have to live without them?  Am I going to be…lacking, not completely me for the rest of my life?”

Will considered her question before answering.  “You’re concerned that you can’t do those things anymore?” Rose nodded. “Because you’ve changed?” Rose nodded again. “And losing those aspects of yourself would make you a different person?”

“Yes,” Rose said definitively.  “I cook, I read, I love food.  It’s, they’re part of who I am, who I always have been.”  Rose bit her lip and looked at Will inquisitively. “Does that happen?  I mean it sounds crazy when I say it out loud, like you can lose parts of your personality as easily as you can misplace a book or something.  But is it?  Do people lose parts of themselves?”

“It can happen,” Will said gently.  “Though more often than not things like you’re talking about come back with time.”

“But people do change when things happen, when people are…are tortured.” Rose stumbled over the word and Will nodded.  “Did you…were there somethings about you that changed? Did they change back?”

One thing Will had learned about Rose pretty quickly was that she didn’t like to feel like someone was keeping things from her, telling her less than the whole story to protect her feelings.  So complete honesty was the way to go.  Not that Will would ever be less than honest but he did hold things back sometimes.  He didn’t normally share parts of his own story with patients.  But with Rose it made sense, so much of their stories aligned, so he once again found himself sharing.

“Things changed, yes.”  Will put his pen down and leaned back. Rose had come to associate that one small movement with him switching hats from her therapist to a fellow survivor and she appreciated that. “I was an avid photographer before my attack.  I could spend hours at a local park taking pictures of nature, getting just the right light, the right angle.”  Rose watched as Will smiled in that way that people do when they’re discussing something they truly love.  It was easy to see photography was a passion of his.  "My wife and I both adored wine as well.  We would quite often take part in local wine dinners, had some great vintage bottles ourselves and had even taken trips to visit different wine regions.  It was something we both enjoyed immersing ourselves in." 

"My friend Chastity loves wine and photography," Rose offered when Will paused and he smiled in acknowledgment before taking a sip of water.

"For some time after the attack I didn't have the slightest urge to pick up a camera.  The idea of going out to the park unprotected seemed ludicrous and completely dangerous.  But even taking pictures at a family event held no attraction.  It had lost all its luster.  And wine just..." Will shrugged.  "It tasted flat, all the diverse flavors and notes that had so attracted me before were just gone.  Even the aroma, the bouquet, just failed to arouse any feeling in me."

Rose nodded easily able to identify.

"The safety aspect I got over with some training from some family members.  But even with that I still didn't have the urge."  Will stared at Rose evenly.  "I had to force myself to take pictures when I didn't want to.  I had to actually make it an item on my to do list, to make myself pick up a camera."  Will gave Rose a wry smile.  "It was strange making myself have to do something that I used to love but with some effort I found the joy in it again. It took time but one day I found myself actually looking forward to it.  And then enjoying it."

"And wine?" Rose asked anxiously.  "Do you enjoy that now?"

"I do," Will confirmed.  "That took a bit longer.  I had to train myself to enjoy it again, to do something for the pure enjoyment and decadence of it.  Our brains are funny things and sometimes when they've been so immersed in pain and trauma certain things that are simply for pleasure can take some readjusting to."  Will thought about mentioning another factor that could play a part in that but held off for now.  He wasn't sure Rose was quite ready for that yet.

"Dean hasn't shown me any of the prophecies they found while I was gone," Rose said.  "He said I'd had to live in that world for so long he wanted me to have a break."

"That makes sense," Will said thinking that if there was anyone who would understand that it would be a hunter.  And especially a Winchester.  The dual views he had of them was very interesting.  One was so soaked in mythology making them either the heroes of the world or the villains but either way near mythical forces.  The other, from Rose's point of view was completely different.  She didn't deny their fierceness and seemed proud of both their skills.  But she described them as how she saw them: Kind, loving, protective.  Sam was the quintessential little brother in her stories, sweet and kind and Dean was always told from the point of view of a woman in love.  He was nothing short of a prince in her stories, albeit with flaws and quirks but still very obviously someone who shown in her eyes.  "Taking a break from all that is not a bad idea."

"What about..." Rose hesitated and then asked, "Did your personality change?  Was any of that permanent?"

"For awhile a lot of my personality felt diminished, similar to what you described feeling at first."  Will took another sip from his cup.  "Over time as I healed most things went back to normal."

"But not all." This wasn't a question and Rose didn't even try to phrase it as such.

"I'm not sure it’s possible for a human to go through a trauma like either of us went through and not change, Rose."  Will looked at her with empathetic eyes.  Seeing the questioning look still there he answered what she wanted to know.  "I'm much more cautious than I was before with safety, both my own and my families.  I was never a huge risk taker mind you but now I'm much more careful.  Everyone in my family has had training of some kind, both with weapons and hand to hand." Will hesitated knowing Rose wouldn't like this next one. Still he was honest. "I was never a short-tempered person before but after the attack my temper was much nearer the surface.  It's better than it used to be but I can't honestly say I've ever gone back to being as even tempered as I was."

Rose was looking as unhappy as Will had expected. "So, there's no way to not be permanently damaged by it."

Will frowned.  His wife had done such a good job of putting it in a way that made sense to Will and made him feel treasured instead of wounded.  He was trying to think of how to best put it for Rose to understand. 

"Do you have anything old that you love?" He asked.  "Something worth much more than its monetary value that probably shows some wear and tear but still means a lot to you?"

Rose considered his question for a second and she slowly smiled. "I have a bear my dad gave me when I was just little.  He was bright orange when I got him but now, well he's more like a light peach.  He’s had to be washed a lot.” Rose had carried him everywhere when she was small - outside, on trips, even into a swimming pool on one memorable occasion, never to be repeated. He’d had a lot of trips to the washing machine as children weren’t known for being careful.  She smiled fondly at the memories.  “His ear had had to be sewn back on a few times too because I used to carry him around by it."

"But despite his war wounds you wouldn't throw him out and replace him, would you?" Will asked knowingly.  Ellie had a stuffed cat as a little girl named Peaches who had been her eternal companion. He still was with her though Wil was fairly confident she was able to leave the house without him now.  But still he had a spot of honor in her home.

"Well no, I mean my Dad bought him for me," Rose said. "And he's been there for my whole life."

"He survived your childhood," Will said and smiled when Rose nodded. "Much like you survived your attack.  Your scars don't make you any less worthy, any less valuable, Rose.  They show your strength, what you survived.  And survivors?  Those are good people to have in your corner." Will leveled her with a pointed look.  "Dean's a hunter and I would bet he has his fair share of scars." Rose nodded unable to deny the truth of that statement. "And yet you don't view him as any less because of them."

Rose looked thoughtful and Will knew he'd made his point.  He had one more thing he wanted to add.

"Something else I got from my experience?" Rose glanced at him curiously able to hear the different tone in his voice. "Empathy.  I never truly knew what it was to be terrified before. Because of what I went through I can help others and actually empathize with their experiences."

"So, you made something positive of it," Rose said slowly.

"I did," Will said. "Eventually.  It took time.  And Rose, lest you think I’m some kind of saint, if I could undo the whole experience I would in a heartbeat." Rose looked at him slightly surprised and then in understanding.  "But still at least I've been able to help a whole group of people, hunters, who otherwise might not get it because of what I went through." Will shrugged.  "You never know what your experience can offer to someone else."

Rose thought that over and then smiled at Will.  "Thank you.  That's...it's a lot to think about."

"You're doing well, Rose," Will assured her. "Just keep trying and give yourself time." Rose nodded.  "I’ll see you on Monday."

* * *

"How'd therapy go?" Dean asked over a cup of coffee.

"Intense," Rose said sipping at her tea.

"Wanna talk about it?" Dean offered kindly and Rose smiled at him.

"Not yet," she said.  "But I do want to tell you about the other days session."  And she filled Dean in on the doctor’s suggestion and her and Sam's conversation about it.  "I was thinking the days I don't have therapy we could definitely go, maybe some other days too."

Dean was frowning and Rose could see him battling with himself.  He was trying to not be too protective of her but it didn't come easy to him.

"That sounds like a good plan," he said finally and gave Rose a little half smile.  "As long as your careful.  And I'll talk to Sam, make sure he's cautious." Rose cringed feeling bad for what Dean was sure to put Sam through.  "But that's good, Baby that you're working on that."

Rose smiled at him.  He was trying so hard.  She got up and came over, nudging his leg with hers so he turned so she could sit on his lap.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, wanting him to know how much that meant. 

Pulling back from the kiss after a minute Dean looked at her curiously.  "Not that I'm complaining but what was that for?"

"I know you want to keep me safe," Rose said with a smile. "I know it's hard for you to let me out there, to not be with me all the time.  But you're trying."

Dean sighed, leaning his head forward and resting it against her chest.  "It ain't easy, Rosie."

"I know, Dean but...I have to." Rose didn't sound certain herself and she shook herself making sure she did. "And I'll be with Sam.  He'll keep me safe."

"He damn well better," Dean muttered. 

"Don't make him crazy with insane demands, Dean," Rose said and Dean hugged her to him.

"No promises," he said and pulled back and started nuzzling at her t-shirt covered breasts.  One of his hands which had been at her waist slipped down to squeeze her bottom.

"You're getting distracted," Rose said with a laugh.

"You're distracting," Dean muttered moving his head up and trailing a string of kisses along her neck, his tongue darting out to lick at her skin and he felt a little surge of pride when he heard Rose gasp.  He picked Rose up and moved her to straddle his lap and pulled her flush against him.  He watched the color bloom in her cheeks as her pulse jumped and he ground her against him, his hands cupping her bottom as he rubbed against her.  "Feel what you do to me, Rosie?  I'm like a damn horny teenager around you."  Dean watched the look of pleasure that spread across her face and grinned.  She was lowering her head to kiss him before he could get out another word, her lips soft and warm, her body pushing against his.  They'd slept late this morning and the whole day had been rushed to get everything in after getting a late start.  There'd been no time to linger in bed, to enjoy each other and both felt it now.  Passion flared up quickly between them and soon the kiss was deeper, more intense, the two of them getting lost in each other.

When Sam came into the kitchen that’s how he found them - Rose straddling Dean's lap, their lips sealed together in a passionate kiss, Dean's hands planted firmly on her ass.  Sam figured he could have fired his gun and they wouldn’t have even noticed, they were so wrapped up in each other. 

He must have a gift.  No one else had yet to see them do anything but he'd been privileged enough to walk in on them twice now. Oh lucky him.

"So, is this something I'm going to have to get used to walking in on?" He asked with an unrepentant grin.  He watched in amusement as Rose jerked her head back but Dean didn't move, barely sliding his eyes Sam’s direction.  His hands stayed exactly where they were.

"Yep," Dean said not taking his eyes off Rose.  "Get used to it."

Sam just laughed, filled his coffee cup and walked out leaving a cocky looking Dean and a blushing Rose behind.

"Well that was embarrassing," Rose said her cheeks burning. Dean noticed she hadn’t moved though, her arms still wrapped around him and her hips still pressed against his.

"Oh, come on, Sweetheart," Dean said rubbing against her to remind her where her focus should be.  "With all the times one of us walked in on him and Lily?  At least we had our clothes on."

“Ok good point,” Rose conceded.  She smiled at him suddenly, that sexy, alluring smile that made her eyes shine. “How about we go back to our room and change that?”

“Change what?” Dean asked. That look distracted him, got his mind on things other than words.

“The clothes part,” Rose murmured, tugging at his arms so he’d let her go enough to stand up.

That got Dean’s attention and he smiled broadly and joined Rose on her feet, stepping ahead of her and grabbing her hand so he could pull her along with him, hurrying them both towards their bedroom.

Sam listened to Rose giggling her way down the hall with his brother no doubt whispering God knows what in her ear then heard their door slam.  “Thanks for that,” he muttered with a smile, glad that their activities were behind a closed door now. 

* * *

“How’s she doing?” Rose asked her mom.  Erin smiled up at her middle daughter.

“She’s doing so well.  She’s been awake off and on throughout the day, sometimes for just a few minutes, one time for over half an hour.” Erin smoothed Daisy’s blanket, looking down at her youngest daughter affectionately.  “The doctor was in earlier and she slept through his visit.  But he was over the moon at how well she’s doing.”

“Thank God,” Rose said, perching on the end of Daisy’s bed.  Rose eyed her mother critically as she moved about the room, straightening things as she went.  “You look tired, mom.”

“Well it’s been a hectic few months,” Erin said, picking up her yarn and needles and putting them into her bag.  It was early evening and she was getting ready for Bobby to pick her up.  Lily was going to be there soon to spend the night.

“I know. I keep waiting for things to calm down and then I realize this may be as calm as it gets,” Rose said with a sigh and Erin smiled at her.

“Where’s Dean?” Erin hadn’t seen Rose without Dean in the area in months.  It was odd to see just her.

“Oh, he’s parking the car.  There was nowhere near and he didn’t want me to walk since it’s raining.” He had in fact had Cas meet her in the lobby since she couldn’t walk that far on her own thanks to the spell. Rose caught her mother’s look and smiled.  “He’s a bit protective right now.”

Before Erin could respond a small voice piped up, “Oh yeah, just now.  He’s never protective usually.”

All eyes in the room turned to the blond on the bed.  “Hey Daisy,” Rose said unable to keep the grin off her face, her happiness at seeing her sister awake and talking too much to contain.  “How are you feeling?”

“Hungry,” she said with a small pout.

“She can eat tomorrow,” Erin said.  “The doctor thinks she’ll be awake even longer then.”

“Hey, “she” can hear you,” Daisy said with a frown.

“Well it’s about damn time,” a deep voice said from the doorway and Dean walked in, a wide grin on his face.  He came straight to Daisy’s bedside and dropped a kiss on her forehead.  “We missed you, munchkin.”

Daisy smiled at Dean and Rose looked on in happiness, so glad to have Daisy back.

“They won’t let me eat, Dean,” Daisy whined with a dramatic pout and Rose tried and failed to hide her amusement at the horrified look on Dean’s face.

“She can eat tomorrow,” Erin repeated for Dean’s benefit.

“Sorry kiddo,” Dean said with a sympathetic smile.  How ironic that her sister wouldn’t eat and here Daisy was desperate to.  “I promise once you’re out of here I’ll take you out for the best damn cheeseburger in the state.”

“Promise?” Daisy asked with wide, enthusiastic eyes.

“I swear,” Dean said and then immediately regretted his words when Daisy stuck her pinky finger out.  “Daisy,” Dean whined glancing around at his avid audience. “Come on.” 

“Pinky swear, Dean,” Daisy said stubbornly. “You have to.”

Erin was just smiling while Cas looked on in some confusion and Rose was doing her best to contain her amusement at just a grin because if she laughed like she wanted to Dean would kill her. 

“OK fine,” he growled finally, sticking his pinky out and entwining it with Daisy’s.  Only then did Daisy give a nod, indicating the matter was settled.  Rose cleared her throat to try and get herself under control while Dean threw her a threatening glare.

“Trust me, Days, if there is anyone who knows where the best cheeseburger in the state is its Dean,” Rose said with a proud grin and despite himself Dean felt himself puff up a little at that.  It didn’t matter what it was, how small a thing.  Dean liked Rose being proud of him.  “Oh, and there’s this great town we have to take you to!” Rose was continuing excitedly and Dean smiled as he listened to her go on about the museum and movie themed taco place he’d taken her.  He loved that it had made her so happy.  That was one of his primary goals in life – make Rose happy and he was pretty damn good at it he thought with no small amount of pride.  Dean took a seat in the empty chair by the bed and watched the two sisters chat away, Daisy sounding more like herself if still a little foggy.  He had a great view of Rose’s legs from this angle, the cute little dress she’d changed into after their afternoon delight being one he especially liked her in. Dean smiled.  Rose was happy, Daisy was awake and he could sit here and watch his girl show off her pretty legs. All good in his book.

They stayed for a couple hours and when they got ready to leave after Rose had hugged Daisy and told her in an emotion filled voice that it was so good to have her back, Dean hugged Daisy tight too.  Rose had stepped out in the hallway with Lily who had just arrived to have some conversation and he had turned to go when Daisy called him back to her side.  Her eyes were glassy and Dean was fairly certain she’d be falling back asleep in a matter of minutes.  But she smiled up at him so widely, just like she had when she was seven and wanted to share a secret with him.  Dean felt a lump in his throat at that thought.  It really was good to have her back.

“Looks like you found your faith,” Daisy said softly glancing towards the doorway.  “Thanks for not giving up on her, Dean.”

“Aw, you know me, munchkin,” Dean said reaching out and tugging one of her curls.  “I’m just too damn stubborn.”  Dean glanced at the doorway then where Rose was visible in the hallway.  “Besides, giving up was never an option.”  Daisy smiled and Dean knew she approved of that answer.

Daisy waved him down closer to her and he leaned down.  She was grinning as she whispered, “I’m doing my best to get her to find a schoolgirl skirt…”

Dean pulled back and shook his head at her as she laughed.  He looked at Cas.  “This one,” he said pointing at Daisy.  “Don’t let the sweetness fool you.  She’s horrible.”

Cas cocked his head to the side in thought, not seeming to believe Dean but unsure if he should argue.

“No, I’m not Dean,” Daisy giggled.  “I’m very, very nice.”  She smiled a dopey smile at Cas.  “Aren’t I?”  Cas smiled and nodded at her and Dean rolled his eyes.  He headed for the door, ready to get Rose and head home.

“Hey Cas, man?” He said when he got to the door.  “You really gotta learn to control your wife.”

Daisy happily stuck her tongue out at him and he left with the sound of her laughter ringing in his ears.

* * *

Rose had given into her giggles in the elevator, telling him he was lucky Lily hadn’t been there for the pinky swear moment or it would definitely have been captured on her phone.  Dean had looked horrified at the idea, making Rose laugh even harder.  When she’d finally stopped he’d been ready to grumble at her but she’d reached up and kissed his cheek and said, “I love how you are with her, you know.”  Her eyes had been shining, giving him that look that always made him feel like despite every dark thing in his life he was something special.  And how could he complain after that?

Rose snuggled close to Dean's side in the car as they pulled out of the hospital parking lot and Dean smiled.  He could practically feel the happiness radiating off her. 

"Happy?" He asked softly and Rose smiled.

"Very happy," she said.  "I know Daisy can make me nuts at times but I can't stand for her to not be here."  Rose glanced at him to see if he knew what she meant and Dean nodded.  Of course he did, Rose thought.  If anyone understood love for family members it was Dean.  "She's supposed to be here, bouncing around, sticking her nose in everything, teasing and tormenting us all."  Rose glanced at Dean slyly.  "So, what was she teasing you about?"

"Who said she was teasing me?" Dean bluffed and Rose laughed.

"Of course, she was.  I saw how you reacted."  Dean gave Rose a look out of the side of his eye.  "Hmm, knowing Daisy I'm going to guess it was to do with us."

Dean laughed in surprise looking at Rose.  "How'd you-"

"Apparently we're her dream couple." That got a surprised look and a pair of raised eyebrows.  "Yeah, she told me that just before Wisconsin."

"Huh." Dean looked nonplussed.

"Well come on, Dean," Rose said. "You are one of her favorite people." Rose watched as a proud grin spread across Dean's face.

"The munchkin has good taste," he said and Rose laughed. 

They were both silent then as they drove home, Rose nestled snugly under Dean's arm.

"They're an interesting couple," Dean said after they had been driving for a few moments in comfortable silence.  "I keep trying to picture Cas in a relationship, married no less and just coming up blank.  I mean Cas doesn't...he doesn't really ever seem to notice women.  And then Daisy comes along and bam."

"Really?" Rose seemed to find it hard to believe Cas hadn't been involved in a relationship before. "Don't women notice him?" Dean gave Rose another look which she didn't notice. "I mean he's attractive and he definitely has that whole air of mystery thing going on."

Dean frowned, remembering Rose and Lily’s tipsy ramblings about Sherlock’s coat. 

"Are you saying you think he's hot?" Dean asked and Rose pulled back to look at his face.

"Well sure, I mean he's physically attractive," Rose said. "But I... Wait, Dean are you jealous?"

"What? No." A beat passed then - "Well maybe I just don't like hearing you talk about another guy,” he admitted in a low mumble.

"Pull the car over," Rose said lowly and Dean glanced at her in confusion.

"What?"

"You heard me," Rose said.  "Pull the car over."

Dean knew the determined look in Rose's eyes and knew it was easiest to just give in.  He also knew there was a dirt road just up on the right that hadn’t really been used in years so he pulled off there.  He put the car in park and turned to Rose but she didn't let him get a word out.  Her lips were on his, hot and demanding.  She kissed him with a desperation Dean hadn't really felt from her before.  Her hands on his face held him still and Rose angled her body towards him, pushing him back against the door.  Her body was pressed up against his and Dean couldn't hold back the soft moan that escaped him as he felt his body respond to hers.  Her hands moved to the back of his head, fingers threading through his hair and Dean's hands moved to her waist, pulling her even tighter against him.  Rose's tongue slipped over his lips, sliding between them in a sensual way that had Dean's hands flexing on her. 

Finally, when they were both out of air and the windows were fogged up Rose pulled her head back from his.  Her eyes were dark and heated.

"Cas has very pretty eyes, Dean," she said as she ran her hands over his shoulders and Dean looked at her in surprise.  “But the only eyes I’ve ever wanted to look at me are these.” She traced a finger lightly over his face. “Pretty green ones,” she murmured, kissing him again. She pulled back slowly and said, "I belong to you, Dean.  In my mind, there are no other guys, none that matter anyway.  No one even appears in my eyes."  Rose wiggled and Dean lifted her up, moving his legs and pulling her onto his lap.  "I know you get jealous.  I do too," she admitted with a crooked little smile and Dean smiled at her admittance, liking it more than he probably should. "I can't help it.  I see how other women look at you and I just...well it doesn't help with the whole controlling my temper thing." Dean's smile grew to a full-on grin. "But there's no reason to." Rose smiled and leaned into his chest.  "You're the only man I see.  Everyone else is just there."

Dean looked into Rose's eyes, the ones that every other pair were compared and never came close to and smiled.  "Funny, isn't it?"

"What is?" Rose asked not expecting that response.

"We're both jealous and it's not like we don't trust each other," Dean mused.

"So maybe it's because we don't like anyone else touching or looking or even thinking about what's ours," Rose offered and Dean grinned while admitting there was definitely some truth there.

He looked down at Rose and she could see the exact moment his mood changed.  He went from looking like a charming, sweet guy to a predator.

"Mmm, well what about me touching what's mine?" Dean asked his hands sliding down her hips to pull her against him. 

Rose smiled at him and Dean could see the serious expression slipping away to be replaced by one that was much more teasing and playful.

"Well we are in a car," she said and Dean's eyes lit up. "And there was some sort of goal we had..."

"Mmm, and I am a man who likes to reach his goals."  Dean's hands were sliding over her bottom, squeezing as he reached out and licked at her neck.  Dean groaned as that made Rose grind against him.  He kissed his way down to the neckline of her dress and she let out a surprised sound as he moved a hand up to dip inside and pull her neckline aside. 

"It unbuttons," Rose said softly and she watched Dean's eyes shine.  That dress had been catching his attention all night and it had just gone up in his estimation.  He looked at her knowingly now, amused by her suggestion.

"Desperate, Rosie?"

Rose raised an eyebrow at him, then smiled sweetly at him.  "For your mouth on me?  Always." 

Dean sucked in a breath. "Fuck, Baby."

"Well I thought that was the goal," Rose said and laughed when Dean blinked at her in surprise.

"Oh, you've got a naughty mouth now, huh?" He said with a grin and Rose just shook her head at him.  

"Told you I was naughty," she said with a smile.

Dean made quick work of the buttons on her dress, opening it to her waist and he kept his heated eyes on hers as he reached out and pulled one of her bra cups down.  He dragged a thumb over her nipple and Rose whimpered and Dean couldn't wait anymore, pulling Rose towards him and sucking on the breast he'd freed hungrily.  Rose's hands immediately flew to his head, holding him there and making noises that had Dean groaning which in turn made her writhe against him.  He teased her other breast with his hand, stroking it while he sucked on the other. 

He pulled back finally and slid a hand down between them, cupping her sex in his hand and Rose let out a moan, moving against him. 

"When you're like this," Dean said his voice rough with desire. "All flushed and desperate for me, rocking on me like this..." His fingers slipped inside her bra and pinched her other nipple getting a moan from her.  "You're the hottest, most desirable woman I've ever seen."

Rose smiled up at him and Dean smiled back, watching her move against his hand.  She was wet, unbelievably so and Dean was so hard it was bordering on painful.  He pulled his hand back then and quickly unfastened his jeans and with a few quick moves and rearranging of clothes Dean was helping Rose to lower herself onto him and he let out a low groan at the feel of her around him.  Her eyes were large and full in the night and she moved on him like she was born to do so, their bodies in sync.  Dean watched her, head thrown back, skin flushed, clothes in disarray and felt a whole other wave of desire sweep through him.  God, this woman...

Rain pattered against the window, not a downpour but a slow, steady stream as Rose and Dean moved together.  Dean’s fingers were running over her skin as Rose let out little noises that made Dean crazy.  At one point she leaned into him, her teeth nipping at his neck murmuring, “Mine,” before she sucked a dark mark there.  It wasn’t long after that that Rose was crying out his name and Dean joined her soon after, his thrusts hard and desperate as he moaned her name.

Afterwards they lay there, sweaty skin sticking together but enjoying the closeness and the soothing sound of the rain.  Finally, Dean kissed the top of her head and said, "We should go."

Rose nodded reluctantly, raised her head and kissed him before moving.  They sat up and rearranged their clothes and with one more kiss Dean turned the car on and turned them back onto the main road and towards home.

"So, car sex?" Dean said with a satisfied grin.  "I’m definitely counting as a success."

* * *

Dean had stopped in the library on the way to their room to give Sam an update on Daisy.

“She’s doing good,” Dean said looking happy. “Getting her attitude back that’s for sure.”

Sam grinned happily then couldn’t resist nodding at Dean’s neck and the mark there and saying, “Please tell me you didn’t get that at the hospital.”

Dean gave him a look then headed towards the hall.  “Na,” he called back. “Got it afterwards.”

“You’re acting like a teenager, you know!” Sam called out after him and just laughed as Dean flipped him off.

* * *

The next time Daisy woke up it was dark, the dim light emanating from the bedside lamp spilling out and not doing much to drive the darkness out.  There were shards of moonlight peaking between the shades of the window but other than these few weak lights the room was dark.  Daisy glanced around, her eyes able to make out the form of her oldest sister asleep on the couch.  "If you ever do that to us again I'll kill you myself," had been Lily's comment tonight before hugging Daisy so tightly she couldn't breathe. Daisy smiled softly now thinking that was pure Lily.  In truth, the night at the hotel was still foggy in her mind.  She knew it had happened but most of the details were dim.

Rose and Dean had stayed for a few hours, talking and looking happy together.  Daisy paused in her musings.  Things were good with those two but not settled.  There were still things they needed to deal with.  Stay out of it, Daisy she reminded herself.  She couldn't fix things for them and they needed to handle things on their own.

Her mind was restless.  She woke up clear headed but knew that sooner than she liked she'd be feeling that strong pull of sleep again and the fuzziness that came with it.

Daisy stretched a little feeling the ache in her muscles from lack of use.  According to her mother the doctor had mentioned her needing physical therapy to help her muscles gain strength.  Everything in her yearned to just jump out of bed even while she knew that was impossible.  All she'd need was to land flat on her face.  Great way to impress...certain people.

Daisy's eyes skittered over to that side of the room and immediately met the intense blue ones watching her and quickly darted elsewhere.  "Such pretty blue." She cringed.  Oh God, she'd really said that when she was waking up.  Then again, she'd also called her mom Mommy, something she was certain she hadn't done since she was ten.  So maybe she could blame it on the drugs or something.  Or her fuzzy brain.

Or not.  The little smile on Cas' face that she just caught out of the corner of her eye let her know that clearly wouldn't work.  Damn it.  Daisy desperately wanted him to think she was cool.  She'd spent most of her life being the odd one, never as sweet as Rose or as cool as Lily.  Weird little Daisy, the one who was always doing the odd thing, making the choice no one else did. If ever there was anyone she wanted to think she was cool and sweet and perfect it was Cas.  Then again it was possible it was already too late for that.  He'd seen so much of her, knew so many of her less than normal thoughts.

Oddly enough of anyone she'd talked to Cas the least since waking.  The room had been full of people, with everyone wanting to talk to her, check on her, see her awake.  It had left little time for the two of them to talk at all. 

Her eyes darted his way now, their eyes meeting his and she found herself unable to look away this time.  Cas stood and moved towards her, his eyes never leaving hers.  He reached out and grabbed something she couldn't see and she found herself sitting up as Cas raised the bed.

"Better?" He asked and Daisy nodded.

"Thanks," she said her voice still hoarse.  That would take a while she guessed.  It wasn’t like she’d used her voice this last…how long had it been exactly?  She didn’t really know.

Cas hesitated hovering over her, his eyes probing.  

“Can I get you anything?” He seemed anxious and Daisy felt his desire to make this all right for her, to ease her back into awareness.  She smiled.  That was nice.

“I’m thirsty,” Daisy managed to croak out and Cas immediately sprang into action.

“The doctor said you could have ice chips,” he said and before she could blink he was heading for the door, trench coat flapping behind him. 

He wasn’t gone long, returning with a large Styrofoam cup and a dark-haired nurse following closely at his heels.

“Daisy?” The nurse smiled at her kindly, her dark brown eyes reminding her of Lily’s.  “How are you feeling?”

 “OK,” Daisy said. She cast a needful glance at the cup in Cas’ hand. “Thirsty.” 

Cas immediately brought a spoonful of ice up to her lips and Daisy thought that nothing had ever felt better.  The ice was cold and soothing on her throat and she smiled her thanks when she’d swallowed the first spoonful down.

“The ice should help,” the nurse whose nametag read “Joni” said with a smile sent Cas’ way.  She checked that Daisy had no pain, asked her a few more questions and then left them alone, telling Cas to just use the call button if they needed more ice.

Cas fed Daisy at least half the cup before she told him she’d had enough.  He sat the cup down and took his seat next to her bed.  His eyes were questioning, scanning over her face. 

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Daisy admitted. "Which seems crazy.  I've been in a coma.  All I’ve done is sleep."

Cas gave her a small smile.  "You're bodies still tired.  It’s been busy healing and mending."  He paused then added, “And learning.”

"Stupid body," Daisy muttered.  Cas opened his mouth to say something but then shut it but the thought still came through, causing a blush to creep over Daisy's face. 

_I'm rather fond of it._

Despite herself Daisy couldn't stop the giggle that escaped and Cas smiled, his expression one of mild embarrassment.  That smile eased the tension and Daisy managed with some effort and some help from Cas to roll herself onto her side to face him.  Her hands were resting on the sheets and she caught sight of her rings glittering in the dim light for the first time.

"They're even prettier than I imagined," she said softly and Cas felt his heart clench at her tone.  It was so pure, so unguarded, her pleasure clear.  His eyes glittered in the light that filtered in and glancing up at him Daisy marveled at them again.  They were easily the prettiest eyes she'd ever seen.

Cas smiled and it occurred to Daisy suddenly that he seemed to take compliments in stride, not with embarrassment or awkwardness like she did. 

"You'll have to teach me that trick," she murmured, the encroaching sleep seeping into her voice.

"It's just a vessel," Cas said. "I feel neither pride nor shame at it."

"I'd be full of pride if I had eyes like that," Daisy said.  "Or that smile."  Oh yeah, that fuzziness was definitely creeping in and taking her filter with it.  Cas was smiling at her, that small pleased smile she liked so much.  If it got her that smile it may be worth having no filter.

"You have a lovely smile, Daisy," Cas said and Daisy offered him a small one.  Cas reached out and squeezed her hand, holding it in his own and her smile grew.

"Oh, see that makes them look even prettier," she said and Cas glanced down at their entwined hands, both their rings on display and he couldn't disagree.  Her eyes were drooping now and Cas knew she wouldn't be awake much longer.  She was fighting it though, trying her best to stay awake.

"Go to sleep, Daisy," he said softly, his free hand reaching out to stroke her hair.  "You're tired."

"No, I wanna stay awake," she argued.  "I saw my rings.  Now I want the other part."

Cas froze for a second, her meaning not lost on him.  But she was only half awake and besides they had an audience.  He glanced Lily's way.  Sleeping or not he had not envisioned kissing Daisy with one of her sisters in the room, especially not the one who exploded all too easily. 

"You're tired," Cas repeated.  "And we're not alone, Daisy."  Cas needn’t have bothered replying as Daisy was already out.  Cas looked down at her, her body curled towards him, her fingers still gripping his hand.  "Tomorrow," he said softly.  Then he stroked her curls one more time and settled down to watch her sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Sorry I didn't update much but Camp NaNoWriMo was a huge success. I have loads of stuff written that just needs editing so updates should be pretty consistent. Hope y'all enjoy!


	84. It's Gonna Be Alright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starbucks, Jello is vile and The weirdness that is family

Sam was watching his brother bustle around the bunker, fussing at Rose and making sure she had everything she'd need for a trip out to Starbucks.  Perhaps Dean had gotten the crazy idea they were moving in there, Sam thought in amusement.  So far, he'd offered her five different books, asked her three times if she had her wallet and pushed a knife and gun at Sam as if he didn't have his own.

"You know rumor has it that I'm actually a fairly capable guy," Sam said dryly when Dean paused by the library table.  Rose had gone back to grab her backpack which God only know what all Dean had shoved into it. 

"Ha ha, very funny," Dean said now, giving Sam a decidedly unamused look.

"Should I be offended?" Sam asked curiously.  "I mean she went out with both Charlie and Lily and you didn't make as big a deal."

"No, no I..." Dean rubbed the back of his neck looking agitated. "Look I didn't have time to worry then.  Those both just happened.  This time I had time to think and I just, I want it to go OK."

"She'll be fine, Dean," Sam said reassuringly. "We'll both be fine."

"You don't know that," Dean pointed out, his concern and anxiety clear. "Things can happen.  A demon could attack you.  A guy could decide to hold up the store.” Dean was pacing in front of the table now, too agitated to stay still. “Rose could panic and her powers could flare up. A group of clowns could descend on the store and you could panic. You could have car trouble.  A storm could hit.  A power outage-"

Sam raised his eyebrows.  Well he'd give his brother points for thoroughness in his worrying.  And creativity. He'd covered things Sam wasn't sure anyone else would have thought of.  Dean definitely covered his bases when it came to worrying.

"I promise you we're prepared for any of those situations." Sam paused.  "Ok maybe not the clown one but otherwise we're good."  Sam looked up and smiled when Rose appeared in the doorway wearing a Hufflepuff sweatshirt with jeans and yellow high tops, her backpack slung over one shoulder.  Her hair was up in a high ponytail and she had a determined expression on her face, reminding Sam of a college student getting ready to study for finals much more so than a woman with powers that could level a block. 

"Ready to go?" Sam asked and Rose started to nod but before she could make a move towards Sam Dean stopped her.  They carried on a hushed conversation with ended with Dean making Rose open her backpack to show him something.  Finally satisfied he gave her a kiss and Rose finally made her way to Sam.

"We'll be back," Sam called and then quickly pulled Rose with him down to the garage before Dean could think of anything else they had to do. 

Or needed. 

Or should be prepared for.

"Well that was an experience," Sam commented once they were in his car and on the way.

"Sorry, Sam," Rose said with an apologetic smile. "I'm sure he made you crazy."

Sam shrugged easily.  "Eh, I get it.  He worries.  Granted he takes it to the extreme but still I understand it."

"You do?" Rose asked in surprise.

"Rose," Sam said then paused not wanting to upset her right before they headed out to try something new. But still he had to say it. "Seeing you in that hotel room...I don't think you get how scary it was."  He glanced at Rose and when he didn't see any upset on her face, only curiosity he continued. "You were bleeding, shaking and fighting these demons and wouldn't let Dean, wouldn't let anyone help you."  Sam continued as he smoothly turned a corner.  "Then you dropped like a stone, passed out cold.  Dean was...I had to convince him to leave your side long enough to even wash the blood off himself." 

"I don't...I mean I remember that night, well up until I passed out at least," Rose said. "But it seems almost like a dream now."

"Trust me," Sam said dryly.  "It was no dream.  A nightmare maybe.  And the next morning wasn't much better."  Sam glanced over and saw a guilty look pass over Rose's face.  He was going to stop but Rose asked him a question.

"Dean was upset?"

Sam couldn't stop the snort he let out. "That's putting it mildly.  He was like a mad man rushing through the bunker looking for you. Then when he found your note things were thrown.  I think someone's head could have been taken off if they got in the way of that brush."  Rose's cheeks flushed a deep red at that though Sam didn't understand why.

They drove in silence a moment and then deciding she was OK to hear this Sam cleared his throat and spoke.

"He blamed himself you know," he said and Rose looked at him with a look of surprise that quickly turned to one of understanding.  "He thought if he'd said or done the right thing he could have kept you from leaving."

Rose frowned.  "There was nothing he could have done," she said quietly.

"I know that but you know Dean." Rose nodded. She did and knew how he beat himself up over things he had no control over.  "And then when Danny rescued you," Sam hesitated but at Rose's look he went on. "Well let's just say watching another guy, one you had a relationship with no less, save you didn't sit well with him." Rose frowned again. "He should have been the one to save you.  That's his job, his role.  And the fact he didn't means in his mind he failed you."

"But that makes no sense," Rose protested. "He didn't know where I was."

Sam shrugged. "Guilt doesn't always make sense."  Rose nodded, knowing that fact all too well.  “Oh, and for the record?  If Dean and Danny are ever in the same room again in this lifetime?  It will still be too soon.”

Rose smiled. “Yes, I got the very strong impression Dean wasn’t a fan.”

Sam snorted. “You could say that.  Dean tackled him.”

Rose looked startled. “He what?”

So, Sam relayed how the first meeting of Dean and Danny had gone, all the little verbal jabs that led to physical ones.  “I mean admittedly, Dean was being a bit of a jerk but Danny was a word class dick. He could tell Dean was upset, just looking for a fight.  He’s lucky he wasn’t alone with him or Dean might have killed him.”

Rose took that all in, including the less than happy tone in Sam’s voice.  She’d known from what Dean had said that day they’d gone out to lunch that there had been a fight.  She just hadn’t realized it had been that bad. She gave Sam a curious look as they drove into town. “So, I’m taking it you aren’t a Danny fan either?” Sam gave her a look that made his feelings pretty clear.  And that was interesting. Sam was usually pretty tolerant.  Danny must have really been on his game to manage to piss him off too.  She’d have to ask Lily how things went.  Getting back to the topic she cared about – Dean, she asked:

"So, Dean was bad while I was gone?"

Again, the snort, Sam's derision at that statement obvious.  "He was a fucking mess.  He not only broke that hunters nose in Kansas City - not that the asshole didn't deserve it mind you - but he jumped the guy and was choking him.  I had to pull him off, Rose and he had to walk away, let me handle talking to him.  He couldn't do it." Rose's eyes were wide at this information.  Dean handled things.  He didn't walk off and leave someone else, not even Sam to do it.  That just wasn’t who he was. "Back home he was just obsessed with finding you.  He was ready to head to Texas or Louisiana on the off chance you were there." Sam gave Rose a sideways glance. "Turned out one of his hunches was right."

"Yeah," Rose said quietly, her eyes firmly on her lap.

Sam pulled into the Starbucks parking lot and looked at Rose, his eyes seeing more than most people would.

"You didn't know any of that did you?" He asked finally and Rose slowly shook her head.  She looked up at Sam then and he had the sudden thought that he was glad Dean wasn't here; He’d kill Sam for putting that look in Rose's eyes.  Her eyes were full of pain and remorse and there were tears brimming too.

"He won't talk about it," she admitted.  "I told him I knew he must be mad at me and he said, well he brushed it off."

So that's what they hadn't discussed, Sam thought thinking back to his and Dean's conversation in the library.  Damn, that was a pretty big thing not to touch.  Sam had figured they must have gotten all that out of the way while he’s been in Michigan.  Otherwise, if it had happened when he'd been there he was sure he would have heard it.  No way would he have missed the yelling.

"We were going to discuss it the next day and then that's when I woke up screaming and he wouldn't let me then." Rose brushed a tear away and Sam thought that lined up with how Dean had been since Rose had been back - Overprotective to the ninth degree.  "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be pulling you into all this."

"Oh yeah because I would never pull you into my relationship issues." That at least got him a small smile.

"Thanks for telling me though.  I thought, I mean I had some idea how upset he was.”  Rose gave a little shrug.  “But you know Dean. He downplays things.”

"Give him time, Rose.  It was hard for him to see you hurt and now he's in super protective mode."

"Yeah," Rose said and gave Sam a small smile.  “Thus, the packing like we’re going on a journey just to go to Starbucks.”  And Sam had to laugh at that.

"Come on." Sam reached out and grabbed both their bags from the back.  "Let's go read."

Rose followed Sam inside and got them both comfortable seats while Sam ordered for them.  She sat there waiting for him with one thought clear as day in her mind: If she and Dean were ever to deal with this issue she was going to have to push him.  And subtle wasn’t going to cut it.  She was going to have to be blunt and forceful. And that so wasn’t her style but she was going to have to make it hers. 

But, Rose realized, she did know someone whose style that absolutely was.  And maybe with a few pointers she could make it her style for a short time, borrow it maybe.  At least long enough to get her and Dean past this.

With that thought in mind and coffee in hand Rose settled down to try and read.

* * *

Rose sighed.  Her mind was going a mile a minute and the words just weren't sinking in.  Sam was completely engrossed in the book she'd brought him back from New Orleans she saw with a smile.  She glanced around the room, noting the two grandmotherly looking types sitting and chatting at one of the tables.  There was a young couple sitting on the couch together, way more interested in each other than anything else in the place.  Rose took a sip of her coffee and considered changing books.  Maybe a mystery wasn't the right way to go. Maybe some YA would draw her in.  She reached down and pulled out one of the books she'd bought at the mall with Dean, a pair of hand drawn characters cradled in a paint spattered palm on the cover.  Dean had commented on just about every cover and this one especially had caught his attention.  Oh, or there was the more romantic YA one she'd brought, a girl throwing a bouquet on the cover.  Dean had smirked at that one.  Or she had a sci-fi one in here somewhere...

"Rose," Sam said pulling her out of her search for the perfect book. "Just pick one.  You'll never read anything if you spend the entire time unable to choose."

"I can't decide," Rose said and frowned.  She'd never had a problem picking before. 

Sam sighed and laid his book down.  "Let me see your choices," he said patiently.  Rose handed over the three she had out and Sam scanned the covers.  He surprised her by handing her back the romance one.  "Go with that.  Light and... I don't know, fluffy?"

Rose grinned at that.  "Fluffy?  My sister completely warped your vocabulary."

"Mushy? Sappy?" Sam ventured and Rose shook her head.

"I'll take fluffy."  Sam smiled, sat her other two books down on the table nearest him and picked his own book back up.

Rose smiled at him gratefully and opened the book.  She read the first page and then her attention was taken by a dark-haired toddler jumping up and down next to his mother in line.  She sat her book down and nudged Sam's knee.

"I bet she doesn't get much reading done," she said nodding towards the little boy’s mom.

Sam glanced at them and then back at Rose.  "I know how she feels."

Rose looked suddenly guilty.  "Sorry.  I'll shush."

Sam smiled at her and went back to his book and Rose picked hers back up.  She made it through two more pages and then a pair of teenagers sat down close to them and started discussing the upcoming Halloween dance.  They were both overly excited about their costumes and Rose couldn't help but listen.  And realize that she and Lily had no plans for Halloween.

"What do you guys usually do for Halloween?" she asked suddenly turning to Sam who looked startled at her question.  He'd been completely caught up in his book and her question had caught him off guard.  He blinked at her twice and had to ask her to repeat her question. 

"Uh, well if we aren't working we usually come to your house," Sam said and Rose frowned.

"Obviously that won't be happening this year," she said. 

It was Sam's turn to frown.  All three sisters loved Halloween.  Not having a huge event to attend was going to be hard for them.  And obviously, Daisy wasn't likely to be out of the hospital yet.

"I think there's usually a costume party at Donnie's," Sam offered and Rose smiled at that news.  He watched her immediately pick up her phone and start texting - Lily, he assumed.

After a moment, she sat her phone aside and smiled at Sam happily.  "Thanks.  That will work."

Sam nodded and gestured to her book.  "How's it going?"

Rose bit her lip and glanced down guiltily at her book laying on her lap.

"Um, I've read three pages?" She phrased it as a question and Sam wasn't sure if he should show his surprise at how badly she was doing.  Instead he chose to smile and say, "That's a start." 

"Yeah," Rose said not looking impressed.

"Keep it up," Sam encouraged. "We've got time."

Rose returned his smile and dove back in.  She actually found herself getting into the story and then a group of women came in talking loudly and she was pulled out, her attention lost.  Sam watched her eyes follow the group and shook his head at how unlike her this was.  Rose in his experience was an expert at getting lost in a book.  Growing up it was completely normal to have to go hunt Rose down at dinner time because she was curled up with a book somewhere and hadn't noticed the time.  Now reading with her was kind of like researching with Lily.  Except Lily hated researching and Rose loved reading.  Her mind just wasn't following orders.

"Rosie?" He said softly and Rose turned her head towards him quickly her face flushing guiltily when she met his eyes.

"I read some more," she said defensively and Sam gave her a kind smile. Rose picked the book back up and did her best to concentrate.  By the time they got ready to leave she'd managed to finish the first chapter.  It was a pittance compared to what she'd normally have read in that time frame but it was the most she'd read in months.  This was going to take longer than she thought.  She thought about what Dr. Alexander had said though, about making it a to do list item and eventually the enjoyment would come back.  She’d have to trust him on that.  She could stick with it.  She was stubborn. 

Sam has his phone in hand when they got to his car and after he put their bags in he quickly typed out a text and sent it off.  Rose looked at him questioningly when she saw the smile on his face.

"Just working on our plan," he said with a grin and Rose smiled happily.

* * *

Lily had gotten a little more sleep after getting home from the hospital and then ate a lunch of leftovers from the refrigerator.  Charlie was a great roommate.  Lily could live on the leftovers from the dinners she made.  Today's was some kind of amazing Mexican casserole, full of cheese and meat.  Charlie had left her a message that she had gone to the grocery store and there were avocados if she wanted any to put on top of the casserole and Lily just about inhaled the slices.  She was settled on the couch after eating, still wearing her lipstick pajamas and watching some stupid soap opera that always seemed to be on when her phone buzzed.

She picked it up to see a text from Rose about Halloween.  She answered happily, promising to get right on thinking up her costume.  She got up and washed her bowl out and headed to her room to get changed.   She was just pulling clothes from her closet when her phone buzzed again.  She picked it up and drew in a quick breath.  She'd been expecting another text from Rose, maybe from her mom or Charlie.  She hadn't been expecting a text from Sam.  She certainly hadn't been expecting one like this.

_You made your list and I've got some catching up to do so I started making mine.  Only mines less precise than yours.  What I love about you, what I miss about you, what turns me on about you.  I plan to cover all that.  First off -_

_I've never seen a person fight as viciously or as elegantly as you.  You make ass kicking look like an art form.  And it's damn sexy._

Lily dropped down to the bed, all the air gone from her lungs.  She wasn't sure what Sam was up to.  He'd confused her the other night with the coffee and then now this. 

He'd given her space up until trying to talk to her at the bunker that day.  She wasn't sure what he was doing.  And that in itself was weird.  Lily knew men, could make a list of all the tricks and lines she’d seen and heard.  Some were creative, some gross and some just plain stupid but few rarely surprised her.  But this…she didn’t get it.

Lily glanced back down at her phone.  She re-read the words and a small smile tugged at her lips.  She knew what he was referring to - Her list of what she found amazing about him.  She’d never finished it: It had been an ongoing project when they broke up.  She couldn't deny she liked what he said.  Right off the bat he'd praised her fighting.  Lily frowned.  Like it or not it didn't change their issues.  She reached up and tugged on her hair.  Pretty words and coffee weren't enough to wipe away what happened, what she still felt were obstacles they couldn't overcome.  Still...her finger traced over the phone and the words there, as if she could touch the letters themselves.  No one else was here.  She could admit to herself she liked the words.  Sam was a damn fine hunter and a damn sexy man.  Him acknowledging that about her…she liked it.  She nodded her head.  She'd let herself admit she enjoyed these words, if only here in the privacy of her room.  And if she had a smile on her face as she pulled on black jeans and a black t shirt ("Kikgrave made me do it.") no one else needed to know.  And she definitely hummed a little as she pulled on a beautiful pair of purple suede heels.  But she wasn't going to mention this to anyone.  No, this she was going to keep to herself.

* * *

It was the opposite of dark when Daisy woke up for any length of time next.  It was bright and sunny and there was an even brighter light being shone into her eyes.  She blinked and drew back as an unfamiliar face appeared.

“Aw, there we are,” the face said with a smile.  “How are we feeling today Daisy?”

She knew the voice.  She wasn’t sure why or where from but it was familiar.  She glanced around the room, taking in Cas and her mother watching her closely and then focused on the other person.  Her doctor she realized suddenly.  He’d been here before, all throughout her time in the hospital and she’d heard his voice many times.  She swallowed, her throat feeing incredibly dry.  Her head was still fuzzy and things still were a bit wobbly around the edges.

“Tired and hungry,” she finally managed to get out and he smiled.

“That’s to be expected.”  He patted her shoulder and glanced down at her chart. “The nurses noted you were eating ice chips last night.”  He looked up and smiled at her. “Maybe today you can try eating some actual food.”  Daisy’s eyes lit up at the thought of that and his smile grew.  She was just making him happy all over the place.

“Can I have a cheeseburger?”

The doctor let out a chuckle.  “How about we start with something lighter, like chicken broth and jello and work up to the cheeseburger?” he suggested.

“I’d rather start with the cheeseburger,” Daisy muttered but he ignored that.

“How’s your head?” he asked, shining his light in her eyes again and Daisy winced.  “Any pain?”

“No, just fuzzy,” she admitted and he nodded.

“That’s from the medication and the time spent out.”  He pocketed his penlight and Daisy gave a sigh of relief.  “It should take a couple days but it should clear up.  The better you do the more we can ease up on the medication too which will help.”

“Am I ever going to stop being sleepy?” she asked.  She’d slept most of the day which was just ridiculous in her mind.  Her question earned a laugh from the doctor though.  Glad to know she was so entertaining.

“You will, Daisy, I promise.”  He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.  “Just give yourself a little time to recuperate.”

She’d been unconscious for how long?  Wasn’t that time enough to catch up?  Cas smiled at her as he heard her thought and sent back one of his own.

_Patience.  You’re recovering._

_I’m not good at patience, Cas.  It is not a family trait._   She watched as Cas grinned at that then turned his attention to the doctor.

The doctor turned to her mother and Cas then and talked some more but Daisy payed little attention to what he said.  If she had she would have noticed the concerned look that passed between the two when her doctor commented on how quickly she was improving.  But Daisy’s concern right now lay with only two things – Food and Cas. Everything else was just details.

A few minutes passed and with one more shoulder pat the doctor was gone and Daisy was looking for the food he’d promised her.

Just after he left her mother went and got some more ice chips for her and fed some to her slowly and Daisy sighed happily as the bits of ice soothed her dry throat.  She managed to eat the whole cup of ice and then drifted off again with a smile at Cas.

* * *

"So, how'd she do?" Sam glanced up as his brother made his way into the library.  Rose had left a short time earlier to go with Lily to the hospital much to Dean's not so secret dismay.  Lily and Rose getting along again combined with Lily not wanting to be at the bunker was making things complicated and Sam was waiting for things to blow up.  Neither Dean or Lily liked to share and Rose was stuck firmly between them.

Sam considered Dean's question.  He guessed Dean and Rose hadn't really had a chance to talk.  Dean had insisted Rose eat before she left so most of her time today had been a rush.

Finally, Sam shrugged.  He wasn't sure how to judge how Rose had done.  He certainly could see what she meant about having trouble concentrating.  She'd had the attention span of a toddler.  But she'd managed to get a little read so it wasn't a failure.

"I can see what she was talking about," Sam admitted finally once his brother had poured them both a drink and taken a seat across from him. "With her concentration issues, I mean."

Dean frowned, sipping at his glass.  "How bad is it?"

"Picture what Lily is like when she's researching." Dean winced.

"That bad?"

"That bad," Sam confirmed.  "She stuck with it though and got through some."  Sam took a sip himself feeling the whiskey burn and leave a trail of heat behind. "Thank God she's stubborn."

Dean laughed at that.  "Yeah, stubbornness she's got in spades."

Sam smiled and nodded, considering his brother.  He was tempted to ask him about why he hadn't confronted Rose about what she'd done, why they hadn't had that conversation.  But if he did that he'd be sharing something he was fairly sure Rose had shared with him in confidence even if she hadn't explicitly said.  So instead Sam said:

"Well in this case that stubbornness is a good thing.  Imagine if she didn't have it.  She'd never have survived."  Dean winced at that and Sam felt a flash of guilt.  He hadn't meant to bring pain, just point out the benefit of Rose's stubborn nature.  "And God knows she'd never be strong enough to handle you if she wasn't."

That got a pleased grin which is what Sam had been going for.

"You think she can handle me, Sammy?" Dean brought the glass up to his lips.

Sam returned the grin. "I think she has been our entire lives." And that just got a soft chuckle.

They were quite for a moment, sitting in companionable silence as Sam clicked a few keys on his laptop and Dean sipped at his whiskey.  Then with a sigh Dean asked:

"So, no word from the jackass?"

"Danny?" Sam queried and Dean nodded his head sharply. "Nope, not a sound."

Dean swore. "Son of a bitch.  We can't get rid of the bastard and now that we actually need him he's nowhere to be found."

Sam hesitated not wanting to ask but figuring he needed to.  "Does Rose maybe know a way to get a hold of him that we don't?"

Dean jerked in surprise at his question. "What? No.  Why would she?"

Sam shrugged. "I just thought maybe they'd kept in touch and..." Sam's sentence drifted off at Dean's glare. "Hey, you did say he seemed to insinuate they'd been talking after everyone thought they'd broke things off."

"Yeah, years ago."  Dean looked pissed, as if Sam had suggested the unthinkable.

"Hey, I'm just throwing out every suggestion," Sam said defensively.  "I mean we're out of ideas here, Dean.  Bobby's contacted everyone he knows."

"I know," Dean said reaching up and rubbing the back of his neck. "Let's just...if I ask her that she's going to want to see all the rest of this shit." He gestured to the papers Sam had spread out.

"Maybe she's ready," Sam suggested, not sure if this was about Dean wanting to protect Rose or about him disliking Danny.  Maybe it was a combo of the two.

"Yeah, I don't...maybe."  Dean seemed to be mulling this over.  "Na. Not yet."

"Dean," Sam said but Dean cut him off before he could make his point.

"Yeah, Sam I get it." Dean glared at his brother.  "I know she needs to know this shit but she's not ready."

"She's not ready or you aren't?" Sam challenged and Dean's glare intensified.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Sam took a breath.  He didn't want to fight with his brother.  But someone had to say this and it looked like it fell to him. "Look I get you want to protect her and I'm not arguing that with you.  Just make sure you aren't protecting her so much that she's unprepared."

Sam watched Dean's face, could see he was really considering Sam's words.  As opposed to the hothead Dean was when they were younger he did that more often now, really listened and then made a decision.  Dean was shaking his head now.

"She needs more time, Sam.  And that ain't just me being protective." Dean considered his glass for a minute then glanced up at Sam with a look that let Sam know this wasn't a decision he'd come by lightly. "She's just getting back on her feet, just getting to where she can go out, do stuff with people and be in public without panicking." Sam knew his face showed how surprised he was by that fact. "Yeah, when you guys were gone I had to convince her to go out.  She was worried what would happen, that she could handle it."

"I didn't know that," Sam admitted.

"She's doing a lot better," Dean said, the pride evident in his voice. "Getting stronger and more sure of herself again.  As much as I hate that she's out running around with Lily that's just because I'm a selfish bastard.  She needs that, needs to feel normal again." Sam smiled at the irony of that statement.  His brother had that all wrong.  He may be possessive with Rose, may want to keep her all to himself but he wouldn’t.  He’d put what she needed first - the exact opposite of selfish.  "But she needs time.  She needs to be back on her feet for a bit, to get her bearings before she gets a shit load of prophecy dropped on her."

 Sam fidgeted with his glass for a moment before glancing at his brother.  "She's not normal though.  I mean you know that right?"

Dean rolled his eyes so hard Sam had to wonder if it hurt.  "No, Sam I missed all that.  Flying books, killing demons - run of the mill stuff there.  Come on, I'm not blind or stupid." Dean shrugged and drained his glass.  "We don't exactly have a handle on normal ourselves."

"Compared to the girls we're downright boring," Sam said with a little grin.  He watched his brother get up and refill his glass.

Dean lowered himself back into his chair and fixed his brother with a look.  "Sam, compared to the girls Crowley is mundane." Dean took a sip and added, "And that was before their powers came into play." Sam grinned at that, unable to deny it and Dean smirked.  "Now, what sort of plan are you and Rosie hatching together?"

* * *

Daisy woke up a few hours later to a hand shaking her shoulder gently.

“Wake up sleeping beauty,” a voice said and Daisy opened her eyes to find Lily and Rose standing over her bed.

“They brought you some dinner,” Rose said.  “We figured we’d wake you up and see if you wanted to eat something.”

They moved back and Rose took the bed controls and sat her up while Lily wheeled over a tray with food on it.  Daisy eyed the food suspiciously.

“I don’t want jello,” Daisy said immediately and Rose and Lily exchanged a knowing look.

“I told you she was going to be difficult,” Lily said and Rose sighed.

“You’ve got juice,” Rose offered up. 

“Oh, but it’s orange,” Lily noted and without another word she was sweeping the juice cup up and was off in search of a replacement.

“I don’t like orange juice,” Daisy said with a pout and Rose smiled at her and smoothed her hair back.

“I know, baby.  Lily’s fixing it.”

Cas found this whole production fascinating.  The girls had arrived not long before Daisy’s dinner had and settled down to wait for her to wake. Erin had left shortly after they got there, almost as if since they were there she wasn’t needed.  Was that normal?  She seemed to back out of the situation once they were there, as if it was their place, not hers. The moment the tray had arrived Lily and Rose had moved into action, waking Daisy and getting her ready to eat, moving the tray in and focusing completely on her.  Daisy for her part was much more childlike with her sisters than she normally was around him.  She pouted and fussed and generally acted like they described her – the spoiled baby sister. 

“She hates orange juice,” Rose was saying to him now, with a glance his way and Cas nodded.  This seemed to be important information she was passing on at least in Rose’s mind as if Cas planned to spend the rest of Daisy’s life pushing orange juice on her.

A moment later Lily came back into the room, apple juice now in hand and her face victorious.  “Got the right juice.”

Daisy smiled at them both and sipped down the juice happily.  She balked at the broth and jello though.

“I want a cheeseburger,” she whined and Cas watched as Lily actually made a move towards the door.  Thankfully Rose stopped her before Cas had to say anything.  He’d heard perfectly clear what the doctor had said about Daisy building up to real food.

“Daisy, you have to eat this before you can try a burger,” Rose was saying.  “Your stomach hasn’t had real food in a while.”

“I know and I’m starving,” Daisy said with wide, pleading eyes turned on her sisters.  Puppy dog eyes, Cas had heard the girls refer to them once when talking about Sam giving the same expression.  Cas watched in amazement as once again Lily wavered.  She seemed to be the very definition of indulgent with Daisy.  And it occurred to him that Daisy knew this.  She was directing all her most pitiful pleas towards Lily, as if she knew she was the weaker of the two.  His wife was quite the devious one he realized, when it came to her sisters.  And Lily at least, despite her usual attitude fell right for it.

“Eat this first,” Rose said firmly and Daisy scowled at her when she realized Rose wasn’t budging.  Finally, with a pitiful sigh Daisy reached out and began to eat.  Both her sisters gave her pleased smiles and Lily sat close to her and coaxed her along while Rose sat back and kept an eye on them both, making sure Daisy actually ate and Lily didn’t give into any crazy demands.

They all had their roles, Cas thought as he watched the trio.  And none were what he had expected.  Every time he’d seen Lily she’d been the one in charge, the boss, the loudest voice in the room which was obviously why she and Dean clashed so much.  And Rose was always quieter than Lily, more likely to go along with her plan, to give into other’s demands or at the very least appear to do so.  And yet here with Daisy they were the opposite.  Rose was the firm one, the one who said no, made the rules and had the final say.  Lily was the soft touch, the one who had an endless supply of patience and despite her dropping numerous curse words along the way she would easily give into any of Daisy’s childish demands.  As for Daisy herself, well Cas had heard from others that she was spoiled but he’d yet to see how much so until now.  He wasn’t sure if it was because of her being sick or if this was normal for her but she was like a pampered, spoiled child. Cas looked on as Daisy demanded another flavor of jello and Lily despite her comment of, "Oh for fucks sake," immediately went to fetch it while Rose encouraged Daisy to finish the broth while Lily was gone.  They were all so different in this situation, all so different with each other than with anyone else.  Cas didn’t quite understand it all.  He didn't think the boys were that different which each other than everyone else.  Though Dean did fuss over Sam and he supposed Sam deferred to Dean more than other people.  But this, Cas thought with an awed expression.  This was extreme.  Maybe it was because Daisy was sick.  He hadn't really seen them act this way before.  He'd have to ask Dean about it.  He seemed to be the expert on the girls.

Lily returned with the preferred flavor of jello and Daisy gave her a happy smile. Then Cas watched as her sisters coaxed her into eating that too. 

Finally, Daisy had eaten all the food on her tray earning pleased smiles from both her sisters. 

“You did well, baby,” Rose said, smoothing her blankets as Lily cleared the tray away. 

“I don’t like that food, Rosie,” Daisy murmured in a sleepy voice.  Rose smiled at her in a soft, tender way that Cas had only ever seen mother’s give to their children.

“I know, sweetie, but you need to eat it for now.  Not long,” Rose soothed and Daisy nodded with a pout.

Lily came back and sat by Daisy, running her fingers through her curls soothingly. “Once you can eat, once you’re out of here we’ll take you anywhere you want to go,” She promised and Daisy smiled.

“I want all the food,” she murmured as she nodded off.

* * *

Bobby came to stay the night not long after Daisy fell asleep and the girls left after placing kisses on Daisy’s forehead.  Bobby shook his head fondly at their retreating backs.

“And they wonder why she’s spoiled,” he muttered to himself.

Lily glanced at Rose as they were leaving the hospital.  Lily had recognized the look on her sister's face, had known she wanted to talk so instead of driving straight home she drove to the local Starbucks which she knew stayed open late.  Rose looked at her in surprise when they pulled up and Lily just smiled at her.

"Come on, I know your face.  You had your "I need to talk" expression on."

Rose smiled at her sister gratefully.  "Am I that transparent?"

"To me you are," Lily said, throwing an arm around Rose's shoulders as they walked up to the entrance.

"OK so what's going on?"  Lily asked once they were settled down in the same chairs that only a few hours ago Rose had sat in with Sam, their coffees of choice in hand.  "What kind of big sister advice do you need?"

Rose took a sip of her coffee. "I was here earlier today," she told her sister.  "With Sam, actually."  Seeing her sisters surprised look she explained what Sam was doing to try and help her.

"Sounds like Sam," Lily said softly and that look on her face was one of the main reasons Rose was convinced her and Sam should be together.  It was gentle and soft, a sweetness to it that honestly Rose usually only ever saw when it came to her or Daisy.  Sam brought that out in her.  Lily nudged Rose with her foot.  "Quit stalling.  What's up?"

Rose frowned and stared at her cup for a second before looking back up.  She sat her cup down and pulled her feet up under her in a way that Lily knew meant she was settling in for at important talk.

"I need your advice on something but..." Rose hesitated knowing Lily was going to want specifics and not sure she wanted to give them.  "It's something with me and Dean so can I ask you without giving you details?"

Lily looked at her for a second, her hand frozen with coffee cup in hand midair.  She slowly lowered her cup to the table and stared at her sister in a way that made Rose squirm.

"No," she said finally.  "Of course not!"  Rose actually laughed at the appalled look on Lily's face.  "God, it's like you don't even know me."

"Lily," Rose said with a half groan half laugh.  "Come on."

"No, you come on," Lily said.  "You're like a freaking Amish person or something when it comes to Dean."

“An Amish person?” Rose queried and Lily waved her hand.

“You know, all quiet and secretive.” Rose looked confused.

“Lily, I don’t think that has anything to do with being Amish-”

“Whatever,” Lily cut in.  “You’re like the least sharing person ever when it comes to him.”

Rose bit her lip, knowing what Lily said was true.  “I don’t mean to be,” she said honestly.  “I guess partly I just think I shouldn’t be sharing everything.  I mean, it’s not just mine to tell, is it?”

“Oh, come on, like we ever worried about that with guys before?” Lily scoffed and Rose knew that was true.

“It’s just, I’ve wanted this so long,” Rose said and that smile was back on her face, the one that Lily knew meant Rose was really and truly happy.  “I guess I just feel protective of it.”

“Well that’s not surprising,” Lily said.  “You’ve always been protective of Dean.”  Rose gave a little smile and nod and picked up her coffee to take a sip.  “All kidding aside, Rosie.  If you tell me something you know I can keep a secret.  And even if you don’t want to tell me details I’ll do the best I can with advice.”

That was true, Rose though.  Lily had always kept her secrets.  She was good at that.  And Rose needed someone who would give her honest advice and Lily could do that.  So, with a deep sigh Rose nodded and spilled her heart out.  She left out certain things but for the most part she gave Lily all the details.  (She wasn’t even going to try and bring up the whole part about Dean threatening to punish her.  That was not a conversation she needed to have with her sister. Ever.)  Lily listened closely, not interrupting the entire time.  And this, this was what Rose had missed she realized.  This knowing that even if her sister didn’t always understand everything she loved her and would listen and support her.

When she was done, when the basic details of what was bothering her were out there Lily sat back, looking thoughtful.

“So just to be clear, you’re upset because Dean hasn’t yelled at you?”

“No, not…well yes I expected him to yell but it’s not just that.”  Rose pulled one knee up and hugged it.  “It’s like it’s all been swept under the rug but it’s still there.  And it’s bothering me…”

“Because you feel guilty,” Lily said and Rose looked up at her in surprise then nodded.  That was true.  She did feel guilty.  Lily at least had yelled at her but Dean aside from looking upset and promising some consequences had done nothing.  “You always were awful if you felt guilty,” Lily said.  “I swear you got the Catholic guilt gene even if you never went to confession.”

“I don’t always feel guilty,” Rose protested.

“Nope, not when you lie obviously,” Lily said and Rose made a face at her.  “So, you want Dean to talk about all this and he doesn’t want to, right?”  Rose nodded.  “And so, you’re hoping to what, make him?”  Again, Rose nodded.  “Hmm, OK I never knew you had a problem with being forceful when you needed to be.  I mean you never did before.”  That was true, Rose knew but now she seemed to have lost that knack.

“Yeah well I could concentrate before too so who knows?”  Rose shrugged.  “And besides you’re good at being…pushy.”

“Gee, thanks,” Lily said dryly and Rose just shrugged.  It was the truth.  “I’d just bring it up again,” Lily said.  “Talk to Dean when you guys have time alone and you know he’s got nothing planned.”

“And if that doesn’t work?” Rose questioned.

“Bring it up again.”  Lily gave her an evil smile then.  “And hey, as a last resort you can always just take off again and really push him over the edge.  I guarantee that would get him to yell at you and totally lose his shit.”  Rose let out a surprised laugh and Lily hastened to add, “And before you get any bright ideas that was a joke.”

"Yeah, I got that," Rose said dryly.  "That’s definitely not my plan.  I don’t want to kill him.  Or have him kill me,” she muttered earning a look from Lily.  “So be persistent is what you're saying."

Lily shrugged.  "Pretty much.  I mean come on, first off Dean has never been able to say no to you about anything.  And if you push at some point he'll eventually give in."  Lily studied her sister for a moment. "If that doesn't work you could just try telling him the truth, that it's bothering you." To be honest Lily was surprised that Dean hadn't blown up at Rose.  True, he tended to treat her like she was a precious princess but Dean had one hell of a temper and Lily knew he'd been livid at Rose for taking off.  She’d been with him enough during that time and there had been moments where he was just barely hanging on.  Of course, he'd also been terrified when Danny had shown back up with her unconscious in his arms.  She had to guess Dean was torn between being mad at Rose and still wanting to be careful with her.  Not an easy balance.

Rose was nodding, her face thoughtful and Lily could see her mulling over her words.  She took a long drink of her coffee then turned emotional eyes on her sister.  Lily realized the topic was about to be changed and she wasn't completely sure she was ready for the next one.

"You know all the stuff I said to you about relationships was just out of anger, right?  I didn't mean any of it."

And she was right - She wasn't ready for this. Lily felt her heart kick up a beat.  She glanced down picking her own coffee up and kept her eyes on it. "Be honest, you meant some of it."

Rose winced. "OK honestly?  The part about cleaning up after you? Not my favorite job.  But all the rest?" Rose shook her head, her regret clear. "That was just me knowing how to get to you." 

"It wasn't a lie, what you said," Lily said her voice low. She looked up and her smile was twisted. "I mean come on, I don't do relationships."

Rose shrugged. "And what's wrong with that?  It was your choice."  Rose flushed guiltily.  "The stuff I said about you and Sam..."

"Was most likely right," Lily interrupted.

"No!" Rose was adamant. "Come on, Lil, you know it was just crap I was spouting to get to you."

Lily shrugged her movement very casual, her body guarding her feelings, trying so hard to appear relaxed.

"Doesn't mean there wasn't truth to it."

"Lily," Rose sat her cup down and leaned forward, catching one of Lily's hands in hers.  Her eyes were urgent. "I know you are less than comfortable with a relationship, with all the ins and outs.  But Sam was lucky to have you.  You two were good together, you made each other happy." Rose squeezed her hand and Lily met her eyes and Rose cursed herself for placing that doubt there.  "You are more than worth hanging onto."  Seeing the doubt still there Rose asked her, "Do I know you?"

Lily looked surprised by the question. "Well yeah of course you do but-"

"You are loyal and fierce and kind," Rose pushed on. "When you love someone, you love them - end of story." Rose gave her a half smile. "Even when that someone is mean and spiteful."

Lily gave a small laugh. "Oh yeah because I mean I was so innocent and blameless in this equation."

"I'm sorry, Lil," Rose said. "The last thing I ever wanted was to hurt you, to make you have doubts about your worth in a relationship."

Lily gave another laugh and leaned back after squeezing Rose's hand and letting it go, the act one of absolution. Rose may blame herself but Lily didn't. "Oh, those doubts were already there.  You didn't give them to me."

"No, but I didn't help did I?"

Lily shrugged as she set her coffee down not wanting to lie.  "No, but you didn't create them either." Lily fidgeted with her bracelet before looking up at her sister. "You've always been the relationship girl, Rosie.  I'm better at hook ups.  I should stick to those.  Sam needs something more."

"Oh, that's just such a-" Rose shook her head. "Sam needs, he _wants_ you.  Now if you don't want him then fine, walk away.  But if you love him like you say you do, if you want him and you just give up because you're afraid then you're an idiot."

Lily blinked at her sister, surprised at her bluntness.  "Damn, don't sugar coat it."

Rose gave her a look. "I learned that from someone didn't I?" That got a smile. "Look none of us are exactly safe.  We don't lead careful lives; we don't get to.  We don't have any promise of tomorrow. I just think if you have a chance at happiness, at love with a guy who let's be honest is a good man, then you take it."

Lily stared at her sister thoughtfully.  There was truth there.  She knew there was.  But there was more to this equation, some of which Rose didn't know.  And Lily wasn't ready for that conversation.  But some of it she could discuss.

"I'm not even going to try to deny Sam is a good man." Lily bit her lip. "He's, well he's one of the best I've ever known, certainly the best one I've ever been with." She shook her head. "But he's going to make himself crazy and me along with him, trying to protect me."

"That's what people we care about do," Rose said.  "What we do for the people we love."  She took a sip of coffee before adding, “You’re protective of me and Daisy.  Dean’s protective of me.”

“Yeah but that’s different. You’re my sisters. I’m supposed to protect you.”  Lily gave Rose a knowing look.  “And protective doesn’t even cover what Dean is with you.”

Rose rolled her eyes at Lily’s dig.  “I’m protective of him too. 

Lily let out a snort. “You two are so far past protective it’s ridiculous.”

“So, are you saying you aren’t protective of Sam?” Rose asked not letting Lily distract her. “You wouldn’t try to keep him from danger?”

“Of course, I’m protective of him. But there’s a limit.” Lily thought how to explain this. It was complicated but there was a difference between being protective and what Sam was doing. “Sam’s a hunter. He tried stepping away and he got pulled back in. Like it or not it’s in his blood, it’s who he is. And obviously hunting is dangerous. Every time he walks out the door to go on some hunt there’s a chance he may come back hurt, injured or he might not come back at all. The part of me that would love nothing more than to see Sam safe hates that.” Lily pulled her feet up, curling into the chair. “But I would never ask him to stop hunting, would never tell him he couldn’t do it because it’s who he is. Sam _has_ to help people. It’s fundamental to who he is. He can’t not rush in and try and save someone.” Lily smiled softly. “It’s one of the things I love about him. He’ll stop to help someone with a flat, will save a kitten up a tree, will put himself in harm’s way to save a stranger from a vengeful spirit.” She smiled at her sister knowingly. “He’ll take someone to Starbucks every day to help them get back to reading. It’s just who he is. If I asked him to change I’d be asking him to change from the person I love.” Lily picked her cup up and turned it around in her hands restlessly then said, “Now if we’re on a hunt together and a bullets flying his way you better believe I’m gonna shove his ass out of the way in a heartbeat. I’ll protect him with everything I have.” She looked up at Rose then and her sister could see the pain in her eyes, clear as day along with her strong love for Sam. “But I won’t ask him to stop hunting or lie to him to keep him home.”

Rose looked at her sister thoughtfully as she thought Lily’s words over. “You really think that’s what Sam’s done, tried to change you?” Lily nodded.

“He wants me safe at all costs.” Lily shrugged. “I think he’d do anything to get that, up to and including wanting me to be someone I’m not and I can’t do that. I won’t.”

“Oh no, I understand that and I agree with you,” Rose assured her sister.  “And I get that Sam kind of…freaked out a bit in Wisconsin.”  That seemed to be how he’d described it to her at least. “But Lil, here’s the thing.  In my lifetime as your sister I’ve heard countless guys go on about you.  And most of the time I would sit there and listen and nod agreeably and realize pretty quickly that they had no idea who you really were.”  Lily gave a small smile.  That was putting it mildly.  “They’d go on about how hot you were or how sexy or something that made me usually want to put duct tape over their mouth.”  Lily laughed and Rose was pleased to see her looking less upset. “And that’s all they saw.  Just the surface.  Nothing else.” Rose paused. "And then there’s Sam.  When he talks about you it’s completely different. The way he describes you, the things he loves about you - it's who you are. It’s like watching a photograph come to life. It’s vibrant and flawed and beautiful.” Rose smiled at her awed look in Lily’s eyes. “He sees _you_ , Lil, just as you are and you will never convince me he isn’t in love with the woman he describes."

“Damn, Rosie.”  Lily looked at her sister in total surprise.  She hadn’t seen any of that coming and she wondered idly just how much Sam and Rose actually did talk about her.  It took her a minute to control her emotions.

"So, what happened then?" Lily asked, giving Rose a sad smile. "Because the guy who told me I couldn’t come to Wisconsin would rather I had never even see a werewolf."

Rose shrugged. "He got scared? He panicked?  It happens, Lily.  People react in ways they don’t think they will.”  Rose hesitated then said gently, “I know being in love is scary but you know you aren’t the only one who gets scared.  Sometimes people in love get so scared they over react and even yell at people when they don’t mean to.”

Lily nodded and Rose hoped she’d heard her, had really listened.

"You know the worst part?” Lily asked softly after staring at her coffee cup for a long minute.  “I'm not even mad at him anymore. I'm just so disappointed, so sad. And that just makes me sick." Rose had to laugh at the face Lily was making and Lily laughed right along with her. "I mean that's so fucking Lifetime movie."

"Well you do like those," Rose pointed out.

"I'd rather be mad at him," Lily confessed. "It's easier. I know how to do that. Being mad at guys I've screwed is kind of my default."

“No!  Really?” Rose said sarcastically then gentled her voice to say, "But he's not just any guy,"

"I know." Lily sighed. "I wish he was. It would be so much easier."

“If he was, Lil, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation,” Rose pointed out and Lily just nodded.

* * *

"So, Halloween...any ideas for a costume?" Lily asked as they drove home.  She was obviously ready for a change of subject.  Rose figured they'd covered the heavy topics already, no reason they couldn't focus on something lighter now.

"I had a vague idea," Rose said and mentioned it to Lily.  Lily's eyes were sparkling when she glanced at her and Rose felt the familiar mix of nervousness and excitement she always got when Lily wore that expression.  "What?"

"Let’s switch." Rose bit her lip knowing what Lily meant.  They'd done it in the past; the other wearing the costume idea the other had picked out.  It was fun in theory but had also led to Rose wearing some costumes she was fairly uncomfortable with.  Rose favored cute, pretty costumes while Lily went for the more daring, revealing ones.  "Come on, we can pick the actual outfits out together."

"Well what were you thinking?" Lily told her with a grin and Rose slowly nodded.  That didn't sound so bad.  "Why don't you come over to the bunker tomorrow?" Rose suggested.  Lily hesitated and Rose dangled the proverbial carrot.  "I have presents for you."

"You do?" And that did the trick, grabbing Lily’s interest.

Rose nodded. "I got everyone presents when I was in New Orleans."  Lily grinned and Rose cut her off. "If you make a smart comment about what the presents are for I'll keep yours."

"I would never-" Lily said doing her best to look innocent as they pulled up to the bunker and Rose laughed.

"Your boyfriend already did."

Lily frowned at her. "He's not my boyfriend," she said lowly and Rose just smiled and hugged her before opening the car door and stepping out.

"Maybe not right now." She smiled at Lily. "But give it a few days..."

Then Rose closed the door and walked towards the bunker with a little wave thrown Lily's way.

* * *

 

Rose came down the stairs to find Sam alone in the library.

"Hey," she said and he looked up at her with a smile.

"Hey, how's Daisy doing?"

"Good.  We got her to eat some food." Sam thought about commenting how ironic that was considering Rose's own issues with food but didn't.  "Where's Dean?"

"Wow, a whole thirty seconds passed before you asked!" Sam said looking amazed.  "Pretty sure that's a record."

"Very funny," Rose said with a giggle and Sam grinned at her then cleared his throat.

"I have very specific directions to tell you to, and I quote, "Get your pretty little ass to your room pronto."  Sam gave her a knowing look.  "He wasn't thrilled with you being out so late."

Rose snorted.  "Think I should tell him he's way more protective than any of our parents ever were?"

Sam laughed.  "Only if I get to watch his reaction."

Rose laughed as well, hugged Sam goodnight and turned to head to bed.  "G’ Night, Sam."  She was almost out of the library when she stopped and turned back to say, "Oh and Sam?  The plans working.  Keep it up."  Sam smiled, obviously pleased and Rose left in search of Dean.

* * *

Lily was just pulling into the parking lot behind Charlie's apartment when her phone buzzed.  She picked it up to read, (Refusing to admit how her heart beat faster) a text.

_I love your bluntness, your matter of factness.  You don’t lie, don’t pretend to be anything you’re not.  You’re Lily and you’re one of a kind._

Lily let herself smile, feeling the warmth of Sam's words flow over her.   She’d started her day with a text from Sam and was ending it with one.  Not bad bookends.

* * *

Rose pushed the door open to their room and looking in she smiled.  Dean was stretched out on his side on the bed, his laptop open next to him in her usual spot, still fully dressed save for his shoes.  He'd obviously been trying to wait up for her and had fallen asleep. Rose hadn't planned on being out so late but the trip to Starbucks had taken awhile. It had been a good conversation and one they'd needed to have but it had meant Rose had been out a lot longer than she'd planned.

Rose kept her eyes on him as she tugged her shoes off and then quickly stripped out of her clothes.  She smiled at how young he looked like this, his lips slightly parted in sleep and face relaxed.  The light from his bedside lamp was spilling light across his face, illuminating his features.  She pulled on one of his t-shirts, turned his lamp off and moved quietly to close the laptop and move it to the desk then she slid into the spot it had been in, sliding close to Dean.  She slid her lips over his, letting her body brush against his and felt him stir.  She smiled as she felt him respond, felt his arms move, his hands come up to slide around her waist and his lips opened to her as she softly slid her tongue past them, softly tracing his mouth.  He let out a soft moan as he she slid her hands over his back, moving them under the fabric of his t-shirt, her fingers tracing the lines of his body.  She pulled back finally and smiled at him.

"Well hello to you too," Dean rasped out, his voice rough with sleep.  "Didn't think you were ever coming home."

Rose smiled at him.  "We got Daisy to eat some dinner."

Dean raised an eyebrow at her.  "Must have been some long dinner." She'd left in the early evening and it was after ten now.

"Lily and I got to talking," Rose admitted leaning forward and kissing his cheek and trailing kisses down to his neck.

"Think I liked it better when you two weren't talking," Dean muttered and Rose reached out and pinched his side making him jump and let out a yelp.

"Be nice," she admonished him.

"Uh-uh," Dean said and even without looking at him Rose knew he was pouting.  She could hear it in his voice.  "Don't wanna."

"Well you have to," Rose said pulling back and giving him a stern look.  And yep, she was right.  He was indeed pouting at her.

Dean gave her a sullen look and Rose couldn't help but smile at how cute he looked.  Along with the adorable pout, his hair was all mussed up and his eyes were sleepy. “You leave for way too long and come back all bossy,” he muttered and Rose couldn’t help but giggle at how disgruntled he sounded.

“You’re cute when you pout,” Rose said with an amused smile.

"I liked it better when I had you all to myself," Dean said rolling over and trapping her underneath him.

Rose smiled at him and wrapped her arms around him.  "You have me all to yourself now," she pointed out and watched as Dean gave her a wolfish grin that sent a little shiver through her.  "So just what are you going to do with me?"

Dean drew back and Rose practically felt his eyes drag over her.  When his eyes met hers, they were heated, full of promise and plans, his smile one of pure sin.  "Let's see what I can come up with," he said lowering his mouth to hers.

* * *

The next time Daisy woke up it was dark again and the room was quiet.  Her sisters must be gone.  She let her eyes drift around the room and made out the shape of someone asleep on the couch.  Bobby her mind filled in.  And then as if her eyes had a mind of their own they drifted towards the side of the room where she knew she'd find Cas.  Her eyes took him in and she smiled a little smile at the sight of him there, watching her, ever vigilant.

"Don't you get tired?" She asked softly.

Cas immediately shook his head and leaned closer to her side.  "Angel's don't need sleep."

"Of staring at me I mean," Daisy corrected.

Now it was Cas' turn to smile.  "I could never tire of looking at you, Daisy," he said, his voice softer, his hand reaching out to stroke her cheek.  Daisy felt herself flush slightly at the compliment and leaned into his touch, his hand moving to cup her cheek.

Bobby made a noise, turning in his sleep and they sprang apart quickly, guiltily.  Cas leaned back in his chair and Daisy struggled to sit up before Cas sat the bed up for her.  She gave him a grateful smile and he asked her if she wanted anything to drink.

Before she could blink he was offering her a cup of ice chips which she took gratefully.  She chewed on them in silence for a moment then turned to Cas.

"How long ago did my sisters leave?" Daisy realized she had no concept of time.  Between her falling in and out of sleep she had no idea what day it was.  For all she knew it could have been a day ago that they were here.  She finished the cup of ice and Cas took it from her.

"A few hours ago," he answered.  He hesitated and Daisy could sense he wanted to ask something.  She glanced at him curiously.  He seemed confused about something though she couldn't get a good grasp on what it was.

"You seem clearer," Cas said and Daisy was certain that wasn't what he was thinking about but she answered anyway.

"A little, yes." Daisy searched through her mind sensing the fogginess in the far corners.  It was there, would be back at some point but it was receding. Not as quickly as she would like but receding just the same.  Daisy rested her one hand on the bed close to Cas and slowly wiggled her fingers.  Cas glanced down at them and then up at Daisy's face.  He rested his hand next to hers, not touching but close.  "I feel like there's a fog in my head," Daisy explained.  "But it's getting less every time I wake up."

Cas smiled, pleased at her answer.  "The young doctor seemed happy with your progress," he commented.

"Is he young?" Daisy asked turning to face Cas with help from him again.  One day I'll be able to do one thing on my own she thought in frustration and she felt Cas brush her mind, the word _Patience_ there front and center.  Again.  _Not in my DNA,_ she thought back and watched Cas smile.

"All humans seem young to me," Cas said and Daisy considered that while she watched Cas' fingers move closer to hers.

"Hmm.” Daisy inched her fingers closer to his, looking up at him. "So, you don't think I'm a baby?"

Cas smiled and Daisy could see the amusement in it.  "I don't think of you at all like a child."  Cas' fingers inched forward, their fingertips brushing against each other.

Daisy smiled and Cas could sense her pleasure at his thoughts, at the slight touching of their fingers.

Instead of replying Daisy moved her hand, slipping it under his and Cas' eyes were drawn to them.  Hers so small, all but disappearing under his larger one.  Cas wasn't unaccustomed to feeling protective of humans.  Since he'd been with the Winchesters he'd had many moments where he'd been very aware of the worth of these fragile creations and been more than willing to sacrifice himself for them.  But this feeling was different.  This was personal, was something that went to the very core of who he was.  This life, this being in front of him deserved every ounce of his protection, of loyalty and of passion he possessed.

Daisy was smiling at him he realized when he looked up, obviously having heard his thoughts.  It was a different smile, one that was happy and certain and he realized sleepy as well, once again.  Daisy was obviously nearing the point where she drifted off.

"No sacrificing, Cas," she said softly.  She reached out with her free hand and touched his face and Cas felt his breath catch.  Her fingers were gentle, her touch light as she caressed his cheek softly. "But I'll take the rest."

Cas watched Daisy's eyes drift shut, as her hand fell from his face to rest on his arm, her other hand still underneath his.

If Daisy could have seen Cas once she fell asleep she wouldn't have had to question if he got tired of watching her.  If she could have sensed his emotions then she would have known the most simple and fundamental truth Cas knew - If he was with Daisy happiness was in abundant supply.


	85. The Music Begins to Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Planning, Shoes and Bubble Baths

Daisy was once again awoken by a bright light.  She blinked and her vision cleared to see the doctor with his penlight back again.  He greeted her with a cheerful hello and Daisy decided he was just way too cheerful. 

And she kind of wanted to break his penlight.

Or throw it across the room.

“How are we feeling today?” he asked and Daisy bit her tongue to keep from saying something sarcastic. How she felt was grouchy.  And sick of being poked and prodded at.

“Fine,” she said.  Her goal once she got out of the hospital was to never have a virtual stranger ask her that again.  “Can I have some real food today?”

He smiled at her.  “Not quite yet.  But we are going to do some tests to see how your digestive system is doing, make sure it’s functioning properly and can handle solid food.  If it all looks OK you should be able to eat something more substantial in a few days.”  Daisy frowned.

“The jello and broth suck,” she said and the doctor let out a laugh.  Daisy wondered if people weren’t usually so honest with him.  Her mother was shaking her head at her in the background and Cas was just watching with interest.

“You keep improving and we’ll have you eating regular food soon,” he assured her.  Daisy decided if that wasn’t true she was going to find his home and take all his food and replace it with jello and chicken broth, see how he liked it.

"How's the sleepiness?" He asked as he had her follow his pen light with her eyes.

"Better?" Daisy said and the doctor looked at Cas and Erin.

"She falls asleep after a short time," Cas said and Erin nodded in agreement.  "Though I think it's slowly getting to be longer that she stays awake."

The doctor jotted a note down in Daisy's chart and then turned back to her.

"Still no pain?"

Daisy nodded.  "I'm still fuzzy feeling though."

"That's most likely the medication.  And I think we can start easing you off that," he said.  "We'll lower the dose today and assuming you stay the same will keep that up."  He smiled at her.  "You should feel clearer once the medicines lowered and more like yourself once it's cleared your system."

Daisy smiled.  She liked the sound of that.

"You have a very devoted husband, Mrs. Sullivan," the doctor said with a smile and a glance Cas' direction. "He's never left your side." Daisy smiled and blushed, looking at Cas and the Dr. chuckled.  "I forget you’re newlyweds.  This was certainly not the way any couple wants to start their life together but you’re doing well and if things keep going as they are you’ll be well on your way to recovery soon and hopefully the rest of your lives will be much less eventful."

"Don't count on it," Daisy muttered when the Dr. turned for the door.

Lunch came and with no sisters there to coax her Daisy stared at her tray fretfully. 

"Daisy?" She looked up to meet Cas' eyes. "You need to eat," he said coming to stand by her bedside.

"I know," she said toying with her spoon.  She took a bite of the jello halfheartedly. "It's just so bleh."

"Eat your food and I guarantee you'll pass all the tests so you can eat regular food," Cas said firmly.

Daisy looked up at him curiously.  "You mean..."

Cas nodded.  "I'll make sure of it." 

"Really?" Daisy asked her face hopeful.  She hadn't been happy when Cas had explained why he was holding off on healing her.  She'd been here long enough that if she suddenly was instantly able to walk and eat and function completely it would raise a red flag.  And unlike Sam and Dean who could just disappear Daisy was registered under her real name.  All they needed was some doctors wanting to study her miraculous healing.  Daisy knew that made sense.  It didn’t mean she wasn’t annoyed by it though.

"I said I couldn't just heal you," Cas said. "I didn't say I wouldn't make things go faster."

Daisy smiled at him gratefully.  "Thanks, Cas."

Cas reached out a hand and stroked her cheek.  "I want you out of here too, Daisy."

Daisy leaned into his hand without thinking about it.  They were alone for once as Erin had gone down the hall in search of a different juice for Daisy, the despised orange juice once again making an appearance on her tray. 

Cas' hand was warm on her face and Daisy gave him a small, shy smile, remembering her words to him.  _"The very first second we're alone I want you to kiss me."_

She watched as Cas' eyes darkened, her words most likely playing in his mind too.  She drew in a sharp breath as his hand slipped into her hair and he leaned towards her.

"Finally!" Cas sprang back from her as Erin breezed into the room.  "It took forever for them to find any juice that wasn't orange or grapefruit."  Erin babbled on about juice while Cas moved back to his chair and Daisy focused on her food, praying her mother wouldn't notice her flushed cheeks.

* * *

Rose woke the next morning to find herself wrapped in Dean's arms.  She was on her side facing him and he was curled around her, his head buried in her hair stopping her from moving any further away from him.  She moved a hand to stroke his face lightly and he sighed and snuggled closer to her.

Rose smiled.  Mr. Bad Ass was a big softy when it came to snuggling and she did love that about him. 

She leaned over as much as possible and brushed a soft kiss on Dean's cheek.

"Sweetie, you have me trapped," she said softly.  No response. "Dean, I can't move."  Finally, he moved slightly and blinked an eye open at her.  He glanced at her and then at where his head was.  With a pout, he moved his head back freeing Rose's hair.

"It's my plan to keep you here," he said pulling Rose snugly against him. "Your sister can't run away with you if I have you pinned down."

Rose giggled and smiled up at Dean.  "She's not running away with me, silly."

Dean raised an eyebrow at her.  "Did you just call me silly?" He asked and Rose nodded her head and grinned at him. "Oh, you are in for it now, brat," he said running his hands down her sides.  In seconds Rose was shrieking with laughter and that was as good a way to start a day as Dean could imagine.

* * *

“Hey can we talk?” Rose asked once she and Dean were out of the shower and both half dressed.  Rose was combing out her hair, dressed in her jeans and bra and Dean was still bare chested. 

“Sure, what’s up, Sweetheart?” Dean asked opening his dresser and pulling out a shirt.  Rose watched him as he tugged it over his head.

“We never did have that conversation about you know, me leaving.” Rose winced at how hesitant she sounded.  She needed to be sure, to _sound_ sure if she wanted to convince Dean they had to talk.  And there he was - giving her a concerned look.

“Rosie, we don’t really need to have that conversation right now,” he said and Rose stopped herself from letting out a frustrated sigh. “You’re doing so good and we should just focus on that for now.”

Rose frowned.  Bossiness was one thing but this was taking it too far. 

“Dean, we really-”

“So, what are you planning today?” He obviously considered the subject closed and Rose felt the overwhelming urge to toss her comb at him.

“Obviously not what I wanted,” Rose said with a little bit of bite to her voice and Dean frowned.

“I’m just trying to take care of you,” he said looking at her so sincerely that Rose felt her anger melt away.  This was why she was awful at pushing with him.  That and the guilt.  So, she gave in.

“Sam and I may try Starbucks again and then Lily is probably coming over for a while and I want to stop by the hospital today too.”

Dean smiled at her as she put her comb down and pulled her t-shirt on.  "Are those plans set in stone?" He asked sidling up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Well no, I mean I haven't asked Sam yet," Rose said.  "But I do want to stop by the hospital and get with Lily."

"Ok well ditch the Starbucks plan," Dean said smiling at Rose in the mirror and Rose found herself smiling back.  She knew he was distracting her but found him hard to resist. "We can swing by the hospital later and be back here in time for you and Lily to hang out."

"And what would we be doing in the meantime?" Rose asked curiously and Dean could tell from the look in her eyes she already liked this idea.

"Let's just get in the car and drive," Dean said. "See where we end up."

Rose's smile grew and she turned in his arms wrapping her arms around his neck.  "Now that sounds like a plan."

* * *

 "Hey."

Dean glanced up from underneath Baby's hood to see Lily coming into the garage.

"You live here or something?" Dean asked. "You're here all the time lately."

"Or something," Lily said with a little smile.

Dean frowned, looking at Lily suspiciously.  "You're not stealing Rose again are you?"

Lily grinned in a taunting way.  "Why?  You jealous?" Dean scowled at her and Lily laughed. "Na, I have other plans tonight.  I'm just here to plan costumes with Rose.  You know, for Halloween?" She filled in when Dean looked at her blankly.

"Oh.  Oh right."  Dean had lost track of how close to Halloween it was.  It made sense the girls working on costumes.  They got really into that.

"You two are so coupley now a days I'm surprised you aren't picking out matching ones," Lily teased.

"Oh God never," Dean said with a shudder and Lily laughed.

"Don't worry, Dean," she said making her way to the door that led out into the hallway. "I'll be sure she gets a costume that gets her lots of attention." Lily grinned at him. "I know how much you love that."

Dean listened to her heels click down the hallway and wondered if he could manage to ward the bunker against her.  It would make his life a lot less stressful.

* * *

There was no way for Lily to get to the hallway Rose's room was in without at least passing by the library.  She was cursing her sister for not responding to her text that had asked her to meet her downstairs.  And that’s what she’d come to?  Needing her little sister as a chaperone?  God, pathetic. She tried to move as quietly as possible but of course the person she didn't want to see her did.

"Hey Lil," a soft voice said just as she thought she'd almost made it.  She silently cursed her heels for making so much noise (While still having to admire them - Turquoise suede with four inch heels that worked perfectly with her black jeans and the rainbow type on her t-shirt which proudly proclaimed, "Some dudes marry dudes. You can get over it.") as she froze then slowly turned to face the library, to face Sam.  He looked good she admitted to herself while she did her best to keep a cool, disinterested expression on her face.  Seated at the table with an array of books and his ever-present laptop in front of him, in his natural habitat so to speak.  Wearing well-worn jeans and a red plaid flannel that Lily had a particular soft spot for Sam looked good enough that any sane woman would be running towards him instead of away from him like Lily was doing.  I never did claim to be sane, Lily thought to herself. 

Lily had gotten a text from Sam at least morning and night ever since the first one arrived.  A few times she’d gotten random ones during the day but she was at least sure to get two.  Some had been silly, some sweet, some hot enough to make her blush.  She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t enjoying them.  His latest text from this morning floated through her mind and she was fairly certain it was on his mind as well from the purposely lazy smile on his face and the way he was looking her up and down slowly.

_The image of you chained up in the dungeon or the image of you riding me while you had me tied to our bed - Which is hotter?  Hell, if I know. Of course, I only have a picture of one of them…_

"Hey Sam," Lily said and she was happy with the fact her voice sounded even, sure, not at all like she was shook up, not like she was nervous.  Nope.  See?  She could do this.  She leaned a hip against the map table trying to look casual. 

"How are you?"  See she could even talk to him.  She was good.  And then he stood up and Lily felt her pulse kick up. She was trying to think of a way she could move out of the room before he reached her without looking like she was running.  But before she came up with a plan he was there, in front of her.  And damn it all to hell he was giving her that smile, the one with the dimples that melted her.  He was close to her, not too close, not being pushy because that wasn’t Sam, but enough that she was aware of him.

“I’m good,” Sam said, his eyes brushing over her.  His eyes glanced at her shoes.  “Nice shoes,” he said and Lily couldn’t stop the small, pleased smile that graced her face at that.

“Thanks,” she said softly.

“They go nice with the shirt,” Sam said, reaching out and brushing his fingers over her shoulder.  Lily just barely managed to hold in the shiver his touch sent through her.

“Are you a fashion critic now?” Lily asked, a small teasing grin on her lips.  Sam smile grew as he leaned towards her.

“Chalk it up to one of the things I learned from you.”  Oh, and that was a challenge if there ever was one.  Not just his words but his body language, the way he was looking at her.  Sam knew she’d have to flirt back. Damn it.

“I hope that’s not the most exciting thing I taught you,” Lily said her eyes flicking up to his and she watched as his darkened and he leaned in closer to her.  His lips brushed her ear, his body close enough she could feel the heat emanating off him.

“Not even close,” he purred in her ear and Lily closed her eyed for just a fraction of a second as she felt a bolt of desire rush through her.  Sam pulled back then and walked back towards the table.  “Rose is in her and Dean’s room,” he said over his shoulder.  “I assume you’re here to see her.”

Lily shook her head to clear it.  She shouldn’t be so affected by him.  She had to do better than this.  “Her and Dean’s room?” she queried when she found her voice.

“Mmm hmm,” Sam said, the same knowing smile on his lips. Damn him for knowing how much he got to her. “Formerly known as Dean’s room.”

“Oh.” Lily frowned.  Rose had failed to mention that. 

“Lily?” she jerked her head up at the sound of her sister’s voice.  “Sorry, I didn’t see your text till now.  Come on we can work in the kitchen.”  As Lily followed her sister out of the room she couldn’t help but glance back over her shoulder at Sam.  He caught her looking and his dimples deepened, his eyes holding a pleased, knowing look.  And Lily realized that despite his sweetness, despite his generally being a genuinely good guy Sam may well be the most formidable advisory she had ever faced.

* * *

“So, I figured we’d look at costume ideas first then you can have your prezzies,” Rose said leading Lily towards the kitchen. 

"Can't we do presents first?" Lily asked and with a long-suffering sigh Rose gave in and changed their course to her old room.

“Cute shirt,” Lily said eyeing her sister.  “Life’s too short to wear boring clothes,” she read.  “And so true.”

Rose laughed as she opened the bedroom door.  “Thanks.”

As Rose went and rummaged in her closet Lily flopped down on the bed and let her heartbeat slow down.  She hadn’t been prepared to see Sam and she should have been.  She was going to have to get better prepared, steel herself towards him.  Now if only she had some idea of how to do that… Shaking her head to clear her thoughts she glanced around at the mostly empty room.  The furniture was still in here minus the dresser but it didn't look as lived in as it had before.

“You moved into Dean’s room?” Lily asked.

“Yeah,” Rose said with a pleased smile thrown over her shoulder.  “Uh, officially just this week but I’ve been sleeping in there ever since we got back from Wisconsin.”

“Oooo, Rosie, that’s pretty wild for a saint,” Lily teased and Rose just laughed.

"Ok small gift first," Rose said and waved the t-shirt she'd gotten Lily at her with a flourish. 

"They screwed with the wrong people," Lily smiled broadly as she read it.  "Oh, I love it, Rosie."

"Like I said that's the small one," Rose said though she was obviously pleased at her sister’s appreciation.  "Close your eyes and put your hands out."

Lily did as her sister instructed.  "Did you bring me some hot Cajun guy you've been keeping captive?"

"Yes, exactly," Rose said dryly. "How did you ever guess?"  Lily felt a box pushed into her hands as Rose said, "Don't break him."

"No promises," Lily muttered as her hands felt the size of the box, quickly deducing it was a shoe box.  "Can I look?"

"Mmm hmm," Rose said stepping back and clasping her hands behind her back.  She watched as Lily opened her eyes.

The first thing Lily saw as she opened her eyes was a name she knew well embossed in the top of the shoe box. "Oh, Rosie I love his shoes."

"I know," Rose murmured.

Lily slowly, almost reverently opened the lid and let out a soft gasp.  The sparkle of crystals immediately caught her eye and she stared for several seconds before she reached out a tentative hand to brush against the shimmering jewels, then softly caress the leather and suede underneath.  "My God they're beautiful," she said softly and Rose smiled, easily hearing the awe and joy in her sister’s voice.

"I saw them in a shop window and they practically screamed your name."

"Rosie..." Lily actually found herself getting choked up.  The shoes were so beautiful and more than that they were physical evidence that Rose had indeed been thinking of her.  "I love them," she finally managed when she had her emotions in check.  She carefully laid them aside and got up and was at Rose's side in one stride, pulling her into a hug.  "Thank you."

Rose was happy it meant so much to Lily and that she got the message behind the present too.

"You're welcome."  Lily pulled back and went back to stare at the shoes.  "I still have to give Mom & Bobby their presents.  And now I can give Daisy hers, though maybe I'll wait till she gets out of the hospital."

Lily watched interestedly as Rose showed her what she'd gotten everyone.  Then Rose stopped, her hesitation clear.  "Do you want to see what I got Dean?"

At her sisters enthusiastic nod Rose motioned to her to follow her and she led the way down to her room with Dean.

* * *

"God, those are..." Lily's finger brushed over the delicate fabric.  "Didn't spare any money did you, Rosie?"

Rose blushed and put the bits of fabric back.  "Well I figured go big or go home applied."

“So, I bet Dean loved these,” Lily said with a leer.  She drew back in surprise when Rose looked uncomfortable.  “What?”

“He hasn’t seen them yet,” Rose said her whole body screaming her discomfort.

“What?” Lily looked at her sister in confusion.

“I haven’t…I mean he hasn’t…I haven’t worn them yet,” she fumbled awkwardly.

"Why not?" Lily asked with a curious look taking a seat on the footstool.  "I mean you two are-"

"Oh, a God yes," Rose replied. "Every chance we get."  And she instantly wanted to bite her tongue as Lily laughed.

"Of course, you are," she said in amusement.  "So why the hesitation?"

Rose looked thoughtful as she closed the dresser drawer and took a seat on the end of the bed. "I don't know," she admitted reaching out to stroke Sookie absently.  "I mean at first we weren't, well it wasn't right but now, after Wisconsin that excuse went out the window."

Sookie jumped down to stroll over to see Lily and was immediately picked up and cuddled. 

"Why after Wisconsin?" Lily asked curiously and Rose grinned.

"Remember how you used to go on about the after effects of a hunt?" Lily nodded.  "I so get it now."

"Aw, so you've felt the whole "I-need-to-fuck-the-next-semi-attractive-person-I-see rush," Lily said with a laugh.

"I wouldn't have put it quite like that," Rose said and Lily rolled her eyes.

"Of course not, Miss Priss."

"Anyway," Rose said brushing right past the name. "That pretty much got rid of any physical reason not to give those to Dean." Rose fidgeted with the end of her braid.  "But still I just haven't..."

"You want absolution," Lily said and Rose looked at her in surprise.  "You're guilty, you feel bad about what you did and you want Dean to yell at you, bitch you out, whatever so you can do penance or what have you.  Then the pretty, sexy lingerie comes out because you'll be free and clear to enjoy it."

Rose frowned, not having put that all together before. "Maybe?" She said finally and Lily nodded firmly.

That made sense in a way Rose thought.  She did still feel an amazing amount of guilt and maybe she did want it taken care of before she wrapped herself up like a present and gave herself to Dean.

"So, can I snoop?" Lily asked suddenly and Rose looked up in surprise. "It's not just Dean's room now so can I explore?"

Rose rolled her eyes and shook her head.  Lily had little to no personal boundaries and Dean had more than his share.  The battles caused between them because Lily had overstepped were numerous.

"Nope," Rose said getting to her feet.

"Aw, come on," Lily whined getting to her feet as well.

"Be good or I'll take the shoes back," Rose warned and Lily gasped and held them to her chest protectively.  She paused at the doorway though, her sharp eyes taking in the random things out of place around the room.  Lily had grown up with Dean and knew what a neat person he was.  And Rose was not.  Oh, she wasn’t messy by any stretch but she did tend to leave random clutter about. 

"Tell me though, are you making him crazy with your shoes?" Her grin was evil and Rose couldn't help but laugh. 

"Actually, more with the closet doors..."

* * *

“OK, so what were we thinking…” Rose asked once they had settled down at the kitchen table.  She turned her laptop on while Lily studied her sister.

“Are you and Dean fighting?” she asked suddenly and Rose looked at her in surprise. 

“What? No.” Rose looked taken aback at the question. “Why?”

“Well I mean he’s down there working on a car that clearly doesn’t really need worked on...”  Lily shrugged. “And you’re up here with me…”

“We do occasionally do separate things," Rose said with an amused smile as she got up to get herself some tea.  Without asking she poured Lily a cup of coffee putting the sugar bowl in front of her.

“Not by choice you don’t,” Lily said.  Not one to give up Lily persisted. “And he was in quite the mood when I got here too.”

Rose sighed.  She should have known Lily wouldn’t give up once she’s decided something was amiss.  “We actually had a really nice day together,” she said with a smile. 

They’d drove for quite a while, listing to the radio and singing along.  Eventually they’d wound up in a small town even Dean wasn’t familiar with.  They’d parked the Impala and wandered down the main street hand in hand, looking in shop windows and stopping in a few that interested them (An old record shop for Dean, a bookstore for Rose.) eventually finding a local deli that sold picnic lunches.  They’d bought one and shared it in the local park, enjoying the crisp, Fall air.  It had been nice, just spending time with Dean on her own and talking.  Even if they never did talk about the one topic she wanted to. They’d stopped by the hospital on the way back and checked in on Daisy too who was doing better every time they saw her.  So, a good day all around, if not quite the one Rose had envisioned.

“But…” Lily lead and Rose gave her sister an exasperated look before admitting she was right. 

“But I just…I tried to get him to talk about me leaving and he just shut me down,” Rose said her lips pursed in frustration.

Lily for once in her life paused, stirring sugar into her coffee before she spoke.  She knew that rushing ahead and spouting off that Dean was an idiot wasn't the way to go here.  Rose would just be irritated with her and that would accomplish nothing.

“Persistent doesn’t mean one time and you’re done you know,” Lily pointed out.

“I know,” Rose said as she moved about the kitchen finishing up her tea.

“So, explain something to me,” Lily said.  “You guys seem good, seem happy.  Why do you have to talk all this out?”  She took a sip of coffee.  “Is it just a guilt thing?”

“No,” Rose got the milk out to pour in her tea and looked thoughtful as she came back to the table.  Lily watched as she poured the milk so carefully, never spilling a drop.  Lily would never understand how she could just be that way naturally.  It took so much effort on Lily’s part to not make a mess, to not scatter things and people and words about.  Rose took the milk back then came and sat across from Lily, stirring her tea as she spoke. “If we don’t talk about it it's still there.  There’s all these little things we must be so careful not to mention because it could upset the other one and I hate that.  It’s like walking on egg shells. And I’ve never been very good at ignoring what’s there.”

“Oh, I am,” Lily said with a grin.  “Maybe I could teach you.”

“You mean like you’re ignoring the fact that you and Sam obviously just want to tear each other’s clothes off every time you see each other?” Rose asked with a devious grin and Lily stuck her tongue out at her.

"We don't."

"You so do and you're the world’s worst liar," Rose said her grin growing as she opened a website and started searching for costume ideas.

"Well some other family member took all the lying talent," Lily shot back.  "So, shut up,” she said cheerfully.  “Now, costumes, ideas…lay them on me.”

* * *

Dean came up from the garage after fine tuning everything he could possibly think of on the Impala.  He'd needed time to think, time to wrap his head around things.  He was aware he was being probably overly cautious with Rose, that she was frustrated with him but it was hard to switch from thinking of her as so easily breakable to being able to handle stuff.  His mind just wasn’t making the jump and every time he thought about having the discussion she wanted to have so badly he swore an alarm went off in his head.  He’d been ready before and then she’s had that nightmare.  So it was obviously not time yet.

He passed by the kitchen and smiled at the conversation going on in there. 

"No, not if you paid me," Rose was saying firmly and Lily could be heard wheedling.

"But Rosie, you'd look so hot in that.  Come on...if I had an ass like yours I’d-"

Dean wasn't sure if he was more intrigued or worried about what Lily wanted Rose to wear.  God knows she had no limits.  He headed for their room and took a quick shower before heading back to the kitchen to see how the girls were coming along and if Lily was staying for dinner. 

Both girls were giggling when he entered and their laughter just intensified when he came in. 

"Oh well that's not scary or anything," he muttered coming over to look at what was on the laptop to make them so amused.  Rose shrieked and slammed the lid down.

"No! You can't see that!" She declared and Lily nodded in agreement.

Dean looked back and forth between them finally settling on Rose and raising an eyebrow.  "Why not?"

"Because it's a surprise," Lily said standing and taking her coffee cup to the sink.  She bypassed Dean, leaned down to hug Rose then straightened up and paused by Dean on the way out. "Don't ever say I didn't give you anything."  And with a teasing grin she left, presents in hand.

Dean turned a charming grin Rose’s way and she immediately picked up her laptop and headed for the door.  “I’m not telling you,” she said as Dean followed behind her.

“Oh, come on, Rosie,” Dean whined as she made her way into their room.  “I hate not knowing stuff.  Tell me.”

Rose just shook her head at him as she put her laptop down on the desk.  “Nope, you’ll have to wait till Halloween.”

Dean sat back on the bed, crossed his arms and pouted.  “That is so not fair.”

Rose couldn’t help but giggle at the picture he made.  He looked just like he had when he was ten and she’d refused to tell him something.

“Maybe you should try that the next time you go on a hunt,” she suggested.  “I’m sure pouting would work really well on ghosts and demons.”

“Very funny,” Dean said with an eyeroll.  “I’m going to ban your stupid sister from coming over here anymore.”

“Mmm hmm,” Rose said not at all worried.  “Sam won’t let you.”

Dean narrowed his eyes at her.  “Yeah and about that, you’re not telling me what’s going on there either.”

Rose crossed her arms and stared at him from the end of the bed.  “Really?  You want to use that argument with me?”

Dean frowned and got up coming to wrap his arms around Rose.  “Aw come on, Rosie don’t be mad at me.”

“You won’t talk to me, Dean,” Rose said, her aggravation coming through.  “You won’t…this just is there between us and-”

“Hey no, listen I know,” Dean reassured her.  “I know we need to talk, OK?  Just not today, all right?”

Rose sighed. She had a funny feeling “Not today,” was something she was going to hear again.  But she gave in, unfolding her arms and relaxing into his.

Dean held her for a moment as she snuggled against him feeling sure she wasn’t going to give up on this.  But they’d deal with it later. “Come on, let’s get some dinner.”

“What are you going to dress up as?” Rose asked as she followed Dean into the kitchen.

“Oh, I don’t know, should I tell you?” Dean teased and Rose just rolled her eyes at him.  

She smiled at him after a second and her eyes were sparkling.  “You could always wear that suit you told me about,” she said with a flirtatious smile.  “I never did get to see you in it.”

Dean looked at her interestedly.  He had just been about to start pulling something from the freezer for dinner but her words had him moving back to where she was standing by the table.  He looked down at her with a smile that Rose could only describe as hungry.

“Didn’t your sister say you had a thing for men in suits?” he asked and Rose nodded.

“She did and as we well know Lily can’t lie to save her life.”

“Hmm,” Dean said reaching his hands out and cupping Rose’s face in them.  “Maybe we’ll just have to see how much of a thing you have exactly.”  He swooped down then and kissed her, his hands warm on her face and his lips hot on hers.

“So, what is it about a suit, Rosie?” he asked pulling back far enough to look at her.  It took Rose a second to clear her head enough for the question to sink in and the she frowned in thought.

“I don’t know, I just like them,” she said. “Why do some guys like a girl in heels?  Or with long hair?”

Dean didn’t look convinced.  “Hmm, yeah there’s more to it than that,” he said with a wink.

“Like what?” Rose asked curiously, clearing her mug from the table and taking it to the sink.

“Oh, like most men in suits tend to be in positions of authority...teachers, bosses, FBI agents,” Dean said smoothly. He brushed by her purposely on the way to the freezer. “And you do have a soft spot for men in authority, don’t you Baby?”

Rose glanced at him then focused on washing her mug out but Dean could see a blush on her cheeks. “Who me?” she tossed out playfully and Dean laughed.

He pulled a frozen lasagna out and turned the oven on then came to stand behind her.  “I mean think of all the things those men could make you do, Sweetheart.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back against him, his mouth close to her ear, his voice low. “Especially if you were naughty, Baby.”  Rose let out a little whimper and Dean grinned.  “Mmm, naughty secretary and her stern boss…that could be fun.” Rose glanced back at him over her shoulder and he grinned at the sparkle in her eyes and the interested look there.  “You in a tight little skirt, me bending you over a desk…” He purposely left his sentences open, knowing that her imagination would run wild with the images he created.  He watched as her blush deepened, then he dropped one soft kiss on her neck, ran a hand down her back to her bottom and patted her before moving away. 

“Oh, and for the record?” he said as he moved back to the freezer to pull out garlic bread. “The heels make a girl walk differently and long hair is just sexy.”

“But it’s a matter of opinion, of taste,” Rose argued, swallowing and trying to get her pulse under control.  Dean could paint way too vivid a picture with his words.  “And in my case heels make me trip over my feet.”

“You weren’t tripping in the dressing room that day,” Dean said.

“I wasn’t moving,” Rose pointed out.  “Or I mean just barely from the changing room to the mirror.”

"Looked good to me," Dean said giving her a look that sent a little wave of heat through her. 

"Speaking of clothes," Rose said with a little smile, liking the way Dean looked at her.  "I'm kind of short on clothes for this weather." Dean frowned as she took a seat at the table.  "It was still summer when we left, Dean.  Most my clothes for fall, not to mention winter are back in Hastings.  Could we make a trip back soon?"

Dean thought about it a moment as he got the bread ready to go in the oven.  "Let me talk to Bobby and your mom, see if there's a way we can get in without being seen or disrupting the wards."

If it wasn't for Sam coming into the kitchen then wondering what they were doing for dinner Dean would have easily caught the look of guilt that flashed across Rose's face.  But he didn’t and Sam brought up a call he had gotten from a hunter needing some research help, making sure Dean’s attention didn’t go back to Rose too quickly.  They'd been lucky so far, nothing urgent coming their way and they weren't taking it for granted.  Dean wasn't sure what he was going to do if a job came up.  There were complications now, with Rose's nightmares and other issues, the spell being one of them.  If he took her with them she couldn’t stay at the hotel by herself.  Dean shook his head, figuring they’d cross that bridge when they came to it.  Though he really did need to come up with a plan, because waiting too long could lead to disaster.  He put coming up with a plan on his to do list and focused back on dinner.

 

* * *

Dinner done Dean brushed a hand over Rose's cheek. "Why don't you go take a bath?" He suggested lowly and Sam who was clearing plates couldn't help but grin.  He heard Rose murmur a response to Dean he couldn’t make out and his brother respond with, "I'll clean up here and be in."

Sam shook his head as Rose left after coming and giving Sam a hug good night.

"What?" Dean asked throwing his brother a look.

"Nothing," Sam said unable to wipe the grin off his face.

"Sam, you keep grinning like that and saying it's nothing..." Dean warned and Sam laughed softly.

"It's just...you two."  Sam shook his head again. "You're so domestic.  You'd think you were married."  Sam paused as he started the water running in the sink.  "You know what that hunter in Kansas City thought?"

"The douche bag guy who threatened Rose?"

And that said it all.  The guy could go onto to save all of them and in Dean's mind all he would ever be was the guy who hurt Rose.

"Yeah, him," Sam said.  "He figured by your reaction she was more than a friend."

"Quick on the uptake, wasn't he?" Dean said sarcastically.

“Actually, he figured she was your wife,” Sam said figuring that would get a reaction.  He was disappointed. 

“Huh,” Dean said with a slightly raised eyebrow.

“Wait, seriously that’s all you have to say to that?” Sam asked stopping with a plate in his hands.  “No comments about marriage being an outdated idea or who wants a ring on their finger that’s as good as a dog leash?”

Dean just shrugged, dried the dish he was holding then set it aside and looked at Sam expectantly for the next one.

“Will fucking wonders never cease,” Sam muttered as he went back to the dishes.

“Sam, I’m not saying we’re heading down the aisle,” Dean said in exasperation. “But come on, someone assumes you’re hitched to a woman like that?” Dean gestured down the hall in the direction Rose went. “Well it sure ain’t a slap in the face, now is it?”

Sam just nodded in agreement, wondering if Dean had any idea how much he’d softened, how quickly he’d changed from not even wanting to say they were dating to this.  Sam shouldn’t have been surprised.  Dean always had been different with Rose.  But still, it took some getting used to.

The two of them were silent as they washed the nights dishes.  And sooner rather than later Sam was shooing Dean out of the kitchen.

"Go see your girl," he said.  "I'll finish up here and then I’m off to the hospital."  Sam could see Dean thought he should argue so before he could he said, "Seriously, go."

Dean laughed and headed out.  "Thanks, Sammy."

"And Dean?" Dean stopped at the door to look at Sam. "It's nice to see you happy."

* * *

Lily's big plans for the night included going back to the apartment and having dinner with Charlie, then spending the night in front of the TV.  She was tired.  She'd shown Charlie the shoes Rose had gotten her then carefully put them in her closet and laid the the shirt Rose had gotten her out for the next day. 

Then she changed into her favorite gingerbread man pajamas and went back into the living room, joined Charlie on the couch and vowed not to move for the rest of the night.  She needed a night doing nothing in the worst way.  She did however glance at her phone when a text came through, unable to stop herself.

_"I miss falling asleep next to you and waking up next to you.  I haven't slept well since you left.  You’re supposed to be next to me."_

Sexy this morning and sweet tonight.  Sam was hitting all the notes.  Lily bit her lip then put her phone down.

Between the Sam situation and Daisy’s sudden improvement it seemed like there was so much going on right now, not to mention the fact that she and Rose had been having lots of heart to hearts.  It was all just a lot of emotional stuff that Lily found was wearing her out, making her tired.  She needed a night of mindless TV.  And as she watched the line of women in evening gowns parading out, all vying for the blond idiots affection she knew this was just what the doctor ordered.

* * *

Rose sank down into the hot water filled with vanilla scented bubbles.  She stretched her legs out, propping her feet up against the tiles and studied her toenails.  She needed a pedicure she decided.  She’d have to see if Lily wanted to go one day this week.  She leaned her head back then, her hair curling in the damp heat and closed her eyes.  The hot water relaxed all her muscles and the enticing scent relaxed her mind.  This was a good idea.

“Now that’s a beautiful sight,” a deep voice rumbled and Rose opened her eyes partially to take in Dean lounging in the doorway.

She smiled at him in a lazy, contented way.  "Mmm hmm." She looked him over slowly.  "It sure is."

Dean chuckled and came over to stare down at her.  "Want me to wash your back?" He asked and Rose smiled and sat up.

"Please?"

Rose let out a contented sigh as Dean's hands rubbed soap over her back.  "Mmm, that feels good."

Dean smiled at how relaxed she sounded.  "See?  I'm the king of good ideas."

"Yep, just how I'd describe you."

"You gonna fall asleep in the bathtub, Rosie?" Dean asked with a grin.

“Nope,” Rose said giving him an easy smile.

“You sure about that?” he asked once he’d finished. “’Cause you look pretty comfortable there.”

“Mmm hmm,” Rose murmured and Dean fought back a laugh.  She sounded so sleepy, so relaxed.  She reached up and gave him a wet kiss in thanks.  “You’re an excellent back washer, Dean.”

Dean felt his breath catch at the look in Rose’s eyes.  OK so maybe she wasn’t so sleepy.

“Well I aim to please,” he said lightly and Rose smiled at him again.

“Oh, you please me,” she said.  “Very much.”

Dean raised an eyebrow at her.  “I think you need to get out of the tub now,” he said and Rose just looked at him.

“I’m too comfortable,” she said.  “You’ll have to help me.”

Dean shook his head in amusement and picked up a towel she had laid out.  He reached a hand down and pulled her up then wrapped her in the towel and she immediately pressed herself against him.  Dean looked down at the warm, wet woman in his arms who was smiling up at him and thought there was a good chance this bath idea might turn out to be the best thing ever.  Rose was all relaxed now, her skin even softer than normal and just begging to be touched.  Rose smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his neck and Dean grinned at her.

“Enjoy your bath, Princess?” he asked and Rose nodded.  Dean kissed her as he pulled her out of the bath to stand in front of him and Rose sighed and melted against him.  Dean moved his mouth to her neck, licking the moisture from her skin and Rose was writhing against him in seconds.  She let out a surprised yelp when he picked her up suddenly and carried her from the room.  Dean grinned at her surprise then lowered her to the bed and slowly unwrapped the towel from around her and stepped back and just took her in.  Rose smiled back at him, her smile slow and easy, her body visibly relaxed, appearing warm and inviting to Dean.

“God,” Dean said shaking his head.  “You’re just so fucking gorgeous.”  He watched as Rose’s cheeks colored in pleasure and she shyly looked down.  He’d seen the pleased look there though.  She liked hearing that.  He needed so say it more he reminded himself.

Now where to start?  He was so caught up in looking at the expanse of skin he had to choose from that it caught him by surprise when she sat up and tugged on his shirt.

“Take it off,” She said with a grin that Dean happily returned. 

“Demanding, aren’t we?” Dean said running his hands down her body and making Rose shiver in pleasure. 

“Well you’re the one who calls me princess,” Rose reminded him with a shrug as she lay back down.  “So don’t be surprised when I live up to that.”

“Hmm, so what you’re saying is this is my fault,” Dean said pulling back from Rose and quickly stripping out of his clothes. 

“Absolutely,” Rose said firmly, watching him as he tossed his clothes into a heap then came back towards her.  “I mean you’ve given me all these high expectations,” she murmured as he lowered himself on top of her.  She welcomed the feel of him, the weight of him on her and wiggled her body against his as much as possible.

“Oh yeah?” Dean asked with an arched eyebrow.  “Like what?”

“Oh, being kissed till I can’t think straight, multiple orgasms, total and complete satisfaction.”  Rose grinned at Dean.  “You know, just small stuff like that.”

“Aw, I see,” Dean said as he brushed Rose’s hair back from her face.  He gently tugged the clip out that held the length back and watched as red waves framed her face.  “So, I’ve given myself a high bar, have I?”

“Pretty much,” Rose confirmed wiggling a little and giving a soft little sound when Dean moved his hips, rubbing his cock against her. 

“Hmm,” Dean said as he rolled to his side and took Rose with him so they lay facing each other.  He stroked a hand down her side as Rose’s hands found their way to his neck, her fingers stroking softly.  “So that was three goals for tonight?” Dean lifted her leg and draped it over his hip so he had a wide-open canvas to touch, then grinned at her happy expression as he stroked his fingers up her thigh.  He gave her a devilish wink just before his fingers sank inside her.  “Let’s get started.”

* * *

“I was awake for so long today,” Daisy said softly and Cas smiled at the excitement in her voice.  It was late.  Sam was asleep on the couch and the hospital was quiet, just he and Daisy awake in the world it felt like.  Cas reached out and pushed a stray curl off Daisy’s forehead.

“You were,” he agreed.  She’d been awake for long stretches, resting periodically but awake longer than she had been any other day so far.  And she’d eaten all the dreaded trays of jello and broth that had been brought in and the testing had been done to ascertain where Daisy’s stomach was as far as handling solid food.  She was hoping the doctor would bring good news in the morning – and possibly a cheeseburger too.  Cas smiled at her thoughts.  He hadn’t known of her great love for cheeseburgers. Daisy giggled.

“I grew up with Dean,” she said. “How could I not love cheeseburgers?” Her smile was relaxed, the medicine they were weaning her off of in full effect tonight.  “Don’t you love cheeseburgers?”

Cas shook his head.  “Food doesn’t have a taste to me. Just of molecules.”  Daisy frowned.  She was on her side facing him, the position she liked for these evening talks.  Cas liked it too, her eyes focused on him, her whole body turned towards him as if he was all she cared about.

“That’s awful.”  She looked thoughtful then and Cas watched as her fingers played with his, her hand on top of his open palm. “I wonder if my mom could fix that.”

Cas frowned.  “It’s not a matter of being broken, Daisy,” he explained.  “Angels don’t have a need for food so it makes no sense for it to taste appealing.”

“Well that’s just dumb,” Daisy said and Cas smiled.  Daisy had strong opinions on certain topics, food being one of them.  “I think you should be able to.  Taste food, I mean.”  Cas was silent as Daisy’s mind played over foods she loved.  Lots of sweets, lasagna, donuts.  “Rose makes the best mashed potatoes.  She won’t tell me what she puts in them that makes them so good but I could eat a pound of them.”  She grinned then. “Dean makes better pancakes though.” Cas smiled at her obvious delight over food, at food that the people she loved made for her.  He was learning a lot he had never understood about humans from Daisy.  It wasn’t always just the taste of the food but what went into it, and not just the ingredients either.  Daisy went on about the food Rose made the most, the food Dean either made or took her out to eat second and it was all tied up with her sensing the love they had for her and the food being a symbol of that.  Cas found it all fascinating.  Then again he found everything about Daisy fascinating.

“My Dad cooked,” Daisy said suddenly, softly and Cas focused in on her, sensing her change of mood.  “He would make dinner every night when he was home and he would let me sit on the counter next to the mixing bowl or the pan.”  She smiled. “I was his kitchen manager.”  An image of a much younger Daisy came to Cas – All blond curls and big eyes, sat on a kitchen counter next to a large redheaded man with a beard that Cas had seen in many of her memories.  He had an infectious smile and happy, twinkling eyes and he smiled at Daisy in her memory, making Daisy feel special and loved.  “I got to tell everyone what to do,” she remembered.  “To boss everyone around.”  She laughed softly and Cas warmed at the sound.  “I never got to do that.  Everyone was always older, always knew more.  But my Dad said it so everyone had to listen.”  The kitchen came into larger view and Cas watched as a pintsized Daisy waved a rolling pin around, ordering her sisters and the boys around while her Dad ran interference, making sure the right ingredients got into the proper places.  Erin was there too, Cas realized, in the background, smiling at her husband and her children and letting them all have free reign, while she took pictures, obviously enjoying their delight.  It was a chaotic, joy filled room and Cas was once again made aware of the love and happiness that had surrounded Daisy throughout her life. 

“My Dad was the best,” she murmured, her hand resting on his now, her movements slowing as she tired.  “He would have liked you a lot.” 

Cas looked at her in surprise, her words and the emotions they evoked in him catching him off guard and slowly a pleased smile spread across his face.  He watched as her eyes drifted shut and he leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I would have liked him as well, little one,” he said softly and Daisy gave him one more sleepy smile, then fell asleep with her hand still resting in his.

 


	86. Our Song is The Way You Laugh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steps forward, Bad horror movies and The doctor is in

Another day, another visit from the doctor.

Before Daisy could even ask the doctor let her know her test results weren’t back yet so it would be another day of jello and broth. 

"You're looking brighter today," he said ignoring the scowl his news had brought, as he ran through a small series of tests.  "How's the sleepiness?"

“Definitely better,” Daisy said firmly and Cas and her mom nodded in agreement.  “Though it comes and goes."

The doctor nodded.  "It may for a while.  How about the fuzzy headed feeling?"

"Better," Daisy said. "Except for right before I fall back asleep."

"Good." The doctor looked very pleased. "If that keeps up maybe this evening you can have a ride around the floor in a wheelchair.  A change of scenery would probably do you good."

It was sad how excited that prospect made Daisy.  She was feeling much more like herself and she was growing tired of staring at the same four walls.  Though honestly what she really wanted was a moment alone with Cas.  She glanced his way out of the corner of her eye.  Yesterday they'd been close.  She was sure he was going to kiss her.  And then Sam had come in and once again Cas had jumped back.  Daisy hadn't known it was possible to be so frustrated just for a kiss.  She supposed one up side was a lot of her nervousness was gone.  She was ready to beg the doctor to ban all her family members from her room just for an hour, just so she could have a minute alone with Cas.

She felt a wave of amusement and glanced over at Cas to see him smiling, his eyes shining with mirth at her thoughts.  She blushed and one word floated through their connection. 

_Beautiful_

Daisy felt her cheeks blush even brighter but she couldn't help the smile that graced her face.   Thank God for this, for this connection with Cas or she really would be going crazy.

* * *

Monday meant therapy and a full day of training.  They'd all agreed going forward Tuesday & Thursday were days with no fight training, Sam and Rose's trips out to Starbucks taking the place of that.  (It didn’t mean they couldn’t go other days as well and Rose was determined to go as much as possible.  She wanted _something_ fixed.) Those days were easier, less regimented but days she had therapy were also days she had both shooting practice  & fight training during the day.  Not to mention time spent working on her powers which was every day now.  She'd seen a small improvement in her control when she and her sisters had gotten back in sync but for the most part her training hadn't changed much. 

When she walked into therapy the very first thing Dr. Alexander mentioned was wanting to see Dean with her before she left.  She figured that meant her powers were going to be the topic of conversation and she was right.  After some discussion of how the reading was going ("Slowly," Rose had groaned and Will had smiled and told her to stick with it and be patient with herself, which just sounded like all kinds of craziness to Rose.  Patience was not one of her virtues, least of all when it came to herself.) and a check in with her on some other issues Rose went and got Dean.  Once they were both settled in their chairs Will started.

"I know you're impatient to get your powers under control, Rose so you'll be glad to know you're going to get a chance to stretch a little." Dean reached out and squeezed Rose's hand and she hung onto it when he would have pulled back. She may want to have control but it didn't mean this didn't make her the slightest bit nervous.  Will walked her through what he wanted her to do, the precision he wanted her to aim for, the control and Rose nodded her head.  What he was suggesting seemed possible, if a definite stretch of her powers.  "You may feel a bit more drained for the first few days but that should pass. Does that all seem doable?"

Rose nodded.  "And the potion-"

"We're not touching that yet," Will said firmly and watched as Rose looked disappointed while Dean looked relieved.  Their reactions made sense and were a sign Rose was improving, healing.  Dean wanted to be careful with Rose, cautious even, while she was itching to push, to break out of the restraints placed upon her.  That was normal and something Will had expected.  "Work on this and in the meantime, I'm going to speak with your mother, discuss a potential change on the dosage.  If this goes OK the next step will be to lower your potion."

* * *

"Hey Dean?" Rose said as Dean was moving towards the door.  He stopped and looked back at her quizzically.  They'd just finished up shooting practice and she'd done fairly well she thought.  Sometimes she still glanced around at everything her life involved these days and wondered at the insanity of it all.  But she was doing better with it.  She was learning to "embrace the crazy" as Daisy had once said.  Granted Daisy had been referring to the insanity of life as a high school cheerleader and Rose was thinking about life with powers but still, it worked.

"Hmm?" Dean asked now, turning back towards her. 

Rose hesitated then took a seat on the counter, buying herself some time.  Be pushy, she coached herself. No, not pushy.  Persistent.

"Don't you think it's time we talked about me leaving?"

Rose watched a flash of surprise cross Dean's face.  Then his jaw set and she saw a look of irritation take its place.

"Really?" He asked moving towards her. "You want to discuss that now?  Today?"

Rose shrugged. "Why not?  I mean we need to at some point, right?"

Dean frowned at her and fidgeted with his watch, a clear sign he was uncomfortable.  Why he was Rose wasn't sure.  He certainly wasn't the one in the wrong here.

"Yeah but, come on, Rosie." Dean flashed her a charming smile. "Not today.  I mean you just found out you're going to change all your power stuff and... Let’s just wait Ok?"

And before Rose could voice a word of protest Dean was turned and out the door and she was left staring after his retreating back.

"Well that went great," Rose muttered. 

* * *

Dean hadn't been lying to Rose.  He'd planned on discussing her leaving.  He'd had a plan, had worked out what to say, had a felt he had a handle on it.  Then she'd woke up screaming.  And then Daisy had woken up.  And it just hadn't felt right since then.  Rose was dealing with a lot and going into what was going to be an emotional conversation didn't seem right now.  But Rose kept bringing it up, kept pushing and all the calm Dean had felt was slowly eroding.  He knew he sometimes had to be pushed to deal with things.  He wouldn't lie and deny that he could live in purposeful oblivion when he wanted to.  But this time...it was like the more she pushed the more the anger he thought he'd gotten rid of came back and built.  And so he didn't want to talk about it till he had a handle on it and then Rose pushed some more and it was an endless cycle.

He's thought about talking to the Doc about it but that seemed too much.  Going to him for an issue with Rose was one thing.  But this was with him, was his issue.  He didn’t want to lose it with her, wanted to keep his cool and that just seemed impossible.

Maybe he _should_ talk to the Doc about it.  He’d been helpful before.  Dean just kept hoping his emotions would even out or that Rose would give it a break.  Otherwise he wasn't sure what to do.

* * *

"Hey stranger," Charlie greeted Lily as she stumbled out of the bedroom after noon still in a pair of monkey pajamas.  Her hair was a rumpled mess and she still looked half asleep.  "There's coffee in the kitchen."  Lily stumbled past her towards the lure of coffee and returned a few moments later with a cup in hand.  She took a seat across from Charlie at the dining room table and took a long drink.  Then another.  Finally, she spoke.

"What's with the stranger stuff?  I saw you for dinner last night.  We even watched bad reality TV together."

Charlie shrugged.  “Just with you spending so much time at the hospital and me being out I haven’t seen you much.”

“True,” Lily conceded.  “Where have you been?  I mean you’ve been gone most days when I wake up.”

“Around town, figuring out what’s here, which for the record?  Isn’t much.  And at the bunker,” Charlie said.  “You want something to eat?  I was just getting ready to get some lunch.”

“Sure.  We could go out-” Charlie waved away Lily’s suggestion.  In the short time they had been roommates Lily had discovered that Charlie really enjoyed cooking which for some reason she found surprising.  And she decorated and put cute, albeit nerdy, touches everywhere.  There were little dragons peeking around corners, Harry Potter figures here and there and some odd-looking creatures Lily wasn’t even sure what they were in random spots.  It was funny what you learned about a person when you lived with them.  And Charlie was pretty determined once she got her mind set on something so Lily just sat back and drank her coffee.

“So what are you doing over there?  At the bunker, I mean.” Lily asked once Charlie had put down Caesar salads with grilled chicken in front of them, freshly prepared Caesar dressing included.  “God, Charlie this is delicious.”

Charlie grinned, pleased at the compliment and took a bite herself before answering.  Charlie had discovered that Lily was a very gracious diner and that she loved to eat.  The girl was like an empty vat, the proverbial Mikey from the old Life cereal commercials.  It was nice to have someone else to cook for, Charlie had realized, especially someone who was so appreciative.

Charlie filled her in on what they had all come up with about the meteor shower and the solar eclipse and how they were struggling with the dates for the latter.

“Dean’s looked at these wonky numbers?” Lily asked and Charlie nodded.

“Yeah, he couldn’t get anything.”

“And no one’s called Danny?  I mean he brought them to Sam, maybe he can help.”

Interesting, no wince at his name this time, Charlie noted.  “Done and we’ve gotten no reply.”

“Hmmm,” Lily looked thoughtful at that but said nothing.  Then she glanced at Charlie a bit hesitantly.  “You wouldn’t happen to have a copy of them would you?”

“Yeah on my laptop,” Charlie said.  “Why you want to see them?”

“Well I mean it can’t hurt, right?” Lily offered and Charlie nodded.  “Let’s finish lunch first though.”

“Yes Lily, priorities.  I mean bad omens of coming demons or lunch.  The choice is obvious,” Charlie said dryly.  Lily just grinned and devoured the rest of her salad.

“So, no questions about how Sam’s doing?” Charlie asked as they finished up and took the dishes into the kitchen.  Charlie at least had gotten used to letting Lily help with that though she refused to let her do them all.

Lily froze for half a second, not long but enough that Charlie caught it.  Being a naturally nosy person helped sometimes.

_“I miss our coffee together in the morning.  Before we face anyone else I love that we started the day together in our room.  And it’s still our room, Lil.  Always will be.”_

Lily had heard from Sam this morning of course.  His text was the first thing she’d read before she got out of bed.  There had actually been two for her to read, one sent this morning, one this afternoon.

_“I fucking love you in high heels.  Clothing optional.”_

She didn’t need to ask.  She knew how Sam was.  Horny, longing for her and determined. 

But she asked anyway.

“How’s Sam?”  

Charlie looked at her sharply. 

“OK, what’s going on?” she asked after she’d dumped their plates in the sink.  She turned her back to the sink and fixed Lily with a look that made it clear she wasn’t going to be put off.  She was a hacker.  Persistence was part of who she was.

“What do you mean what’s going on?” Lily said trying to look innocent.  Charlie just continued to give her a probing look and Lily sighed.  “Can I put these down first before you interrogate me?” Lily asked and Charlie moved to let her get to the sink.

Having done that Lily bit her lip and sighed again.  She moved back and leaned against the doorway.

“Sam’s been texting me,” she admitted in a low voice.

“Wait what?” Charlie said her eyes wide.  “And you didn’t say anything?  This is awesome!”

“Hey, I didn’t say anything was fixed,” Lily cautioned.  “We’re not back together or anything.”

Charlie eyed her closely.  “But you like that he’s texting you,” she said and Lily slowly nodded.

“Yeah,” she admitted and Charlie watched as a smile turned up the corners of her mouth.  “I do.”

“So that’s a step,” Charlie said positively. “What kind of texts are we talking here?” she asked curiously.

Lily grinned despite herself.  “Mostly ones I can’t show you.”

“Why Sam, you dirty texter you,” Charlie said with a grin. 

“Well I mean some are but some are…just intimate,” Lily admitted.

“How longs this been going on?” Charlie asked.

“A few days,” Lily said.  “I haven’t responded or anything but I get one at least twice a day and it’s nice.  It’s…there’s a lot I miss about Sam and this reminds of that.”  Lily tugged at her hair and looked confused.  “Which I don’t know if that’s…I mean it doesn’t fix anything but-”

“But you like it,” Charlie summarized and Lily nodded.

“So, text him back,” Charlie said then casually added, “I mean if you want.  What harm can it do?”

Lily frowned thinking there was a whole lot of harm it could do.  Her heart was still aching and she wasn’t over that. 

“Come on, let me show you the numbers,” Charlie said and Lily followed her out making sure her phone was with her so she wouldn’t miss any texts.

* * *

_"Wanna come over for dinner and watch movies?  We're lacking any scary ones this month!"_

Rose read the text in her hand with a thoughtful look on her face, then glanced up at Sam.  She'd easily talked him into making a trip to Starbucks today.  She had a feeling he liked the chance to get away from the bunker and read.  Dean hadn't been too happy about it, though he hadn't said as much but his face gave him away.  But then she wasn't overly happy with him either.  No, that wasn’t true.  She was just frustrated.  And while her instinct was to persist, even if she did it less forcefully than Lily she figured more than once a day was a bit much and wouldn't work out.  She was irritating Dean and he was frustrating her.  Maybe a few hours apart would do them both good.

"Hey Sam," she said and he glanced up from his book.  "Do you think you could drop me off at Charlie's apartment on the way home?"

Sam frowned, placing a finger in his book to hold his space.  "Have you-"

A loud voice cut him off then, a woman seated at the table closest to them. 

"-cider vinegar is the new medicine.  Why it's a wonder drug!" A middle aged, frosted haired woman proclaimed to her captive audience - an elderly couple who hung on her every word.  "My cousin Bart, he had the worst medical problems you can imagine.  The diabetes, the alcohol, the..." she waved her hand obviously searching for something then came up with it, with a snap of her fingers. "The weight problems and this…" She patted a large floral tote bag that was draped over her chair. "This little beauty here solved them all."

Sam rolled his eyes, his expression one of disgust as he turned away from the annoying, strident woman. "Modern day snake oil salesmen," he muttered and Rose nodded.  He shook his head then got back to what Rose was asking.

"Sure, I can drop you off." He looked at her carefully. "Does Dean know I'm not bringing you home?"

Rose frowned, fidgeting with her phone.  It was a legitimate question.  She didn't want to put Sam in a tough position.  "I'll tell him," she promised and turned to her phone.

_"Sam's dropping me off at Lily's.  I'm eating there and watching movies.  She'll drop me off tonight on her way to the hospital."_

She hit send and waited, unsure how Dean would respond.  A few minutes later she had her answer.

_"Fine.  Make sure you actually eat."_

"He's fine with it," Rose told Sam and he nodded.  "I need to take coffee for them," Rose said.

A few moments later they were getting into the car, coffee in a carrier and the obnoxious sales woman left behind.

Sam insisted on carrying the coffee up for Rose and she just smiled, knowing it was a chance for him to see Lily.  She made sure to go to the kitchen with Charlie as soon as they got there to give the two a moment alone.  She wasn't sure if that got her points with Lily or not but it made Sam smile.

Charlie gave Rose a curious look as she put the carrier down on the counter. 

“Nice shirt,” she said motioning to Rose’s t-shirt bearing a scorpion with the text “No one said it was gonna be easy, Kiddo,” and Rose smiled at her in thanks.  “So, I was thinking tacos for dinner tonight,” Charlie said and Rose smiled. “Lily said you like Mexican.”

“I do,” Rose agree, handing Charlie her drink.  She stopped, listening to the faint murmur of voices from the other room and Charlie watched as a pleased look crossed her face.  “You didn’t have to go to so much trouble though, Charlie.”

“It’s no trouble,” Charlie assured her. “I like to cook.  So how much do you know about that?” She nodded towards the entry way where Sam and Lily were.

Rose smiled and shrugged. “A little,” she said and Charlie studied her as she pulled the other drinks out, thinking how much harder Rose was to read than Lily. “Can I do anything to help?” she asked motioning towards the stove. The way she said it was clear it was the last thing she wanted but it was ingrained in her to offer.

Charlie just smiled and shook her head. “Nope, I’ve got it covered.  Tacos are easy and you’re a guest.”

Rose had opened her mouth to say something but just then the front door closed and Lily appeared, her cheeks flushed looking flustered.

“Everything OK?” Rose asked softly and Lily nodded her head quickly.

“Let’s get this movie night started!” she proclaimed and took her coffee from Rose eagerly. 

* * *

Rose had unknowingly made the decision about talking to the doctor for Dean.  He’d heard the irritation in her voice, seen the frustration on her face when she had said she was going to Starbucks with Sam.  When she’d texted him she was going to Charlie’s for the evening he’d known he had to do something.  This was getting out of control.  So, he’d sent a quick text and found himself sitting in front of a computer screen on a Wednesday evening.  Not exactly what he’d planned for the night.

“You know it’s completely normal to be angry at Rose,” Dr. Alexander answered when he’d heard Dean’s issue.  He’d easily heard the frustration in Dean’s voice, not to mention the self-reproach there.  “What she did, while completely understandable, did have repercussions, especially for those closest to her.  I would be surprised if you _weren’t_ angry, Dean.”

Dean frowned and fidgeted before saying, “Yeah but she’s so…she’s been through so much.  And shouldn’t I be able to just get past that?  I mean I was OK for a while there, pretty calm and figured we could discuss what happened calmly.” Dean’s frown grew and he took a sip from his ever-present coffee cup. “But then she started pushing me, wanting to discuss what happened and how I felt and I just…I don’t know, man, suddenly I felt-”

“Pissed?” Will offered and watched as Dean startled at his word usage then grinned and nodded.  “I can understand that.  So, a few things here that I want to point out.” It had become clear to Will that it wasn’t only Rose who viewed Dean as a prince.  Dean saw himself that way when it came to Rose and was holding himself up to an unreachable standard. “First off your anger is understandable and justified.  All reasons aside Rose did leave, she did run off and put herself in danger.” Will watched as Dean’s jaw clenched at that and knew that was the biggest issue of all for them.  Dean wanted Rose safe above all else, which was understandable as a hunter. And that was going to be interesting, assuming they lasted because Rose was now someone with formidable powers who had been raised by parents who believed in helping others.  Will didn’t think it likely that she wouldn’t want to use them in some way and he was fairly certain the man on the other side of the screen would not like that at all.  But that was an issue for another day. “She hurt all of the people she cared about, including you and that does tend to make a person angry.

Dean nodded and Will could see him struggling with that, not wanting to admit it. 

“I get angry at my wife,” Will offered and Dean looked at him in surprise. “She gets angry at me.  We get our feelings out, deal with it and then we move on.”  Will offered Dean an encouraging smile.  “It’s worked pretty well for over twenty-five years now.  In real relationships there are conflicts, Dean.  The trick is to learn how to handle them together in a way that works for the both of you.”

“Yeah but,” Dean was rubbing the back of his neck in agitation before he admitted guiltily, “I tend to…kind of yell a lot when I’m mad.”  He glanced up at Will nervously as if expecting the doctor to throw him out, appalled at this admission.  Instead he found the doctor smiling at him almost fondly.

“Trust me, there is yelling in our household too,” he assured Dean. “You can yell, say what you mean without getting spiteful or saying things you’ll regret later.  You can’t just throw out things to hurt the other person.  That’s not the goal.  You need to let what you’re feeling out as opposed to bottling it up.” Having experience with hunters Will knew that was the norm for them and Dean seemed to definitely be someone who did that – bottled things up till he exploded and then caused damage he regretted.  Dean didn’t look completely convinced of all this so Will said, “When we first began you told me you were in this with Rose for the long haul, correct?” Dean gave a firm nod of his head and Will smiled at that, at the certainty there, of Dean wanting no question about that.  “Well Dean, I can guarantee you if that’s the case there are going to be times over the years where you’ll definitely be mad at Rose, where she’ll do things or say things that will make you crazy and vice versa. You will not always agree. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to figure out now how to deal with that?  You can’t bottle things up forever.”

Dean nodded, that seeming to make sense to him and Will watched as he thought that over.  Will had another point to make but a thought had occurred to him that might help.

“You said you grew up with the Sullivan’s, correct?”  Dean nodded and Will continued. “I’m going to guess then that during your childhood years their parents they must have argued at some point, yes?  Do you remember that?  Remember how they handled it?”

Dean sat his coffee cup down and leaned back, his body relaxing slightly as he thought.  “Erin was always more hot tempered than Rose’s dad,” he said finally.  “They didn’t fight much but yeah, occasionally they would.”

“And when they did, were there raised voices?  Yelling?”

“Sometimes?” Dean allowed. “Not much, I mean they didn’t fight a lot.”

“But on the occasions, they did,” Will pushed. “When they did yell afterwards did they seem all right?  Did things seem different, worse?”

“No,” Dean said slowly.  “No, usually after they were better than ever.  Happier even.”

“And you would say that Brendan loved Erin, that he treated her well.”

“Oh yeah,” Dean said immediately. “I mean his whole face would light up when he saw her.  He was always doing little things for her, getting her little gifts, pulling her onto his lap and kissing on her.” Dean grinned. “They were kind of gross, you know, since they were like my other parents.”  Will couldn’t help but smile at that.

“Happy couples fight, Dean.”  Will gave Dean a measured look.  He had been able to tell from the way Dean spoke about them that he viewed Rose’s parents as a strong couple.  “They clear the air, get out their grievances in a healthy manner and move on.  It’s a good thing.  It does in fact make them stronger.”

Will watched as Dean thought that over then decided to leave him with one more thought.

“You know, Dean the fact that you’re feeling angry at Rose is actually a good thing.” Dean looked up at him in surprise, his expression clearly stating he thought Will had lost his mind. “When I first saw you and Rose together she was fragile.  I could tell from watching you with her that you were afraid she’d break at a moment’s notice.  Holding one’s emotions in check when someone is sick or hurt is understandable.  That’s the caring, loving thing to do.  But it can’t last forever.”  Will gave Dean a searching look.  “Would you say she’s improved since then? Strengthened?”  Dean nodded his head.  He definitely knew she’d improved.  She was so much more her, so much more alive again. “Then perhaps, Dean the reason you feel anger at Rose now?  Is because you realize she can handle it, that she’s strong enough.  And it’s something you both need to deal with to move on.”

Dean turned that over in his mind, turning it this way and that.  Rose _was_ stronger.  She was so much more like herself now.  Still…

“She still has the nightmares,” Dean pointed out and Will gave him a knowing look.

“Those take time.  But just her nightmares are not reason enough to keep her in a bubble, Dean.”

“So, you’re saying that Rose is able to…. that you can guarantee-”

Will cut him off right there.  “I can’t guarantee anything.  Life isn’t like that, Dean.  You know that.” Dean gave him a rueful grin. “What I’m saying is Rose is stronger than she was and you need to deal with what happened.  I’m not saying today,” Will said.  “But I am saying if you need time to think about it then tell her that.  Be honest with her.  If you ask her for time, not just tell her you don’t think she can handle it, but admit _you_ need time she’ll give it to you.”

That made sense, Dean thought.  It did.  If he asked Rose for anything she’d give it to him.  He knew that.  Why hadn’t he thought of it?  Guess that’s why he wasn’t a therapist.

“Yeah, thanks, Doc.” Dean said with a smile.  “That…I think I can do that.  And thanks for… you know, talking with me tonight.”

Will gave him a smile.  “Anytime, Dean.  And you know, you can call me Will.”

* * *

The three girls spent the evening in front of the TV watching bad horror movies and eating good Mexican food.  They laughed and chatted and dissected a few of the worst movies.

“How’s Dean?” Lily asked at one point and Charlie studied Rose’s expression.  It was shuttered, giving nothing away.

“He’s fine,” she said shortly.  “How’s Sam?”

“Shut up,” Lily said cheerfully and Rose just grinned at her, not offended in the slightest.  Charlie liked seeing them together, how comfortable they were with each other and how they just accepted her as one of them.  She’d never had a sister, didn’t really know how you acted with one but she figured this was close.  They were probably a bit nicer to her than to each other (Though granted, she didn’t have a relationship at the moment for them to tease her about because something told her that would definitely happen.) but they were relaxed, easy with her as well and she appreciated that.  At one point, they got on the topic of what they’d known about each other before they met.  Lily had known next to nothing about Charlie.  Rose on the other hand knew a little.

“Dean talked about you in a way I knew you were important, special,” Rose offered and Charlie smiled, pleased at that.  “Sam did too.”  And that got a surprised look from Lily.

“He didn’t talk to me about her.”

Rose gave her a look then paused. “I’m trying to think of how to say this tactfully.”  Charlie hid her grin. “I’m guessing you two didn’t do a lot of talking,” she said finally.

“We talked!” Lily said.  Then she paused before saying, “Just not…you know about other people.”  She caught Rose’s disbelieving look and said, “We talked about us, about stuff other than hunting.” 

Talking with Sam had always been something Lily had enjoyed.  He always seemed to come up with a different perspective from other people.  When they’d started meeting up in hotels at first there hadn’t been a lot of talking.  It was all heat and passion and letting off steam.  Sam liked that she was strong, could handle him being a little rough with her and she’d liked that he could give that as well as take.  For the first while it had just been that, a few occasional words to make sure everyone they cared about was OK, check in how things were and then somewhere, somehow it changed. 

A year in and Lily couldn’t tell you the precise moment or day or anything but she remembered they’d been in Omaha in a nice hotel room.  Sam had called her on the way home from a job, said Dean was going on to their place and could they meet up.  They’d had a particularly passionate time but Sam had been different.  A little more desperate, a little less himself.  They’d been together enough times that Lily knew his touch, knew the way he was and tonight had been different.  Not bad, but just not quite Sam.  They’d showered together and dressed for bed, not something they always did, but occasionally and they liked this place, had been here before and were both tired.  Lily had watched Sam moving around the room restlessly, his back straight, his jaw tight and knew he needed to talk, to let out whatever was going on inside him. 

So, she had gotten up, taken his hand and tugged him towards the bed.  He’d looked surprised but came with her easily enough.  She pushed him to lay on his side and Sam had given her a small smile, obviously unsure what was going on. “Stay,” she said and got up and turned the lights off then came back and curled up behind him, spooning him.  “Whatever you say here stays here, Sam,” she’d said softly, her one hand finding his and squeezing it tightly.  “Just because I’m your...” And Lily had faltered not knowing what to call herself.  They had no labels, no terms.  She settled on, “Your lover,” and cringed slightly at how tawdry that sounded and was sure Sam smiled. “It doesn’t mean I’m not still your friend.”  She’d hugged him tightly, feeling the tension still in his body that no amount of biting and kissing and fucking had eased.  “You need to talk,” she said lowly.  She could feel Sam hesitating, could feel his uncertainty and she’d just lay there, her hands stroking his t-shirt covered chest softly and waited.  And finally, with a sigh Sam had let everything spill out, all the chaos and fear and anguish of the last few months and Lily had listened to him, not judging, not even really commenting aside from acknowledging she heard him.  That was one of the advantages of being with someone you knew, someone you had history with.  Lily didn’t doubt for a moment that if another woman had tried this Sam would have kindly but firmly shut them down. He would have given them his very public Sam smile, put them at ease and not let a single bit of this out. But with her there was enough security, enough trust he could let his guard down. He’d slept after, his body relaxed and the next morning when they parted ways he’d kissed her softer than before.  He’d looked better, as if a weight had been lifted just from sharing it all with her.  She’d liked that, liked that she’d helped him.  She’d had the random thought as she drove back home - _You’re not getting out of this the same person you were walking into it._ And in perfect Lily fashion, she had blown that idea off, ignored it and went on her merry way.  God, if she’d known then…

_Miss you, Lil_

Lily winced.  He’d breathed those words softly into her ear in Charlie’s living room today just before he’d walked out the door. 

She shook her head now and realized with a start that both Rose and Charlie were staring at her.  “What?” she asked defensively and Rose just smiled.

“I knew about you two,” Charlie admitted and both girls turned interested faces her way.  “More you, Rose because Dean loves to talk.” Rose laughed at that and Lily nodded.  “It was so obvious he was crazy about you.  But I’d heard of you both and Daisy, had heard stories about you all growing up with the boys.”  Charlie smiled.  “Those were some of my favorites.  Nice little slices of normal life.”

Lily snorted. “Normal?  I don’t know I’d call anything in our lives normal.”

“It was compared to most hunter’s families,” Rose pointed out.  “I mean if they hadn’t been with us, had just been with John on the road?”  And Lily shuddered at that idea.

“OK enough chatting,” Lily said, picking up the remote and scanning through the menu choices. “We have time for one more movie before I have to get you back to the bunker and I have to go play babysitter to Daisy and Cas.  Our choices are… Sorority Babes at the Slime Bowl-O-Rama or Slumber Party Massacre.  Which one will it be girls?”

* * *

The first time Daisy had performed a full twist cradle perfectly had been exciting, the first time in front of a crowd even more so.  So, the fact that her big excitement now consisted of being pushed down the hospital hallway in a wheelchair by Bobby while her mom and Cas followed behind was a bit of a letdown at least at first glance.  But to Daisy it felt as exciting as anything she could remember.  She had been awake longer today than any of the other days, only napping a few times and by her choice not because she couldn't keep her eyes open.  Her body still felt tired but the fuzzy head was slowly disappearing.  She felt sharper, more focused and she was grateful for that.

Daisy smiled at the nurses they passed, a few smiling and nodding, other saying a few words to her mother or Cas.  It was a vivid reminder her how long she’d been here.  It didn’t feel long to her, Daisy thought she they reached the end of the hallway and turned the corner.  To her it felt like the attack at the hotel was just a few days ago.  Guess that’s what happened when you were in a coma, Daisy mused.

They made it to the waiting room that was there for patients and their guests and Daisy glanced around, noting the TV on the wall.  She realized she had no idea what was going on in the world.  For all she knew a meteor or a nuclear blast could have hit it and The Walking Dead had become a reality.  Or her favorite TV show could have been cancelled. Or she might have missed the chance to get Taylor Swift tickets.

_No meteor or nuclear blast, there are no zombies walking the earth that I am aware of, your show is still on though not currently and I am fairly sure she isn’t on tour right now._

Daisy glanced at Cas behind her with an amused glance.  She wasn’t sure if she should be grateful or alarmed that her way of thinking didn’t seem weird to him.

Bobby and Erin pulled back a little giving Daisy and Cas a chance to talk without them right next to them.  They withdrew to a set of chairs by the entrance and watched the two together.  Cas took a seat right in front of Daisy and the two started speaking, Daisy happy and animated about whatever was on the TV behind him and Cas watching her with an expression somewhere between amusement and awe.  

"They're cute together," Bobby said and Erin grinned.

"Bobby Singer did you just use the word cute?"

"Oh shush.  No one but you can hear me and it's sure ain't the most embarrassing thing you've heard me say.  Or do."

Erin smiled.  That was very true.  She and Bobby knew enough dirt on each other they could bury the other one without blinking.  Luckily, they liked each other.

"She looks happy," Erin murmured and Bobby nodded.

"And all it took was one angel to accomplish it.  Don't ever try and tell me you Sullivan women aren't hard to please," Bobby teased.

"Is that a complaint?" Erin asked and Bobby quickly shook his head making Erin laugh.  That made Bobby smile.

"Now that's a nice sound to hear," he said.  "Haven't heard that enough lately."

Erin smiled at him.  "It's been a rough couple of months," she said.  "Watching what my girls are going through and not able to stop any of it."

Bobby nodded well aware of how hard it had been for her.  He knew all too well what it was like to watch your children hurting and in danger and unable to stop it.

"Daisy wants to stay married to him," Erin said her eyes back on the couple.  Daisy was laughing at something and as she did she put her hand on Cas' shoulder.  His face lit up at that and Erin felt her mother's heart leap hopefully. "It's certainly not how I envisioned my baby getting married.”  She studied them for a moment. “Can angels love?" She queried softly.

"I don't know for sure," Bobby said watching them now as well.  "But if any angel can it's Cas.  He'd die for the boys in a heartbeat." He paused watching the usually taciturn angel reach out and brush a stray curl off Daisy's face with a smile on his face. "If the way he looks at her is anything to go by I'd say he'd die for her before his heart actually gave a beat."

"I'm more interested in him living for her," Erin said with a frown. "I want my girls happy, Bobby.  I want all my children happy and now they're all wrapped up in this."  She sighed.  "It's just not what I wanted for any of them."

Bobby reached out a hand grasping one of hers in his and squeezing it.  "I know that, darlin, but they're all adults.  You have to let them make their own choices.  And I know, I know, they didn't choose most of this," he said before Erin could object. "And that ain't fair but they're not in this alone.  They've got each other and they got us. And that ain't nothing is it?" Bobby gave Erin's hand a meaningful squeeze and she nodded her head finally. 

"She doesn't look like an adult to me," Erin said softly her eyes back on Daisy and Bobby smiled.

"And she probably won't even when she's old and gray." And that got a real smile from Erin.

"Have you talked to him lately?" Bobby asked and Erin nodded. 

"He's happy with her, with her progress."

"See?  That's a good thing," Bobby said and Erin nodded again still looking less than convinced.

"I just keep thinking what Brendan would say if he could see them," Erin said suddenly and Bobby could head the anxiety in her voice.  He thought for a moment then said slowly:

"Well I'm not claiming to know him as well as you but I knew him pretty damn well."  Bobby let go of her hand to lean back in his chair a thoughtful look on his face.  "I think he'd say Daisy is doing just what she's always done - The unexpected.  Her marrying an angel, saving her sisters and walking her own path is pure Daisy.”  Bobby nodded at the sight of the couple across from him then went on. “He'd be glad Rose is with Dean, that they're taking care of each other ‘cause both of them need that. He'd hate what she’s gone through.” Bobby saw Erin wince at that and hated it but he was being truthful here and there was no way around that fact - Brendan would have hated to see the pain Rose had gone through.  But he would have known she was strong enough to survive it too. “But he’d know that she'd come through it stronger and kinder than ever.  The strongest steel goes through the hottest fire.  He'd say she was lucky to get strength and stubbornness from the both of you.” Bobby glanced at Erin happy to see she was actually listening to him.  He stretched his arm out and let his fingers brush her shoulder and the soft strands of her hair that fell there.  "And then he'd look at Lily and say, "Holy hell is she her mother’s daughter!" Bobby grinned when that got a small, genuine laugh from Erin and a blush across her cheeks. "He'd watch the way she's driving Sam every kind of crazy and he'd be grateful she got a man as determined as she is." Bobby didn’t even need to mention that Brendan would no doubt commiserate with Sam as well.  He knew better than most how crazy Erin had drove Brendan when they were dating. Bobby lowered his voice making sure Cas and Daisy couldn't hear and said, "And he'd say that the only one who could outdo Lily in her wild, drinking, partying ways would be her mother at her age." Erin gave him a knowing look from the corner of her eye. "You forget sometimes, darlin', that while all the kids may just see you as mom there's still a few of us around who know the truth about what you were like before all this and what an almighty hell raiser you were." Erin murmured something about keeping that between them and Bobby couldn't resist reaching out and pressing a kiss to her temple. 

"He'd be proud of them, Erin.  They're the best of the both of you two with some dashes of just them thrown in.  He'd be happy with who they are, how they turned out." Bobby paused then added, "You should be too."

"Oh, I am," Erin said quickly.  "I just wish it were easier for them."

"Spoken like a true mother," Bobby said with a smile. "Now come on, let's get these two lovebirds back to-"

Bobby stopped as Erin's phone rang from her pocket.  She pulled it out and he watched as a dark look that could put Lily's to shame crossed her face.

"Erin?  What?  Who is it?"  She glanced up at him and the stormy look in her eyes made it clear who it was.  Only one person brought that expression to Erin's face. Bobby gave her a commiserative smile.  "Sorry."

She gave him a half smile. "Why don't you take Daisy and Cas back and I'll-" She motioned vaguely to her phone. "Handle this."

Bobby did as she suggested and the three quickly left her to it.  The room was empty except for Erin.  Which was a good thing because who knew how this would go?

Erin took a deep breath, uttered a word that all her children would swear had never passed her lips and answered the phone.

"Hello Mother."


	87. I Don't Know What You Were Dreaming Of

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're gonna bowl tonight! Mothers and Daughters & Ask a question get an answer

Bobby gave Erin enough time to deal with the phone call he knew very well she didn't want to be taking.  He made sure Cas had Daisy settled in, fussed over her a bit and then stopped, trying to judge if it had been long enough. 

"She's done with her call," Cas said softly and Bobby looked at him sharply.  He never was quite sure all that the angel grasped that went on around him.  So often he didn't seem to care, to be aware but lately he'd been more present.  Whether that was because Daisy was back consciously or because what went on affected Daisy Bobby wasn't really sure.  "She's...." Cas paused, cocking his head to the side. "Upset?  But not surprised."

"Yeah, Erin figured this call would come sooner or later," Bobby said quietly. 

"You’re good for my mom," Daisy piped up suddenly and Bobby glanced at her in surprise.  Daisy looked tired after her little venture out and curled up in the white hospital bed she looked small and fragile.  But Bobby had learned long ago not to be fooled by appearances.  Daisy was many things – Spoiled, childish at times and opinionated among the list.  Weak wasn’t one of them.  She may look tired but her eyes were bright and she smiled at him as their eyes met.  “You make her happy.  I like that.”

Bobby smiled at her, pleased with her response but before he could respond Erin appeared back in the doorway.  Her lips were tight, her eyes troubled but she said nothing.  She hustled over to Daisy’s bedside and smoothed her blankets and Bobby could practically see her shoving the conversation to the back of her mind.  Their eyes met at one point and Erin gave a small shake of her head.  She didn’t want to discuss it now.

Lily swept into the room awhile later and soon after Bobby and Erin were in his truck headed back to the hotel.

“So?” he asked as they pulled out onto the road and Erin sighed.

The conversation had gone like she expected. 

Well for the most part.

“So, which one of your daughters is knocked up?” Her mother’s voice was a harsh as ever, cutting through the miles between them and making Erin wince.  OK she hadn’t seen that comment coming.

“Excuse me?” 

“Well we’ve got wedding rings, lingerie, money spent in different states.”  Erin heard rustling and assumed her mother must be looking at credit card receipts.  “Not to mention more money spent on shoes than most people will spend in a lifetime.  I can only assume one of them got themselves pregnant by some idiot boy and then ran off and got married.”  A pause and then her mother actually sounded concerned.  “Please tell me it wasn’t Lily.”

“My mother’s assumption was that based on credit card statements one of the girls had gotten pregnant and then married.” Bobby gave a surprised snort at that and Erin smiled wanly.  “Well I mean she was right on one count.”

“You tell her that?” Bobby asked and Erin hesitated.

“Not exactly.”

“Nobody is pregnant, Mother,” Erin said closing her eyes and willing herself to stay calm.  Her mother had the greatest gift for getting under her skin.

“Well then what the hell are they doing, Erin?” She heard something slam in the background and pictured her mother slamming down her ever-present glass of gin.  “There’s charges here from Rose’s cards, not Lily’s, in other states for a fuck load of money.  Now I know Rose is certainly not out there hunting so what exactly is she doing?”

It was the way she said Rose’s name, as if she was so much less than a hunter, so much less than anything deserving attention that said Erin’s teeth on edge.  When Erin didn’t answer immediately her mother went on.

“And then Lily is the one who bought the damn wedding rings.  She’s not the one who got married, is she?” Her mother sounded absolutely horrified at this prospect.  “Hopefully she won’t make the same mistake you did, throwing away all her talents on marriage and motherhood.  A girl like her-”

“She’s not a girl, Mother,” Erin snapped.  “She’s a woman and what she does or doesn’t do is her business.”

“Well we pay the bills, Erin,” her mother snapped back.  “I think we have some say-”

“No, no you don’t,” Erin said feeling her face flush as her temper rose.  “You wanted to give them the cards, to support them.  It doesn’t mean you own them.  If you want that you can have the damn cards back.”  So much for not losing her temper.

“She just has that way of talking about the girls that just…” Erin shook her head.  “Rose is inferior and I swear sometimes she actually forgets Daisy exists.  And Lily, well she is the only one that counts but not because of who she is.  Just _what_ she is.”  Bobby could hear the bitterness in her voice and he reached his hand out, grasping one of hers and squeezing it tightly.

Her mother has let out a string of curses while Erin tried to reign her temper in.  Her father came on the phone not long after, always the mediator between the two. 

“Honey,” he said smoothly.  “Your mother’s upset-”

“Oh really? Did someone just call her and ask rude questions about her children?” Erin asked, her tone brittle.  There was a pause and Erin could picture her father weighing the best way to handle the situation, the best approach to manage she and her mother. 

“No and you know your mother didn’t mean anything insulting by that.”  Erin snorted disbelievingly at that and her father ignored it.  “We’re both just concerned.  We see odd purchases on the credit cards and it rings alarm bells with us both.”  She heard movement and figured he’d be sitting in his favorite arm chair now, looking relaxed, calm.  He played the good guy so well, the one you wanted to confide in, the reasonable one that you would be crazy not to go along with.  Once Erin had believed that, _had_ gone along with it easily.  It had been nice to believe she had one parent she could trust, who would listen to her.  But then she’d seen him play that roll too many times on jobs and knew it was nothing more than a trick, an easily rehearsed part.  Her father wanted the same thing her mother did.  He was just more subtle and devious in the way he went about getting it.

“You know we love your girls.  We want nothing but the best for them.”  You couldn’t love someone you didn’t know, Erin thought bitterly.  She bet if she asked him to tell her one thing about her daughters he’d come up blank, save for the fact that Lily could hunt and Rose liked to cook.  There were no personal details known, no quirks that he could share.  And true, she’d kept him from them but even before that, when her parents had been more involved in the girls lives they had no interest in who they were as people, only who they could become in the hunting community.  “Are they all right, Erin?”

Erin sighed.  There was no way out of this conversation but it didn’t mean she had to give up details she didn’t want to either.  She could bluff as well as if not better than her parents. And unlike her mother who made her lose all her composure she was easily able to slip into a fake, calm tone with her father.  _I learned that trick well_ , she admitted dryly.  So, Erin had done just that, bluffed her way through the rest of the conversation and it had gone OK.  She had maintained her composure and almost gotten away without any more drama.  Until right at the end her father had oh so casually remarked:

“We just thought…well maybe things were happening with the girls.”  Erin’s blood had froze.  “I mean there has been a lot going on out there, some major chaos and then quiet, then upheaval again and then nothing.”  Her father paused and she heard him taking a sip.  (Bourbon, her mind supplied.  Always bourbon.)  “Just made me wonder if the girls’ powers weren’t…coming into play.”

Erin had closed her eyes, her hand coming up to rub at her temple.  She didn’t know how to respond, if she should lie, hedge, or just tell them something but not all of what was going on. 

“I made up some tale about Lily being on a hunt and dragging Rose along with her for company,” Erin told Bobby now.

“They bought it?” Bobby asked and Erin nodded.  Rose wasn’t the only one who could lie.

“I told them the wedding rings were some Lily found in an antique store and liked so she bought them, planning to turn them into another piece of jewelry.” She sighed.  That had earned a comment in the background from her mother about her never being able to control her daughters which had taken every ounce of self-control Erin had to not respond to.  Erin twisted her fingers in Bobby’s hand and he glanced at her sensing her anxiety. “They asked about the girls, if maybe their powers were coming into play.” Bobby sucked in a breath at that.  “I wasn’t…I didn’t know how best to respond. So, I chose a middle ground.  I told them the truth, that Rose and Daisy had swapped powers and told them about Rose’s telekinesis but that was it.”

“Well that’s…” Erin’s father had been at a loss for words and she had gotten a small amount of satisfaction at that.  “Is she…are they handling that all OK?”  To anyone else that probably sounded caring, concerned but Erin knew better.  It was a question about competency, nothing more.

Bobby pulled his truck up in front of their hotel and turned the engine off and instead of getting out he tugged Erin over towards him, wrapping his arms around her.  She buried her head against his chest and the two of them sat like that for several long moments.

“You don’t trust them.” 

Erin shook her head.  “Not with my children, no.”  She pulled her head back just far enough that Bobby could see her face.  She looked so pained it killed him.  “They’re not…they don’t look at the girls like grandchildren they love.  They look at them as what they can offer to the fight.  Weapons, not women. The girls are all grappling with these changes now as it is; They don’t need two voices like my parents in their ears.”

Bobby nodded.  “Then you did the right thing.”

“Ever notice that doing the right thing doesn’t always feel so good?” Erin asked wryly and Bobby smiled.

“All the damn time.”

* * *

Dean sat in the corner of the gym, watching Rose concentrate and get ready to try out these new exercises the doctor gave her.  He sighed.  She was supposed to be calm and he hoped she was but he found it hard to believe.  She’d started prodding him again this morning over breakfast about talking and he’d snapped at her, told her to stop pushing him.  She’d looked hurt for a second, a wounded expression flashing across her face and then her eyes took on an angry look instead.

“Fine,” she’d snapped getting up from the chair and heading towards the door, mug of tea in her hand.  “I won’t mention it again.”  The door slammed behind her with a bang and Dean cursed into the silence of the room.  That wasn’t how he’d wanted this to go.  He’d planned on talking to her, telling her that he needed time, like he and the doc had discussed but she’d started in on him so early he had just snapped.

He’d followed after her a few moments later, finding her in the kitchen rinsing out her empty mug.  Her eyes were remorseful when they caught his. 

“I’m sorry,” she said in a soft tone and Dean had gone towards her, immediately engulfing her in hug.

“Me too,” he said, pressing his lips to her temple.

“I won’t bring it up again,” Rose promised and Dean could see the swirl of emotions in her eyes as she said it.  Hurt, confusion and still a healthy dose of anger.

“I just can’t, Sweetheart, not yet,” Dean apologized.  “I’m not trying to be a dick here.  I thought I could but I just, I’m not ready.”

Rose gave him a small smile which looked anything but happy.  “Well I’ll just do my best to be patient then.”

“Just give me a little time, OK?” Dean asked.  “This isn’t about me thinking you’re not ready, it’s about me wrapping my head around the fact that you are, OK?  I know that logically.” He smiled at her and Rose could see the pride in his face.  “I can see with my own two eyes how well you’re doing.” And that had made Rose flush with pleasure.  “This is just me needing some time to adjust, to be ready.  It’s…I just need time.” Rose could see the sincerity in his eyes, could see he wasn’t just putting her off.  He’d given her time, she could certainly do the same for him.  So, Rose smiled and nodded, her smile a more genuine one this time.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so pushy,” she said and Dean could see she got it now.  “Take you time.  When you’re ready we’ll talk.”

Dean had nodded, feeling a sense of relief at her reply and given her what he hoped was a reassuring smile and a few moments later they’d both headed down to the gym.

The upheaval didn’t seem to affect her too much though as Dean watched as she moved various items around, sometimes more than one, stopping them, turning them, holding them midair.  It was impressive. 

He had to admit he was a bit confused by Rose’s insistence they talk about what happened.  She wasn’t generally so forceful on a topic.  Stubborn, yes and maybe that was part of it though Dean was fairly sure the larger issue here was just how much it was bothering her.  He sighed.  He really needed to get his act together so they could talk about it.

Rose went through all the drills Dr. Alexander had prescribed as easily as if she had been doing them her whole life.  Dean assumed that was a good sign though he guessed the real test would come when they did anything with her potion.  He frowned at that thought.  He knew Rose wanted off of it, could even understand why but it scared him.  In his mind, he associated this potion with the start of her healing.  Messing with it seemed risky.

When Rose was done with her exercises she turned and gave Dean a small smile.  “Not bad for my first day.”  Dean was glad to see the smile on her face.  He hated the two of them being at odds in any way.  They weren’t a couple who fought, had never been that way even as friends.  He was glad he’d talked to the Doc, had figured out how to explain it to her for now.

“You did awesome, Rosie,” Dean said coming to her side and helping her to her feet.  He kissed her easily then said, “Now let’s go get a gun in those pretty hands of yours.”

* * *

“Much better today,” Dean said proudly, looking at the sheet in the shooting range.

Rose was sat on the next stall staring at him intently and when he glanced over and caught her she averted her eyes quickly.  She’d been doing it since lunchtime and Dean had had enough.  He sat the sheet down and walked over to stand by her.

“OK, Rosie what’s the look about?”

“What look?” Her eyes darted nervously around the room, anywhere but on him.  He reached out and tapped her chin and she finally looked up at him.

“You keep looking at me like you’re trying to figure something out,” Dean said.  “So, ask me and maybe that’ll help.”  He didn’t think Rose would go back on what she said.  She had said she’d give him time and he believed her so he couldn’t figure out what was going on here.  But whatever it was he couldn’t take her looking at him nervously all day.

Rose understood Dean wasn’t ready to talk about being angry with her and she could wait till he was but she needed an answer to something else that was bothering her. There were too many questions in her life right now, too many uncertainties, unknowns.  She needed to know this for sure.  She bit her thumb anxiously and then finally, summoning all her courage she asked the question she’d wanted, needed to ask for weeks now. 

“What you said in the Impala…the night me and Lily had the big fight in the kitchen.”  Dean was just watching her, not making this any easier.  “You said that we’d have a discussion and you, well it sounded like you meant you were going to,” Rose closed her eyes and took a breath.  Opening them she blurted it out.  “It sounded like you meant you were going to punish me.  Did you mean that?”

Dean studied Rose for a second, unable to hide his surprise.  He hadn’t seen that question coming.  Though he guessed it did make sense.  She’d been wanting to discuss him being mad at her, the next topic being the repercussions of her actions wasn’t a big leap.  And actually, the fact that she was asking he supposed was a sign of how far she’d come, how far they’d come.  If he’d wanted an example of her healing and strengthening this was definitely one.

Still he thought he’d been pretty clear about his plans.  Short of saying flat out, “Hey Rose I plan on blistering your butt,” he thought he’d been pretty up front with what he meant.  But Rose had always liked things plain, no questions or doubts, had always liked to know exactly where she stood.  So, her wanting it spelled out shouldn’t have surprised him. 

“I did,” Dean said crossing his arms and looking her straight in the eye.  And for once her eyes were hard for him to read.  There was so much turmoil and confusion there and Dean was partly surprised by that and partly not. Despite the fact that Rose was the one who had led them down this path she was not going to go down this road easily.

“You did?” Rose squeaked out and Dean made himself hide his grin at her tone.  “I mean, you do?”

“I thought I was pretty clear about that,” Dean said, moving closer so he was just barely brushing against her knees.  “I planned on punishing you from the moment you left the bunker, little girl and I haven’t changed my mind.”

Rose’s eyes were big and wide, looking up at him.  She finally softly murmured an, “Oh,” before she glanced down again.  Dean wasn’t sure if that surprised him or not.  She hadn’t yelled, hadn’t argued with him, hadn’t given much of any indication to how she felt.  And her body language was all over the place - her eyes downcast, her shoulders tense, but her body wasn’t pulling away from him, was leaning into him actually.  Something told Dean that all fit – She was a mass of confusion.

Just as Dean opened his mouth to speak Rose’s phone let out a loud alarm making them both jump.

“Time to go to the hospital,” Rose said jumping down from the counter and brushing past him.  Rose had told him this morning that she was going to meet Lily at the hospital this afternoon and Dean had said he’d drive her.  Since Daisy was up for wheelchair rides now they both wanted a chance to take her around. 

Rose scurried from the room and Dean was left to look after her.  He hadn’t a clue what was going on in her head now.  Which he hated.  He’d expected a different reaction from her honestly, anger maybe or at least a protest, but then Rose never did do the expected, she never had.  No reason she should start now.

* * *

The sun was warm on Daisy's skin and bright in her eyes.  It was the first time she'd been outside in...she pursed her lips trying to think of just how long it had been and finally gave up.  A long time.

"Is the sun too bright?" Rose asked anxiously as Daisy squinted.

"Do we need to go back in?" Lily asked ready to turn around.

"No!" Daisy said sharply ready to throw herself from the wheelchair if Lily pulled her back inside.  As much as she loved her sisters their hovering was beginning to make her slightly irritable.  She glanced at both their concerned expressions and reminded herself of how worried they'd been.  She took a breath and made herself smile at them.  "It's nice," she said.  "Let's stay a bit." 

She watched as they looked at each other over her head, obviously wanting the others opinion of what to do.  Yeah, forget her opinion.  I mean why bother with that?  Finally, they must have decided she wouldn't melt or freeze and Rose took a seat on a bench that Lily pushed Daisy near before taking a seat as well.

The hospital garden was pretty even if it was way too cold for any flowers to be in bloom.  There were stone benches strewn throughout with several fountains and a few small statues.  Lily was glad her mom had brought her flannel Hello Kitty pajamas as it was a bit chilly out.  And the matching house shoes were cheery Daisy thought staring down at them smiling up at her. 

Despite the cooler weather there were quite a few people in the garden, mostly patients with visitors. Daisy sat there soaking up the sun, amazed at how good it felt to be out here.  Of course, knowing her sisters, it wouldn't last long but she'd take what she could get. 

"If you're too cold you tell us," Lily instructed and Daisy glanced at her and nodded.

"Or if it's too bright," Rose added and Daisy kept herself from groaning or saying the comment that was on the tip of her tongue.  Again, she just nodded.

She loved her sisters.  She'd missed them.  But they were being completely crazy with their over protectiveness.  She hadn’t minded when she’d first woken up.  She’d been drugged then and felt really vulnerable.  But now she wanted some space, wanted to breath. And God, just let someone else act that way with them.  Ok to be fair Dean was that bad with Rose.  But Lily, she broke up with Sam over him being too protective.  And did she have any idea how bad she was being?  Nope.  Not a clue.

"It's nice out here," Rose said glancing around and Daisy smiled. Yes, focus on that and let us stay out here longer, she silently encouraged.  Rose smoothed her skirt down and settled down enough that it was clear they were staying a bit.  Daisy looked at her sisters seated on the bench together and couldn’t help but grin.  They were dressed the complete opposite of each other today.  Rose in a pink skirt with a lacy white top and pink cardigan looking sweet and proper, kind of like she should be running a bake sale.  Lily on the other hand in black jeans and t-shirt that proudly proclaimed, “Happy to demonstrate what hits like a girl really means” looked ready to head to the bar or maybe get into a fight.  Where Rose had on pink flats Lily had on black stilettos.  Sometimes Daisy wondered if they didn’t take enjoyment in dressing so polarly opposite and the attention it drew.  Then again, they’d always been this dissimilar so she supposed it must come natural.

It was kind of strange being without Cas.  Daisy had gotten so used to his constant presence that him staying upstairs with Dean felt weird.  She reached out and felt the comfort of him there and smiled.

 _Is everything OK?_ Immediately came through.

_Yes, just checking you were there._

_I'm always here, Daisy._   A pause then, _Is the garden nice?_

Weird question Daisy thought.  Not a normal Cas kind of question.

 _Dean told me I should ask you more questions like that._   Aw, that explained it.

_Why?_

_Apparently, it's to show my concern for your happiness._

_Huh.  But I already know you want me to be happy._

Daisy felt the confusion from Cas.  _Cas just don't worry about that OK?_

_You know I care about-_

_About everything, yes._

_Even though I haven't asked you the proper relationship concern questions?_

Daisy smiled in amusement.

_Propriety is overrated.  You ask the right questions for me._

She felt Cas' pleasure at that and felt pleased herself.

_Perhaps I'll tell Dean we ask different questions._

_That works for me._

"Do you think she has any idea she does that?" A voice broke in and Daisy jerked herself away from the conversation with Cas.

"Probably not," Lily mused.  "Though she's never been able to hide anything on her face anyway."

"What are you two babbling about?" Daisy asked looking at them suspiciously.

Rose and Lily shared a grin before Rose explained.  "I'm going to guess you're talking to Cas?"

Daisy nodded.  "How did you-"

"Oh God, Days your face went through like a billion expressions!" Lily laughed. "It's actually reassuring to know you're talking to him.  Otherwise we might think you'd just lost it."

"Oh yeah 'cause you two are so sane," Daisy retorted.

"Does...can he hear you all the time?" Rose asked curiously.

Daisy nodded. 

"Every minute?" Lily's eyes were wide with the horror of that prospect.

"Well I can block him if I want to," Daisy said "But it's generally...I don't know, it just doesn't bother me."

Rose and Lily shared a knowing look.

"What?" Daisy didn't like the look they were giving each other.  It was the look they'd always shared when they thought she was being naive or silly.  It was their “We've-thought-of-something-you-haven't” look.  It always irritated her.

Rose cleared her throat and said, "Well there's just a few instances I can think of that I don't know that I'd want someone else to be able to hear my thoughts."  Daisy looked at her blankly and Rose tried to explain. "Well ok what about if it's a moment you don't necessarily want Cas to be able to know what..or how you-" Rose was fumbling and Daisy looked at Lily knowing she'd say it plain.

"She means what about if you're fucking him," Lily said bluntly, drawing a gasp from the older woman seated closest to them.  Rose looked embarrassed, hiding her face in her hands while Lily just gave the older woman a daring look.  “What?” she demanded and the older woman got up and moved over to the other side of the garden.  Great.  They hadn’t been out here less than a half hour and they were already running people off.

Daisy frowned aware that despite her best efforts she was probably blushing. "But why wouldn't I want-"

"What if you don't like what he's doing?" Rose said gently.  "What if you want something else?"

"Well if he could read my mind wouldn't that help the process?" Daisy queried. That made sense to her.

Her sisters shared a look and Rose reached out and patted Daisy’s knee. 

"A conversation for another time,” she said and as if by mutual agreement her sisters changed the subject.

The whole thing just left Daisy feeling disconcerted and annoyed.

* * *

As soon as the girls left to traipse through the hospital Dean had a quick chat with Cas to make sure Daisy was really doing OK, offered him a few words of advice then stretched out on the couch planning to catch a quick nap.  They'd been crazy lately, running around, researching.  Who knew time when they weren't actually hunting could be so tiring?  Being on edge didn't help either, knowing this damn prophecy with the numbers from hell was there just taunting him, that Rose was anxious to talk about something he honestly didn't want to discuss, that there were things unsettled between them and now she’d reacted so oddly to their conversation this afternoon.  Dean sighed.  And Sam still kept mentioning asking Rose about knowing how to contact Danny which was annoying Dean and testing his patience.  It had been too quiet too.  All the mass chaos that had been happening had died down.  He’d had been fairly sure something would happen on a larger scale but after the blow up in the hotel aside from that one demon that got into Daisy's room and Crowley's comment it had been pretty calm.  While Dean was happy that made it easier for him to be around, to not have to worry about running off to kill some monsters and hurry back it still made him uneasy.  Quiet led to blow ups of epic proportions.  At least they'd been able to keep the girls here, to keep it relatively quiet where they were.  That was actually amazing, Dean mused.  The girls may wander but they always wound up back home so Dean was surprised one of them hadn't broke ranks and ran back to Hastings.

Dean stretched, propping his boots up on the end of the couch.  The girls had made it clear this was a girls only outing so he'd stayed back despite his urge to hover.  But Lily had made a very pointed comment that she had this covered and so Dean had let them go.  He sighed again.  Hell, maybe he should ask Rose about contacting Danny.  They were getting desperate and besides what were the chances she had some secret number?  She had made it clear she was interested in only one idiot, that being one Dean Winchester.  Still.  He frowned.  He hated the thought of that jerk even talking to Rose and asking her if she could reach him implied there was still a connection between them.  Dean wanted no connection between Rose and anyone save him.  She was his.

"Why does he bother you so?"

Dean opened an eye and glanced at Cas who was watching him intently.  Oh well that wasn't weird.

After Dean's second loud sigh and the thoughts he was practically screaming Cas felt the need to ask.  Being with Dean normally was like being with a walking billboard.  When he was agitated it was more like a sports announcer with a megaphone.

"Cas, we've talked about this.  Quit reading my damn thoughts."

"Then you need to work on not thinking so loudly," Cas retorted and Dean frowned at him. 

"So, what some of Daisy's sass has rubbed off on you?" Dean snarked and it was Cas' turn to frown.  Dean sighed and sat up, knowing there was no way he was going to get a nap now, not if Cas was in an inquisitive mood.  "In answer to your question, Danny bothers me because he's a dick."

"Daisy thinks Danny is a nice guy," Cas pointed out and Dean looked less than impressed.

"Of course, she does.  She drank the fucking Danny flavored Kool-Aid." he muttered.  Cas looked confused at that but Dean didn’t bother to explain.  "Look the guy is just way too cocky.  Plus, I'm pretty damn sure he's still hung up on Rose."  Cas looked confused. "He wears some necklace she gave him still.  I mean who does that?  A guy whose still in love with his high school girlfriend that's who."

"I see," Cas said slowly. "And Rose has indicated to you that she has feelings for him as well?"

"What?" Dean drew back, his expression horrified. "Hell no.  Rose is mine.  She doesn't have feelings for that ass hat."

Cas frowned. "Then I don't understand what your concern is."

Dean sighed. He knew Cas truly didn't understand.  He supposed jealousy wasn't something angels were that familiar with.  Thinking back to something Cas had said Dean knew how to explain.

"Remember when I kissed Daisy's forehead and you said it made you feel weird?"

"Yes, and you explained that was jealousy but that I had nothing to worry about."

Dean nodded and leaned forward leaning his elbows on his knees.

"OK so imagine that I wasn't like Daisy's brother, that I'd had a history with her, that I'd kissed her, touched her and you knew deep down that I'd like nothing more than to do that again."

Cas' frown had deepened, his expression past upset, to something faintly alarming.  "Yes, I can see how unsettling that would be."

Dean nodded, confident he'd made his point.  "Plus, the last few times he's seen Rose he's upset her.  I don't like anyone who does that."

Cas nodded and Dean could see him thinking all this over.  He looked at Dean thoughtfully.

"Why are Lily and Rose so odd acting with Daisy now?"

Dean startled.  "Transitions, man.  Give me some warning we're changing topics."  Cas smiled apologetically and Dean sat back and reached for his coffee.  Dean wondered if Cas kept a list of things to ask him about.  There never seemed to be just one.

"What do you mean by odd?"

"They're acting as if she's a child, a helpless, very young child.  They coddle her and are somewhat suffocating."

Dean laughed at Cas' very apt description.  He sobered then and tried to explain. "They overreact with Daisy.  She was hurt so they're freaked out and this is how they react."

"They've done this before?"

"Yeah," Dean said.  "Whenever she's been hurt, sick, even had someone hurt her feelings."

"Is this normal?" Cas asked sounding genuinely confused.

"Aw Cas, man nothings normal about these girls."  Dean let his grin slide away and tried to explain. "Look she's a lot younger than all of us except Sam and so we all kind of treat her like a little kid." Dean shrugged. "It's a habit and a hard one to break.  But the girls, you know, I mean did Daisy tell you about after their dad died?" Cas nodded.  “It was a shit time, man and just…well it was hard on everyone.”

Cas studied Dean for a moment, able to hear how much that applied to him as well.

“You cared for him a great deal,” he offered and Dean glanced up at him and nodded.  “Daisy has said he was a wonderful man, that he was loving and kind.”

Dean gave him a small grin.  “He was awesome.  I mean he was a great hunter but he was an even better dad.”  Cas cocked his head to the side at that, surprised to find how much emphasis Dean placed on Brendan’s expertise as a father.  He’d never heard Dean say anything disparaging about his own father but he’d certainly never heard him speak about him like that either.  “He was this huge guy, could just knock the shit out of a monster as easy as breathing but then he’d turn around and be as sweet and gentle with his kids as anyone could be.”  Cas took that in, noticing he hadn’t his said girls, but his kids.  That obviously included the boys.  “And he adored Erin, was crazy about her.”  Cas nodded, taking all that in.  He was interested in anything to do with Daisy and her parents had in part made her who she was.  “Anyway, when he died the girls stepped in.   And well they took the whole taking care of Daisy thing super seriously.  I mean they had to; Erin was a zombie for ages after.  But you put a teenager in charge of a kid...it's tough.  Rose was the same age Daisy is now when it happened and it turned all their lives upside down." Dean frowned.  _All_ of their lives.  "Anyway, yeah the girls overdo it.  They don't really know how to dial it back when it comes to Daisy if she's sick or hurt."   Dean took a sip of coffee then added, “And man, Cas, I mean she’s been in a fucking coma, she was hurt bad.  It shook them up.” 

Cas nodded looking thoughtful.  After a moment, he asked Dean almost hesitantly, "And does Daisy always act so uh, young with them?"

Dean couldn't hold back his laugh and Cas looked at him in confusion. 

"Aw, so you've had a chance to see why we call her a brat."

Cas frowned. "Yes, I wondered about that.  But Dean, she doesn't act like that normally."

"Maybe not with you," Dean said with a grin then seeing how truly confused Cas was Dean made himself get serious. "Look man, they're her sisters and they mother her.  She falls into the role she's always played when she's with them.  Once she's out of the hospital and feeling like herself, things will settle down.  But for now, they're gonna smother her and she's gonna act like a kid."

"Is this some kind of human ritual I don't know about?" Cas asked and despite himself Dean couldn't help but laugh.  Cas just looked so confused.  He’d chosen one hell of a complicated family to marry into.

"Na, it's just them.  You get used to it." 

“And Erin…she, when the girls are here she backs off, lets them take over.”  Cas looked at him in confusion.  “But when they aren’t here she’s the mother.  I don’t understand.  Do people take turns parenting?”

Dean thought about that.  Finally, he shrugged.  “Like I said, Erin stepped out for a while.  She couldn’t handle anything and the girls did it all.  Especially Rose.”

Cas nodded seriously.  “Yes, she was definitely the one in charge when it came to Daisy eating the other night.  Lily was much more indulgent.”

Dean nodded.  That sounded right.  Topsy turvy in their everyday life but normal in this situation.  “I think maybe Erin just doesn’t feel like she should step on the girls’ toes,” Dean explained.  “She checked out after Brendan died and the girls took over and so maybe she feels like she doesn’t have the right now.  I don’t think the girls even realize they do it, take over I mean.” Dean shrugged again.  He didn’t know the exact reasoning but he knew what Cas meant, had seen it himself.  “And Daisy, I guess ‘cause she’s been hurt, probably falls back into the baby role.”  Dean looked curious then.  "So, she's not like that with you?"

Cas shook his head.  "No. Even when she was angry at me she never acted so petulant."

"Huh." Dean looked surprised.  Was the baby finally growing up?  He guessed it was about time.  She was married after all.  "That's good though.  Means she's not a kid with you."

Cas nodded seriously. "I don't look at her as a child," he said and Dean couldn't help but wince, not liking the image that brought to mind.

"Aw, Cas man don't say things like that to me."

* * *

“Where are you going, Sweetheart?” Dean asked sleepily.  He’d fallen sound asleep during Rose’s nap.  Actually, looking at her he swore he’d been sounder asleep than she had been.  She was rummaging in the closet for shoes, half dressed with makeup on?  When did that happen? Just how long had she been awake?

“Lily called,” Rose said, her head in the closet so her words came out muffled.  “She and Charlie want to go out and take me with them.”

Dean sat up at her words, not liking the sound of them one bit.  Rose had been edgy, jumpy ever since their conversation about him punishing her.  Now she was going out with Lily and Charlie and that just sounded like a recipe for disaster.

“Aren’t you going out with Sam?”  It was her day to do that and had been the plan when they’d fallen asleep.

“I took a raincheck,” Rose said and Dean shook his head.  She’d been so keen on going she went yesterday and now she was cancelling it?

“Rose…I don’t think…” Dean began and then stopped when she reappeared from the closet and he was able to take in her entire outfit. 

Black jeans, a pink 50’s looking bowling shirt and black and white saddle shoes made her look like she’d stepped off the set of Grease.  Her hair was up in a high ponytail and she had on makeup, which he rarely saw her in, at least eyeliner and red lipstick. 

“How do I look?” Rose asked turning to the bathroom mirror and tightening her ponytail.

“Where exactly did you say you’re going?” Dean queried.

“I didn’t,” Rose said with a funny smile.  “But we’re going bowling.”

“Bowling,” Dean repeated as he watched Rose grab her purse and coat.  Not his coat he noticed, no this was a different one, soft and shiny and very, very pink.  Dean felt like he’d woken up in some alternate reality.

“Mmm hmm,” Rose said shimmying into said coat and drawing Dean’s eyes to her body.  Where had she gotten those jeans from?  They were tighter than the ones she normally wore. “Charlie’s landlady bowls.  There’s a nice place in Salina and Tuesday night is ladies night.”

“Do you…” Dean ran a hand through his hair making it stick up on end.  “Is this something you do?  Bowl?”

He sounded so confused Rose couldn’t help but laugh.  “Not really, no.  I’ve only ever gone a few times.  But it sounds fun and they both want to go so…”  She motioned with her hand in a going motion and Dean caught her eye.  He could see how nervous she was, how nervous she had been ever since this afternoon.

“Rosie, -” he started and Rose’s phone rang.  She glanced down.

“They’re here.  I have to go.”  She came over to the bed and kissed him quickly, leaving him in a cloud of sweet-smelling perfume and a smear of lipstick on his cheek, then was quickly heading out the door.  “I’ll be back late.  Don’t wait up.”

Dean just sat there, feeling as if his head was spinning.  “What the fuck just happened?” he muttered to himself.

* * *

Lily had come into the bunker to get Rose, going in search of a bottle of water for Charlie.  She’s decided to grab a cup of coffee for herself and she’d been in the kitchen rummaging through the cabinets in search of a travel mug she could take with her that was of course in the upper cabinets, a high spot even for her.  She wasn’t wearing heels tonight either and she cursed that fact, glaring evilly at the flat shoes on her feet.  Rose had mentioned her idea of going with a 50’s look and it just so happened Lily had an outfit that worked perfectly.  Hers was much more a pinup look, all in black and white and the saddle shoes she’d bought on a whim with Rose had perfected the look.  But they weren’t helping her now.  “Fat lot of good you do,” she muttered, figuring she’d have to find something to climb up on, wondering if this was what Daisy felt like all the time.  She was just about to turn to grab a stool when she heard a noise and glanced back to see Sam in the doorway, looking surprised to find her there. 

The main area of the bunker had been empty when she’d arrived and so she’d been hopeful she could get in, grab the drinks and her sister and get out before seeing Sam.  No such luck.

His surprise quickly morphed into delight and he walked towards her, quickly surmising what the issue was and asking, “Need some help there?”

“No, No, I’m good,” she said quickly, trying to backtrack.  She’d forget the coffee.  But before she could move Sam was there, pressed up against her back and she couldn’t help but close her eyes.  She was trapped between the counter and Sam’s body and she should hate it, should be panicked or working on getting away but she wasn’t.  She was just standing there, soaking up the feel of him against her.

“Really.”  Sam’s voice rumbled against her back, vibrating through her and Lily took a breath, trying to steady herself, making herself open her eyes.  “I don’t mind.” 

He reached a hand up towards the top shelf, his fingers easily grasping the cup Lily had been reaching for.  His body pressed even firmer against hers as he leaned in, the line and muscles of his body fitting against hers so perfectly like they always had.  His free hand came up to rest on her waist and the feel of his fingers there felt like they were burning into her skin.  He pulled the cup down in slow motion and every movement rocked his body against hers and Lily thought she was going to die like this.  She was frozen, couldn’t move and the worst part was she didn’t want to.  She wanted to stay here with Sam pressed against her, wanted to feel the warmth of his body against hers.  _I could kiss him_ , she thought wildly.  _I could turn and just kiss him.  It wouldn’t have to mean anything except for the fact that I wanted to kiss him._   Except everything meant something with them.  They had been able to do the friends with benefits thing for quite a while but that ship had sailed.  There was too much emotion between them now, too many feelings. It couldn’t ever be just physical again. 

Sam sat the cup down on the counter and they both just stared at it for a second, as if it would tell them both what to do now.  Then Lily felt Sam’s mouth brushing against her ear before she heard his voice.

“Anything you need, Lil,” he breathed out softly and Lily’s breath caught in her throat.  “I’m more than happy to give you.”  Then he pulled back, giving Lily space and she slipped away from him, unable to resist giving him one longing look which he of course caught.

Before Lily could escape the room entirely Sam smiled at her and gestured to the cup.  “You wanted something in that?”

“Oh, yeah.”  Lily frowned.  God, she was never this frazzled.  She shook herself mentally and vowed to get a hold of herself.  “Coffee.”

Sam nodded and filled the cup for her, adding the exact right amount of sugar, then handed it to her with another smile.

“Enjoy,” he said.  The smile on his face was sinful, was so tempting that for a second Lily toyed with the idea again.  _Just a simple pressing together of lips.  No big deal._

Except it was.  It would be.

So, with a small, shaky smile in return Lily grabbed the cup and escaped.  Rose could meet her at the damn car.

* * *

“Your boyfriend’s texting me,” Lily informed Rose when they had been on the road just a short time.  It was a drive to Salina.  Everywhere was a drive in central Kansas.  Lily was behind the wheel tonight so she tossed her phone to Charlie.  “Here, answer him something convincing.”

Charlie glanced at the screen of Lily's phone and winced at the demanding, less than happy texts there.  "Convincing how?"

"I don't know..." Lily thought then said, "Tell him we're having sisterly bonding time.  That should work, right?" She glanced in the mirror at the back seat where Rose was looking out the window, a distracted look on her face. "Rose?"

Rose jerked in surprise. "What?" Lily repeated what she'd said and Rose nodded. 

"Did Dean not know you were going out?" Charlie asked after she'd delivered the message and gotten no response. 

"He did." Rose glanced down at her own phone which was lighting up like crazy now.  "He was just kind of still sleeping when I started getting dressed.  By the time I told him he was still foggy enough not to have time to freak out."

"Awesome plan!" Lily crowed while Charlie gave Rose a concerned glance.

Rose was texting away on her phone, eventually easing Dean's mind enough that he stopped blowing up her phone.

"We good?" Lily asked glancing back her way and Rose nodded.  Rose glanced up at the front seat to find Charlie looking at her in concern.  “You get what anyone gets.  You get a lifetime.”  Rose read her t-shirt and smiled.  Charlie was the only one who was dressed like herself, she thought in amusement.

“Not feeling the 50’s vibe?” she questioned and Charlie shook her head with a grin.

"No guy talk tonight OK?" Rose said suddenly and Lily glanced back at her and nodded while Charlie easily agreed.

“Let’s just have fun tonight,” Lily said and that was indeed what they did.

* * *

Once Dean felt he’d gotten enough answers from both Lily and more importantly Rose he made his way from the bedroom to the kitchen.  He grabbed a mug of coffee and then headed for the library where he was sure he would find Sam.

“Did that just happen?” Dean asked throwing himself down into a chair.  Sam raised an eyebrow at him curiously. “Did Rose just leave to go bowling with Lily and Charlie?”

Sam grinned, amused at the disbelief in his brother’s voice.  “Looks like.”

“Huh.”  Dean sat back and sipped his coffee.  “And what are we doing tonight?”

Sam looked at him.  “Well I’m researching.”

“Quite possibly the only answer sadder than bowling,” Dean said and Sam just rolled his eyes.  “Let’s go out to Donnie’s,” Dean suggested. 

It took a little wheedling and a little prodding but finally Dean was able to convince Sam that they should do just that.  And sooner rather than later they were both sat in a booth nursing beers.

They talked about various topics, touching on some of the stuff going on right now and some other lighter stuff.

“So, how’s your plan to get Lily back going?” Dean asked when he’d finished his beer and moved onto whiskey.  He still didn’t know the details, Rose and Sam refusing to admit anything, but he’d known Sam had been determined.

Sam smiled, a small, satisfied smile.  “It’s going.”

Dean quirked an eyebrow.  “Well that’s a very political way of answering, Sammy, without giving any information at all.”  Sam laughed and Dean muttered, “We’ll have you running for the damn senate next.”

“Na, not enough skeletons in my closet,” Sam said with a grin and it was Dean’s turn to laugh.

* * *

When Rose got home hours later she was slightly tipsy.  Lily had coaxed her into having two drinks and she’d been fuzzy headed for a while.  The main part of the bunker was empty and so Rose made her way to their room. Dean was sitting in the chair when she came in, an open book in his hand and Sookie curled up on his lap.  She gave him a smile as she came in and Dean set his book aside. 

“Have a good time?” he asked and Rose nodded, slipping her shoes off.  Dean frowned when she put them immediately in the closet.  While he was grateful he wouldn’t have to worry about breaking his neck on them tonight that wasn’t exactly normal Rose behavior.

“Yep,” she said, stripping out of her clothes, causing Dean to lose focus on what she said for a moment.  She put her clothes in the hamper, pulled a purple nightshirt from her dresser and slipped it over her head then headed for the bathroom.  Dean watched as she took out some little wipes and started removing her makeup.  “I got a…a stroke.”

Dean turned that over, using the deciphering skills he’d picked up from conversations with Cas to work out what she meant.

“You mean a strike?” he offered and Rose nodded.

“Yeah, one of those.”  She giggled.  “Then the rest was just really bad.”  Makeup gone she pulled the rubber band from her hair and brushed it out then came and collapsed on the bed.  “That’s better.  Now I’m me again.”

Dean considered that statement for a moment, thought about pursuing it but decided not to in the end.  Instead he asked, “And how much did you have to drink?”

Rose held up two fingers.  “Two drinks.  And a sip of Lily’s.”  She frowned as she let her arm drop back to the bed.  “I don’t know what they were but they were orange.  And yummy.”

Dean shook his head.  Two drinks and she was, well not drunk, but not sober either.  He’d noticed how neat she’d been since she’d been home, everything in its place which was not like her at all.  This was more of her nervousness he decided.  And the fact she hadn’t even kissed him when she’d come in said a lot.  He opened his mouth to say something about it when Rose let out a sigh and he realized she was asleep.

Dean moved Sookie from his lap, got up and roused Rose enough to at least take her potion then moved her under the covers.  “You’ll never be a drinker, Rosie,” he said as he kissed her forehead.  That he could handle, Dean thought as he undressed for bed and slipped in beside her.  But this nervousness, this unease around him.  They’d have to take care of that. 

* * *

“You know he’s really too big for that couch,” Daisy said softly.

Cas followed her eyes to where Sam was curled up on the small couch in the hospital room.  He did in fact look like he was barely fitting on it.

“I can eat tomorrow!” Daisy said excitedly and Cas turned back to face her.  Her eyes were shining and she looked so vibrant it was hard to imagine she’d been in a coma not long ago.  Cas smiled at her obvious delight.  The doctor had delivered the good news earlier that her tests had come back and starting tomorrow they were easing her onto more solid food.

“Not a cheeseburger yet though,” Cas cautioned and Daisy sighed.

“I know.  But food, real food with texture and taste and not jello,” Daisy said and smiled dreamily.  “I can’t wait.”

Cas studied her face wondering at how much joy her happiness brought him.  Daisy felt things so strongly.  Dean was like that as well, so full of emotions they couldn’t help but overflow.  It was one of the things that Cas had found fascinating about humans from the very beginning – how strong they felt things, some much more so than others.  But he’d never felt like he did with Daisy, where her happiness was tied to his own.  He reached out now and brushed a stray curl back from her face.

“You’ve had a busy day, Daisy.  You should probably rest.”

Daisy smiled at him and traced her fingers over his other hand that was clasped in one of hers.  “I will soon, I promise.  Just…talk to me a little more, OK?”  It was nice to not feel foggy, to be awake and alert.  Soon she’d drift off she knew but for now she wanted to lie here and listen to Cas’ voice and watch the way his eyes shown in the light pouring in from the window, to soak up the way he smiled at her and how happy it made her feel. 

And Cas could sense her happiness at feeling more like herself so he gave in.

“You enjoyed your time with your sisters?”

“The garden is pretty, Cas,” Daisy said, then she made a face.  “But God, my sisters.  They’re the worst mother hens ever.”

Cas listened to Daisy telling him all about the antics of her sisters.  And he smiled at the fact that there was nowhere else he wanted to be more than right here.


	88. Like We're Made of Starlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A garden, some Chinese food and one happy couple

"Want some company?" Sam asked as Daisy settled into the wheelchair.  She held her breath.  She knew she would love a moment with Cas alone but Cas was so cautious with her safety.  The moment hung there, Sam halfway ready to get up and come with them and Cas just looking down at Daisy.  His eyes were staring at her, soaking her in, seeming to be coming to some decision. 

_Ready?_

_Ready_

There was no hesitation in Daisy’s mental reply and Cas graced her with a small smile as he said, "I think we'll be OK, Sam.  But thank you."

Sam gave Daisy a smile and she had the feeling he not only knew what he'd walked in and disrupted the other day before but that he knew what Cas' plan was now.  Thank God it was Sam and not Dean.  Dean may well have tried to keep them there or come along on their "walk."

Sam watched the two of them set off with a smile.  He said nothing just thought that God things were changing fast (Daisy would have voiced her dissent at that saying _slow_ , some things were moving way too slow.) and wondered when Daisy had grown up so much.  Then he settled back on the couch and pulled out his phone.  He thought for a moment and then typed out:

_The first time we kissed my whole life changed.  I've loved every kiss since then._

* * *

Lily read the words that popped up on her phone and Rose watched as she drew in a sharp breath.

"What?  Everything OK?" Rose asked and Lily nodded, smiling and putting her phone away.

"Oh yeah it's fine," Lily assured her sister.  She reached out and tried to snag a crunchy noodle off Rose's plate but got her hand smacked for her efforts.  "Hey!"

"Don't steal food," Rose said.  "It's not like you don't have your own."

"Yeah, but I ate all my crunchy noodles," Lily pouted and predictably Rose gave in and poured a spoonful onto Lily's plate.  Lily graced her with a smile and Rose just shook her head at her.

Lily studied her sister covertly as she dug unto her Mu Shu chicken.  Rose had texted her in the afternoon asking her if she wanted to grab dinner tonight.  Lily had picked her up and followed Rose's directions to a place twenty minutes from the hospital.  Rose was acting off tonight.  Something was definitely bothering her.

"So, what's up?" Lily asked after she'd swallowed her bite of tangy chicken.

"Nothing.  I can't want to eat dinner with my sister without there being something going on?" Rose asked.

"Sure, you can," Lily said easily, reaching out and stabbing a shrimp off Rose's plate and popping it into her mouth.  "But that's not the case tonight."  Lily snuck out a chopstick and snatched a carrot.

"Would you stop that?" Rose said in irritation.  "How have you not outgrown that?"  Lily was constantly mooching food off of other people's plates even when her own plate was still full.  It was a persistent habit of hers and an annoying one.

Lily shrugged then grinned.  "Eat faster and I won't."

Rose just rolled her eyes and looked down at her plate.  She and Dean had come here for lunch once.  It was a typical hole in the wall Chinese place like one would expect to find in the barren culinary Kansas landscape.  She smiled.  That had been a gift from Dean.  He wasn't the biggest fan of Chinese food and Rose knew he'd brought her here as a treat. 

"You're grumpy tonight," Lily commented and Rose looked up at her in surprise then smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry," she said.  "I'm just..." Maybe this had been a bad idea.  After all Lily was going to want to know what was going on with her and Rose couldn't very well blurt out, "Well Dean confirmed yesterday that yes, he does indeed plan to punish me.  I wasn't imagining it or reaching.  And now my brain is freaking out.  How's the chicken?"  Though a perverse part of her brain pointed out that Lily's reaction would be epic. She'd flip out, try and kill Dean (Because obviously this was all on him.) and most likely scream at Rose for not telling Dean where to shove his plan.  Rose fidgeted with her fork, pushing a noodle around her plate.  "I'm tired," she finished lamely.

"Mmm hmm," Lily said. "Tired.  Right."

Rose shot her an irritated glance.  Why did Lily have to pick tonight of all nights to be observant?

"So how did the conversation with Dean go?"

Rose froze, her mind taking a minute to realize Lily was asking about a different conversation, the one about her leaving.  She relaxed then, realizing Lily would just think she was upset about that.

"It didn't," she said shortly and Lily frowned.  Rose had always been the most even tempered, the most patient of the three sisters.  Lily watched her pick at her plate of shrimp Lo Mein and wondered if this was a side effect of all that happened.  It would make sense, Lily supposed.  I mean something like Rose went through had to change a person. 

"So, are you mad at him?" Lily asked, trying to gauge what was going on here.

Rose looked up from her plate and shook her head. “No, he said he needs time and I understand that.  And that’s your favorite question lately.”

“Yeah, well you’re moody and usually when you are it’s because things are weird with you two.”  When Rose remained, silent Lily finished off her egg roll before saying: "I know I said to be persistent but maybe you _should_ give him some time.  I mean he was pretty upset and maybe, well you did do the damage here." Lily ate the last piece of her chicken, realizing how weird it was to be the one defending Dean. "Maybe you need to just step back and wait."

Rose stared at her sister in complete surprise.  Lily advising her to wait?  When had that ever happened?  Catching her surprised glance Lily shifted uncomfortably. 

"OK who are you are where's my sister who told me people who wait are chumps?"

Again, Lily shrugged.  "I just, I was with Dean a lot when you got back and saw how he was. You fucked him up pretty good."  Rose winced and Lily offered a weak, “Sorry?” to which Rose just shook her head.  She wasn’t asking for sugar coating of the facts here.  She knew how much she’d messed up.  She was silent for a moment then looked at her sister curiously.

"Hmm, yeah you two were the dynamic hunting duo," Rose said.  "What was that like?"

"What do you mean?" Lily asked sipping at her drink. 

"Well you two hunting together, how did you not kill each other?  Did you annoy each other ever second?" Dean and Lily argued and needled each other more than the rest of them combined.  Rose actually thought they enjoyed it to some extent. 

"Honestly?  We did fine.” Lily gave a shrug. “I mean when we were in between jobs or trying to figure out what to do next we butted heads a few times.  But most of the time we got along better than ever."

"What's Dean like?  When he's hunting I mean?"  Rose was genuinely curious.  She'd been kept so separate from that part of all her families lives.  She'd seen Dean after a hunt, seen the after effects and had seen how comfortable he was with a gun and throwing a punch to know he was good but she'd never seen him actually on the job.  To her he was Dean, the guy who melted her with a smile and cuddled with her while they watched movies.  She wasn't easily able to picture him as the fearsome hunter she knew he was from word of mouth.

"This goes no further than you and me?" Rose nodded and Lily exhaled.  "He's fucking awesome.  He's the most instinctual hunter I've ever seen."

"What do you mean?" Rose asked.

Lily sat back and thought how to describe him so Rose could easily picture it.  He may be Rose's Prince Charming but he was also a lethal hunter and Lily was well aware that Rose didn't really see that side of him.

"It's like it’s second nature to him.  He moves quieter than a guy his size has any right to and he's just brutal.  I mean, that's not a bad thing," Lily was quick to add when Rose frowned.  "He’s a hunter.  Being ruthless is good.  It saves lives.  But in normal life he's just such a goof sometimes and out there it's like a completely different Dean.  He's got the best instincts.  He just...it's almost like he can put himself in their shoes and figure out what they're most likely to do."  Lily glanced up at Rose cautiously, unsure if she should say what she was thinking but Rose didn't seem freaked out so she continued.  "He's pretty vicious.  I mean hell, if I was a monster I'd be scared of him." Lily looked thoughtful and added, "He's pretty good at researching too, though he’ll deny that of course.  But yeah, I mean he figured out stuff a hell of a lot quicker than I would have." She glanced up at Rose warningly. "Don't tell him I said that."

Rose laughed.  "Don't worry I won't."

Lily nodded her head in satisfaction then leaned over and snatched another shrimp from Rose's plate and Rose gave a resigned sigh and swapped her half full plate for Lily's empty one, grabbing her egg roll back at the last second.  That got a sad look from Lily but Rose wasn't moved.  "They didn't run out you know," she commented.  "I'm sure you could get another."

"Na," Lily said with a dismissive wave of her hand.  "Just, I mean if you weren't going to eat it..." She trailed off at Rose's disbelieving look and instead dug into Rose's leftovers.  After she ate for a minute she said, "It's always kinda funny to see someone you know really well in a different situation, you know?  I mean he's so Mr. Gentle with you." Rose gave her a look that obviously said she found that a weird comment.  "Well he is," Lily defended.  "He's always been that way with you and he’s even more that way now.” Lily ate a bite of food then continued.  “He acts like you're a fragile little thing, holding your hand and what not and I get used to that and then I go out and watch him break necks with those same hands." She caught Rose's shiver and wide eyes.  "Too much?"

"No, I mean it's...those are just facts, right?"  Lily nodded, slurping up a noodle.  "It's just, I mean I know that's part of the job but it's hard for me to picture Dean like that."  Rose took a bite of her egg roll and then asked, "What about Sam?  Is he as ruthless?"

Lily considered the question then shook her head.  "He's more calculated?  I mean he's good, really good. What stands out about Sam when we’re out there?  Just how fucking strong he is.  I mean, trust me, I know he’s strong.  The things he can do-” Lily cut herself off and Rose didn’t even try to hide her grin.  Lily could deny it all she liked but Sam was always on her mind. “Anyway, he’s just… It’s like all that stubbornness and physical strength combine and he’s like an immovable wall when he wants to be." The admiration in her eyes and voice came through strongly.  Lily valued strength and capability.  "They’re both really, really good.  But they're different, have different styles but you can tell they’ve worked together their whole lives.  They’re so in sync with each other.  And those reputations they have?  They earned them, that’s for sure."  Lily swallowed a shrimp then said, "I'll tell you this, Dean couldn't take a back seat to someone out there to save his life.  He's Mr. Alpha male out there one hundred percent."

Lily watched as a small smile turned up the corners of her sisters’ mouth.  Yeah, of course she'd like that.  Somethings were so predictable.

* * *

Daisy had thought she'd be anxious, maybe nervous to be alone with Cas for the first time since she'd woken up.  Instead as he pushed her through the hallways she felt an overwhelming sense of peace and contentment.  She smiled to herself.  That was new.

_For me as well_

Daisy glanced at him over her shoulder and her smile widened.

_It's nice_

They were both silent as they made their way through the quiet hallways.  It was dark now, the sun long gone and the busy hallways had slowed.  Daisy realized where they were going as they neared the doorway: the small garden she'd gone to yesterday with her sisters.  When Cas pushed the door open her breath caught in her throat.  The garden during the day had been pretty, if a bit barren, with Fall well and truly setting in.  The garden at night however was a completely different place.  There were small lights everywhere, making the entire area glow with an almost ethereal light.  Even the fountains and small pond in the middle had underwater lights in them and strings of lights wrapped and dripped from all the trees.  To Daisy it looked like she was entering an enchanted fairy land.

"Oh Cas," she breathed.  "It's so beautiful."

"It's very shimmery," Cas agreed.  He paused then added, "Fairies aren't generally very nice creatures you know.  Dean could tell you-"

"The chances of me ever having to deal with a real fairy aren't very big," Daisy cut him off.  "So, let's let me keep that illusion OK?"

Cas smiled and nodded and after pushing Daisy close to the largest fountain he took a seat on the bench in front of her.  He looked at her face intently and OK there was the nervousness she had been missing, coursing through her body and making her feel all shivery.  She almost wished she had some of the drugs that had made her so brave back in her system but no, she reconsidered looking into Cas' eyes.  She wanted to be clear headed for this.

Cas hadn't ever instigated a kiss before. He'd had humans kiss him and he had enjoyed that for the most part but he had never been the one to start things.  He knew he'd have to be now.  More than that, he wanted to.  He'd done it in Daisy's dreamscape.  It shouldn't be that different here.  Yet he was surprisingly anxious.  Everything he'd picked up from Daisy had made it clear how much weight a first kiss carried.  He wanted this to be perfect.

He could sense Daisy's nerves as he leaned towards her but he could also feel her desire.  So, Cas slowly, gently cupped the back of her head in one of his hands and pulled her towards him.  And then he softly, sweetly, just barely brushed her lips with his.  He smiled when he heard Daisy sigh and then watched her eyes flutter close.  His own eyes shut as she moved her hands up to rest on his shoulders and the kiss deepened, both swept up in finally being able to express all they felt so deeply. 

Daisy had been kissed before.  Not many times but enough to say she knew what a good kiss felt like.  But as she and Cas' lips finally parted from each other's she knew she'd never felt a kiss like this.  It was more than lips, and tongues and heat.  She sat there staring into Cas' eyes and wondered if this wasn't some kind of angelic magic.

_No, just us_

Daisy blushed as she heard his thought and saw a smile cross Cas' face

"We're magic?" Daisy asked aloud and Cas reached his other hand up to stroke her cheek.

"It wouldn't surprise me to find we were," he murmured and then he was kissing her again and there were no more words for quite some time as their lips learned the others.

Finally, Cas smiled at Daisy and said, "We should go back."

Daisy nodded hesitantly.  "I'm surprised no one stumbled out here," she mused and she watched in amusement as a guilty look crossed Cas face. 

"I may have helped anyone passing by to ignore this door," he admitted and Daisy looked at him in surprise then laughed.  "I'd been trying for days to get you alone and was getting desperate."

Daisy looked happy at the idea that he’d wanted to kiss her as much as she’d wanted it.  She had been feeling desperate herself.

"Welcome to my family," she said now with a grin. "Getting privacy is no easy feat."

 "I'll remember that," Cas said as he pushed her a back into the hospital.  "And I'll be prepared next time."

Cas watched Daisy's face as they got into the elevator.  She was smiling, practically beaming and he could feel the happiness radiating off of her and that made him feel proud.  He'd enjoyed their kisses and felt sure he'd done a good job.

" _Try excellent_ ," floated his way and he looked down to see Daisy smiling and blushing.

And if Cas strutted just a little on the way back to Daisy's room who could blame him?  It's not every day you not only instigate your first kiss with a human and kiss your wife for the first time too.

* * *

"So, what's wrong with Dean being gentle with me?" Rose asked and Lily looked at her in surprise.  That comment had been made awhile back at the restaurant and they were almost back to the bunker now.  It had obviously stuck with Rose.

"There's nothing wrong with it," Lily said after a second. "It's just weird compared to how he is the rest of the time, with everyone else."

"OK but don't you think...I mean the boys, and you too, you see so much violence, so much blood and death and harshness.  Isn't it a good thing to have some gentleness?"

Lily made a face that Rose knew meant she hadn't considered that. 

"Didn't you-" Rose hesitated then plunged ahead. "I mean you and Sam, there was gentleness there right?  Tenderness?"

Lily gave her sister a look that said she thought she'd lost her mind and the car swerved for just a second till Lily jerked her eyes back to the road.

"Did you miss my stories about the bite marks and the bondage fun?  Did that sound gentle to you?"  And Rose just sighed.  Far be it for Lily to ever accept anything soft as anything but weak.

"Never mind," Rose said and changed the subject.

They pulled up to the bunker and Rose gathered her purse and had her hand on the door when Lily stopped her.

Her voice was soft, a tone in it that most people rarely heard.

"Rosie?" Rose glanced back at her sister curiously.  A sliver of moonlight caught Lily's face and for just a moment she looked sad and indescribably lonely.  "Yeah, there was a lot of tenderness between me and Sam.  It was...he brought it out in me."  She bit her lip and hesitated then said, "It wasn't always rough and desperate with us though yeah, that was fun." She flashed the wicked grin Rose knew so well but it disappeared quickly, to be replaced by a look Rose could only describe as longing.  "But there was other stuff, nice words and soft touches and, and taking care of each other."  She had tears in her eyes when she said, "It was really nice.  And I really miss it."  She bit her lip so hard Rose was surprised it didn't bleed.  "I really miss him."

Rose pulled her into a tight hug then after a minute pulled back and looked her big sister who she'd spent her entire life trying to live up to, to be half as brave as, in the eye and told her: "Then talk to him. You love him, Lily.  He loves you."

“He’s been texting me,” Lily admitted and Rose smiled, having guessed Sam must be doing something like that.  “Telling me stuff he loves about me, what he misses.”  Lily closed her eyes for a minute.  “It makes it all so much worse, missing the stuff we shared.”

“Answer him back, talk to him,” Rose encouraged.  “You can work it out.”

"But he could...damn it, he hurt me!” Lily exploded and despite the heat in her voice it was fear, not anger in her eyes. “And I... I fucking hate that.”

"And he could do it again," Rose said softly and Lily looked at her like she was crazy.  "He's human.  And you'll probably hurt him too.  We all screw up and hurt each other.  It's kind of in our design plans."

"This isn't your best pep talk, Rosie," Lily said dryly and Rose laughed.

"You just have to decide if the good parts - The laughing, the sweetness and yes even the bondage fun - which for the record please stop telling me about in such vivid detail-"

"Never,” Lily said with a laugh. “It's part of your sisterly duty to hear those stories."

"Oh, lucky me," Rose said with an exaggerated eye roll.  "But all of that...are you willing to give that up just to protect yourself?"

Lily shook her head.  "I don't know," she said honestly.

"Well only you can decide that, Lil," Rose said with a smile. "You want my two cents?" Lily nodded, her eyes searching. "Sam is a good guy.  He's kind, smart and strong and he sees past all your crap-"

"Hey!" Lily protested but Rose kept going.

"-to who you are underneath.  If you give all that up you'll regret it."

"Is that the official word from the relationship guru?" Lily asked with a smile.

"It is," Rose said giving her a smile in return. 

"I'll think about it," Lily said and Rose opened the door and climbed out.

"Don't think about it too long," she said leaning down and peering at her sister.  "Take a chance."

"That's a first," Lily said with a raised brow.  "You telling me that."

"The worlds a crazy place," Rose said with a smile.  She closed the door and Lily watched her walk into the bunker.

Lily sat there for several minutes turning Rose's words over in her head.  Then she dug her phone out and read the last text from Sam.  Her phone had buzzed as she was driving so he must have sent it then.

_I love your smile.  Your smile that I only get to see when you're really, really happy.  That's beautiful._

From anyone else that might sound like a line.  But from Sam she knew it wasn’t.  It was genuine. The first thing he’d ever told her was beautiful about her was her smile and she’d never forgotten it.

“You couldn’t fake a smile if you tried,” he had said to her one morning at a hotel near the Iowa Nebraska border.  She’d been eating a Danish he’d brought up from the reception area and she’d been thrilled to find it was cinnamon and cream cheese.  She’d smiled at the discovery, leading to Sam’s comment.  She’d looked up at him in surprise and he’d shrugged.  “People fake a lot of stuff.  I like that your smile is real.”

“I’ve just never been good at faking things,” she’d said, licking the cream cheese from her fingers. “Or seen the point.”

“Oh, I know that,” Sam said assuredly from his spot on the bed.  “You have a beautiful smile, Lil.  It would be a shame if it wasn’t real.”

Sitting in her car now her hand shook just a little and her heart beat so loud and hard she thought it might pound out of her chest as she started to type.

_I miss you too._

Lily looked at what she’d typed for just a second…and then she erased it.  She couldn’t take the chance.  Not yet.

Her heart screamed at her that she was a chicken as she drove away while her mind congratulated her on keeping her wits about her.  And Lily didn’t know which she should be listening to.

* * *

Rose found Dean in the living room, sprawled on the couch in front of the TV.  She hesitated in the doorway, looking at him while he couldn’t see her still.  She’d been running these last few days, she admitted, maybe not from the state, or even the town but she’d been making herself as distant as possible as her mind freaked out.  It was stupid, Rose chided herself.  She knew this was coming, despite her denials to Chastity, to herself even.  Somewhere deep down she’d known.  She wasn’t dumb.  She knew all the clues and Dean hadn’t exactly been subtle.  Still, when he’d oh so calmly verified that yes, he’d been serious about punishing her she’d felt panic course through her body.  She was scared.  This was the unknown and Rose was never very good with that. 

She wondered for a moment what would have happened if she’d confided in Lily.  If she’d admitted what was going on, told her how she was struggling with this and why.  _Dean wants to spank me, Lil and not in a fun, sexy way but in an honest to goodness I-belong-to-him-and-now-he’s-going-to-punish-me way.  And I know that sounds awful and wrong.  But is it?  You see Lily, it’s not that I don’t want this. It’s that I’m pretty sure that I do but I’m also pretty sure that I shouldn’t. Because who does that make me? What does that make me?_

Yeah, that was not a conversation she’d ever be having with her sister.  She closed her eyes for moment as she slumped against the door frame.  So much had changed in her life in the last few months.  It was a lot easier to give Lily advice than it was to take it.  She was a total hypocrite for telling Lily to take a chance when all she wanted to do was run herself. She let out a sigh and feeling Dean’s eyes on her she opened hers and gave him a smile. 

“Good night?” he asked as Rose came over to the couch. 

Rose nodded.  “Mmm hmm.  Chinese food is always good.”

Dean noticed how Rose perched on the end of the couch, far from him.  She was still so edgy and nervous, definitely keeping her distance from him.  The only time he’d really held her these last two days was when they’d been sleeping.  He’d figured she would react in some way to his answer but she’d had almost a non-reaction, her behavior afterwards being her response.  She’d gone inward which Dean realized he should have expected.  She’d always been that way.  Still it didn’t mean it was always easy to handle.

“Wanna come watch a movie?” he asked giving her a lazy smile that he knew, well felt fairly sure anyways, would work.

He watched her hesitate then nod and make her way over next to him.  As soon as her butt made contact with the couch he tugged her against his side and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.  It took a minute but slowly he felt her relax against him a little.  The credits to Maximum Overdrive started and Rose was quickly caught up in the movie but Dean spent most of his time watching her and thinking.  By the time the credits rolled Rose was half asleep.  Dean switched the TV off and picked her up. 

“I can walk,” she said, her voice drowsy.

“I know you can,” Dean said, heading towards their room.  “I like carrying you.”  Rose didn’t reply, just snuggled against him and Dean soaked in the feel of her in his arms.  He deposited her on the bed and went to turn the lights off and lock up.  When he came back she was under the covers, dressed in a t-shirt and watching him with sleepy eyes.  When he got into bed next to her he could feel her hesitating, wanting to move towards him.  Dean sighed and reached out an arm and pulled her against him.  Rose acquiesced immediately, her body molding against his, head resting on his chest.  Dean dropped a kiss on her forehead and felt her drifting to sleep.  This anxiousness on her part was killing him.  He had to do something about it.

* * *

“So, I guess I’m really your wife now.”

Cas’ head jerked up in surprise.  It was late, Sam was asleep on the couch and Daisy had been quiet for so long Cas had assumed she’d been drifting off as well.  But he found her smiling at him, her eyes sparkling and her voice when she had spoken was low and full of emotion.

Cas reached out and took one of her hands in his, loving the way it fit there so well.

“I’m fairly certain I met the requirements you laid out,” he said now, his tone earnest and sincere and he watched as amusement he didn’t understand flitted across Daisy’s face.  Cas cocked his head to the side, considering her and trying to work out what he’d said that was funny.  For once her thoughts weren’t clueing him in. 

Daisy’s eyes moved to their joined hands, something she often looked at late at night, Cas had noticed.   
“So that makes you my husband,” she said and Cas smiled at the statement and the joy it brought him. 

“Yes, and according to your doctor I’m quite a devoted one.”

Daisy smiled up at him.  “Mmm hmm, and the nurse at night?  Um…” Daisy thought back to what her name was.  “Joni,” she came up with after a moment, picturing the dark-haired nurse who had been with Cas the first time he’d brought her the ice chips.  “She thinks that fact makes you even hotter.”

Cas looked at her in surprise, his expression one of confusion.  “How do you know-”

“The way she smiles at you…the way she looks at you.”  Daisy smiled at him herself now.  “The whole devoted husband to his sick wife definitely sweetens the pot.  Though I’m pretty sure the eyes help.”

Cas frowned.  “Is this...I don’t understand…”  He looked at Daisy with such a baffled expression on his face that she couldn’t help but giggle.  “I can explain to her that I am unavailable to date her.”

Daisy laughed.  “I’m pretty sure she knows that, Cas.”  She waved her hand enfolded in his in the air.  “The rings are a pretty big clue.”

“Perhaps she isn’t aware of what they mean,” Cas said and Daisy envisioned him explaining to the poor nurse the meaning of marriage and why he wouldn’t be taking her out to Chili’s anytime soon.  She barely kept from laughing.

“You’re hot, Cas.  Women and men are going to look at you,” Daisy explained. “The fact that you stayed with me the whole time just makes you even more attractive.”

“But it’s just a vessel-” Cas began and Daisy giggled.

“But it’s what they see, Cas,” she explained, a light blush staining her cheeks now.  “What you call a vessel we call a body and yours is a very nice one.”    

“Does her wanting to…to date me, does that make you jealous?” Cas asked, thinking back to Dean’s conversation about jealousy.  He watched Daisy consider his question and slowly shake her head.

“No, I mean if you looked at Joni the way she looks at you, well no even then I wouldn’t be jealous.  I’d just be mad and figure you didn’t really want to be with me.”  Daisy looked down at their hands again then smiled shyly up at him.  “But I’m pretty sure Joni didn’t get taken on a trip to a garden tonight and kissed by you.”

Cas was relieved at Daisy’s answer.  Jealousy had seemed like a very unpleasant thing from what he could tell.  He’d felt a brief flash of it when Dean had made him consider another man wanting to touch Daisy and he hadn’t liked the feeling. 

Now he cast a glance at Sam’s sleeping form then smiled and leaned towards Daisy.  And the words he said just before he kissed her sent a thrill through Daisy along with a sweet sensation of joy.

“I only kiss my wife.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in chapters. Hurricane Harvey turned everything upside down for a bit there. Hope everyone stayed safe and dry!


	89. You're Still the Same Old Girl You Used To Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pancakes, Sam gets stuck in the middle and Some habits are hard to break

Cas blinked at the noise surrounding him.  Last night the room had been so quiet and peaceful.  And now... He winced as a loud laugh reached his ears.  Now it was full of people and loud voices.

Lily and Rose had arrived shortly after Sam had left and just before Erin arrived.  Rose had made a pointed comment to Lily about the timing and Lily had brushed it off.  Cas wasn't sure what all had gone on there, though he obviously knew about Sam and Lily's initial fight.  He had caught a few stray thoughts from Sam but his were easier to ignore than Dean’s.  He thought much less loudly than his brother. Daisy had mentioned a few times how frustrated she was with Lily but hadn't gone into any detail and Cas hadn't asked. There always seemed to be some sort of chaos or drama surrounding Lily and he found it tiresome.

Cas smiled as he felt a wave of happiness come from Daisy's direction.  She was propped up in bed, wearing the new pajamas her sisters had brought her (A blond haired cartoon character adorned the top with the words “Make it Sparkle” while clocks and shoes covered the pants.  None of that meant anything to Cas aside from Daisy’s love of sparkles.) and eating pancakes.  Not hospital issues pancakes either.  No, Rose and Lily had arrived with a platter for Daisy from a local cafe and she had squealed with delight at the sight.  She’d enjoyed her food yesterday, the first real food she’d eaten aside from the dreaded broth and jello and apparently her sisters had checked with their mom before bringing her pancakes today.  Rose had assured him of that when he’d apparently displayed a concerned expression.  Cas hadn’t even known he’d looked concerned but Rose had caught onto that fact. 

_She does that_ Cas jolted in surprise then glanced at Daisy who was smiling at him _.  Rose notices when people are upset or worried._

Cas glanced at the redhead who was seated in the chair nearest Daisy, a cup of tea by her side and a bagel in hand.  She did seem to notice things about people.  She’d picked up quickly on Cas’ feelings for Daisy after hardly being around them.

_Lily doesn’t. Not on purpose,_ Daisy continued, still chewing away happily on her pancakes. _It’s just not something she does usually._ Cas turned his eye towards the dark-haired female seated on the couch next to the girl’s mother, eating from a plate of waffles herself.  Lily asked questions, didn’t try to figure things out on her own.  She wasn’t subtle or tactful in the slightest.  Cas had quickly learned that about her.

_They’re so different,_ he mused now to Daisy and he could feel her agreement, her amusement too.

_Always have been_

Turning his gaze back to Daisy Cas smiled.  He could feel the wave of affection she felt for her sisters strongly. She liked having them here, felt comfortable in their presence and Cas loved anything that made her happy.

"See are we the best or are we the best?" Lily was asking now and Daisy just gave her a thumbs up sign, her mouth too full of pancakes to answer.  Erin was quiet, smiling happily at her three daughters and sipping at her own cup of tea.  Despite the loudness of the room (Which quite honestly was mostly Lily’s voice and Rose’s uncontrollable aura) the atmosphere was happy.  Erin was happy to have her daughters all back together, all getting along, Daisy was happy to be eating again and to have her sisters here and Rose and Lily were happy to have Daisy awake and acting and looking more like herself.

“Did you see the way she kept glancing at Cas and smiling?” Lily asked.  Rose glanced at her and nodded as Lily drove her back to the bunker.  When she'd woke to see Lily's text on her phone, suggesting they

surprise Daisy with breakfast she’d been happy to go.  She’d woken Dean who had agreed, albeit less than enthusiastically and finally told her to just take the day off training, to play hooky.  Rose had smiled at him happily, dressed quickly in jeans and a Firefly shirt and was out and off with Lily on their mission.  “She wasn’t doing that a few days ago.”

“Yeah,” Rose said now. “Something must have happened between them.”

“Well God, I hope so,” Lily said.  “I mean they’re married.”

Rose just laughed at her sisters’ expression as they pulled up to the bunker.  Lily had never understood Daisy’s shyness with boys.  It was one thing that baffled her and had caused a fair bit of tension between the two as Lily tended to be pushy and Daisy in turn would dig her heels in.

“She’s Daisy,” Rose pointed out as she opened the door.  “She does things in her own time and way.”

“Yeah, good thing she got an angel who’s as weird as she is.”

* * *

Rose was sitting at the table in the kitchen, an open book in front of her when Dean sauntered in.  She tensed up immediately but he just threw a grin her way and made his way to the coffee maker.  She watched warily as he poured himself a cup then leaned against the counter watching her over the rim of his cup.  He was as relaxed as she was on edge.

Rose had known Dean would only let her avoid him and the subject at hand for so long.  He only had so much patience.  And something told her avoidance was going to become a thing of the past fairly quickly.  She knew that grin all too well.

Neither said anything for a few moments, while Rose eyed him nervously and Dean seemed to be thinking something over as his eyes scanned her over.  Finally, he spoke.

"So, it occurs to me that I need to clear something up about me punishing you."  Rose's eyes grew big and she looked at him in surprise, a blush instantly spreading across her face.  Neither of them had mentioned that conversation since the day it had happened and for Dean to come out with it so bluntly obviously surprised Rose.  Dean chuckled as he made his way over to the table to take a seat across from her.  "Every time I come into a room at the moment you look terrified like I'm gonna grab you and just start spanking your butt."  Dean gave her a level gaze. "And that's not how it's going to happen."

Rose squirmed nervously, not at all comfortable with this conversation.  "It's not?" she managed to squeak out finally.

"Nope," Dean said matter of factly.  "First off, I said it would happen when you were back on your feet and we were back where we should be." Dean took a sip of his coffee before continuing. “We’re good, though we still need to discuss you leaving, I know and that’s on me.  But I need to be sure you’re ready, completely back to yourself and up for it.  I’m not taking a chance.”

Dean watched her appraisingly as she seemed to be turning his words over in her head. He had spent a lot of time thinking about this, realizing it if happened - no, _when_ it happened - it would change things between them dramatically, shift the dynamics and that was a big thing.  Spanking Rose because if turned her on was one thing; Dean had gone down that road with other women and it was no more monumental than finding out a woman got excited from being tied up or blindfolded.  It was a fun bedroom activity and nothing more in his book. Granted he'd certainly taken it farther with Rose than anyone else but that was to be expected; everything with them seemed to be extreme.  But spanking Rose as punishment was something else entirely and Dean knew that.  That took the idea of her belonging to him to a whole other level.  It wasn't something he took lightly and while the idea had certainly been something he'd entertained when she was at her worst it wasn't something he was jumping into without forethought.  He'd seen enough signs with Rose in the time they'd been coupley (To use Lily's horrible term.) to know that she had a submissive streak that only seemed to come out around him and he wasn't going to deny she brought out the opposite in him more often than not.  But he'd only really thought of that in sexual terms which he was totally comfortable with.  Until she'd ran away.  And then something had shifted in his thinking and he wasn't sure he could change back.  And looking at Rose now, who was watching him nervously, he realized he didn’t want to. There was something in the way she looked at him at certain moments that did something to him he couldn't begin to describe.  But he liked it.

Coming back to what he was saying Dean smiled reassuringly at Rose and finished up what he had started.  "But we'll get there, you’re headed in the right direction now and it’s just going to take some time."  He reached out and patted her hand reassuringly then took another sip of coffee.

Rose for her part just stared at the hand he'd touched then glanced up at him.  "We will?" she asked dimly, realizing she sounded like an addle minded idiot.  But this was not a conversion she'd been expecting.  She was not at all prepared for this.

Dean looked at her confidently.  "Of course."  He grinned at her and then sobered suddenly and Rose watched as something shifted in his expression.  His eyes were darker, more intense when they found hers and his voice was deeper when he spoke.

"Just so we're clear here, what I'm talking about isn't play." His eyes held hers and Rose felt something slip, some wall inside of her she hadn't even realized was there start to slide away. "I'm talking about punishing you, really spanking you because you were bad and you deserve it."  Dean held her eyes a moment longer as he added, "And you need it, don't you Baby?"

Without thinking Rose opened her mouth and started to speak.  "Yes S-" Then she shut it with a snap and her expression shuttered.  "No." She shook her head and glared at him, her expression defiant.  "What I need is...is..." She floundered for words and Dean just watched her calmly making her even more flustered.  "I don't know what but it's not that!"

Dean just smiled a small, knowing smile.  He knew what she'd been about to say before she'd stopped herself.  He'd seen the soft, accepting look in her eyes and knew "Yes Sir" had been on her lips.  That had been submission, pure and simple on her face. She could deny it all she wanted but he knew.  But he wasn't going to bother to argue with her.  After all this argument wasn't with him.  Not really.  Rose had to wrestle with this herself before Dean ever laid a hand on her.  He just drank the rest of his coffee in silence and got up to take his cup back to the sink.  Then he walked back and leaned against the side of the table she was sitting at.  He looked down at her with a calm, confident expression until she finally looked up at him, meeting his calm eyes with her conflicted, stormy ones.  Her face was troubled, his words obviously having left her disconcerted.  Dean reached out a hand and stroked her cheek and she unwittingly leaned into his touch.  His thumb brushed against her cheekbone as he smiled softly at her.

"When the time comes, when you're ready you're going to ask me for it."

Rose blinked, sure she'd misheard him.  "Excuse me?"

Dean stroked her face gently.  "When you're ready you're going to ask me to spank you," Dean said easily as if this was just common sense. "Because you know you deserve it and deep down you know you need it."

Rose's whole body stiffened and she jerked her face away from his touch.  "That is never going to happen."

Dean just looked at her with a knowing smile on his lips.  He stood up, then leaned down towards her, putting his lips close to her ear.  His breath tickled her skin as he said quietly, "Then you have nothing to worry about, do you?"

And with that he strolled out of the room as calmly as he'd entered, leaving Rose in a whirlwind of confusion.

* * *

Rose sat there in stunned silence after Dean walked out.  She didn’t think she’d ever been as shocked as she was now.  When he’d said he meant it about punishing her she’d been less than surprised.  Deep down she’d known he was serious.  But she’d never imagined he’d expect her to ask him for it.  She didn’t think she could do that.  Him grabbing her and hauling her over his lap to punish her she could do.  She wasn’t an active participant in that.  She was just a woman being spanked by her dominant boyfriend.  She could (just about) handle that.  But to admit she wanted, that she deserved to be spanked by him as punishment?  She didn’t think she’d ever be OK with that.

Sam came in then and noticing the strange look on her face he asked if she was OK.  She just nodded.  He reminded her that they were planning on going to Starbucks later and she nodded again and floated off leaving Sam shaking his head.

* * *

Sam was camped out at Starbucks, Rose once again attempting to concentrate on a book.  She'd been quieter today than the other days they’d come, more pensive.  She was still obviously distracted by what was going on around her but she wasn't commenting on it.  Sam wasn't sure if that was because she didn't want to bother him or because she was upset about whatever was going on with her and Dean.  It hadn't escaped Sam's notice that the two were a little less relaxed around each other the last few days, a bit quieter.  Dean and Rose together could honestly be as sugary sweet and silly as a chick flick to use one of Dean's favorite comparisons.  They laughed and teased each other and were silly, rarely keeping their hands off each other.  The last few days when Sam had seen them together they’d been more hesitant with each other, less comfortable, Rose more so than Dean.

It wasn't like they were fighting Sam thought, casting a curious eye Rose's way.  When they fought you knew it.  The two had rarely fought over the years, only a handful of times that Sam could remember, but when they did it was memorable.  Dean was loud and Rose was fiery when angered and clashes between the two tended to be noisy.  No, this was more like a quiet standoff.  Sam wasn't sure what it was concerning but he would guess that one of them, no, make that both of them, was being stubborn and now it was just a matter of who was going to break first.

A loud, strident voice reached Sam’s ears and he flinched, glancing over his should to find the same loud woman from the other day, still hawking her wares.  This time her audience was a duo of soccer moms, who seemed to be hanging on her every word.  Sam just shook his head and turned back around, unable to believe how many people fell for her spiel.

Sam was trying to stay out of whatever was going on with Rose and Dean.  Whatever was going on between those two was not something he wanted in the middle of.  So, with a sigh he went back to his book and hoped they’d work it out quickly.

* * *

“Are you out of your damn mind?” Sam stared at the redhead sitting across from him in the coffee shop half an hour later.  He’d been enjoying his book, succeeding in tuning out the obnoxious saleswomen behind them when Rose had suddenly come out with her plan.

“No, not at all,” Rose said calmly. “I need to talk to her and Dean will never go along with it.”

“So, you want to drag me along with you?” Sam asked looking at her like she was nuts. 

“Well thanks to your brother I can’t go on my own,” Rose pointed out and for the first time Sam thought that was not a bad thing.  If Rose was willing to run off to New Orleans because she needed to talk to Chastity maybe she did need some sort of spell to keep her safe.

Finally, after almost an hour of Rose begging and pleading with him Sam finally agreed to go.  “But I’m not lying to Dean,” he cautioned.  “If he calls me or asks I’m telling him right where we are.”  Rose paled at that and Sam didn’t think about that too much.  “You know if he finds out he’s going to be beyond pissed.”

“He won’t find out, Sam,” Rose said and Sam wondered who she was trying harder to convince – him or herself.  “Why would he?”

“Because that’s our luck,” Sam said dryly.

“Thanks, Sam,” Rose said leaning over and hugging him.  Sam just rolled his eyes and prayed this didn’t go as badly as he feared it would.

Sam made a call and quick as a flash Cas was dropping them off at a huge house, a different one than the one Sam had visited before.

“This is her club. She’s working in her office today,” Rose explained and Sam looked around curiously.  It didn’t look like he’d imagined a BDSM club would look.  It was an old antebellum mansion that had been amazingly, beautifully restored.  Rose rang the doorbell and after a brief pause a large man, with pale, almost white blond hair and odd gray eyes answered the door. 

“We’re here to see Chastity,” Rose said smiling at the man who opened the door, and he backed up, letting them enter into an opulent foyer.  He asked for Rose’s name and upon hearing it he immediately ushered them both down the hallway towards the back of the house towards where Chastity’s office was, Sam assumed.  They went down numerous hallways, finally arriving at a large wood door that was marked with a brass plate that read “Private.”  The man knocked once and a female voice called out to come in and they were being ushered in, the gentleman immediately leaving them there, disappearing as silently and as smoothly as he'd answered the front door.

Sam watched as Chastity stood and immediately came forward, hugging Rose. She spoke softly to her, in a voice too quiet for Sam to hear and Rose replied just as softly, then Chastity motioned to a chair for her to sit.  She came towards Sam then, a warm smile on her face.  "Sam," she said and led him from the room with one small hand on his arm.  "Let's get you a drink.” Sam followed her down the hall in the opposite direction they’d came from, winding up in a small but tidy kitchen.  Chastity bustled about, grabbing two glasses from a cupboard and glancing at Sam from the corner of her eye.

She was dressed much differently today than the last time he'd seen her.  Gone was the casual summer clothes.  In their place was a grey silk blouse and form fitting black skirt, an obviously expensive professional outfit, the heels high enough that Lily would approve.  The clothes weren't the only thing different about her either.  The last time Sam had seen her she'd had her hair down loose around her face, her face free of any makeup.  Today her hair was pulled back in an elegant fashion, tasteful makeup applied.  Her attitude was different too, much more professional, much more in charge.  It made sense, Sam figured.  They were at her workplace after all.  Even the way she'd easily led him down the hallway, just a slight touch of her hand to steer him, not a doubt he'd go where she led him.  Sam shifted uneasily.  He found that a hell of a lot sexier than he probably should.

Chastity turned to him, a questioning look on her face.

"So, will iced tea suffice?" She raised an eyebrow. "Or does today call for something stronger?  I have beer, wine, whiskey." She held up two different glasses obviously for either choice.

Sam gave her a half grin. "I'll settle for tea.  Let's save the stronger stuff for later."

With a nod Chastity turned, putting one glass away and opening the refrigerator to pull out a glass pitcher. "Dean doesn't know she’s here, does he?"

Sam startled at that, his surprise answer enough.  How the hell had she known that?  Catching his expression Chastity smiled.  "I figured.  I know Rose and also I figured if he did know she was here he'd be right beside her."

Sam nodded.  That was astute of her.  "Rose begged me to bring her."

Chastity turned to give Sam his glass, looking at him curiously. "And you agreed to bring her."

Sam shifted uncomfortably again after thanking her for the tea. "I'm not very good at saying no to her."

"She's very persuasive."  She paused before turning to put the pitcher of tea back and murmured softly. "The best ones are."

Sam cleared his throat, feeling he should warn her.

"I told her if Dean asked me where we are I wasn't going to lie.  So just..." Sam ran his free hand through his hair. "Be prepared.  If he finds out she's here he's going to be mad as hell."

"And I assume he'll show up here," Chastity said calmly and Sam gave a laugh.

"Oh, in a heartbeat.  And he's got a hell of a temper.  Especially when it comes to Rose."

Chastity nodded, not seeming surprised by any of this.

"Then let's get you settled in somewhere more comfortable so I can play my role." Chasity gave him a smile and with that one small hand on his arm she once again led him down the hall.

"I'm sorry you got drug into the middle of this, Sam," Chastity said and Sam just smiled.

"It's OK.  I'm kind of used to it."

They passed the office she'd been in and went to a room a few doors down.  Chastity opened the door and turned a knob on the wall and Sam found himself in a beautiful, well stocked library.  Chastity couldn't help the small, pleased smile that crossed her face at his awe filled expression.

"This is...impressive," Sam said finally and Chastity squeezed his arm, taking his glass from his hand and setting it down on a table.

"Rose said you like books so I figured this would be a good place for you to pass the time."

Sam turned to Chastity then an inquisitive look on his face but he hesitated.

"You don't know why she's here." Chastity surmised and Sam nodded.

"Not really.  I mean, I have some vague idea."  Sam gave her a smile that made it clear why Rose had once described him as a charming puppy.  This man had a smile that could steal a woman's breath away without even trying.  And maybe their heart too, Chastity mused.  Though not hers.  No, hers was off limits.  "I know my brother and I know Rose and I... I know vaguely why we're here I think.  My brother isn’t the subtlest person."  That got an amused smile from Chastity.  The more bits of information she got about Dean from various sources the more she wanted to meet him to see if the image she had (Hot tempered but remarkably controlled with Rose, cocky but sweet, a hunter but also Rose's childhood love.) was even in the same ballpark as reality.

Before Chastity could decide how to reply to Sam he was saying, "Rose was insistent she needed to talk to you and she's not prone to bouts of drama." He shrugged.  "So, we're here."

Chastity had meant it when she'd told Rose that the family she had was amazing.  But Sam had just made it crystal clear to her that she hadn't even come close to grasping how much this group of people would do for each other.  It was obvious Sam didn’t want to upset his brother but he’d believed Rose needed to come so he’d brought her, risking his brother’s wrath.  And Chastity who wasn't prone to bouts of emotion, who prided herself on being able to control her feelings, found herself crossing the room to hug Sam without planning to.  For half a second he stood there in shock then he carefully returned the hug.

"You're a good man, Sam Winchester,” Chastity said pulling back and giving him, a smile which Sam returned.

"You be sure and pass that info onto my brother if he finds out we're here?"

Chasity nodded and headed for the door.  "It's a deal.  If you need anything push that green button by the door.  _Not_ the red one," she emphasized. "And enjoy the books."

As soon as she was gone Sam went to inspect both buttons she'd mentioned.  There they were, discreetly set into the wall, the colors muted enough to blend in with the wallpaper.  Sam had enough of an imagination to figure out what they were for.  He glanced around the room, taking in the dark wood, the comfortable leather furniture and gleaming dark wood desk.  It was a beautiful library, definitely not what he pictured when he imagined a sex club.  Though he was getting the impression that he'd had the completely wrong image.  This was nothing like the sleazy strip clubs he'd frequented with his brother.  No, it was something completely different.  Perusing the books on the shelves Sam found a wide collection of classics mixed with a few recent bestsellers.  He glanced at his phone nervously and set it on the table next to a chair where Chastity had set his glass.  Then he pulled a copy of The Hound of the Baskervilles off the shelf and he settled down to read.

* * *

Chastity found Rose pacing her office restlessly when she opened the door.  It was easy to see her agitation as she moved from one end of the room to the other and Chastity was curious what exactly had gotten her into this state.  She knew Rose had been pushing Dean to talk to her about how he felt about her leaving but Chastity couldn't see why that would lead to such anxiety.  And the last she’d heard that conversation hadn’t even happened.

Eyeing her agitated friend Chastity crossed the room to her liquor cabinet and poured them both a glass of wine.  She thrust the glass at Rose when she passed by on her next sweep of the room.

"Drink this," she instructed and Rose stopped and stared at the glass for a second then took it and took a big gulp.  "Drink the rest," Chastity urged and Rose did, draining the glass.  Chastity took her empty glass from her, re-filled it for her and handed it back to her.  She took her own glass and settled down behind her desk.  "Right, now we can talk."  She eyed Rose who was now standing in the middle of the room, her glass of wine in hand.  "Rose?" She glanced up at her.  "Why don't you take a seat?"

"I can't," Rose said.  "I'm just so..." she gesticulated with her arms wildly, almost sending her wine flying and Chastity winced.  Catching that look Rose apologized.  "I’m sorry.  I'm just so all over the place here."

"I can see that," Chastity said.  "Want something stronger?"

"Oh no," Rose protested even as Chastity got to her feet.  She headed to her mini fridge this time, pulling out some sort of juice that she poured a tiny amount of into a glass and then headed back to the liquor cabinet where she pulled vodka out and added it to the juice.  She thrust it at Rose ordering her to "Down it."  Rose looked at her wide eyed, then with a small nod she took the glass and did just that.  She swallowed the whole thing then coughed as her face immediately turned scarlet.  Chastity waited till the coughing passed then took the glass and pointed to the chair Rose had been in before.  "Now sit and let that kick in."

It took a moment but eventually Rose felt the liquor flow through her and the edge of her panic eased.  She glanced up at Chastity who was watching her.

"Better?"

Rose nodded.  "A little."

"Good.  Now what's all the drama about?"

Chastity watched as dueling emotions fought for dominance on Rose's face.  Anger, confusion and finally nervousness.  The second one won and Rose started taking little sips from her wine glass.

"Rose, come on sweetie," Chastity coaxed.  "If you don't tell me what's going on I can't help you.  Did you and Dean talk about you leaving?"

Rose shook her head.  “No, he’s…he said he needed time to have that conversation.”  Rose toyed with her glass, then took a breath and spilled out what had happened, how she'd summoned up the nerve to ask Dean if he'd meant it about punishing her and he'd confirmed that, yes, he had.

Chastity nodded, sipping her wine and listening.  So far things sounded good.  She couldn't see what would cause the meltdown.  She got up to get the bottle of wine and refilled Rose's empty glass and topped hers up as well.

"Then today..."Rose was ringing her hands now.  "Today he said that he wanted me to be clear what he was talking about."  Rose bit her thumb fretfully for a second before continuing.  "That it wasn't play, that he was really going to punish me because I deserved it." Her eyes flitted up to meet Chastity's for just a moment and they were filled with guilt, proving that she agreed with Dean on this point at least. Then she looked back down again and continued.  "And that when, when it happened that he wanted to make sure I was ready.  That we were good now but he wanted to make sure I was.  And that..." Rose paused and reached out and grabbed her wine glass and took a large gulp, surprising Chastity and proving how unsettled Rose was.

"Finish what he said," Chastity encouraged and Rose nodded and took a deep breath.  Chastity could practically see Rose gathering herself, trying to get herself together enough to divulge this fact that seemed to be the root of Rose's turmoil.  Rose straightened her back and folded her hands in her lap and said in a soft voice:

"He said that when the time came that I was going to ask him for it."

Chastity stopped with her wine glass midair then sat it down suddenly.  "Excuse me?"

Rose cleared her throat. "He said that when I was ready I was going to ask him to...to spank me," Rose faltered over the last bit, her nerves coming through.

To say Chastity was surprised was putting it mildly.  She had been surprised when she'd found Dean had held off on spanking Rose initially and now this show of -

"I mean who does that?" Rose exploded.  "That's just...I'm sure that's like breaking a rule or something."

Chastity did her best to hold in the laugh she so badly wanted to let out. Rose looked so perturbed by this turn of events.  She did allow herself a small smile as she responded.

"It's not unheard of."  That got an astonished glance from Rose.

"Well it should be...it's...it's."

"Putting the ball in your court?  Making you take some responsibility for your actions?" Chastity suggested.  "A good additional punishment actually."  Chastity looked thoughtful.  "Are you sure Dean hasn't done this before?"

Rose looked shocked by her response.  Chastity guessed Rose had expected her to say that Dean was breaking some essential rule, to be horrified at his actions.  Chastity was in fact exactly the opposite: she was impressed.  That was an expert move, something that only someone who was completely sure of the strength of their bond and the need of the person they were in a relationship with would do.  And no doubt Rose needed this Chastity thought, looking at her now.  Any experienced Dominant would be able to see the need practically coming off of her in waves.  So, was Dean practiced or was he just a natural who knew Rose well enough to know what to do instinctually?  It was an interesting question.

“What?  No!” Rose said drawing back, her surprise evident.  Then she seemed to question her certainty.  “I mean I assume he hasn’t…he’s never mentioned it.”

“Would he?” Chastity questioned sipping her wine.

Rose considered the question seriously.  “I don’t know…” she finally said. “I think so.  We’re pretty open with each other.”

Chastity smiled and Rose could clearly see her amusement.  “I have to say this,” Chastity waved a hand. “- spanking, submission, the whole lot - is the thing you are the least open about, Rose.  Of anything.”

Rose toyed with her glass and Chastity was happy to see she looked much calmer than when she’d first arrived.  A combination of alcohol and conversation.

“It makes me nervous,” Rose admitted finally and Chastity frowned.

“You talk to me about it all the time.”  Rose was shaking her head before Chastity was done speaking.

“About you, about the club, about other people.”  Rose gave her a small, semi embarrassed grin.  “Not about me.”

“OK why?” Chastity asked.  “Because we’ve talked about some pretty private things before that were a whole lot more embarrassing than your boyfriend spanking your ass.”

“And we’re back to my ass again,” Rose muttered and Chastity laughed.  Rose took a sip of her wine and settled back in her chair.  She toyed with her braid, her fingers running over the plates.  She was considering this seriously which was a good thing.  Finally, she sat her glass down and looked at Chastity.  “Look, I know that being submissive isn’t a bad thing.  It doesn’t mean it’s who I am twenty-four seven.  It doesn’t mean I’m weak.”  Rose bit her lip before going on.  “But it’s hard when you have a pretty strong message about submissive equaling weak in your head.”

Chastity frowned.  “Who would-”

“My sister.”

“Lily,” Chastity said in sudden understanding.  She may not have ever met Rose’s sisters but they were as real to her as characters in a sitcom she watched weekly.  It was easy for her to know which of Rose’s sisters would have an issue with her being in a submissive role.  And Chastity knew all too well just how much Lily’s opinion mattered to Rose.

Rose gave a small, slightly twisted grin.  “She’s always been pretty vocal about what she thinks about submissive women, about one’s who let a guy run things.  Not that I’m interested in that,” Rose hastened to add and Chastity _just_ kept from rolling her eyes at that.  “But she’s always had issues with me and Dean and how we are together.  I mean, he’s bossy.  He always has been.  It’s his nature.”

“Dominant,” Chastity interjected and Rose looked at her in confusion.  “If you’re being honest here you might as well use the right term.”

“I don’t have a problem with the term, Chas.  Really.  It’s just what I’ve called him my whole life, how people describe him.”  She grinned at Chastity. “Dominant wasn’t really a word in my vocabulary when I was seven.”  And Chastity had to laugh and raise her glass in agreement at that statement.

“OK I’ll give you that,” she acquiesced.

“Anyway,” Rose said getting back to her statement.  “Lily is forever commenting about how I give into Dean, how he’s way too protective of me, how he always gets his way with me.  I can’t even imagine the freak out if she knew that I…that he gave me rules and I followed them and he planned on punishing me.”

Chastity considered that while she got up to fill their glasses again.  Rose was a lot more relaxed now she thought with a smile.  She couldn’t help but notice the words Rose chose.  Not that Dean _wanted_ to punish her, but that he _planned_ to, as if it happening was a foregone conclusion.  She wondered if Rose had any idea how far gone she was.  She may be fighting this but a large part of her had already given in.  Once Chastity had settled back into her seat she looked at Rose levelly.

“So, are you telling me that you are going to not partake in something you want, something you need because your sister wouldn’t approve?”  Chastity knew she didn’t have siblings so didn’t quite get the weight Lily’s opinion carry with Rose except in an abstract manner but that seemed extreme to her.

“I never said I wanted…needed this-” Rose protested and Chastity cut her off.

“You do, on both counts, Rose and you know it.”  Rose squirmed but Chastity didn’t let up.  “Being uncomfortable with it is one thing.  I understand that.  But lying about it, even to yourself is not going to work with me.”

“God, you’re tough,” Rose breathed out, sending Chastity an annoyed look but she didn’t argue and Chastity smiled.

“Thank you,” she said as if Rose had just complimented her.  “Now, back to my question.  “Are you going to let your sister’s opinion decide what you do?”

“No,” Rose said finally with a shake of her head.  “No, it’s just there, that message in my head.  But I’m,” she smiled and that was a contented smile.  “I’m getting pretty good at shutting that voice up because the feeling I get with Dean outweighs that voice pretty strongly.  Or I’m trying at least.  I still have freak outs.”  Like today, she thought.  This was indeed a freak out of epic proportions but Dean had floored her with what he’d said.  She had not been prepared for any of that.

“OK so what’s the issue then?” Chastity watched as Rose once again sat her wine glass down and pulled her knees up on the chair in front of her.  She was dressed casually, jeans and a fandom t-shirt with a jacket that Chastity had to assume was Dean’s as it not only swallowed her up but was way too masculine to be anything Rose would have bought.  She fidgeted with her hair again then glanced up at Chastity.

“I’ve never even dabbled, never even stuck my toe over the line into anything close to dominance or submission.”  Rose considered that for a second then amended her statement.  “No, that’s not technically true.  I had plenty of guys who thought it was really hot for someone who seemed like a sweet, innocent saint to be in charge in bed.  So that side sure, I’ve played with that.  But the other side, submission, nope.”

“Not even once?”  Chastity was surprised.  Most people experimented.

“Not even once,” Rose said firmly.  There was no hesitation, no doubt in her voice.

Chastity studied her for a moment then said softly, “You didn’t trust anyone enough?”  Rose nodded.  “Till Dean.”  Again, the nod.  “OK so why all the…the awkwardness, the fear?” Because that’s what this all was, Chastity surmised.  Rose was scared.

“Despite the fact that I can tell you that voice in my head that says submissiveness is weakness is a crock it’s still a work in progress to believe it all the time,” Rose admitted and Chastity nodded in understanding.  The voices in our heads are determined bastards.  “And I think some part of me worries that Dean will, he’ll think that, that maybe I’m weak for wanting that.”

“OK but unless you’re not telling me something, he brought this up all on his own, right?” Rose nodded.  They’d flirted about it, played with spankings sure, but any hint of real dominance and submission had come from Dean.  “Then that wouldn’t make sense, Rose.  I mean he started it.”  Rose nodded and Chastity asked gently, “What else?”

“More than anything,” Rose said hesitantly after she’d drained her wineglass again.  “I’m just scared that, well this leaves me really vulnerable, you know?  And this is a part of me I haven’t even really let myself admit to myself and if suddenly I let him see it, let him in well he could…he could hurt me really badly.”  She met Chastity’s eyes and hers were full of fear.  “He could break me, Chas.”

And there is was Chastity thought.  That was the biggest issue right there.  Rose put on a very polished, put together front and she liked the world to see that side of her.  Opening up like this was a risk, was a gamble.  And Rose was not risk-taker.

“First off, I think from everything you said Dean already sees this part of you, Rose.  Hell, from the sounds of it he probably knows it more than you do, or are willing to let yourself.  He sees it and he obviously likes it as he’s pursuing it.”  Rose thought that over and nodded seeing the logic there.  “And the thing is Rose, it’s a part of you.  You can deny it, you can hide it or call it something else but it’s still there.  It’s like your hair,” Chastity said suddenly gesturing towards Rose. “You could dye it blond tomorrow but you’d still be a redhead. Just like I’m still a mousy brown-haired girl who has a fabulous hairdresser who puts pretty highlights in my hair every so many weeks.  But underneath it?  Still plain mousy brown.”

Rose smiled.  “Oddly enough my therapist used that some argument on me.  Oh, not about this!” she hastened to add at Chastity’s surprised expression.  “Just, he used my hair as a comparison to my powers.  It’s there, a part of who I am.”

“See?  I could be a therapist, I knew it,” Chastity said with a smile and was pleased it got a small laugh from Rose.  “Sometimes you just have to take a chance, Rose,” Chastity said and Rose smiled, hearing her own words to Lily echoed back at her. “You love Dean, you trust him.”  Rose nodded.  “Then _really_ trust him.  Let that last barrier down.  From what you’ve said I think you’ll be happy you did.”

Rose stared at her wine glass thoughtfully and Chastity knew she was mulling that over.

“So why are you so freaked out that Dean wanted you to ask to be punished?  Because from where I sit that’s a good thing.  It means he’s wanting to make sure you’re on the same page, Rose. He may be in charge on paper but in reality, you have a huge say here.”

“Oh God, him asking me that freaked me out!”  Chastity smiled at her honesty.  “I mean just…I have a hard-enough time with all of this but to ask…” She trailed off and shook her head.  A moment passed and then Rose looked up at her semi guiltily.  “I think I just always pictured Dean just grabbing me and tossing me over something and smacking the hell out of me.”  Chastity laughed.  The wine must be in full force now.  That was a lot less guarded than Rose normally was.  “But making me ask…that’s really admitting I want it.  I don’t think I can do that.”

“It’s a good thing though, Rose,” Chastity repeated firmly.  “He’s doing things the right way.  The way you mentioned, sure once you guys are settled in, know your boundaries and rules then that’s a possibility.  But for a first time?”  Chastity shook her head.  “Not advisable.  So, you’re going to have to be brave and ask for it.”

Rose was frowning at her.  “That part was not in the brochure,” and Chastity laughed.  “In all the books I read there was a lot of just going for it, not so much talking.”

“That’s why there are some really bad relationships out there,” Chastity said.  “And don’t base your life on one of those books, please.”

The two were silent for a moment, Rose soaking in all Chastity had said and Chastity hoping she’d gotten through to her.

“So, how’s the guilt?” Chastity asked after a few moments had passed.

“Bad,” Rose admitted and Chastity gave her a sympathetic smile.

“Want me to repeat my prescription for that?”

* * *

Rose had been in with Chastity well over an hour and Sam was enjoying the Arthur Conan Doyle tale, one he’d read before but it had been long enough that he could get lost in it again.  The room was comfortable, perfect for reading and Sam was content.  Or he was until his phone rang.  He took one look at the screen and the name displayed there and felt all his calm and contentedness fly right out the window.  “Fuck,” he whispered.  He took a breath and picked the phone up.

“Hey Dean,” he said trying to keep his voice normal.  Just because he said he wasn’t going to lie didn’t mean he was going to admit where they were if Dean didn’t ask.

“Hey Sammy, is Rosie close by?”  Dean sounded cheerful and calm.  OK good.  He didn’t suspect anything.

“Aw, no she’s I think she may have, she’s in the restroom.”  Damn it, why couldn’t he lie better to his brother?  And why was he trying to lie in the first place?  He’d told Rose he wasn’t going to. Damn it.

A pause then, “OK well can you have her call me when she gets back?  She’s not answering her phone.”

Sam breathed a sigh of relief.  “Sure thing.  I’ll get her to call.”

“Thanks, Sam.”  Another pause then, “So is Starbucks busy today?  ‘Cause it sure sounds super quiet.”

“Yeah, no pretty empty today,” Sam said nervously.

“Huh, I would have thought this time of day would be busy there but hey what do I know?” Dean said easily. “Have her call me OK?”

“Sure thing.”  Sam hung up and panicked.  He needed to get Rose to call Dean ASAP.  He ran out into the hallway and tried to remember what door Chastity’s office had been.  He thought it was the third one to the right and was going to knock until it occurred to him that this was probably not a place you wanted to knock on random doors and take a chance on what you would see when those doors opened.

So back into the library he went, pushing the green button in hopes that the tall blond guy could get there quickly and bring him to Rose.

He was standing in the doorway tapping his foot impatiently when it occurred to him he could just call Chastity.  He had her number and she could tell him which door it was, hell she could tell Rose to call Dean herself.  He had her phone in his hand, ready to dial when he heard it.  He closed his eyes as he heard it getting closer.  The stomping of heavy boots and a voice he knew better than any other, save his own.

“Look you can tell me where the hell she is or I can just beat it out of you.” Dean appeared around the corner then with Martin following franticly behind him.  Dean caught sight of all the doors then and added, “Or I can just start opening doors here.”

“Sir, no sir, please,” Martin was saying in a panicked tone. “We have the strictest of confidentiality agreements here, Sir.”

“I don’t give a fuck about your-” Dean caught sight of Sam then and for just a minute Sam considered going back into the library and slamming the door shut.  Except Sam was pretty sure that wouldn’t work since knowing Dean he’d just break the damn door down.

“Well hey, Sammy,” Dean said with a grin that was anything but friendly.  “Imagine finding you here.”  He glanced around as he came up to Sam.  “Man, Starbucks looks a lot different than how I remember it.”

* * *

“You know, Rose, continually leaving without telling your boyfriend, when said boyfriend is looking to paddle your ass anyway probably isn’t the smartest course of action,” Chastity was saying and Rose winced.

“I know.  I swear I don’t plan it,” Rose said.  “I just panicked and-”

A loud banging knock sounded on the office door just then causing both women to jump.  Chastity looked confused – Martin would never knock so loudly or forcefully.  But one glance at Rose and it was clear she knew exactly who it was.  Her eyes had gotten huge and all the color had drained from her face.

Chastity stood and smoothed her skirt and headed for the door while Rose jumped up, crossing the room to put as much distance between herself and the doorway as possible.

Chastity opened the door, her face calm, her demeanor unruffled.  And if she was at all taken aback by what she found - Martin in the distance looking in turn worried and embarrassed and then Sam in front of him looking nervous and apologetic and finally a broad-shouldered man in the front, who could only be Dean, staring down at her with angry, flinty eyes and a tight jaw - she didn’t show it.  She’d had years of practice schooling her features to give nothing away aside from what she wanted to show and she immediately put that into practice.

“Can I help you?” she asked calmly, her voice smooth and unhurried, her face set in a professional smile.

“Man, I sure hope so.”  Dean flashed her a grin that despite herself sent a small shiver down her spine.  This was an extremely angry man.  “I’m looking for my girlfriend.  She has a bad habit of running away that I intend to break her of.” The grin disappeared completely to be replaced by a scowl that Chastity felt sure could freeze a demon in its tracks. “Where the hell is Rose?”


	90. 'Cause Lately I Don't Even Know What Page You're On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireworks, Hot Chocolate, Stubborn Angels and some words that need to be said

Chastity stepped aside to let Dean enter her office.  He brushed past her, not even sparing her glance.  He had eyes for one person, and one person only: Rose.

And she didn't look overly happy at that fact, her eyes scanning the ground, the walls, looking anywhere but at him.  Dean stalked, literally _stalked_ towards her and stopped just in front of her, folding his arms and standing there like a brick wall she had absolutely no chance of getting past.

Chastity took the time to look Dean over as he was focusing on Rose.  He was handsome; Rose had been right about that.  Tall (God, what did these Winchesters eat?  Those were some strong genes.), nice body and about as intimidating as any person Chastity had ever met.  No wonder Rose was so crazy about him. Dean seemed to fill up the entire room with his presence.  If Rose had wanted a dominate male she’d certainly found one.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" Dean ground out and Rose glanced up at him then quickly looked away.

"Nothing," she mumbled and Chastity couldn't help the grin that spread across her face.  Rose sounded like a naughty child who had been caught with their hand in the cookie jar, who knew they were in trouble and had no good argument out.

Chastity wished she had popcorn.  She'd never watch something intimate like this if these were clients of hers.  But as a friend, as someone who felt like she'd heard more about Dean than some celebrities who were constantly in the tabloids, she couldn't help herself.

"Nothing? Nothing? Are you fucking kidding me?" Dean's anger was clear in every muscle of his body, his posture ramrod straight as he glared down at Rose.  "I can't believe you-" Dean broke off with a shake of his head. "You were supposed to be at Starbucks."

"I didn't do anything wrong," Rose protested and Chastity shook her head.  As arguments went Rose wasn’t doing a great job.

"You lied about where you were," Dean bellowed and the whole party at the door winced.

"I did not!" Rose shot back, her hands going on her hips as her nervousness gave way to irritation. "I never said where I was going today."

"You knew that I assumed you were going to Starbucks with Sam." Dean tossed a withering glare over his shoulder at his brother who gave him an apologetic smile in return.  Martin chose now to make his exit with a softly murmured apology to Chastity at not being able to keep Dean out.  Chastity could have told him that would have been useless.  This was not someone you could stop if he had his mind set.

"-not my fault what you thought," Rose was saying. "I never said-"

"That's lying," Dean said loudly. "It's just a sneakier way of doing it.  You left out facts you knew I wouldn't like."

"That's not lying," Rose persisted and Chastity couldn't decide if she really felt that strongly on this point or if she was just determined to push Dean.

"Well I say it is," Dean said, reaching out and touching Rose for the first time, one finger hooking under her chin to tip her head up, making her meet his eyes.  "And since I'm the one who makes the rules around here little girl it's my say that counts."  Despite the anger that was radiating off him his touch was nothing but gentle and Chastity was once again impressed.  This man was angry, furious by all indications, but he was in control. 

Chastity studied their profiles - the two so wrapped up in each other they didn't even notice their audience - and watched as Rose fought with herself.  Rose hadn’t mentioned that, this fight within herself between submission and rebellion but it was clear.  Her body was leaning towards Dean, even as her mouth spouted words to the contrary.  She wanted to give in - Chastity recognized that expression on her face.  She'd seen it on several bratty subs in her time.  But damn if she was going to do so easily.

"I think I get a say-" Rose started and Dean's hand moved lightning quick to grasp her arm and pull her towards him, jerking her body up against his own, his jaw clenched as he glared down at her.

"Rose, I am a breath away from bending you over that desk and blistering your ass, so I'd suggest you cut the fucking arguing."

Rose stared up into his eyes as Dean stared down into hers and as Sam let out a strangled sound behind her Chastity thought she'd never seen a more vivid picture of the push and pull that went on in a dynamic like this.  "Understand?" Dean ground out.

"Yes, Sir," Rose breathed and for just a second Chastity thought she was going to give in, to stop fighting, to bend to Dean's will which she so obviously wanted to.  But then she shook herself and pulled back, wrenching her arm from his grasp. "No, you can't just march in here and boss me around-"

“Oh really?” Dean snarled.  “Is that really a bet you want to make, little girl?”  Dean stepped towards her, taking back any ground she had gained.  He towered over her, his body seeming to dwarf Rose’s smaller form and as Rose bit her lip Chastity could practically see her mind working overtime.  “Because I am fairly fucking certain I can, Rose.”  Dean’s voice dropped just a notch and Chastity imagined she could see Rose’s heartrate pick up a beat.  “You want to argue that now?”

Dean was bearing down on her and any other person would have backed up.  Dean was nothing short of domineering but Rose, despite the fact that she looked nervous now, looked as if she was quickly realizing just how far in over her head she was, had obviously dug her heels in and was refusing to back up.  And that’s what made the two of them so fascinating to watch, Chastity thought.  Rose wasn’t scared of him.  She was worried, well aware she’d pushed things way too far and was going to pay some heavy consequences for that but she wasn’t going to bend easily.  And something told Chastity that Dean liked that.  She studied his profile and decided he was angry about her running, angry about the lies and her actions but this, the challenge Rose presented, was a part of her and one he obviously enjoyed. 

"Because last time I checked," Dean continued, when Rose didn’t answer, his voice just shy of a growl now, “I had every right to tell you what to do."  His eyes were staring so intently into Rose's that Chastity didn't know how she kept from looking away.  That had to be intimidating. "I make the rules, little girl and you either follow them or your ass will pay the price.  Are we clear?"

Another small noise from Sam alerted Chastity to the fact that unlike her he was not enjoying the show. 

"No," Rose finally snapped, "No I'm not just going to give in and let you-"

The look that Dean was giving Rose now made Chastity think her friend just might get her wish of being grabbed and spanked.  She knew how stubborn Rose was.  She’d heard Dean was as well.   This would be an impressive battle of wills.

“Oh, you aren’t going to _let_ me do anything, Rose,” Dean cut in.  “I think you’re forgetting just who’s in charge here.”

Chastity realized then it was fairly quiet behind her and turned to find Sam had walked off further down the hallway.  He’s apparently reached his limit of what he could take.  Looking at the two people still locked in an intense struggle in front of her Chastity gave a sigh.  She gave into the fact that this wasn’t going to end anytime soon and eased out and slowly shut the door behind her.  Sam was shuffling his feet uncomfortably when she reached him and she gave him a comforting smile, then steered the tall hunter - who looked like he'd gotten way more information than he wanted - back towards the library and poured them both a drink.

"I figured that could take a while," she explained to Sam and he nodded, dropping down into a chair and sipping at the whiskey she handed him.

“You sure you’re ok leaving them alone in your office?” Sam ventured looking hesitantly towards the door.  Chastity just shrugged and dropped into the chair opposite him.

“I figure there’s three ways this could go.”  Chastity ticked the options off on her fingers as she went.  “They’ll keep fighting in which case my only concern is objects being broken. They’ll end up taking the sexier route in which case all the furniture in there is quite stain proof. Or Dean will snap and finally give Rose what she’s been needing all along in which case my office is well equipped for that.”  She smiled at Sam’s shocked expression and shrugged again.  “Worst case scenario, I have good insurance.”  That got a small, surprised laugh from Sam and Chastity smiled. 

"You look a bit shell shocked, Sam," Chastity said after taking a sip of her Scotch.

Sam gave another little laugh and finally sat back.  "Just things falling into place really." He shrugged.  "Like I said, Dean's not subtle."

"Hmm," Chastity said noncommittally.  “You’re not curious?” she asked after a second and Sam just looked horrified.

“About my brother’s sex life?  Not at all.”  Sam said firmly.  “Not even a little.”

Chastity laughed.  “It must be nice.  I’m naturally curious about everyone.”  She gave Sam a decidedly probing look.  “I have a habit of trying to guess people’s kinks.”

That earned a smile from Sam.  “And everyone has a kink?”

Chastity looked at him levelly, her gaze certain. “Everyone.”

“You and Lily would get along great,” Sam said with a smile that quickly morphed into a frown.  “Or not.”  Chastity looked at him curiously and Sam cursed himself for giving that away.  “Lily isn’t…she’s a jealous person and you and Rose having this friendship she knew nothing about didn’t go over well with her.”

“Aww,” Chastity said in understanding.  From what she knew of Lily that made sense.  She should have known she’d be perceived as a threat.

“I didn’t exactly make it better by not bringing her along last time I was here,” Sam admitted.  He took a sip of the whiskey which was smooth, a slight honey note to it that Sam found pleasing.  “And then word may have gotten back to her that you were, uh, hot.”

Chasity gave him a pleased smile.  “Well that’s flattering.”

“Oh, not from me,” Sam said quickly then winced at how that sounded.  What was the opposite of smooth?  He was absolutely that today.  He was relieved to see Chastity didn’t look offended, just amused.  Then she seemed to think over what Sam had said and realizing who the only other person that information could have come from was, her smile grew.

“That’s even more flattering,” she said and Sam smiled, happy to have gotten out of that interchange unscathed. 

"They're an interesting couple," Chastity said, swirling her glass thoughtfully.  “Rose and Dean, I mean.”

"Interesting," Sam said with a laugh. "Yeah that's one word for it.  Nine times out of ten they're the picture of domestic bliss.  They're so fucking happy together it's unbelievable." Sam shook his head, obviously in awe of that happiness. “Rose makes my brother happy, like no one else in this world can.  He’s funnier, more relaxed and just lighter with her.  They’re actually disgustingly sweet, if you want the truth.”  Sam wrinkled his nose and Chastity laughed, able to tell from the way Sam spoke how much his brothers’ happiness meant to him. "But be around them when they fight - which for the record rarely happens – Dean hardly ever gets really mad at Rose and he can get away with a whole hell of a lot with her.  But when they fight it’s bad.  And loud." Sam winced as if he could hear the yelling now. 

The two of them sat in what Sam was surprised to find was companionable silence for a few moments before Chastity smoothly drew him into a conversation about books.  They had quite similar tastes it turned out.  They chatted a bit and roughly thirty minutes later there was a knock on the door and Dean stuck his head in.

"We're leaving," he said shortly, eyes only looking at Sam and disappeared again.

Sam gave a sigh and got to his feet.  "Thanks, and I’m sorry about all this," he said with a smile thrown Chastity's way before he followed his brother.

Chastity hurried after Sam, grabbing Rose’s hand before Cas, who had appeared in her office this time (He was just getting all the tour stops of her house and business.) could whisk her away.  The air in the room was full of tension, the two lovers obviously not having come to terms yet.  Chastity whispered some words of encouragement to Rose, squeezed her hand and then stepped back and watched as the group disappeared before her very eyes.

Chastity stood there for a moment, her eyes fixed on the spot where they had all been a moment ago then she shook her head.  She’d never get used to that.

* * *

The second Cas delivered them to the bunker Sam grabbed his arm.  "My cars at Starbucks," he said glancing at Rose and Dean who were eyeing each other like warrior’s sizing each other up, ready to do battle.  "And you are _not_ leaving me here with them."  Cas gave a nod of his head and he and Sam disappeared leaving Dean and Rose alone.

The instant Sam and Cas were gone Rose whirled on Dean.  “I can’t stand living with this spell on me, Dean.  I want it gone.”

For a second Dean was absolutely astounded she chose now to demand this.  Then he laughed.  “Ha!  After this stunt, you’ll be old and gray before it goes anywhere.”

“Dean, you can’t do that-” Rose started but Dean cut her off.

“You wanted me to yell, to tell you how I really felt about you leaving?  Fine, you got it.”  As Dean moved purposely towards her it occurred to Rose suddenly in a blinding flash that she may not want this after all. But it was too late to stop the runaway train that was Dean now.  All the emotions he’d held in check were ready to spill out and it was like an oncoming storm that Rose had no chance of taking shelter from.  All she could do was endure the deluge of words and emotions that were to come and hope she didn’t drown in them.

“You left!  You almost got killed by demons and then you fucking _left_.  You didn’t think about how everyone else here felt, what we were going through with you out there at risk.  You just left us all.”  Dean’s words were broad, sweeping Rose up in them so she could see through his eyes how it all felt.

“Then you call and say you’re coming home, but do you?  Oh no, you get into a fight with a demon and take off again.” Dean’s hands moved dramatically as he spoke, conveying his emotions as much as his words did. “Meanwhile we’re dealing with a demon getting into Daisy’s hospital room, threatening her to get you back here.”  Rose’s eyes widened at that news.  She’d heard about the demon’s attack, but not that she’d been mentioned.  Before she could even think to ask a question, Dean was continuing, picking up steam as he went. “I come looking for you only to hear how much you care about me which for the record, not the greatest thing to keep hearing when the woman who it’s about keeps running.”  Rose winced at that but Dean didn’t even seem to notice.  He was on a roll.  “Then you finally call me.  You sound apologetic, ready to work things out and I think, hey things are going to be OK.  But oh no, you’re not coming straight home, no, you have to wait.  And do you tell me that you’re hearing voices?  Oh, hell no, you just keep that fact to yourself.”  Rose leaned up against the table watching Dean pace, gesticulating wildly as he did so.  “Then you come home, passed out in your fucking ex-boyfriend’s arms.  And I thought-” Dean stopped and swallowed, the look on his face horrific.  He closed his eyes for a minute, getting his emotions in check before opening them, clearing his throat and going on.  “For just a second I thought he was bringing your body back, not you.  I thought you were dead, Rose.  It was one…I can’t…I never want to go through that again.”  Rose’s heart lurched at the pain he’d felt because of her, at the slight tremor in his voice when he spoke and the guilt rose up in her even stronger than before.  Tears filled her eyes but she refused to let them fall.  If she did he’d comfort her and this wasn’t about her pain. So instead she swallowed them down. Dean was silent a moment, composing himself and Rose left him to it. 

“And Danny, God.” Dean ground his teeth in frustration, his tone one of aggravation now, which Rose would gladly take over the agony of moments before.  “Your ex who practically drools over you, who has some special nickname for you only he uses.  Fine, whatever.  I mean you can’t control the fact that he’s a complete and utter dick.  But he won’t leave till you wake up so I’m stuck with the asshole for days.  And he fucking pisses me off, Rose.”  Dean stripped his coat off as he went, his emotions raising his temperature to the point he felt like he was burning up.  “I’m leaving out the chaos when you woke up as that’s not on you, but after that, once the influence of that demon came off that is.”  Dean stopped and stared at Rose and she saw all the pain in his eyes that she’d put there.  “You refused to let me go with you to the funeral.  You asked Sam and sent me away.  That fucking hurt, Rose.”

Rose glanced down at her feet, the shame evident on her face.  “I’m sorry.  I was trying to protect you.”  Any anger Rose had been holding onto melted right there.  She could count the times Dean had admitted he had been hurt on one hand.  She hated that one of those was because of her.

“It doesn’t work like that,” Dean said and Rose glanced up to see his eyes on her and dear Lord they were stormy.  “You don’t get to shut me out, push me away to keep me safe.”

Rose bit her lip.  “I know that now,” she said.

“Never again,” Dean said, his tone resolute and unyielding.  “You shut me, shut everyone out and that was hell.  You hurt everyone here and I know you weren’t with it, weren’t quite yourself but it never happens again.  Are we clear?”  Rose nodded.

“Let’s not even mention the fact that your fucking potion stopped working and you didn’t tell anyone.  I know,” Dean said raising a hand as Rose opened her mouth.  “I know you were messed up and you’ve done well ever since but so help me Rose, if you ever do that again…”  Dean shook his head and Rose got the message loud and clear.

“Then you took off to New Orleans, suckered Charlie into taking you when you knew it would piss me off.  Fine, I try to set that aside, to ignore the fact that you did it knowing it was the very opposite of what I wanted you to do.”  Dean rubbed the back of his neck and paced agitatedly around the room and Rose felt like she was watching a caged tiger, one who could pounce on her at any moment.  “We worked through shit, we were doing well, some bumps and bruises along the way but still going in the right direction.  And then what do you fucking do?”  Dean stopped in front of Rose and crossed his arms, fixing her with a glare.  “You run off again to the very place I made clear I hated you going.  You con Sammy into taking you to New Orleans.  I mean just what the hell is with you and running away?  You’re not a child, Rose.”

That irked her, stoked up some of her anger that had dissipated.  “I’m well aware I’m not a child, Dean.  But most adults don’t have spells placed on them so they can’t leave the house on their own.”

“Well most adults don’t need them,” Dean bit out harshly.  “Most adults don’t run away or have such reckless disregard for their safety.”

“Oh, now come on, Dean,” Rose said incredulously. “Be honest.  You’re a hunter.  You don’t exactly show a lot of concern for your safety.”

Dean frowned.  “That’s different.”

“Why?” Rose demanded. “Because it’s you and not me?”

“No, because I don’t have some demons who want me for who knows what.”

“No, you just have demons who wants to kill you because of me,” Rose retorted.  “Should I get my mom to put a spell on you?  Make sure you stay safe?  I mean, that seems fair to me.”

“Ha!” Dean threw out. “Try it.  She won’t go for it.”

“You can’t keep me locked up forever, Dean!” Rose’s temper was back in full force now, the feeling of being trapped having built to the point of being untenable.  It had been bothering her ever since she and Lily had started going out again, the restrictions put on her by having to have someone with her all the time suffocating her.  As she went out more she wanted more freedom, wanted a moment on her own where she could go and do as she pleased.

“Watch me,” Dean growled, when it wasn’t what he meant at all but he was too angry to dial it back now.

“You think my mom’s the only witch I know?” Rose challenged.  “I can find one to get the spell off of me and there won’t be a thing you or my mother can do about it.”

Dean’s eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched and Rose thought she might have just pushed too far.  For one second she thought she was going to see what it was like to be grabbed and bent over and spanked with no warning.  The way Dean was looking at her right now said that was a very real possibility.  Rose glanced down and saw his hands were clenching and unclenching.  The moment hung there, frozen, as the two of them stared at each other, Rose holding her breath and Dean trying desperately to hold onto his temper.  Finally, he took a deep breath and stepped away from her, seeming to need the distance.

“And then there’s your habit of lying,” he said and Rose frowned.  “You lie whenever it makes things easier for you.  I don’t know if you’ve gotten worse and I didn’t notice or if this is recent but you lie. A lot.  Oh, sure you do it in a nice way; you just leave out facts, don’t tell someone all the details so they don’t quite get the whole picture.  But you still lie.”  Dean stared at her in a way that made her squirm.  “You lied to me today.”

“You lie,” Rose shot back, not wanting to admit how on the money Dean’s assessment of her lack of truth telling was. “You lie all the time to people.”

Dean looked her straight in the eye.  “Not to you I don’t.”  And Rose actually winced at the stab of guilt that sent through her.

“I’m better now at fighting,” Rose blurted out, grasping at straws and grossly overestimating her capabilities.  “I’d be perfectly able to take care of myself.  You can ask Sam.”

“Yes, let’s ask my brother who willingly lied to me for you,” Dean said dryly and Rose winced again.  She was quickly losing ground in this battle and she knew it.

“You can’t deny you’re in danger when you’re out there,” Rose threw out, hoping to salvage something, some small point.

“I’m a hunter, Rose, like you said.  I know how to take care of myself.”  Dean shook his head at her.  “You seem to blatantly disregard what a target you are, how much danger you’re in.”

“I don’t,” Rose protested.

“You do,” Dean said.  “You take off at a moment’s notice, you don’t seem to care how much I or everyone else who cares about you worries.”  Dean shook his head at her again as he made his way towards the door.  “You want the spell gone, want me to trust you but I can’t even trust you’re where you say you are.”

Rose stood in the library alone, listening to Dean’s footsteps slowly fading away, feeling shell shocked and deflated.  She hadn’t expected that conversation to go that way at all.  Sure, she’d known Dean would yell (She had after all pushed for that.) but she assumed he’d do that and it would be over.  They’d make up and things would be OK again.  She hadn’t expected him to get angrier at her as he went on and she hadn’t been prepared for the overwhelming guilt he’d dished out.

 _It wasn’t any more than you deserved,_ her conscious whispered and Rose knew that was the truth. 

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and Rose pulled it out to see a text from Dean.

_I’ll be back late._

Despite her pain Rose smiled at that.  Teenage Dean would have never sent a message like that.  He'd have taken off and showed back up whenever he showed back up.  Of course, Rose knew he was also proving a point here and she got the intended message loud and clear: This was getting away without making the other person worry.  After a moment, she texted back:

_I'll be here._

She got no response but she hadn't expected one.  He'd told her he was leaving and that was enough.  So now she had time to think. 

Whether she wanted to or not.

* * *

Dean hit the road, what he usually did when he needed to think or cool off.  Right now, it was the latter he needed.  He'd blown up at Rose in a way he hadn't planned on.  But God, he'd just about lost it when he'd found out she wasn't at Starbucks with Sam like she was supposed to be.  And then to find out from Cas that she was in New Orleans… He was doing everything in his power to keep her safe and she was blowing it off like it was an inconvenience.  For someone who made him so happy she was also making him crazy.

And Sam... Dean scowled.  He was pissed at him too.  Speaking of which...he grabbed his phone off the seat and dialed his brother and let him know just what he thought of the shit he pulled today.

* * *

Rose spent the evening at the bunker.  She knew she could have called Lily and had company but Rose needed the time alone.  She spent the time thinking over what Dean had said, both before and after she went to Chastity's.  She took a long bath, painted her toenails and even ate dinner.  Granted it was just a peanut butter sandwich but it was food so that should make Dean happy.  She also spent a good deal of time writing in her journal.  She'd started doing that more and more without the doctors prompting.  A lot of times she wrote things not to share with him but just to get them out, to clear her mind.  It helped her to write her thoughts out and tonight she definitely needed that.  She hadn't let herself cry till Dean was gone and then she'd let herself let go, curled up on their bed and cried it all out.  Then she dried her eyes and thought over what they'd talked about, what Dean had thrown out at her.  And Rose came to a few truths about herself that weren't exactly easy to accept.

As upset as she was at the proof of how much damage she'd done and how deep some of those truths Dean had laid on her had cut, she felt better that he’d had gotten all that out.  He wasn't someone to keep things in, not with her.  Now they could really discuss it, work it all out and go forward.

* * *

Sam came home a few hours after Dean left and Rose peaked her head out when she heard someone in the bunker and padded out to the library.

"Sam?"

He turned from unloading his laptop.

"Yeah, it's me - Whoa!" Sam was caught off guard when Rose launched herself at him, gripping him in a tight hug. 

"I'm sorry," she said voice muffled against his chest. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble with Dean."

Sam smiled at that, hugging her back. "I'm not in trouble with him, Rose.  He's just pissed."

Rose pulled back and looked up at him so seriously that Sam had to grin.  "I know and it's all my fault.  I'll tell him not to be mad at you."

Sam laughed at that. "Yeah good luck with that." Rose had always hated when the boys fought and had tried on several occasions to argue on Sam's behalf to his brother.  It rarely worked.  

“Wait here,” Rose said, turning and leaving the room.  She was gone a few minutes, then came back with two mugs, setting one in front of Sam and he smiled, accepting the peace offering.  His smile grew when he saw what was in the cup. One thing he had a hug soft spot for was hot chocolate.  He had since he was little and Rose knew it.  She’d made it for him a lot throughout the years, using some special recipe that Sam loved. Whenever he’d had a bad day, or had a cold or when it was just the two of them hot chocolate was served.  He’d try it other places and it was never as good as what she made.  This wasn’t cooking or baking but she’d had to be in the kitchen to make this and she’d avoided that room at all costs lately, only going so far as to make herself tea, so this meant a lot.  Sam took a sip and swore it tasted even better because it was indeed a gift she’d made just for him.

“I’m sorry I drug you to New Orleans,” Rose said softly and Sam looked up to see her standing there, mug in hand looking truly sorry.  He placed his own mug down and went and hugged her again.

“Stop,” he said.  “It’s OK.”  He smiled at her, moving back to his bag.  “I got to hang out and talk to Chastity and even got the world’s best hot chocolate.”  He winked at her.  “Not a bad deal all around.”

Rose smiled at him gratefully but kept watching him closely and he realized she was scanning his face, looking for any signs of a fight.  She obviously thought Dean coming to find him just to punch him wasn't out of the realm of possibility.  "I'm fine.  All Dean did was call me and read me the riot act," he reassured her and watched Rose give an audible sigh of relief.  "He's still gone I take it?"  Sam had been able to tell Dean was in the car when he called.  And oh, hadn't that been a fun call?  His brother could bitch a person out for days.

Rose nodded, taking a seat and folding her feet up underneath her. "He said he'd be late." She was watching Sam pull his books and journals out, arranging them neatly on the table.

"Do I even want to know what happened after I left?" Sam asked hesitantly.  With all he’d heard today he honestly wasn’t sure he did.

"He yelled about me leaving in the first place and everything else that happened," Rose said with a frown. "But it's...he needed to.  He had to get this out."

"Finally," Sam said with a sigh.  "I knew he'd blow at some point."

"Yeah," Rose said biting her thumb.  She picked at the hem of her pink pajama pants and looked at Sam guiltily.  "I'm just sorry I pulled you into it."

"Aw, Rosie, it's been that way forever," Sam said with a grin that told Rose despite the fallout he didn't mind.

All his things neatly arranged how he liked them, Sam sat down to enjoy his “cup of chocolatey goodness” as Rose liked to call it. They talked a little, both enjoying the relative quiet of the bunker and the ease of each other’s company. 

When they were both done Rose took the mugs away then came back in and gave him a smile and another hug.  "Love you, Sammy," she said.

"Love you too, Rosie," Sam said smiling at her affectionately as she headed back down the hallway.  "Even if you are a little troublemaker." A giggle floated back to him and Sam shook his head.  Funny.  She seemed a hell of a lot happier now that Dean had finally lost it with her.  He’d never understand the two of them. 

* * *

Dean stopped by the hospital on his way back into town.  It was late but he wanted to see Cas, needed to clear something up with him.  He peered in the room seeing that Daisy was asleep as was Lily on the couch.  Sam and Lily had really picked up the slack at the hospital lately, giving Erin and Bobby some much needed rest.  Cas glanced up and Dean motioned to him to come out in the hallway and with one look at Daisy, Cas did as he asked.

"Dean?  Is everything OK?" Cas asked with concern in his voice.

"Yeah, its fine."  Dean drew in a breath.  "Look man, I need you to not take Rose anywhere unless I'm there or tell you it's OK."

Cas looked at him in confusion. "But she was with Sam so I assumed-"

"Yeah, Sam can’t say no to Rose," Dean said with a grimace.

"And when she was with Lily they came and saved you," Cas pointed out.

Dean made an uncomfortable expression.  "Na, we would have figured something out."

Cas was shaking his head.  "I was there, Dean.  I disagree."

Dean made an exasperated noise.  "That's not the point, Cas.  I just need you to say you won't take Rose anywhere unless-"

Cas was shaking his head. "That seems like a very bad idea, Dean."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, sounding both irritated and confused that Cas was arguing with him.

"Rose has only asked me to take her places when she's been with someone you trust, a stipulation of the spell you had Erin put on her, correct?" Dean nodded not liking where he felt this was going.  "Then perhaps you need to have more faith in those people."

"Cas, damn it," Dean growled but before he could say anything else Cas was shaking his head and going back into Daisy's room.  Dean stared after him for a second then with a string of muttered curses he turned on his heel and left.

* * *

“It was the right call,” Daisy said softly once Cas had settled back into his seat and he looked at her in surprise, not aware she was awake.  He gave her a smile, reaching out to touch her hand softly.

“Dean would disagree with you,” Cas said.  They hadn't discussed this topic.  Cas had reacted to Dean naturally, saying what he believed to be true.  It was nice to see Daisy agreed.

“Dean would like to lock Rose up and throw away the key,” Daisy pointed out.  “He has the best of intentions but he can be overbearing.”

“Yes, I have noticed that,” Cas said thoughtfully.

“He’s scared,” Daisy said and Cas looked at her curiously.  “He’s...he likes to be able to control situations and there are so many factors at play here that he can’t account for them all.” 

Cas nodded in understanding.  It was a big job to try and keep someone safe who had as many different beings after them as Rose did. He could understand it must feel overwhelming.

Cas was distracted from his thoughts when he felt Daisy’s hand on his wrist, softly stroking the skin there.  He glanced at Lily’s sleeping form and with one questioning look thrown Daisy’s way that was quickly answered by the gleam in her eyes, he moved to sit on the edge of her bed.  Cas had been happy to find Daisy as enthusiastic about kissing here as she had been in their dreamscape.  A moment later her hand was tugging on his tie, his lips were on hers and all thoughts of Dean and Rose were quickly forgotten.

* * *

Dean came home to a quiet bunker, the main area dimly lit.  He locked up and made his way to their room and opened the door to find Rose curled up, dozing in the chair in the corner, Sookie on her lap. Despite his anger he couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her.  He loved coming home to her more than just about anything else in the world.  He sighed.  Sam had been right about him being unable to stay angry at her.  It just wasn’t in him.  He shrugged out of his coat and went to rouse her.

"Hey Rosie, Sweetheart I'm home." He brushed his fingers over her face and watched as she blinked her eyes sleepily open.

"Dean!" She said as soon as she seemed somewhat alert.  She lifted Sookie off her lap, gently putting her on the floor, then turned and wrapped her arms tightly around him.  "I'm sorry."

"No, Baby, let’s not."  Dean hugged her to him, burying his face against her neck. "Not tonight. It’s been a long day. We'll talk in the morning."

"Promise?" Rose asked pulling back to look at him.

"Promise," Dean said kissing her softy.

After they were both in bed and the lights were out Rose lay with her head on Dean's chest, snuggled against him.  And Dean couldn't help but notice the difference - last night he'd had to pull her to him; tonight, she'd been snuggled against him as soon as the light was out. "I’m glad your home," she murmured as she drifted off.

Dean smiled in the darkness.  Because no matter what, the fact that she called this home and that he had her to come home to made it all worth it.

* * *

Rose woke up snuggled in Dean's arms, her head on his chest and smiled, loving to wake up like this.  She frowned then as the events of yesterday all came back to her.  It hadn't exactly been a banner day.  She folded her arms on his chest and studied him as he slept.  She'd done a lot of thinking when he'd been gone yesterday.  Between that, her conversation with Chastity and the things that had been said yesterday she felt a lot more certain where she stood and what she wanted to say to Dean when he woke up.

Dean woke up slowly and the first thing he was aware of was the woman next to him - scratch that, halfway on top of him.  He smiled at the feel of her and opened his eyes to find her looking at him seriously.  Yesterday flooded back to him all at once and he found himself wincing as he remembered all he'd said.

Rose smiled up at him, a small cautious smile as if she wasn't completely sure he'd return it.  "Hey," she said softly.

The one thing Dean didn't ever want was Rose to doubt where she stood with him. At his angriest with her he never doubted them, never doubted what they had was solid and lasting.  He needed her to know he felt that way.  So, wanting to erase that hesitation from her eyes Dean reached down and hauled her up on top of him.  He smirked at the look of surprise on her face as he tangled a hand in her hair and keeping a hand on the back of her head he pulled her face down to his and proceeded to kiss away any doubts she had about where they stood.  He kissed her with all the passion that had fueled his anger and frustration with her and after the second it took Rose to get over her surprise she gave into the kiss completely, her body melting against his in that way that would never fail to amaze Dean.  He pulled back finally, leaving his hand on her face to caress it gently.

"No doubts OK?" He said roughly.  "Me being mad, pissed off at you doesn't mean I doubt us.  You know that right?"

He watched as relief flooded Rose's face.  "I hoped," she said softly and it was clear how much his reassurance meant to her.

"You're stuck with me, Rosie," Dean said his fingers soft on her face and Rose leaned into his hand.  "We'll work this out."

Rose smiled up at him then and snuggled against him.  Now they had to talk, Dean thought with a sigh. 

"You know what?  Let's get out of here," he said suddenly.  "We'll talk, but not here."

“I have therapy today,” Rose said cautiously and Dean nodded.

“I’ll text the Doc, say we have to cancel.”

"Works for me," Rose murmured and Dean smiled down at her.

"That means we have to move, Sweetheart."

Rose pouted at him playfully.  “That’s a shame.  You’re pretty comfortable.”

Dean made himself move, didn't want to give himself the chance to get lost in her.  It would be so easy:  A touch, a few kisses and Dean could make himself forget, but they needed to handle this.  It had all been put off too long as it was.  So, Dean lifted her off him and after a quick shower they got dressed and set out, waving good bye to Sam who waved back and wondered at the two of them.  He swore they were indestructible.  Their relationship seemed able to survive a nuclear blast and come through stronger than ever.  If he didn't know better he'd swear they were covered with magic.

* * *

Dean and Rose swung though a drive thru and picked up breakfast then stopped at the same sandwich place as last time.  It had become clear to Rose early on in the drive just where they were headed and she'd smiled and nodded in approval at Dean then.  When they pulled off onto the dirt road she immediately rolled her window down and Dean did the same.  As the sound of rushing water hit her ears she smiled.  They'd come a long way since the last time they came here.  Things were still complicated but a lot had been settled.  And hopefully after today a lot more would be.

Dean pulled out the same blanket and Rose found herself standing and staring at the waterfall much like she had last time.  It hit her then, the differences between then and now.  How unlike herself she’d felt then, how lost and empty.  She was in no way perfect now, no way completely fixed - if that was even a thing.  But she felt more like herself now, had her feet back under her, and didn’t feel she was in danger of falling down into a deep abyss at a moment’s notice.  Last time she was here she hadn’t even thought that feeling better was a possibility.  It was nice to realize she’d been wrong.

"You hadn't kissed me in over a month last time we were here," Rose said softly and Dean looked up from where he was straightening the blanket.  Something in her tone caught his attention and he stood up and went to her side.  He cupped her face in his hands, her eyes never leaving his the entire time as he lowered his lips to hers.  It was a sweet kiss, full of promise and intent, making it clear Rose wasn’t the only one aware of how far they’d come.

After, Rose smiled at Dean and they both moved to the blanket, sitting facing each other ready to talk this all out.

* * *

"I knew you'd have to yell," Rose said and Dean looked chagrined but Rose was quick to assure him, "It's OK, Dean.  I mean come on, if there was ever a situation that was worthy of yelling it was this one."  He gave her a funny half smile and Rose frowned.  "Stop.  You don't get to beat yourself up over that.  You were mad, you yelled, do I look any worse for it?" Dean actually looked her over and Rose had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. "I'm not as fragile as I was last time we were here, Dean."  Dean gave her a surprised look and Rose nodded. "I'm not denying I was...easily breakable for a while there.  But you're the one always pointing out to me how far I’ve come, how well I'm doing.  Well then you have to treat me like that."

Dean looked at her critically for a moment then slowly nodded.  "Ok good point.  I'll try, I promise. Just, cut me a little slack if I struggle with that.  You scared the shit out of me.  It’s hard for me to not be a little over protective."  Rose nodded and refrained from smiling as she thought that Dean on a good day was over protective with her.  She’d just settle for him realizing she wasn’t going to fall apart if he raised his voice.  Dean sighed then admitted, "I just had this idea I could get through this all without losing my shit."

Rose actually laughed and Dean glared at her making her swallow the rest of the laugh.  She allowed herself an amused smile instead. "Sorry, it's just why would you think that?  I mean this was defiantly a situation worth losing it over."

Dean squirmed a little and Rose found her curiosity rising.  Finally, Dean said, "Well I just thought since you know, we're in a relationship and all that I should be more calm, more reasonable."

Rose knew what she wanted to say but the last thing she wanted was to freak Dean out.  So instead she reached out and took his hand and smiled at him.  "I knew exactly who you were when we started this all, Dean.  And the last thing I was looking for was for you to change.  No wait, picking up other woman?  Definitely glad that changed." That got a grin. "But all the rest, the temper and bouts of yelling included, that's part of who you are."  She looked Dean square in the eye doing her best to make him believe her.  "I wanted Dean, not an edited version.  That hasn’t changed.  I want you just like you are."

The smile Dean's gave her was one of the most beautiful sights she’d ever seen. It was that sweet, semi-shy one he had that never failed to make her heart jump.  He gave her hand a quick squeeze before releasing it and leaning back to rest on his hands.

“Right,” Dean said.  “Let’s talk this out.”

The next hour or so was not the most fun of Rose's life.  She and Dean went through all that had happened while she was away and all that had been an issue since she came back.  Both she and Dean were honest with how they’d felt, causing some strong reactions in both of them.  That was OK though.  This whole situation was one that couldn’t help but bring up strong emotions.  Better to get it out than hold it in like they had been.

There were some tears, some yelling, even some laughter and Dean thought at one point how fitting that was – All the highs and lows of life spilled out there between them and he was proud of the fact that they dealt with them all.

“I’m sorry,” Rose said at one point, when they were close to wrapping things up.  “Not just for running in the first place but for all the damage, all the pain I caused you.”  She reached out a hand and brushed it over his chest, her fingers lingering over his heart and then she looked up at him with the intense look she got when something was important to her, her eyes full of sincere emotion.  “I take care of what’s mine too,” she said softly. “And I failed at that this time.”  She shook her head sorrowfully.  “I am really, truly sorry.  It won’t ever happen again.” 

And Dean knew in the way that he knew Rose that those weren't just words: They were a promise, a vow.  He squeezed her hand gently and brought it to his lips for a tender kiss.

Only two things brought any real strife between them.  The subject of what constituted lying was one they didn't agree on at all and Dean had a funny feeling they'd be having that conversation again.  And when Danny came up things got touchy.  "Look, I'm not saying I'm not glad he saved you," Dean said running a hand over his face.  "It just...call it male ego, macho pride, me being a territorial boyfriend, whatever but it's just tough for me to admit he did." Dean's jaw clenched.  "Especially when that jackass is such an almighty familiar fucking jerk with you."

"Danny always had a knack for getting under people's skin," Rose noted dryly.  She watched Dean's eyes narrow at the affection in her tone.  She sighed.  This was always going to be tricky.  "I understand what you’re saying, Dean, I do.  I mean if the situation had been reversed and it had been an ex-girlfriend of yours in his place I wouldn't like it either." She made sure to emphasize the ex-part and that at least got a small smile from Dean.  "Look the whole Danny thing is complicated.  Especially now that all this stuff I didn't know about him came out, all this guardian stuff." She waved her hand and then started to fidget with the bracelet she'd worn that day, her fingers toying with the pearls and miniature stars.  "Danny and I were together for a long time in high school and there's a lot of messy history there.  I sure never expected to see him there at Chastity's." Rose paused looking at Dean's pained face.  She softened her voice.  "I know you wanted to be the one who saved me."

Dean's head jerked back at that and his eyes met Rose's which was a good thing because she needed him to hear this and believe it. "But the thing is, Dean what he did wasn't all that spectacular." Rose shrugged.  "So, he had good timing and a fancy knife.  So what?  I know a couple guys that have those too, downright heroes that do stuff like that on the daily." Dean was watching her curiously not sure where she was going with this.  "The hard part came after all that."  Rose bit her lip and her eyes were emotional now. "Dealing with the fallout, knowing how much time and space to give me and just when to step in and pull me out, that's the tough stuff."  Rose bit her lip again, trying to keep her emotions from overwhelming her so she could get this out. It was important. "The thing is I've learned a bit over these last few months.  And to get someone through all this nightmare I've been in for the last however long, well you have to be able to walk with that person through it."  Rose smiled at Dean, a grateful smile full of knowledge Dean wished she didn't have.  "You understood my pain because you've been there.  And also?  You know me."  Rose reached out a hand, brushing it over Dean's knee. "You pulled me out of how many nightmares and brought me back to, well to my life really." Rose gave a little laugh and glanced around their surroundings.  "You gave me a freaking waterfall, Dean.  You gave me laughter and happiness and sunshine back when I thought it was all gone for good."  She smiled at Dean then, a smile he'd remember for the rest of his life.  It was full and beaming, a true Rose smile, shining a light on Dean he felt to his soul. "You saved me after the fact when I really needed it."  She squeezed Dean's knee. "Danny might have saved my body but you saved _me_."

The words were barely out of Rose’s mouth before Dean was reaching out and tugging her towards him, dragging her onto his lap and holding her against him.  He swallowed hard and was glad when he realized he wasn't the only one with wet eyes.  It took him a few minutes to get his emotions in check so he could even speak.

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat," he said finally his voice rough with emotion.  He kissed her then, amidst the tears on both their faces and it was tender and emotional, both of them feeling relief that the dark, painful place they’d been wasn’t where they were anymore.  Dean pulled his mouth back finally, resting his forehead against hers.  "I thought I’d lost you," he breathed out and Rose rubbed her hands over his back.

"Never," she whispered.  "You'll never lose me."

Dean hugged her to him again, resting his head on her chest, his face nuzzling against her breasts and Rose stroked his head, letting him get his emotions under control.  Her fingers ran though his hair, her hands offering comfort and Dean soaked it in, realizing she could give this now so fully because she’d come back to herself.  Finally, Dean gave a sigh, took a deep shuddering breath and Rose knew he was better when he said, "Just because the jackass saved your body doesn't mean he gets any rights to it."

Rose smiled as she kissed the top of his head.

"Understood."

"It's mine," Dean muttered holding her tighter still and pressing his face against her breasts. 

"All yours," Rose said gently and Dean smiled at how easily she agreed. 

And then he pulled her head down and kissed her to make sure there was absolutely no question who she belonged to.

* * *

Finally, when it felt like all the issues had been covered Dean went to the car and brought their sandwiches, chips and drinks back.  They ate together, hip to hip, Rose sneaking a bite of Dean’s chips and he took a nibble of her sandwich.

“I guess I should be happy you always run to the same place,” Dean mused with a sardonic grin and Rose sent him a look.  “She’s your go to, isn’t she?”

Rose nodded.  “Chastity’s the person who can, well like you can really, she can talk me down, speak sense to me that actually gets through to my brain.”

Dean nodded.  He understood that.  He had a few people aside from Rose like that.  “You gotta stop running though, Rose.  Out of anything that’s, I just can’t take that.”  Rose knew, she understood that and there was some horrible, awful irony that her defense mechanism, her default setting was something that Dean found especially painful. 

“I know.” Rose looked genuinely guilty and remorseful.  “I never plan on it.  It’s just my natural instinct.”

Dean thought that over.  He understood that.  It was like his habit of yelling when he was upset or worried.  Somethings are hard to change.  “I’ll tell you what, next time you need to run to New Orleans I’ll go with you, no questions asked.  You can sit me in one of those little rooms there and I’ll let you do whatever the hell you do with Chastity.”  Dean gave her a naughty grin.  “I’m sure there’s stuff there to keep me occupied.”

“More than you can imagine,” Rose murmured and Dean noted the meaningful gleam in her eye and the sultry tone in her voice and made a note to come back to that later.

"That's a rule now," Dean said, stealing a chip from Rose's bag.  "And it's a big one," he said, his tone serious.  "No more running.  I mean it."

"I got it," Rose said with a nod of her head.

“Promise me?” Some of the anxiety her leaving caused him seeped into his voice and Rose felt that in her heart. 

Rose set her sandwich down and Dean noticed then she’d eaten most of it.  She turned to face him, smoothing her skirt and tucking her feet up under herself.  “I promise.”  Her face was serious, her tone sincere and Dean felt if nothing else came from this day this would be enough.

“Good girl,” Dean said kissing her gently.  “You keep that promise and we’ll get that spell off of you sooner rather than later.”

Rose sighed.  “That would be nice.”

“It really bothers you?” Dean asked gently, his eyes searching her face.

“It didn’t,” Rose admitted.  “Not at first anyway.  For a while there the thought of going anywhere on my own wasn’t even something I could imagine.  And even now it’s not…going somewhere alone isn’t huge priority on my to do list but I’d like the option.  It would be nice to be able to go somewhere without having to drag someone along with me.”

Dean nodded at that thoughtfully and Rose knew it wouldn’t be something that changed overnight. She’d scared him and now that she understood how badly she had she could be patient awhile longer. 

Dean reached out and brushed her hair back.  “You getting tired?” he asked and Rose nodded. It was about that time of day. Dean smiled and kissed her forehead.  “Take your nap, Baby.  We’ll finish this when you wake up.”

Rose gave him a nervous look from the corner of her eye.  That meant the hard part was coming up.  Well hard in a different way.  The first part of the conversation had been the emotional part, the part that gave her all the guilt and had caused so much pain.  The second part was deeply personal and something Rose wasn’t used to talking about.  She had in fact only ever talked to one person about it up until now.  Just the idea of discussing it made her incredibly anxious. But they needed to and she could do it she reminded herself.  _Really_ trust him, Chastity had said.  And she did, she really did. 

So, with a sigh Rose closed her eyes and resting her head on her sweater and with Dean’s coat across her legs she let herself drift off.

Dean cleared the remnants of their lunch away then lay down next to Rose, pulling her up against him.   He lay there while Rose slept, his hands drifting up and down her back.  Her face was turned towards him and Dean lay on his side so he could look at her while she slept.  She’d done good today.  No, they both had he let himself admit.  They’d said it all, all the shit that had been there between them for all this time and now it felt like they could go forward.  Well once they dealt with it and that was up to Rose.  That part of their talk was coming up and Dean knew Rose was nervous about it.  Hell, he was a little bit just because he wanted to get it right.  He was fairly certain Rose was nervous for different reasons though.  He stared down at her face as she slept and smiled softly.  He wasn’t sure of her reasons since it was something he’d never talked about with her but they could talk here.  It was their place now, he thought, glancing around with a smile.  With that thought in mind Dean let himself relax, closing his eyes and humming a song softly till Rose woke up.


	91. I've Been Waiting For a Woman Who's a Little Of Both

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's going on in that head of yours? Part 2

“She don't need the glitter of the Vegas lights. She could blow a kiss and leave you spinning like a tilt-a-whirl…”

Rose woke to a voice she knew well singing a familiar tune, though she couldn't immediately place it.  She kept her eyes closed, listening for a few minutes and finally had to ask.

"What song is that?"

Dean looked at her in surprise, not realizing she had woken up.  He had to think a second; he'd just been singing mindlessly; whatever song came to mind.

"I met a girl. She made me smile. She made me wait. She crossed the street. She crossed my heart," he sang softly, picking up where he'd left off then groaned.  “Oh God, you've corrupted me," he said with a grimace and Rose couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up and spilled out of her.  "You play it enough I guess the lyrics sunk in."

"It's a good song," Rose said finally once her laughter had died down and Dean smiled at her with a little touch of shyness there, that made Rose’s heart clench in an almost painful way, it was so sweet.

"It reminds me of you," he said softly and Rose just smiled happily, reaching up and kissing him sweetly.

"So, part two of our discussion," Dean said with a grin once Rose had fully woken up and they were both sitting up facing each other.  "The fun part."

Rose looked nervous and Dean reached out and snagged one of her hands in his. 

"Hey I know you, remember?  Nothing you say is gonna shock me or change how I see you -" Dean reached out and brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. "-As my girl, OK?"

Rose smiled feeling a little braver at his words.

"This makes you nervous, huh?" Rose nodded and Dean moved on the blanket, spreading his legs and tugging on her hand.  "Come here," he said patting the spot on the blanket between his legs.  Rose moved and sat there and he pulled her back so her back was against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her.  "There now.  I gotcha.  You're safe." 

Rose smiled feeling a wave of security wash over her at his words and the feel of him surrounding her.  A memory came to her then...the two of them all of eight years old, watching a horror movie over the back of the couch they were much too young for.  (They were in fact both banned from watching them after a viewing of Poltergeist led to nightmares on both their parts.). Lily was watching with a friend of hers so of course they _had_ to sneak down and try to watch too.  When a particularly violent, bloody scene had come on Dean could tell from how big Rose's eyes had gotten and the way she'd clutched at his hand that she was scared.  "It's ok, Rosie," he'd whispered.  "I gotcha.  You’re safe." And he'd slung an arm around her shoulders and hugged her tight.  She’d snuggled against him and they'd wound up falling asleep like that, only to be found by Rose's parents hours later, sound asleep behind the couch. 

Rose smiled to herself now. Dean had always made her feel safe.  He was right - She could do this because she could tell him anything.  She snuggled into his arms and looked out at the rushing water in front of her.  She struggled for a moment with how to start but luckily Dean spoke first so she didn't have to.

“Before we go any further...tell me I was wrong?”  Rose glanced back at him curiously.  “Tell me I was wrong that this isn't a part of us...” Dean clarified, his voice soft, his eyes intense on hers.  

And despite her fears Rose couldn’t lie.  Not to Dean.  Not about this.

“I can't,” Rose said softly, honestly and Dean smiled.

“Good girl.”  He kissed her softly and Rose fixed her eyes on the water once again.  Once again Dean spoke before she did and she’d never been more grateful.

"When you left I was so angry, I mean I think that's pretty clear.  You ‘re mine.  How dare you take off like that?  But what surprised me was that I wasn't just mad that you left, that you ran and put yourself in danger.  I mean that's normal, expected."  Dean's fingers were tracing a pattern on Rose's arm, the touch unconscious but soothing to them both.  "But I was also pissed because it seemed like you weren’t aware of how much you meant to me.  Didn't you know how precious you were to me?  Didn’t I make that clear?"  Dean rested his face against her head and Rose closed her eyes feeling the rumble of his voice as he spoke.  "And so, I promised myself that once I got you back I'd show you, make sure you knew."

Rose was silent, completely enraptured by Dean’s words.  For someone who would claim that his brother was the one more attuned to people’s feelings and the one better at the “sensitive talk” when Dean laid his feelings out there he did it well.  Dean took Rose’s silence as acceptance and continued.

“Giving you rules just seemed to come naturally.  You needed them, that was obvious.”  Rose didn’t even try to argue that point.  It was all too apparent that Dean was right.  "I've known you my whole life, Rosie and I can testify that you get away with a whole hell of a lot more than anyone could imagine.  Mostly because nine times out of ten you're a very good girl." Dean grinned at the small little noise she made at that, unconscious he was sure, and the way she pressed closer to him. "And the rest of the time is because you are very good at getting away with things.  You're smart," Dean said the pride evident in his voice. "And you're sweet and you happen to be related to a sister who could easily be mistaken for a demon when she's at her worst." Rose let out a giggle at that and Dean smiled, knowing she was relaxing.  That's what he wanted.  "But I see _you_ , Baby.  I see your sweetness and your kindness and all the good stuff.  And I also see the bratty, stubborn side that has no problem lying to get out of any bit of trouble." Rose squirmed uncomfortably a little at Dean's words, at the bare truth behind them.  "Part of making sure you know just how special you are to me is calling you on all that."  Dean's hand closed around her wrist suddenly and Rose felt her breath catch and her heartrate pick up.  "You're mine, Rose.  You belong to me and like I told you before I take care of what's mine.  In your case that means keeping you in check.  You've been running wild for way too long, Princess." 

Rose wondered if Dean had any idea what his words were doing to her.  Everything in her was twisting, softening until she felt like so much was falling away. It really was unfair the power he had over her with just his words.

"You need someone to answer to, Rosie and now you've got it.” Dean’s voice was firm, certain.  “Those rules of yours are written in stone.  They may change as you get better but they'll be there in some form or other."  Rose felt Dean's lips on her hair for a second before he said, "I told myself when I got you back that I'd kiss you every chance I got and I also promised myself that I was going to punish you like you so obviously needed."  Dean felt a shiver go through Rose at his words.  "I don't care about terms, Sweetheart.  You want to throw words like Dom or Sub around that's fine but as far as I'm concerned this is just a part of us."  Dean noticed the flush creeping up her cheeks and smiled at how beautiful she was like this.  He traced his fingers over the back of her wrist then said, "It’s just who we are.”

Rose was silent and Dean let her be, releasing her wrist and going back to softly stroking her arm.  She didn’t argue, didn’t contradict anything he said and so he just sat there with his arms wrapped around her, enjoying the feel of her and the view and letting her take her time.  Finally, she spoke.

"You don't mind..." Rose started hesitantly then stopped and Dean gave her a squeeze, urging her to go on.  "I don't want…" Rose let out an exasperated sigh at her fumbling.  "I don't want to just be taking.  I don't want to be this person whose weak and needs too much."

Dean frowned but decided that was so Rose.  Of course, she’d be worried she was being selfish.

"So, getting the obvious out of the way," Dean cleared his throat and his voice was lower when he spoke, that certain tone he got when he knew that whatever he said was going to make her ache with need. "The fact that I'm the only person I've ever seen you show a hint of submissiveness with is a big turn on.  You can't have missed how fucking sexy I think you are when you just give control completely over to me." Rose looked back at him questioningly as if she wanted to be sure. "God, Babe that look you give me sometimes..." Dean drew a finger over her face softly, tracing her cheekbones.  "When you go all soft, all submissive on me and your eyes get this look like I'm the only thing you see.  Like I’m the only thing that even exists for you." Dean shook his head and looked down at Rose with a look that made heat pool in her suddenly. "When you do that..." Dean’s words trailed off but his eyes said more than enough for Rose to get the message loud and clear.  “There’s nothing else like it.”  Her eyes were huge in her face and as Dean watched she unconsciously licked her lips and he bit back a moan.  "I like this side of you, Rose."

“You do?” Rose asked softly and Dean nodded.

"Trust me, I do,” Dean said resolutely. “And aside from the sheer, fucking sexiness of it, there’s more.  You're mine, Rose.  Very few things in this world well and truly are and you’re one of them.  And I need…I can’t just let you go out there and get hurt.  I can’t let you be reckless and not take care.”  Dean’s hand wrapped around her wrist again, the desperation he felt bleeding into his touch. “I need you to be careful and I need to be able to do this, to take care of you and know you’ll listen.  I _need_ that.”  Dean took a breath, his grip on her wrist loosening.  After getting his emotions back under control he continued.  “Nobody else has ever belonged to me and I never wanted them to. And I'm a possessive son of a bitch when it comes to you.”  Dean watched as Rose’s lips turned up in a small smile and he let out a relieved breath at her obvious delight and approval.

“I've never wanted to belong to anyone else,” she said in that soft, sure tone he so loved.  “Being yours has always been the best thing I’ve ever been.”  Dean’s heart clenched and he just looked at her in wonder for a minute before shaking his head and kissing her.  His fingers entwined with hers as his lips carried the emotions he felt so strongly to her.  When they broke apart there were smiles on both their faces.  Dean settled back before continuing. 

“And you're not weak.  Not at all.  Weak people don’t walk away from the things you’ve survived.”  Dean hugged her, never able to think about that without it hurting him. “Don’t think this is one sided, Baby.  I love it.  The fact that you let me take care of you…" Dean shook his head at her. "I need that as much as you do.  Trust me I get a lot here."  Dean leaned his head close to her ear and said, "You keep on needing me, Sweetheart.  I love it."  Rose smiled at that and Dean hugged her.  "OK I'm done.  That's all my bit.  Now what about you, Sweetheart?  What's going on in that head of yours?"

* * *

Rose settled herself back in Dean's arms, more on her side now so the side of her face was resting against this chest and thought about where to begin. It came to her suddenly.  "You know that book series of mine you read?"

"The kinky smut one?" Dean asked running a hand over Rose's hip.

"That's the one," she verified.  "The first time I read that it was like a lightning bolt.  I'd always, well like Lily said, I like bossy guys.  Though in most cases that didn't work out too well as it meant we'd wind up arguing all the time." Dean could easily see that.  He wasn't imagining that he got away with a lot with Rose. No one else got to tell her what to do.  Period. "Anyway, the first time I read the books it was like someone had written them just for me.  "Here's a blueprint of what you want." Rose smiled at that. "It wasn't like I hadn't heard of any of this before but this was, well it was right up my alley."

"Lots of spanking," Dean pointed out and Rose blushed but nodded.

"Mmm hmm and the characters were more..." Rose frowned trying to think of how to describe them.

"More bratty, less slave like?"

"Yes!" Rose said, suddenly very glad Dean had read these books.  "I don't want to be anyone's slave. I'm not wearing a collar and I'm not ever calling you master.  Not that there's anything wrong with any of that but it's not me."  Rose's voice was firm and Dean smiled.  She may be nervous but he was certain that deep down she knew what she wanted, even if she hadn’t let herself admit it and she most definitely knew what she didn’t want and that was Rose to a tee.  And this was one reason this conversation couldn't have happened a month ago, or even a few weeks ago.  Rose wasn't ready then but now that strong core of who she was was coming into view again and Dean was glad.  He squeezed her waist now.

"Good.  I prefer a brat with a submissive streak.  Makes me work for it and gives me plenty of excuse to smack that gorgeous ass of yours."

Again, with the blushing.  Rose was going for a record on that count today.

“I like who you are, Baby,” Dean said, his voice reassuring, figuring she needed to hear this more than once.  “I don’t want you to change.  I like that you’re sassy and strong and stubborn and that you don't back down when you think you're right."  He lowered his voice then and Rose felt a shiver go through her at his words. "I also like that you're soft, and sweet and you let me take charge."  He drew his hand over her neck, his fingers lingering on her skin.  "The look in your eyes when you give in is one of the hottest things I've ever seen."  Rose took a deep shuddering breath and Dean did the same, reminding himself he needed to get a handle on his hormones.  "I like both sides, Sweetheart. They make you who you are."

Rose smiled up at him, obviously pleased then she continued.  "I didn't think...it was just a book," Rose said and Dean could hear the nervousness creeping back in.

"Relax," Dean said, running a hand down her arm and Rose took a breath and continued.

"I figured it was just going to be nothing more than fantasy for me and that was OK."  Rose took a nervous breath.  “I never even considered...this-”   She waved a hand around. “Any of this with anyone else.  Even if a guy got too bossy in bed it felt weird, wrong somehow."  Dean felt a swell of pride in his chest.  And honestly a sense of happy possessiveness too.  No one got to be the one in charge with Rose but him.  "I'd just turn the tables on them and most went along with that easy enough.  The few who tried again didn't last long."

"Wait so you're saying you took charge of any guy who tried to Dom you?" Dean asked and Rose nodded as if it was the most natural thing in the world.  "God, that's hot," Dean breathed out and Rose glanced up at him and giggled.

"I'll remember that," she said.

Dean shook his head to clear it of the images her words had brought up.  "Ok back on track, so no guy made you think past this all just being a fantasy...what changed?"

Rose bit her lip.  "A couple things.  I realized that in all those books there were quite a few things I already saw in us."  Rose glanced up at him and smiled.  "We’ve always had verbal sparring matches which I love. And you’ve always been so protective of me and taken care of me."  Dean smiled at that, those being some of his favorite things.  "And you’ve always gotten away with taking charge with me more than anyone else ever has.”  Dean preened at that a little and Rose rolled her eyes in amusement.  “And then I made that comment to you about being naughty?" Dean nodded.  Oh, he _definitely_ remembered that.  "And what do you immediately come back with but a comment about spanking."  Rose smiled a small, private smile locked in the memory of that.  "Though even then it was just spanking and that's connected to sex in my mind and that's ok."  Rose bit her thumb now.  "Except even that first time you spanked me it was more than that."

"Why, Rosie?"  Dean not only wanted to hear this; he thought Rose needed to get this all out.  She was obviously not comfortable talking about it and he needed her to be.

"Well you talked to me."  Rose closed her eyes and fidgeted with her bracelet nervously.  "You said all the right things, as if you'd read my mind."  She paused then and her voice was soft when she continued just above a whisper.  "And there was the fact that I called you Sir."

"That's a big deal to you," Dean said, not even pretending it was a question.  It was obvious.

Rose opened her eyes and nodded.  "I don't _say_ that.  I don't think I've ever said it."

"But you've said it, hmm three times to me now," Dean said and Rose squirmed.  This was obviously huge to her.  "And I've never even asked you too."  Rose froze then.  "Never even told you to."  Her eyes darted up to his nervously for just a second, large and questioning, before skittering away.  Dean pulled her back close to him again, her wiggling having moved her slightly away.  "Would you like it if I did, Rosie?"

"I don't...I'm not sure..." Rose stammered, the color high in her cheeks and Dean reached out and gently grasped her chin, tipping her head up to make her look at him.  She looked as intimidated as if she was facing a firing squad.  Dean released her chin and softly stroked her cheek with his thumb.  "Calm down, Baby.  There are no wrong answers here."  Rose took a minute, her eyes going back down to her lap but she seemed to relax. She took a deep breath, then looked up at him and gave the tiniest of nods, so small her head barely moved. But Dean saw it and smiled, settling a hand on her hip again.

"So, if you're in trouble, Sweetheart," he said, smoothing her hair back.  "If you're being a naughty little girl," And his smile deepened at the shiver that got from her. "Then you need to answer me properly.” He paused, then asked lowly, “And how is that, Rose?"

Rose bit her lip then looked up at him shyly.  "Yes Sir?"

Her voice was quiet but sure and Dean squeezed her waist and smiled at her proudly.  "Good girl." He'd been surprised by what a thrill it had given him when she'd first said those words to him.  Generally, he didn't think much of the term sir, it being a word his father had drilled into him at an early age. But when Rose said it...well he knew she didn't use it.  And it meant something to her, carried a lot of weight, that much was obvious.  There was meaning to it for Rose and that transferred to him.

Dean gave her a quick kiss then motioned with his hand for her to continue and Rose took a minute then started up again.

"Chastity pointed out to me what I'd opened the door to," Rose said with a smile, remembering that conversation and how shocked she'd been.

"She did?"

Rose nodded.  "I'd told her I belonged to you and she knows, is the only one who knows, that you spanked me." Rose gave a wry smile then. "She pointed out that I was most likely in a lot of trouble when you got a hold of me."

"Smart girl," Dean commented and Rose nodded again.

"She's had to deal with a few um, panicky moments from me."

"Over the idea of me spanking you?" Dean queried and Rose shook her head.

"Not just spanking," Rose said and Dean grinned.

"Punishing you," he supplied and Rose winced.

"Yes, that."  Rose glanced back at him and he could see the nervous look in her eye.  "I'm not very good at...at talking about it.  It makes me nervous," she admitted. “Did you ever have something you want that you're pretty sure you shouldn't?”

Dean grinned at her recklessly.  “That’s like half my life, Sweetheart.”

Rose smiled, a small smile that said a lot for its size.  “Well it’s not for me...that's not me.  And it feels like I'm not supposed to want this, to be told what to do and all.  Not that I want to be told what to do all the time,” Rose hastened to add, looking up at Dean in alarm. “I have my own mind and I don’t want you to think-”

“-That you can’t think for yourself,” Dean finished for her and Rose nodded.  “I don’t want to run your life, Sweetheart,” Dean assured her and Rose sighed in relief.  “Just in certain areas I get the final say.”  Rose thought that over and nodded and so Dean asked, “So why aren’t you supposed to want this?” He was honestly perplexed.  He didn't see what the issue was.

"It's not very strong or independent, is it?" Rose pointed out.  "All the things I want to be, am supposed to be."

Dean frowned.  "That makes no sense," he said then realized how harsh that sounded and softened his tone.  "You _are_ strong and independent but everyone needs things." Dean hugged her to him.  "You take care of me.  I need you.  Does that make me weak?"

Rose smiled at that, that he could so easily admit that. But then she shook her head. "That's different."

"No, it's not.  You want this, need this and there's nothing wrong with that."  Rose opened her mouth to argue and Dean shushed her.  He took her hand in his and asked softly, "Do you want this, Rosie?"

Time seemed to stop and Rose heard nothing around her for a few seconds.  No rushing water, no wind in the trees, not even Dean's breath.  This was a moment, a choice and it was hers to make.  She closed her eyes for a second then opened them as she squeezed Dean's hand and looked up into his eyes.

"Yes."

Dean squeezed her hand back. "Good girl."

She hesitated then before venturing, “So you were serious about punishing me.”

“I was,” Dean confirmed and felt Rose shiver.  “You trust me?”

“Of course,” Rose said without a second’s hesitation and Dean felt a swell of pride at that.  He ran his thumb over her knuckles and looked into her eyes.

“You have so much guilt, Baby and you’re not letting go of any of it.”

Rose bit her lip, her eyes moving to their joined hands.  “I know.  It’s hard,” she admitted.

Dean nodded, understanding that all too well.  “One of the benefits of punishment, Baby is it gets rid of guilt pretty well, or so I’ve been told.”

“Yeah?” Rose glanced up at Dean then and he saw the hope in her eyes at that idea.

“Mmm hmm.”  Dean picked her hand up and kissed the knuckles gently.

“So why,” Rose frowned.  “Why do I have to ask you for it?”  That was one thing, despite Chastity’s explanation that still puzzled Rose.

“You struggle with this side of yourself, Baby,” Dean said.  “I know that, I can see it.  I know it’s not a quick fix but I need you to at least be comfortable enough with it that you can accept it.”  Dean hesitated not sure if he should say the next part but in for a penny, in for a pound.  “I know you can get swept up in the eroticism of all this but it’s not just sex.  Is it?”  Rose shook her head.  It was more than that.  Maybe more than she was even aware of yet.  Something told her this facet of their relationship would grow and change as they did.  “I want you going into this with a clear head, knowing full well what you’re walking into.”  Dean smirked at her then.  “Not just caught up in how hot it is that I’m gonna spank you.”  Rose blushed again and Dean chuckled.  He did love when she did that.  He sobered then.  “And also, I want to make sure you’re OK with this.  I’m not forcing you into it.”

Rose smiled.  He really had no idea how amazing of a man he was.  He could have taken advantage of her emotions, her hormones and pulled her into something that she might not be prepared for but instead he wanted to give her time to clear her head, to go into it eyes open.  She reached up and kissed him sweetly, taking him by surprise.

“Thank you for that,” she said softly, running her hand over his jaw.  “You’re always so careful with me, always looking out for me.”

Dean grinned, obviously basking in her praise.  “That’s my job.”

Rose fidgeted with her bracelet nervously for a second then looked up at Dean from under her lashes.  “You haven’t, spanked me that is, in a while.”

“Nope and I won’t till this is taken care of,” Dean said his tone firm.  He reached out and cupped Rose’s face in his hand.  “One of those is for pleasure and one of those is most definitely not.”  He smiled at her then as he drew his hand back, a sexy smile that promised a lot and Rose knew from experience he delivered.  “But I promise once we’ve got a clean slate again you’ll be getting a good, long, hot, sexy spanking full of more pleasure than you can imagine.”  He paused then with a purposely thoughtful look on his face.  “Of course, you’ll probably need a little time to recover from the real spanking…”

“Oh, that doesn’t sound scary or anything,” Rose said with a frown and Dean laughed.

“Hey, you play you pay, little girl.”

“Where’d the little girl thing come from?” Rose asked curiously.  Dean was big on nicknames, handing them out liberally.  But she couldn’t remember him ever using this one till just recently.

“Hmm,” Dean considered her question, finally shaking his head. “No idea.  But it fits.  I mean, you’re a girl, you’re littler than me and it seems to remind you who’s in charge.”  His grin turned wicked then.  “And you have a pretty strong reaction when I use it.”

Rose chose to ignore that last comment, instead rolling her eyes and saying, “So what should I call you, big man?”

Dean laughed loudly at that, throwing his head back, his whole body shaking with mirth.  “Oh God, I’m just imagining Sam’s reaction if you did that in front of him.  It would almost be worth it.”  He winked at her as his laughter died down.  “No, Sir will do just fine.”

“Oh God, I’ve created a monster,” Rose moaned and Dean laughed again.

“So, we’re good?” he asked after a minute, looking at her face closely.

Rose thought for a second then nodded.  “I think so, yeah.”  She hesitated then added, “I don’t know if I’m brave…if I can work the nerve up to ask…”

 “You can,” Dean said, sounding surer than Rose felt. “Take your time.  When you’re ready we’ll deal with it all.”  He waited a beat while Rose nodded again then pulled her close to him.  “Now come here.  While we’ve been having this latest crisis, I have been severely deprived of these lips,” he kissed her lips. “And this body,” He ran his hands from her shoulders down to her thighs.  “We have some time to make up for.”

* * *

"Better?" Dean asked once the heater had been blowing for several minutes.  Rose nodded smiling at him gratefully.  As the sun had dipped lower in the sky the autumn chill had set in making any physical fun the two of them had hopes of a very unappealing idea.  They'd gotten as far as passionately kissing, Rose's body pressed under Dean's on the blanket and he'd gone to tug the neckline of her dress aside and gotten a strong shiver from her.  That was when it occurred to him that they had a soft, warm bed waiting for them at home.  He'd pulled back with a smile that was a promise of things to come and hurried them both into the car, packing up as they went.

He'd wrapped her up in his coat and held her hands in front of the heater, rubbing her legs to get the warmth back in them.  He kissed her now and smiled at her.  "We'll finish this at home," he promised and started the engine.

Rose snuggled up against his side happily.  She felt better having talked so much out.  She knew the onus was still on her as far as moving forward but she wasn't going to dwell on that right now.  They were so much further along than they had been a few hours ago.  She was humming softly to herself as Dean steered them back onto the main road.

"Happy, Sweetheart?" Dean asked softly as they drove home through the slowly encroaching darkness.

"Mmm hmm," Rose murmured, her fingers toying with the buttons on Dean's coat. "I don't like fighting with you."

"Me either, Princess," Dean said dropping a quick kiss on the top of her head.

They were quiet for a few moments, the thrum of the road under the Impala's tires and Rose's humming the only sounds.

"You know Chastity was impressed with you," Rose said suddenly and Dean looked at her in surprise but recovered quickly.

"Well I mean I'm an impressive guy," Dean said with a smirk.

"Mmm, and humble too," Rose said with a laugh and Dean couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Ok why?" Dean asked.

"Apparently, your whole making me ask you to punish me is a pro move," Rose said dryly her tone and expression indicating how less than impressed she was.

“Always knew I was sexually gifted,” Dean said with a proud grin and Rose rolled her eyes.

She waited a beat then asked, “So have you?’

“Have I what?” Dean asked with a confused glance thrown her way.

“Have you…had you know, like submissives before,” Rose asked nervously and winced as she heard herself throwing “like” in, a sure sign her nervous habit of speaking like a teenager was coming back.

“Seriously?” Dean said looking at Rose in surprise.  “You don’t think that might have come up at some point?”

“Well I mean, I don’t know,” Rose said her fingers moving nervously now and Dean was pretty sure if she kept that up he was going to lose the buttons of his coat real quick.  “I mean you didn’t know if I’d ever…” Rose trailed off as Dean suddenly pulled the car over to the side of the road.  “Dean, what are you-”

Her words were cut off as Dean turned to her suddenly taking her in his arms.

“I want to make this crystal clear, not leaving a doubt in your mind.  If you’re asking if I ever tied a woman up, got a little kinky of course I did.” He cupped Rose’s face in his hands and his voice was serious, his eyes intense when he said, “But I swear I’ve never had another woman I had the slightest urge to make a rule for.”  He smiled at her, the crooked half smile that oozed charm.  “I have more than enough people in my life to boss around, Sweetheart.  I wasn’t looking for any more.”

“So why with me?” Rose asked and Dean could hear the vulnerability there.  Her eyes looking up at him were wide and unguarded, some part of Rose that wasn’t usually on display shining in her eyes.  And that part, that side of Rose that no one else got to see was drawing Dean in.  It was something special, something intimate that he wanted to see more of.

“Because that’s us, isn’t it?” Dean said, running his thumbs over her face.  “You’ve always been different, always needed different things from me than anyone else.  And this, me giving you rules, keeping you in check, hell, even punishing you it’s because you’re mine.”  Dean smoothed her hair back, his hands running down her back.  “You need this.”  It wasn’t a question.  Dean could see the light in her shining even brighter as they took this further and further.  Still Rose nodded and Dean smiled at her.  “And I love giving you what you need.”

“So, it’s all about me?” Rose queried and Dean immediately shook his head.

“Not even close.”  He let his hands wander down her back, slipping up under his coat as he tried to put this into words.  “I like protecting you and this is an extension of that.  I like watching your face when you give up control to me.”  His eyes were soft on her face as he smiled at her.  “It’s like a switch only I can flip and I love that.  It just fits with us, Baby.”

“I’ve felt more out of control this year than I ever have in my life,” Rose admitted.  “And when you, when you do that, when you take control and tell me you’re in charge?  All the noise melts away.  I feel like I can breathe again.”  Dean felt a rush of happiness mixed with accomplishment rush through him at Rose’s words.

“Would it be so bad if it was all about you though?”  Dean queried and Rose looked surprised by the question.  “I mean you do things for me that I want, give me things I need.  I can do that for you too you know.”  Rose didn’t look convinced at that idea and Dean made a promise to himself to convince her of that.  But not now. Dean’s hands were stroking her waist now, his fingers spreading and holding her.  “And I have to admit having that power with you?  It’s a fucking turn on.”

“Really?” Rose asked and Dean watched as her breath picked up a little and her cheeks turned pink.

“God, yeah,” Dean said his hands grasping her waist firmly now and Rose was looking up at him with those eyes that pulled Dean in every time.  There was something in the air, some mix of emotion combined with heat and chemistry and Dean realized they were not going to make it home.  Rose’s hands weren’t clutching at his coat buttons anymore; they were running up and down his thighs and Dean grasped one and took it to feel the hardness pressing uncomfortably against the zipper in his jeans.  “See that?  Feel that?  Just thinking about it makes me hard as hell.”  Rose made a small, pleased sound and Dean grinned.  He let go of her hand and she kept it right where it was, rubbing him softly and he bit back a moan.  He glanced around their surroundings surreptitiously.  The road was quite but not necessarily deserted.  They’d have to be fairly quick.

Dean moved his hands down and stroked Rose’s thighs, urging her to open them for him and she immediately did so.  He quickly moved his hands up to stroke her sex and Rose let out a whimper which went straight to his cock.  He made quick work of her panties, pulling them off her before she could even blink and moved his fingers right back into place, stroking and teasing as his mouth moved to her neck.

“You’re the perfect combination, Rosie,” he said as his fingers slipped inside her. “Sweet and kind and fiery and passionate.   Just look at the way you react when I touch you.”  Her legs were wide open now, giving him full access to stroke and touch her to his heart’s content.  “Fucking hot as hell,” he growled against her neck and Rose’s hand that had been lightly stroking him moved to open his jeans, wanting skin to skin contact.  Her fingers were quick, he’d give her that, unzipping and unbuttoning and pulling him out so he was hot and heavy in her hand and he closed his eyes and didn’t even try to hold back his moan.  “Can’t even make it home,” he muttered.  Rose’s hand was wrapped around him, sliding back and forth in a slow, easy rhythm.  Meanwhile he’d stopped moving his hand at all, too distracted by her touch.  _“Focus, Winchester,”_ he growled inwardly.

“OK wait,” and he was moving, shifting Rose, moving his clothes down so he was bare from the waist down and sliding over so she could straddle his lap.  He sat her there, hovering over him and took in her smile and God, she looked happy, looked pleased.  She started to move towards him but Dean stopped her.

“One minute,” he said and Rose looked at him curiously.  “I wasn’t done,” he said and watching her face he slid one finger, then two inside her and watched as she shivered and her eyes closed.  “Open your eyes, Baby,” he urged and Rose blinked them open.  He watched her as he touched her, as his fingers spread her open for him and she let out those delicious noises for him that never failed to make him ache. He loved seeing her eyes when he was touching her like this.  They shone like iridescent sapphires, all her emotions on display in a way that never failed to stun him.

“You're mine, Sweetheart,” he said, repeating his words from earlier.  But his voice was deeper, darker now, tugging at something deep inside of Rose.  “And that means I make the rules, I'm the boss and I'm going to teach you to be a good little submissive girl who does exactly what she's told.” Dean watched as her eyes darkened and she let out a little whine at his words, as his fingers moved just so inside her, stroking her and making her desperate. His words were just adding fuel to the fire burning inside her. “Understand?”

Rose nodded without hesitation, her body writhing desperately under his hand. 

“Please, Dean,” she said desperately.  “Please, I want you inside of me.”

“Aw fuck,” Dean said, unable to deny the lure of those words.  He pulled his fingers out and grasped her hips and was pulling her towards him, lowering her on top of him and they both let out sounds of pleasure when he filled her.  Her knees were on the seat surrounding his hips, giving her leverage and Dean let her work, let her move like she wanted and God wasn’t that a fucking joy ride.  She lowered and swiveled her hips, making soft noises each time and Dean started thrusting up to meet her after just a few moves.  “So fucking gorgeous,” he ground out and Rose opened her eyes and smiled down at him in a way that made Dean feel as if she was bestowing some kind of blessing on him.  She was all red waves of hair, flushed cheeks and soft skin in her partially disrobed state and Dean thought he just might die from the combined sight and feel of her.  But what a way to go, he thought with a grin.

“When we get home,” Dean said his hands stroking up her thighs.  “I am going to kiss these beautiful breasts of yours,” he said leaning down and kissing the tops of them that he could see.  “Suck some…ugh…some marks on them so you’ll know I’ve been there.”  Rose made an agreeable sound as she moved and then rocked, taking him deeper inside her.  “And then I’m going to…going to…lay you out on the bed and kiss my way down your body…” Dean was talking, tormenting himself really as he felt himself getting closer to coming.  He needed Rose to come first…  “And once we’re good baby, once your punishment has been dealt out good and proper,” Dean grinned at the sounds that got from Rose before he continued on.  “Then I am gonna lay you over my lap.”  He moved his hands to her ass cheeks, squeezed them and felt her start to shake.  “You are gonna spend a good long while there, getting these sweet cheeks of yours turned cherry red.”  Rose let out a moan and she was close, almost over Dean could tell from the tremble in her thighs and the tightening of her body.  Dean gritted his teeth as he squeezed her flesh and tried to hang on.  “Maybe we’ll see just how many times I can make you come while I spank you,” he growled and he wanted to shout hallelujah as he felt Rose’s orgasm rip through her.  She shook and cried out and Dean thrust up into her quick and hard as his own took him.  His lips found hers as they both came down, easing back to reality together, their hands on each other’s bodies sweet and tender.  They sat there smiling at each other like utter idiots, both happy and sated.  Rose was the first to break the silence.

"You know whenever I envisioned having sex in this car it was always in the backseat," she mused looking over Dean's shoulder.

"Yeah, we've never made it back there yet have we?" Dean said with a grin.  He paused then as he took in what she’d said exactly. "Wait you pictured us having sex in here?"

"Duh, yeah," Rose said and Dean smiled at the sass in her voice.  She eased herself off him and righted her clothes, while Dean got his own back in place.  "This car is sex on wheels," she practically purred, running her hand over the leather of the front seat.

Dean looked at her with an approving grin.  "Baby, you just keep getting sexier by the minute."

That earned him a giggle and Dean's grin just grew.  Today had been a really good day.  Then with one more kiss Dean got them back on the road, headed towards home. 


	92. I'd Tell You I Miss You But I Don't Know How

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Texts, Old friends know us best & the power of words

While Rose and Dean were having their heart to heart and way more fun in a car than should be legal Daisy was getting her first taste of physical therapy.

Daisy stared at the big man wheeling her down to the physical therapy room.   She glanced back to see Cas hovering closely behind them.  He’d balked at the idea of her going on her own and though the orderly had looked confused her mother had backed Cas up.  So here she was, going to work on the strength in her legs with him hovering along with her.  What was normal again?

An hour later the same orderly was wheeling her back up to her room.  She wasn’t as bad as she’d feared she’d be but her legs had definitely lost strength.  She was shaky when standing up and walking though the physical therapist assured her she could overcome that with just some strength training. All those hours of cheerleading practice had made her stronger than she looked. Over all she was in good shape considering what she’d been through.  Still, Daisy thought as she was helped back into bed, she couldn’t wait to be out of here.

“Soon, Daisy,” Cas said and she glanced up at him and gave him what she hoped was a patient smile.  Now sounded much better than soon to her.  If nothing else that thought got an amused smile from Cas.

Daisy sighed.  She was tired now, from the physical exertion she wasn’t used to.

“I’m sick of being tired,” she muttered and Cas ran a hand affectionately over her hair.

“It won’t last long,” he promised and Daisy caught the promise in his voice, the plans in his eyes and smiled even as she drifted off into an afternoon nap.

* * *

“You know, technically your goal was to have sex _on_ a car.”

“What?” Dean glanced back at the redhead who was seated on their bed and couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her.  She was wearing one of his t-shirts, her hair was still wet from their recent shower and her eyes were shining mischievously at him, matching the grin on her face.  She looked happy and relaxed and so much less put together than she’d ever look once she walked out their bedroom door.  And why did they have to go out? Dean wondered to himself, eyeing Rose’s bare legs.  It was Saturday.  As far as he knew there were no world crisis’ anyone was calling them about.  Maybe they could just stay in here all day…

His thoughts were interrupted by a giggle and he looked up from Rose's' legs to her face to find her laughing.  “You have wicked thoughts, Dean Winchester,” she said with a smile.  She took a sip of her tea then set the mug down and got to her feet, coming toward him where he stood by the open closet door, where he had been ready to pull a shirt out when she distracted him.

“And who’s fault is that?” Dean asked grinning at her as she came towards him.  She wrapped her arms around his waist now and smiled up at him and Dean felt himself warming at the happiness coming off of her.

“Right, that’s totally on me,” Rose said with a laugh. “I mean before me you were just a choir boy, right?”

Dean grinned.  “I don’t think I’m gonna be able to sell that to anyone,” he said.  “But it is hard to think about anything else when you’re wearing my shirt.”  Dean slid his arms around her, his hands trailing over her curves, his hands warm and possessive.  “And I happen to know for a fact that’s all you have on.”  A hand trailed down over the curve of her hip, starting to retrace the same path, pulling the shirt up with it but Rose laughed and pulled away.  Dean pouted and she just smiled at him as she went to pull her own clothes out of the closet.

“Insatiable,” she said softly.

“That a complaint?” Dean asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Not even a hint of one,” Rose murmured and Dean laughed.

“Do we have any plans today?” Rose asked and Dean grinned, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her.

“Well I did but they involved not leaving the room so…”

Rose laughed again. “We need to go to the hospital and see Daisy.  She started physical therapy you know.  Lily texted me.”

Dean gave a long-suffering sigh and leaned over her, pulling a shirt out for himself and let her go as he shrugged it on over his blue t-shirt.  Rose smiled at him sweetly over her shoulder and pulled out a dress for herself.

“What were you saying about sex and a car?” Dean queried as he pulled his boots on then lounged back on the bed, watching Rose get ready.

“I said your goal was sex _on_ a car, not in it.”

Dean frowned as he watched her pull on the same dress she’d worn when they took Sam out to dinner.  She was right.  He’d gotten distracted by her in a car period and forgot the extra bit of the goal.  The whole _point_ of the goal actually.

"I may have gotten distracted,” he admitted and Rose grinned at him as she pulled her shoes on.  “So, the goals still there.  We’ll get to it.”

“Not in the garage,” Rose said quickly and Dean looked at her curiously.  “I have no desire for Sam or anyone else to walk in on us.”

“Aw, see now you’re adding an extra challenge in,” Dean teased and Rose just smiled at him as he got up.

“Gotta keep you on your toes,” Rose said as she grabbed her purse and headed towards the door.

Dean chuckled.  “Baby, you don’t ever have to work at that.”

* * *

The weekend passed smoothly, with everyone popping into Daisy’s hospital room for visits, taking her on trips around the hospital in her wheelchair and her slowly gaining strength back in her legs.  Lily was still doing her best to avoid Sam, especially after the incident in the kitchen but their paths crossing was inevitable, especially with both of them spending so much time at the hospital and each time he’d smile at her or give her a look that made her heart pound.  And the texts kept right on coming.

_I love the way you look in the morning, all sleepy and warm and only my eyes getting to see you._

_I’ve always been impressed by your daring.  Limits have never held you back._

_I love watching you with your sisters.  You’re guards down and you’re completely you, no holds barred.  You’re a great sister, Lily.  You care for Rose and Daisy in a way that most people could only hope for._

_I love making you scream.  Watching you just come apart, your fingers grabbing at me so hard it hurts…that’s a high._

Damn it.  Why did he have to be so persistent?  He was killing her, was wearing her down.  She didn’t know how much longer she could hold off.

* * *

When Monday morning rolled around Rose felt rested and revived.  Having everything out in the open between her and Dean and the conversations they had really had helped. She had thinking to do but she felt ready to do that now.  Both her practices went well and she walked into therapy after her nap and lunch feeling good.

"I'm sorry about having to cancel Friday," Rose said once she and Dr. Alexander had exchanged greetings.  "Somethings came up that Dean and I had to deal with."

Will nodded in understanding.  He wasn't sure if Rose meant personally or if this was more to do with something supernatural but he believed if it was something she wanted to talk about she would offer up more information. He asked how her new exercises for her powers were going and was pleased with her results so far.

"So sometime soon we can start getting me off the potion, right?" Rose asked and Will smiled.  She was definitely anxious to reduce her potion, something he'd known from the start.  She'd never been so insistent before though.  That was definitely a sign of healing.

"Let's give it another week or so but I've been talking with and will keep discussing with your mother adjusting the dose."

Rose gave a satisfied nod and sat back, giving Will a chance to read her t-shirt.  “…And then Buffy Staked Edward.  The End.”  It made him smile and he felt the need to comment on it.

Rose laughed and explained.  "Daisy, my youngest sister, the one you haven't met?" Will nodded. "Well she got really into the novels and Lily despised them, kept telling Daisy they were utter crap that would turn her brain to mush.  So, it became this constant source of teasing there."

"And you came down on Buffy's side?" Will observed and Rose smiled.

"That's generally a rule of thumb for me."

Will smiled then turned back to his notes.  He paused, then looked back up at Rose.

“How are things going, Rose?”

Rose considered his question.  “I think, for the most part things are going well.  I’m feeling more like myself and things are going better with everyone.”  She paused, hesitating then plowed ahead.  “Dean and I had a blow up this week.”  Will looked interested and Rose gave him a brief, edited summary of what had happened.  “And it was good, I mean him getting that all out,” Rose said.

“That was important to you,” Will said and Rose nodded.

“He was upset, angry and he wasn’t going to feel better till he yelled.”  Rose smiled at Will.  “It’s how Dean is, it’s how he lets go of things.”

“And that doesn’t bother you.”

Rose shook her head.  “No, it’s how he is and that’s OK.”  Rose paused, her eyes going to the floor for a second then glancing back up.  “And he didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”

Will studied Rose for a moment, took a sip of water then asked, “Can you explain why it was so important to you?”

Rose nodded immediately.  “It means he isn’t looking at me as quite so fragile now.”  She caught Will’s curious expression and smiled.  “Dean’s protective and he wants me safe.  I know that.  He always has, it’s just intensified since all this happened.”  She smiled and trailed off, her thoughts obviously on something.  “Do you know what it was like growing up with him and Lily?” she asked after a moment had passed and Will shook his head.  Rose settled back into her chair and began to paint a picture for Will of her childhood.

“My parents were protective in some ways and others not so much.  They both grew up with hunters for parents and wanted us to have as normal a childhood as possible. So, we got to go to sleepovers, football games, birthday parties.”  Rose shook her head.  “Stuff my mom never got to do. That was extremely important to her, that we had normal as part of our everyday life.”

“That’s understandable,” Will commented and Rose nodded.

“But we were all raised to take care of each other, to have each other’s backs, lookout for each other.  That was taught to us at an early age.  But Dean and Lily, they both take it to an extreme.”

“They're the oldest,” Will offered and Rose smiled.

“Yes, Dean’s got me beat by a whole four days.”  Will grinned at that. His interactions with Dean led him to believe he'd milk those four days for all they were worth.  “Between the two of them it was like having my own personal body guards.  Heaven help us if someone said something rude or looked at me wrong.  My older sister is a little too comfortable with using physical force to get her point across.”

“Though not with you,” Will pointed out and Rose looked at him curiously.  “Dean explained that was an unbreakable rule in your house.”

“The biggest one,” Rose confirmed.  "Which if you think about it makes sense.  Lily's always been strong and they knew me and Daisy would have powers at some point.  Probably not a bad idea to teach your kids not to hit each other, especially when they aren’t exactly average."  Will smiled at the truth there.  "But Lily had no problems hitting anyone else.”  Will could see that, just from the few meetings he’d had with Lily that rang true.

“I get it, that it’s who they are and that won’t change.  And for the most part it's a good thing.  It's because they care about us, me, Sam, Daisy."  She smiled and Will saw clearly, she took the protectiveness as a sign of affection.  He’d grasped that the very first day he’d seen Rose and Dean together. "But how he’s been recently went beyond that.  I can’t have Dean thinking I’m going to fall apart if he raises his voice with me for the rest of our lives."  She paused, biting her lip then said, “I get how bad I was.  I do.  I felt like a wreck and I’m sure I came across that way too so I understand why Dean has been overly protective.  It wasn’t without reason.  But I can’t spend the rest of my life with Dean thinking I’m going to break.”

“So, this would appear to be a big step forward for you, for the both of you,” Will pointed out and watched as Rose smiled broadly.

“It was,” she confirmed.  “It really was.”

* * *

"We're just gonna wander on down to the cafeteria," Bobby said to Cas, leading Erin out with a hand on her elbow.  He’d arrived to take over from Erin this evening and wanted to grab some dinner with her first, wanted to have a little check in.

"They're cute together, aren't they?" Daisy mused and Cas considered the older couple as they walked out. He wouldn't have used the word cute but he'd found Daisy used that word a lot.  He caught a stray thought of Daisy's then and smiled.

"Well I mean, we are alone," she murmured, smiling at him coyly.  And Cas was more than happy to move to the side of Daisy's bed and pull her into his arms.  These moments alone came all too rarely.  He'd quickly learned to take advantage of them when they came.

* * *

"So, how’s Daisy doing with the physical therapy?" Bobby queried once they were settled at a table near one of the big windows.  The sunlight poured in today, making the ever-approaching chill seem not nearly as imposing.

"Really well," Erin said.  “Slower than she’d like but she wants to be fixed yesterday.”

“Well none of your girls have a knack for patience,” Bobby said with a grin and Erin nodded.  “Kind of like their mother.” Bobby pointed a fork full of potatoes at her and Erin frowned.

“I’m patient.”  Bobby huffed.  “I am.  They get their impatience from their father.”  Bobby had the audacity to laugh and Erin narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re a sound sleeper, Bobby Singer.  I’d be careful if I were you.”

Bobby just laughed and shoved the fork full of potatoes in his mouth before it could fall off and Erin just shook her head and took a bite of her chicken salad, trying to hide the smile that Bobby’s teasing had brought about.

"How about Rose.  How's she doing?" Bobby had seen Lily and Sam a lot over the last little bit but he'd rarely crossed paths with Rose. Between her therapy and training she was busy.  He'd talked to Dean only slightly but he'd seemed better which Bobby took to mean Rose was doing better.  How one of them felt could usually be easily figured out by dealing with the other.

Erin frowned. "Better.  We're discussing lowering her dosage."

Bobby nodded.  That was definitely a good sign.  "She's ready for that?"

Erin shrugged. "Will thinks she is."

"But you haven't seen her." The relationship between Erin and Rose was odd at the best of times and one Bobby had always been mildly confused by.  They were different in so many ways and the few ways they were similar seemed to make them clash more than identify with each other, but still the distance between the two of them had always struck him as odd.

"She's busy," Erin said shortly, unconsciously echoing Bobby's thoughts from earlier.   “I saw Dean a few days back and he seemed good so…”

Bobby nodded.  “And Sam and Lily are still in their crazy limbo.”  Bobby smiled at Erin in the way that an old friend does, the ones who know all your past.  “Must give you a sense of Deja vu, watching the way he’s pulling out all the stops with her.” 

“Bobby, I was never so…” Erin stopped when Bobby laughed again.

“Really?” he asked, looking at her incredulously.  “Really? You want me to bring up a certain memory from Montana, small dive bar there and the fiasco that ensued between you and Brendan-”

“Ok, ok,” Erin cut him off, a blush suffusing her cheeks.  “You’ve made your point.”

“She’s your daughter, Erin,” Bobby said, looking amused and Erin just rolled her eyes.  Bobby took another bite of meatloaf and studied Erin.

“So, you gonna tell me what’s wrong?” he asked and Erin glanced up at him.

“Who said anything was wrong?”

“I know your eyes, Erin,” Bobby said.  “Something’s wrong.”

“I never could hide anything from you,” Erin muttered and sighed.  “Just another call from my parents,” she admitted, pushing the chicken salad around on her plate.  “My mother’s being characteristically pushy.”

“What’s she after?” Bobby asked concerned at the fact they’d called again.  They never called this often, not for the last ten years at least.

Erin set her fork down.  “She wants to see the girls,” she said softly.  Bobby let out a soft curse and Erin nodded.  “It’s been a few years so it’s not an unreasonable request but it’s not anything to do with time.”  Erin pushed her plate away from her entirely, her appetite completely gone.  “They’re just nosy, curious.  They want to see the girls and see what’s changed.”

“What do the girls say about that?” Bobby asked, taking a sip of coffee.

“They don’t know,” Erin admitted.  “I haven’t told them and I don’t plan to.  Not yet.  I can stall my parents for a bit.”

Bobby nodded and went back to his plate while Erin sipped her cup of tea.  Bobby wondered if Erin realized at least one of the girls knew something was going on with her parents.  Cas and Daisy had been there the day they’d first called and he was sure Cas knew the details and he seemed to be more than happy to share them with Daisy.  He thought about mentioning that then decided to leave it for now.  They were silent for several moments, Bobby eating and Erin sipping at her tea and then Bobby said:

"You know, any time you wanna tell me what that big secret you've been keeping is I'm all ears."

Erin's head jerked up in surprise.

"I don't know what-"

"You can save the denial, Erin," Bobby said, his voice gentle despite his words. "I know you too well and I'm not pushing." He gave her a smile. "Just saying that when you're ready to unload I'm here."  Erin was silent and Bobby reminded her, "Has there even been a time I didn't have your back?"

"No," Erin admitted and Bobby nodded.

"And that's not gonna change." He looked at her carefully.  "Just remember that."

Erin looked up at him cautiously for a long minute then finally she offered him a small smile in return.

"Thank you, Bobby."

Bobby smiled at her kindly and the two of them finished the meal, with no more discussion of secrets or parents they wished would just fade into the background where they belonged.

* * *

Part of Rose and Lily's costumes arrived the next day.  As they'd used Lily's PO Box she sent a text to Rose who suggested they plan a dress rehearsal once all the pieces had arrived.

Sam and Rose spent the afternoon at Starbucks again where Rose was ever so slowly getting the hang of reading again.  She’d brought earbuds with her for days when it was noisy like today and was softly humming to herself as she read.  She and Dean seemed a lot better now after the big blow up.  Maybe not perfectly settled if Sam had to guess but better.  Rose still had that slightly on edge note to her that few people would notice, save those who knew her best, but it was softer, less pronounced and Sam felt sure she and Dean were moving the right way.

Sam for his part was keeping up his texting campaign with Lily.  He'd been wavering over the weekend, wondering if it was working but Rose had assured him it was. "Be persistent, Sam," she'd encouraged him and so Sam was hanging in there.

Picking up his phone as he finished off his coffee he considered what to send this time. He'd sent all manner of sexy ones, some sweet ones and even a few (he thought) funny ones.  He thought for a moment then finally wrote something that meant a lot to him.

_"You know me. Really know me. My weaknesses, my flaws, who I was and who I am now.  I don't have to pretend with you to be someone or something I'm not. And you fell in love with me anyway. I'll never not be amazed by that."_

Sam sat his phone down, feeling satisfied he'd wrote from the heart and went to get a new cup of coffee.  He even managed to (mostly) ignore the loud faux medicine woman who was there once again with a lone client this time - a frazzled looking woman who looked ready to jump out of her skin at the slightest provocation.  Sam wanted to suggest she lay off the caffeine, that that might help way more than whatever placebos the other woman was shilling but he bit his tongue. He was just settling down, sipping his coffee, ready to pick up his book when his phone buzzed.

Rose happened to glance up at just that moment and saw Sam's eyes widen.  She quickly tugged her earbuds off.  "Sam?”

"Holy shit."  Sam looked at her with eyes wide with wonder. "She texted me back."

* * *

Lily was in fact at the hospital.  Daisy was at physical therapy which meant Cas was with her and Lily was lying sprawled on the couch, completely alone. Sam's text had come through and she'd read it and finally she couldn't help but respond.  She'd wanted to for days and finally she couldn't resist.

 _"Falling in love with you was easy."_   She paused then erased that.  That was way too much. She was texting him, opening up communication, not offering him her heart up on a silver platter.  _“You’re amazing.”_   No.  What she really wanted to say was simple, exactly what she’d written and never sent: _“I miss you too.”_ But she wasn’t ready for that.  Finally, she settled for something middle of the road.  Something somewhat safe.  (And who was she worrying about being safe?  What craziness was this?  Lily firmly pushed that voice down.)

_"I've always known you, Sam."_

And as soon as she hit enter she felt like her heart was going to pound out of her chest. Oh God, what had she done?  That was dumb. That was reckless.  Rose was right for telling her she wasn't cautious enough. God, what was he going to say back?  What if he said nothing? This was-

Her phone buzzed and she glanced at the screen. _"You have. Since I was smaller than you."_

Lily rolled her eyes. _"I'm not small."_

_"You’re smaller than me."_

_"That's because you're a fucking giant."_

_“Oh, there’s so many ways I could take that.”  ;)_

The banter went back and forth, as smooth and easy as it always was, like there had been no time lost. Nothing heavy was touched on, nothing that had happened brought up and before Lily knew it an hour had passed and Cas was wheeling Daisy back in (The orderly having given up that roll gladly.).

_“Gotta go”_

_“Can we talk later?”_

Lily hesitated. She wasn't ready for actual talking. This seemed safer. She could plan what to write, how to respond here easier.

_“Text me”_

Sam sent her back a smiley face and Lily actually giggled.  She put her phone away and looked up at Daisy who was watching her with a curious smile, obviously aware something was going on.

"So, how'd PT go?" Lily asked before Daisy could ask any questions.  She was ready to answer any yet, to share this. For now, this was enough. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One small tweak I made to canon was Bobby's back story. I know in canon he didn't know anything about the hunting world or the supernatural till his wife was possessed but I liked the idea of him and Erin having history so I tweaked it. I think he'd be OK with that. ;)
> 
> Happy October everyone! Season 13 starts next week!


	93. I Was Thinking 'Bout a Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Self-compassion, Pornographic food & a description any woman would love to hear

"So, let's talk about guilt."

Rose jerked as if someone had shocked her and Will caught that easily. He gave her a kind smile and watched as she regained her composure. They'd discussed on Wednesday a few other additions Will wanted her to add to her exercises of her powers and he’d asked her today how that was going.  Getting a positive answer, he was moving on to another topic.

"Obviously something you're dealing with," Will said easily and Rose gave him a knowing smile.

"Yeah," she said softly, her fingers running nervously over the pink skirt she wore.

"You've taken steps to make amends, to apologize and try to right the wrongs that were done," Will pointed out and Rose nodded. "And yet the guilt is still there."

"Every day," Rose affirmed.

Will knew this for a fact because every single time anything that had happened either because of Rose's leaving or in the aftermath was mentioned the guilt practically poured from her.

"You do realize Rose, that everyone makes mistakes. That every single one of us will mess up." Rose nodded but her eyes didn't change. "You did what you did with the best of intentions. Your actions might not have always been the best choice but you didn't know that, you meant well. Shouldn't that count for something?"

Rose bit her lip and twisted her fingers together. "In theory, yes but I just can't let it go...I've never been-I've always been the one who didn't really screw up."

Aw yes, that had come across pretty clearly in her session with her sister. Rose was the good child, the steady one and this set of circumstances had messed with her self-image. Will wondered if she had any idea how much of her guilt had to do with that.

"And yet when the people you love make mistakes I would venture you forgive them, that you offer them grace." Rose immediately nodded and Will smiled. "But you are unable to offer that same gift to yourself."

"It's not that easy," Rose said with a frown.  “I know it’s not logical.”

"Our feelings quite often aren’t,” Will offered and Rose smiled in acknowledgement. “I'm going to give you a homework assignment and then I'm going to point out a few things I’d like you to think over as well.”  Will waited a moment while Rose pulled out her journal and got ready to jot the assignment down. “I'd like you to look up self-compassion and think about what that would mean to you, what it would look like." Rose nodded, her brow furrowed but wrote it down. "Here's the thing about guilt, Rose. It doesn't serve any useful purpose. You feel guilty and you feel bad but that changes nothing. Meanwhile you are stuck in an endless of cycle of it accomplishing nothing but making yourself miserable." Rose's expression was intense and Will could tell she was taking all this in. "What does have some purpose, what can be useful going forward is regret. Regret is a warning sign, a reminder of what you need to fix. Now I would argue you've already attended to all that needs to be remedied but you can ask yourself what you can learn from this. What can you do in the future that can be different because of this?" Rose nodded again and Will knew she'd be thinking that over. "If you like you could write about that as well and we can discuss it next week but that's up to you."

Rose smiled at him. "That's a lot to think about."

"Well I'm going to give you one more thing," Will said. "One thing guilt does? It robs the joy from a lot of things we love. I know you're still struggling with food. Maybe one reason is because you don't think you deserve the pleasure you used to get from it." Rose looked surprised by this idea and Will left her with that thought, telling her to have a good weekend and he'd see her Monday.

* * *

Dean could tell Rose's mind was working overtime when she came out of therapy. She had a thoughtful, distracted look on her face he knew well.  He mentioned making chili for dinner and Rose nodded and agreed, then brought up wanting to call Chastity and Dean kissed her forehead and suggested she do it while he started dinner so with a grateful smile Rose headed for their room.

She started a skype session immediately, knowing Chastity preferred those.

They'd talked a few times since the fiasco at the club but not for any real length of time.  (Chastity had laughed when she'd told Rose, "I thought you were going to get your wish. Dean looked pissed enough I thought he was going to go McClintock on your ass.") Now Rose needed a few questions answered, needed an opinion. So, after the formalities and pleasantries were done and Rose told Chastity she wasn't sending her nearly enough pictures of Emma, Rose took a deep breath and got down to it.

“Why didn’t you blame me?”

Chastity looked surprised at Rose’s abrupt question, it not having been the one she expected.  Still she thought for a moment then answered honestly.

“Because it wasn’t your fault.”  When Rose looked ready to argue Chastity continued, not giving her a chance.  “You had no idea what would happen, Rose.  You came to me for help, that’s it.  If our roles had been reversed I would have done the same.”  She looked at Rose intently.  “And would you have blamed me?”

Rose looked at her and Chastity could see her mind working.  “No,” she said finally, her voice soft and full of slowly dawning comprehension.

Chastity nodded. “So, do you think you could maybe offer that same courtesy to yourself?”

Rose gave her a half smile.  “Oh, if it was only that easy.”  Rose bit her thumb then asked, "So, were you serious about guilt, about spankings being a good cure for it?"

Chastity sat back and studied Rose's face through the phone. It had taken her long enough to ask.  Because God knows, Rose wasn’t going to quit beating herself up on her own.

"I was," Chastity said evenly. "I mean, obviously not for everyone and it helps if you're in a strong relationship with someone you trust, someone who knows your limits and can push you as much as you need to be."

Rose nodded her head thoughtfully. So much of what Dr. Alexander said had made sense but Rose also knew herself well enough to know she needed something else, some token, some physical expression of penance.

Chastity cocked her head to the side and said softly, "Having seen Dean and you together? I'd put money on him being a guy who can give you that."

Rose rolled her eyes good naturedly. "Why? Because he just exudes dominant male?" She'd already been teased by Chastity about how could Rose not know Dean was a Dom. ("He might as well have been wearing a t-shirt - "I'm Dominant. Only Submissive’s need apply.")

"Well I mean there's that," Chastity said with a teasing grin. Then she softened her tone. "But more than that it was the way he was with you. I mean, he was obviously angry as hell but despite that he was still controlled, still perfectly measured in what he did." Chastity eyed Rose, wondering if she had any idea what she had. Because between talking to Sam and hearing the threats Dean had made to Martin she was pretty confident that behavior didn't extend to everyone. "If you're going to be punished, especially for the first time, that's the kind of man you want to go with.”  Chastity paused, then asked, “So, are you finally ready?"

Rose nodded hesitantly. “I think so?  Or I’m getting there anyway.” Rose’s voice was quieter than normal, full of hesitation but also something else Chastity could hear but took a minute to place.  When she did Chastity couldn’t help but smile to herself.  That note was acceptance, not fully formed yet but close.  The arguments Rose had been having with herself seemed to finally be slipping away.

“I can see why you said he makes you feel safe,” Chastity said and Rose looked at her curiously.  She’d figured Dean’s march through Chastity’s club had at the very least made Chasity think he was volatile.  It hadn’t been the greatest introduction.  It certainly hadn’t been how she wanted the two of them to meet.  “He’s as intimidating as all get out but when it came to you he was careful and in control.  Even though he was pissed when he touched you he was gentle. You matter to him, Rose.”  That earned a pleased smiled from Rose.

“Yeah, he’s amazing.” Chastity had to smile at the lovesick note in Rose’s voice.  God, she was so far gone.

Rose bit her lip hard and Chastity could practically hear the gears in her mind turning.

"Right, thanks."

They chatted for a few more minutes then Chastity had to go. Before they ended the call though she stopped Rose.

"For the record, if you run away again, bring your boyfriend with you, please." Rose looked at her quizzically and Chastity rolled her eyes. "I don’t need him storming through my club again.  I had to give Martin a week off to recover from the fright."

* * *

Rose made her way back to the kitchen, finding Dean chopping vegetables and adding them to a pot simmering on the stove. She smiled.  She'd had Dean's chili several times and was a fan.

"Good talk?" Dean asked as she came in and moved about the kitchen, smiling when she saw Dean had put the kettle on the stove for her, knowing she’d want a cup of tea.

"Mmm hmm," Rose murmured and moved up behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his back. Dean smiled at the warm feeling of her pressed against him. "I like watching you cook," she said after a minute.

"Oh yeah?" Dean asked smiling at her over his shoulder as she placed a kiss between his shoulders and went to the stove to pull the kettle off as it started to whistle. Rose just smiled at him and nodded.

"You're so focused, so efficient." Rose got a mug out and put a tea bag in it. "You're really good at it," she said as she poured the hot water into the mug.

"Not as good as you," Dean said and Rose shook her head.

"That's not true," Rose said. "I just have a lot more time for it than you do," she countered and Dean slowly nodded.

"OK but the food you make," Dean said as he quickly chopped up onions, “It just has this incredible flavor and this kind of comfort to it. It tastes like it's made with love and that comes across." Dean shook his head as he thought back to some of the food Rose had made over the years. "After a hunt that's just gone all to hell, getting the shit beat out of you by some demon and you're just feeling tore up, there's nothing like being able to sit down and eat something hot and comforting made just for you. Makes a guy feel taken care of."

Dean looked up to find Rose had stopped what she was doing and was just watching him, listening intently to his words. "I don't think I ever realized it meant that much to you or why" she said softly and Dean felt an uncontrollable blush creeping over his cheeks. It wasn't like he hid how much he liked Rose cooking for him but that had been pretty bare, pretty vulnerable. And he didn't want to make her feel bad for not cooking now. "I like that."

Dean smiled at her acknowledgement and the two of them were silent for a minute as Rose finished making her cup of tea and Dean kept up his vegetable chopping.  Rose moved to one of the stools at the island and watched Dean finish up with the onions and move onto tomatoes while she nursed her cup in her hands.  Finally, she gave a sigh and spoke.

"So, Dr. Alexander had some interesting things to say about food today."

"Oh yeah?" Dean glanced up at her then focused back on his hands.  He was trying to be calm, not pushy.  Food was still a really touchy subject with Rose.

"He mentioned that maybe one reason I don't enjoy it anymore is because I don't think I deserve the pleasure I used to take from it."

Dean thought that over as Rose sipped at her tea. He hadn't really thought about it like that but he could see how that made sense.

"So, like a self-imposed punishment," he surmised and Rose's face immediately flushed.

"Well he didn't put it like that," she said fidgeting with her mug. "But I guess maybe sub-consciously, yes." Rose was silent for a second then said, "You love pie." It wasn't a question. Anyone who knew Dean knew this to be true. "I've heard you describe it before, how it tastes, the way the fruit just bursts on your tongue and slides down your throat."

Dean shifted a little. Rose had a talent for making food sound borderline pornographic.

She didn't notice his reaction, her eyes focused on her tea, her expression thoughtful.

"My favorites cake, red velvet cake," she said setting her mug down on the counter and Dean stopped what he was doing to watch her. Her eyes slipped closed and a smile played across her lips as she spoke. "The deep flavor, the pure decadence of the richness of the cake. No way you can fool yourself into thinking it’s any kind of health food.” She gave a little shake of her head. “You know you're eating something that's pure hedonistic pleasure from the first bite. It fills your mouth with the rich chocolate flavor, the dark and sinful taste caressing your tongue as the rich scent fills your nose. It tastes heavy too, not a light fluffy cake but a full one." Rose's tongue darted out to lick at her lips as if she could taste the cake right now and Dean put the knife he was holding down, afraid he'd drop it. He was so focused on Rose, on the sight of her as she lost herself in the description of the flavors of the cake she loved so much. "When it's in your mouth it's the only thing you're thinking of.  You get lost in the taste, in the experience and how good it makes you feel.”  The smile tugging at Rose’s lips was borderline sinful and Dean wished he could capture that expression, because damn, it was hot.  “And then there's the icing. It's tart and tangy, the perfect balance to the richness of the cake. And if it's made right - creamy and smooth - it's like the perfect little aftershock to the beauty of the rich red velvet." Rose shivered and Dean couldn't help the moan that escaped his lips. Rose's eyes fluttered open and for a second she looked surprised but then she smiled at him. Her cheeks were flushed and Dean was pretty sure his were too and he was certain anyone coming into the room would never believe they'd just been talking about cake.

"Damn, Rosie, you should talk about food like that more often," Dean said his voice low and gravelly even to his own ears.  He’d known she loved that cake, had eaten it with her on countless occasions but he’d never heard her describe it quite like that.  Rose giggled now looking slightly embarrassed. She waited a beat then said:

"Well that's the problem though. I can describe it, I can remember what it felt like but when I actually eat food?  None of that is there." She frowned and Dean saw the remorse in her eyes. "It's just flat, bland. There's no explosion of flavor, no intense pleasure, nothing. It's just...food."

"Sorry, Baby," Dean said truly regretting she'd seemingly lost this. He almost wanted to suggest that maybe if she'd do something to let go of her guilt it might help but he'd promised himself he wouldn't push. He’d meant what he said about Rose having to ask him.  He’d hoped that her calling Chastity right after therapy meant the idea was on her mind... Though this conversation had given him another idea that he vowed to put it into action as soon as the chance presented itself.

Rose just nodded and picked up her mug, taking a sip and then cradling it in her hands. She watched Dean go and dump the tomatoes in the soup pot, give it a stir and move onto green peppers.

"Why's it so important to you?" she asked suddenly. "Me eating, I mean. It was the very first rule you gave me and seems a pretty big one for you."

Dean thought that over. It wasn't just one answer really. There was a bit involved here so that's what Dean told her.

"A couple reasons really. I mean obviously I like food."

"No, I never would have guessed," Rose said with a shock surprised look and Dean raised an eyebrow and pointed at her with the knife in his hand.

"Hey, stow the smart-ass comments, brat. We're in a kitchen here, you know." He gave her an intimidating look. "Lots of wooded spoons around."

Rose blushed prettily. "OK, OK I'll be good."

Dean snorted disbelievingly and Rose pouted at him playfully and Dean couldn't help the smile that brought out.  Then he got back to her question.

"I always liked that we shared that, that we could talk about food and enjoy it together and I liked cooking with you that time too." Rose smiled happily at that. She'd enjoyed that as well. "I liked that you cooked for me. Like I said, it always made me feel taken care of." He'd said that enough today he decided so moved on quickly. "And you not eating wasn’t healthy.  I mean obviously you needed to eat. And you got way too damn skinny."  He looked at her appraisingly.  “You still are.”

Rose frowned at him. "Dean, I've never been skinny a day in my life."

"Are your clothes fitting right yet?" Dean countered and Rose frowned at his point. "Right, like I said, too damn skinny."

"My clothes not fitting doesn't mean I'm underweight," Rose argued.

"It damn well does," Dean said glaring at her but Rose stood her ground.

"No, it doesn't. Dean, I'm not normally exactly the ideal weight.” Rose motioned to herself. “Chubby girl here, remember?"

Dean looked at her in a way that made Rose pretty sure this was going to turn into an argument. Then as she watched his face softened. "Are you trying to tell me you don't normally like your body?" She could tell from his eyes this concept had never occurred to him.

Rose sighed and shifted uncomfortably on the stool.  This was really not the conversation she’d envisioned them having. But she'd started it so she stuck with it.

"Normally I have parts I like and parts I really wish were different," she hedged and Dean gave her a look that said he knew that was a less than honest answer. "I don't hate it," she said honestly. "But I'm also very aware that I have a sister who has the perfect body and that's never going to be me."

Dean was looking at her like she was crazy. "You mean Lily?" he said after a minute and Rose nodded, _really_ uncomfortable with this conversation now. But no way was Dean going to let it go. "She has no curves, no ass at all. How is that the perfect body?" Dean snorted.

"Well the rest of the world thinks it is." Rose paused and frowned. "And do you spend a lot of time looking at the ass my sister doesn’t have?"

Dean laughed at that. "No, she got drunk one night when we were in Iowa and pointed this out to me. Along with a lot of lamenting." Rose choked on her laughter and Dean smiled. "The rest of the world is kind of stupid, Rosie."  Rose gave him a look that clearly said that argument wasn't winning him any points. "OK so what's wrong with your body? Because from where I'm sitting...err, standing it's perfect."

Rose shook her head at him. "You really want a list?" Dean nodded and Rose sighed. "Well I'm too fat for starters, especially my thighs and my butts too big and I have a tummy that will never ever be flat. And I'm pale and I jiggle…Dean what are you doing?"

As soon as Rose started this crazy list Dean had dumped what he had chopped into the pot, washed his hands off and came towards her with a determined look on his face. Now he grabbed one of her hands and tugged her off the stool.

"We have to take care of this," he said simply heading towards the hall, pulling her along behind him.

"The chili will burn..." Rose protested weakly and Dean changed directions towards the library where Sam and Charlie were working.

"Hey Sammy, can you check on the chili? And Charlie, you like to cook, can you chop the rest of the vegetables in there and add it?"

Sam and Charlie looked at each other in confusion and then at Dean and a confused, embarrassed looking Rose standing behind him.

"Why? What are you doing?" Sam asked and Dean grinned back at Rose.

"Fixing something," he said shortly and then turned and headed off down the hallway, still pulling Rose along with him.

Sam and Charlie looked at each other again.

"Did he just…?" Charlie asked.

"Really?" Sam voiced.

And then with a sigh the two of them headed for the kitchen.  Sometimes it was just easier not to ask questions.

* * *

Dean kicked their bedroom door shut behind them and led Rose to their bed, pushing her gently to take a seat.

"I can't believe you did that," Rose said scrambling to get up but Dean gently but firmly pushed her back on the bed. “God knows what Sam and Charlie think-”

"This is important," Dean said cutting her off, pulling her shoes off her and then pushing her skirt up.

"These thighs?" he said and Rose let out a small sound as he wrapped his hands around her legs and swept them up from her ankles to her thighs. "Are part of these beautiful legs that have distracted me my entire, fucking life." There was a growl in his voice that never failed to make Rose quake. He moved his hands back to her ankles and held first one leg up and kissed his way down it and then did the same to the other, his lips trailing up and down till Rose felt he'd kissed every inch, leaving her legs trembling.

"Dean," she protested weakly but he shushed her. He looked down at her calculatingly and then suddenly pulled her to her feet.

"I'll need you naked for this," he said as if he was working out a plan. And before Rose could even grasp what he was doing he was tugging her t-shirt over her head, her bra following quickly. His hands palmed a breast each and Rose let out a soft gasp that morphed into a moan. "See how these fill my hands?" Dean asked. "Full, almost overflowing. Just a little bit too much which I love." He leaned down and drew his tongue over the tops of both breasts making Rose clutch at his shoulders. "As if they were just made for my hands."  He grinned at her wickedly, unrepentantly.  “And yeah, for the record I know you didn’t mention them but they’re way too beautiful to be left out.”

His hands squeezed her breasts once more and then moved to her waist to unclasp her skirt. He tossed it over his shoulder and then he smoothed a hand down over her stomach which as she said was not flat. It was rounded and soft and Dean loved it. He took a breath and met her eyes which despite the desire his touch had sent through her were still torn, not convinced. That was a challenge and Dean Winchester was not one to back down from a challenge.  He rubbed his hand over her stomach, his touch soft and gentle. "Your stomach is soft, you're right. And I love it." Rose looked at him disbelievingly. "I told you I loved your softness, Rosie and I didn't just mean that in the abstract. I love that your body is soft. You see fat, I see curves and warmth and comfort." Dean smiled at her and it was hard to deny his eyes were sincere. "I love the way your body feels against mine. I like that when I put my arms around you that there's some give, that it's not hard. Our bodies fit together perfectly, you can't deny that." Rose nodded, acknowledging that.

Dean turned her around so her back was to him and he swept a hand over her back, his fingers trailing lightly over her skin. "You're pale mostly because of your hair, Baby." He ran a hand through the waves of it that spilled over her shoulders. "And you know I love your hair. But your skin is beautiful. It's like porcelain silk." His hands traced her shoulders, then her waist, his fingertips just grazing her skin. "I love the feel of it under my hands, so soft, so delicate feeling." Dean leaned down and brushed kisses over her shoulders and Rose shivered, swept up in both his touch and his words. "When there hasn't been a single soft thing in my life you've been there, that one touch of sweetness and light. Even before I got to touch you like this,” Dean wrapped his arms around her, letting her breasts fill his hands again and Rose let her head fall back against his shoulder and Dean nuzzled against her neck. “Back when it was just hugs and cuddling with you on the couch as much as I could get away with.”  Rose felt his grin against her neck and felt it slip away just as quickly.  “When everything in my life was painful and everything hurt, when I felt raw and ragged, you were there with soft touches and so much warmth and sweetness that it all seemed to flow into me.” Rose felt Dean shiver softly and knew his mind had gone back to darker times.  He pulled himself back quickly though and continued. “When I felt so far gone that nothing else could touch me you did.  So, this body," Dean moved his still clothed body against hers, "It's more than just beautiful to me, even though it most certainly is that.” His lips brushed the skin of her neck tenderly, reverently.  “There's times it's been my salvation."

Rose swallowed hard, surprised to find her eyes full of tears, her heart overcome with emotion.  Dean was pulling her apart with his words, ripping all her arguments to shreds and making her appreciate herself through his eyes.

Dean brushed his lips against her ear and said, "And as a guy jiggling is a good thing, Baby. Sexy."  He twisted her a little, making her indeed jiggle in his hands and Rose couldn’t help but giggle.  The seriousness was gone now but the meaning behind Dean’s words had left their mark and touched Rose in a way she wouldn’t forget.

Dean took a breath, seeming to brace himself, he pulled back slightly running his hands down her back and cupping her bottom.

"And as for this ass," he tugged her panties off leaving her bare, his eyes taking in the two pale cheeks. "It's perfect."

"Dean," Rose protested and Dean cut her off.

"Remember I told you Sam took a picture of you in the dress you wore for the funeral?"

"What?" Rose looked thrown by this sudden change of topic and realized, glancing back over her shoulder that Dean was digging in his jeans pocket, pulling out his phone. He swiped at it a few times before he got the picture he wanted. "Notice any certain body part the picture's focused on?" he demanded thrusting the phone into her hands.  It took her a moment to focus on the image in front of her but when she did her eyes widened. It was indeed her in the black dress but the picture was taken from the back and the main focus was unmistakably her butt, firmly encased in black fabric. Her eyes caught on Sam's note which read, "Figured you'd enjoy the view." She looked at it in wonder for a minute then turned to face Dean, who plucked his phone from her hands and tossed it onto the chair, his cheeks flushed.

"Why did Sam-" Rose started confused.

"Send me a picture of your ass in that dress?" Dean filled in and Rose nodded. "Because uh, I may have a habit of comparing other women's asses to yours," he admitted rubbing the back of his neck nervously, somewhat sheepishly but with a grin to accompany it, showing he wasn't all that embarrassed really. Rose looked at him in disbelief and Dean said, "He's been known to tell me if I mention your butt one more time he's going to kill me." Rose just continued to look at him and Dean supplied, "Lily made me pull over so I didn't kill us while I was "ogling your ass."

Rose gaped at him for a minute, her surprise evident. "You're serious," she said finally and Dean nodded.

"You think Sam just sent me that picture randomly?" Dean asked. "I mean come on, this is Sam we're talking about."

Rose nodded and Dean could see the truth was finally sinking in as a pleased blush snuck up on her face. A small smile was slowly turning up the corners of her mouth and Dean pulled her to him, his hands going to grasp the area in question. "Round and full and way more than a hand full," he said his words low and throaty and Rose wiggled against him with pleasure. "A little bit too much again.  You’re always a little bit too much, Rosie and I fucking love it." He brushed his lips against her neck and Rose put her head back, offering it to him and his lips took full advantage. In no time at all Rose was tugging at Dean's clothes and they were tumbling on the bed together, their bodies entwining and joining and finding pleasure in each other.

Afterwards they lay there, Rose on her stomach and Dean lying next to her, drawing a hand lazily up and down her back. Rose giggled suddenly and Dean looked at her quizzically.

"I guess finding out I wanted you to spank me must have been a nice surprise," she offered and Dean grinned.

"I figured I'd died and gone to heaven," he admitted then added, "Getting to spank your ass with this beautiful skin that just colors so nicely? That's a dream." Rose blushed but it was with pleasure and Dean was happy to see it.

"I wasn't lying," Dean said seriously after a minute. "I always have liked your body. I figured you could tell that from my reaction. I mean, God, Rosie, I can barely keep my hands off of you."

Rose’s eyes were shining when she smiled at him happily. She sobered after a moment, her fingers tracing patterns on the blanket.

"It's never really bothered me," she admitted. "Being the chubby one, I mean. Lily's the perfect one, Daisy's the tiny one and I'm the...the round one, the curvy one. All those flaws I listed - I don't love them but I don't hate them either. I mean this is my body." Rose gestured down the length of her body, Dean’s eyes following and she couldn’t help but smile at the look in his eyes. She loved that Dean found her desirable. "I've never been one of those people who hates their body but I guess everything that happened just brought all my insecurities up, made all of them more of an issue.  Everything about me felt wrong, things that had never bothered me before.  _I_ felt wrong." Rose bit her lip then admitted, "And when I lost weight without trying to and suddenly I was thinner it seemed like well, so what’s was the big deal?" Dean was about to point out how unhealthy it had been, how she had no energy at all before when she continued on. "Except I didn't feel good. I've always felt comfortable in my body, flaws and all but suddenly I didn't." Rose bit her thumb then admitted, "I've started feeling better since, you know, I've been eating more.” Rose met his eyes then with a sincere, genuine look in hers. “And I'm trying. I know I'm a super big pain when it comes to food but I swear I'm trying, Dean."

"I know you are," Dean assured her. "And you're doing good." She was. She was slowly gaining back the weight she'd lost, though not as quickly as Dean wanted but she was going the right direction. "Pretty soon we'll have you filling out that outfit you got from the mall for me."

Rose giggled. "For you, huh? So, you're going to wear it, are you?"

Dean swatted her butt lightly. "No, you're gonna wear it for me." His eyes darkened then and Rose felt her pulse which had just returned to normal kick up again. "And then we're going to go out with you looking hot as hell and then after..." Dean teased a finger down her back. "After I'm going to do all the things to you I wanted to in that dressing room."

Rose smiled widely and kissed Dean deeply. Now that was a goal worth aiming for.

* * *

“She’s worried, isn’t she?” Cas startled slightly at Daisy’s question.  It was late, Lily long since fallen asleep on the couch and Cas had thought Daisy was almost asleep as well.  The two of them had been sitting in companionable silence when Daisy burst forth with her question.

Cas didn’t have to ask who she meant.  Erin had been on Daisy’s mind most of the day and Cas could clearly hear and feel how concerned she was.

He nodded now, squeezing her hand.  “She is.  She’s very anxious.”  Every time Cas had seen Erin over the last few days the anxiety had been pouring off of her.

“About my grandparents.”

Cas nodded again, unsure what all Daisy knew about them.  From Erin’s thoughts, he had gathered she viewed them as a possible threat to her girls, to the boys too.  All of this concerned Cas, much more than he was accustomed too.  He found the notion that family could be a threat a sad one, but then look at his own brothers and sisters.  Hadn’t they caused more bloodshed and turmoil amongst themselves than anyone?  Shaking his head to clear it of such melancholy thoughts Cas focused back on Daisy.

“Yes.” He studied her intently.  “You don’t have many memories of them.”  Cas enjoyed Daisy’s memories.  He liked seeing images of Daisy as a little girl, moments with her family, with her friends.  He enjoyed seeing these pieces of her life he hadn’t been there for that had contributed to who Daisy was today.

“No, we stopped seeing them much when I was still little.”  Daisy twirled a curl around her finger nervously.  “My mom doesn’t trust them I don’t think.”  She looked at Cas, her eyes large in the dim room.  “She talks to Lily about them some, not so much to me.  But I know my Dad didn’t like them and my Dad liked just about everybody.”

Cas thought over what he’d heard from Erin’s mind, the fears she had concerning her parents.  “Were they cruel to you, Daisy?”

“Me?” Daisy asked in surprise and shook her head.  “Oh no, they just kind of ignored me, mostly.  Which I was fine with.  My grandmother is a scary woman.  She looks at you like…” Daisy paused considering how to describe it, the way the older woman had always made her feel.  “Like she’s trying to decide what use you can be, what good you are to her.”  Cas frowned at that, not liking the sound of that. “They were kind of mean to Rose but they liked Lily.”  Daisy looked at Cas curiously.  “What’s going on, Cas?”

“I think,” Cas said slowly. “That your mother is concerned with your grandparent’s sudden interest in you, in all your sisters.”

Daisy’s eyes widened in alarm.  “Does she think they want to hurt us?”  Cas could tell this idea seemed crazy to Daisy.  Whatever her opinion of her grandparents was she didn’t fear them, didn’t perceive them as a threat.  Though she didn’t completely trust them either, Cas surmised from her thoughts though he wasn’t sure she was even fully aware of that.  He had to guess that had idea been passed to her from her parents, maybe even her sisters, people Daisy trusted completely.

Cas shook his head.  “I’m not sure,” he admitted.  “Your mother isn’t clear on what the threat they pose is, just that you all need to be protected from them.”

Daisy frowned and Cas could feel her unease.  “We should tell Lily this,” she said firmly, sitting up in the bed and Cas smiled.  He loved the trust Daisy had in her sisters.  It was pure, unbroken and strong.  Something about it made Cas aware of how much faith Daisy put in the people in her life and he felt lucky to be one of them.

“Tell her in the morning, Daisy,” Cas urged.  “Lily’s sleeping and you should rest now too.  You have more physical therapy tomorrow.”

Daisy groaned.  She was not a fan of PT.  The therapist was a slave driver.  With a name like Heidi you would have thought she’d be sweet but she seemed determined to kill Daisy with leg exercises.  Daisy settled back against her pillows and Cas stroked a hand over her curls as she relaxed and he smiled at her.

“Don’t worry, little one.  I’ll keep you safe.”

Daisy returned his smile as she closed her eyes. “We’ll keep each other safe, Cas.  That’s how it works.”

And even though Cas was a celestial warrior, despite the fact that he could stop a man’s heart with barely a thought, all fierceness and capabilities aside, Daisy’s words that were spoken so simply and purely as fact filled him with an unexpected warmth and a sensation unlike any he’d felt before.  Cas wondered on it long into the night as he watched Daisy sleep, unable to put a name on the feeling.  But he liked it, he decided.  He liked it a lot.


	94. I'll Fight Their Doubt and Give You Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Time, Tender Moments & Nosy Little Brothers

It had been a week since Rose and Dean’s conversation at the waterfall.  Dean had left Rose to her thoughts, letting her process this all and not pushing her on the topic at all.  Still, she could tell he was sure, was confident that she’d work up her nerve and ask him eventually.  She loved that about him, loved that when he knew something was right he was firm on it, unwavering. That certainty gave her room to have her own personal doubts, wrestle with her own demons while still being sure of them and of him.  Any uncertainty she felt rested solely with her.

_Ask him to spank her, to punish her._  Rose shivered as she stared at her tea.  God, those words just had so much power over her it was amazing.  She took a sip and watched Dean as he got ready for the day.  For once she was dressed already, sitting in the chair in their room in jeans and a t-shirt with a Coco Chanel quote on it.  (It was one of her favorites actually.  “Don’t be like the rest of them, Darling” it read and that summed up Rose’s life motto perfectly, when it came to clothes and other areas too.)  Dean had been waylaid by an early morning call from Cooper, needing urgent advice on couples Halloween costumes.  Rose had giggled at the horrified look on Dean’s face and laughed outright when she’d heard him advise Cooper to go for “whichever one didn’t require tights” if he absolutely couldn’t change Andie’s mind.  She’d had to tease him when he hung up, telling him she hadn’t known matching costumes were an option and he’d just growled at her playfully that “They sure as hell weren’t,” to which she’d just laughed.  She’d managed to get dressed during the phone call but Dean had been stuck in the towel he’d been wearing fresh from the shower and was still just in jeans, a t-shirt draped over the end of the bed waiting for him to put it on.  She loved watching him in the morning.  Even with an unexpected phone conversation he was so together compared to her, though he’d obviously had a few cups of coffee already.  She’d been tired this morning, though she couldn’t blame her powers this time.  Despite Dr. Alexander’s warning she had yet to suffer any exhaustion from stretching her powers.  She was doing well and he had been positive about lowering her potion dose soon.  That made Dean nervous she knew, made her nervous a little too but mostly just glad it was time.

No, the reason for being tired lay firmly on that man’s shoulders she thought with a smile, watching him pull the black t-shirt over his head.  And what nice shoulders they were too, Rose thought eyeing the way the fabric of his t-shirt stretched tightly across them.  She’d spent a large portion of last night with her legs hooked over them as Dean used his mouth to make her come more times than she was sure was legally allowed. She’d gone to sleep worn out in the best way possible.

After tugging a black and white flannel on Dean turned to her with a smile.  “Ready?”  Rose nodded and followed Dean out, first to the kitchen to drop off their empty mugs, then to the gym for her power session, then a quick break for lunch, her nap and then finally to the gun range.  The whole time Rose’s mind was working, was gnawing at the issue.  She wanted to ask, she felt after a week of thinking way too much, of talking to Chastity and then thinking some more she was finally ready.  Almost.

The certainty came to her when she least expected it.  Dean was correcting her stance, nudging her feet further apart and reminding her to bend her knees and she tossed out a smart comment.  That earned her his patented smirk and a laugh.

“You like that, don’t you?” she asked and Dean looked at her curiously.  “The comebacks, the smart-ass side of me.”

“Hell yeah,” Dean said so instantly and assuredly that Rose knew it was the truth.  “Can’t have the sweetness without the sass, Sweetheart.”

And that was the click, the final piece.  She knew it was time.  She wasn’t sure her explanation would make sense to everyone, in fact she knew it probably wouldn’t.  But his immediate confirmation that he loved that part of her, the decidedly un-submissive side, it was the assurance she needed to go ahead.

So, when they were done with the days training and Dean was putting everything away Rose took a seat on the counter. 

_“You can do it,”_ she told herself and taking a deep breath, she said:

“Hey Dean?”

“Hmm?”  He had his back half turned to her, putting the spare bullets they hadn’t used back into their storage box.  Maybe that was a good thing, him not fully looking at her.  Because even with being sure she was still nervous.

“Could you, would you…”  She gulped and as if sensing the momentous of the occasion Dean turned to fully face her at the exact same moment she raised her eyes and blurted out, “Would you spank me?”

Dean hesitated for half a second, his eyes sweeping over her face as if wanting to be sure he’d really heard her. When he had told Rose to take her time he hadn’t really been sure how long they were talking.  He knew she would wrestle with it because that was Rose.  This part of her didn’t completely fit with her view of herself and so she’d struggle with it.  He’d figured it would be a day or two or quite a bit longer.  When she hadn’t said anything after a few days had passed he’d figured they were in for the long haul.  She’d surprised him.

Now seeing the nervous, anxious look on her face he smiled at her and crossed towards her, wrapping his arms around her waist.  His eyes on her face were gentle, matching his hands on her body. 

“You’re ready?”  His voice was quieter than normal and Rose smiled at the tender tone. 

“As I’ll ever be,” she said and Dean frowned.

“If you’re not we can wait-” he began but Rose stopped him.

“I’m ready,” she reassured him. “I’m just nervous.”

Dean looked at her intently and Rose knew he was checking to be sure she was ready. This was Dean.  He had to.  She looked back, making herself not hide, to let him see in her eyes that she was sure, that she trusted him.  Dean studied her for a moment, his hands rubbing her back softly and then finally he smiled, nodded and kissed her forehead. 

“I get that.  I promise I’ll take care of you.”  Rose smiled and nestled against him, needing his touch, his presence right now more than ever.  Sensing that Dean held her close to him, his hands smoothing over her back.  After they had been like that a moment Dean began to speak, his voice calm and steady.

“So, here’s how this is going to go.  The rest of the day you can do whatever you like.  You want to go to the hospital, go to Starbucks with Sam, hang out here with me, whatever you want.  I do need you to be thinking of something though: A safe word.”  Dean pulled back and caught her eye.  “A word you wouldn’t normally use that I’ll catch, OK?  You use that word, you’re calling a stop because you can’t handle things.”  Rose nodded and Dean smiled at her then continued.  “Tonight, I’m gonna ask Sam to go out, it’ll be just you and me here.  We’ll take our time, talk just a little bit then get things taken care of.  OK?”  Rose nodded again.  Dean’s hands on her were soft, soothing, his words reassuring her that whatever happened it would be OK.  “You’ve never been spanked before, have you Rosie?”  And Rose looked at him in surprise.

“What?  Of course, I have.  You-”

But Dean was shaking his head, a small amused smile on his lips.

“I mean really spanked.  Not for fun, Baby.”  Rose frowned then shook her head.  Dean had been pretty certain that was the case but he wanted to be sure.  “It’s gonna hurt, Baby and you’re going to want it to stop way before it’s over.  But unless you say your safe word I’m not going to stop.  Understand?”  He needed her to understand this, to be clear what she was getting into.  Rose swallowed hard, but nodded.  “But I’ll promise you this -” Dean grasped her chin in his fingers tilting her head back and making sure she was looking at him. “Once we’re done, once it’s over you get a clean slate.  It’s all forgiven, gone.  Understand?”  Rose nodded and she smiled this time.  “That’s my girl,” Dean said softly and kissed her.

“Any questions?” he asked and Rose shook her head.  “Right then, what do you want to do?”

* * *

Rose chose to spend the afternoon with Lily and Charlie getting manicures and pedicures.  She figured it was a good distraction and it always relaxed her. Plus, Lily and Charlie could talk and she could be quiet if she wanted to be. There was no way she could read; Her mind was working over every possible detail of the evening to come.  Or was trying to at least when it occurred to her that she didn’t actually know what was going to happen.  She knew Dean was going to spank her and per him she wasn't going to enjoy it.  She had to admit that seemed hard to imagine but he'd seemed pretty certain.  She liked Dean spanking her, liked the very idea of it.  And the reality so far had blown away any fantasies she'd ever had.  She frowned.  But he'd been adamant those didn't count.  Her phone buzzed just as Lily pulled into the parking lot and she pulled it out to see a text from Dean.

_“Just relax. You're not in charge tonight, Baby. I've got it handled.”_

Rose hesitated then typed _"I'm trying. But I'm nervous."_

_"I get that. But I promise I'll take care of you. So, try to let go of it for now."_

Rose smiled. He was always taking care of her, always so worried about what she needed.  What had she done to ever deserve him?

_"I’ll do my best."_

Rose looked up to find both Lily and Charlie watching her with amused expressions.

"Gee, who could that be you're texting with?" Lily asked with a teasing grin.

Rose just rolled her eyes and got out of the car. "Come on."

The three women had a good time, all enjoying the relaxing atmosphere of the small salon. They'd gone back to the same place Lily and Rose had gone to before, both having been pleased with it.

The afternoon passed quickly and pleasantly, Rose actually managing to relax as Lily and Charlie chatted and she joined in.  Still, she was constantly aware of the buzz she felt the whole time, a potent combination of excitement, nervousness and anticipation.  It was just there underneath her skin, never letting her forget about the night ahead.

* * *

Dean caught Sam in the kitchen. "Hey, can you go out for a while tonight?" he asked and Sam glanced up at him from his spot at the table in surprise.  "Me and Rose need some time."  Sam looked at him over his cup of coffee, his eyes knowing more than Dean had explicitly told him. 

"Do I want to ask why?" Sam asked finally and Dean raised an eyebrow at him.

"I don't know, Sam, do you?" Sam was silent, staring at him and Dean continued. "You're a smart guy, Sam.  I'm not gonna spell it out for you."

Sam gave him a half smile. "I appreciate that."  He shrugged.  "Sure, I can make myself scarce for a few hours."

"Thanks," Dean said heading for the door. 

"Dean?" Sam said stopping his brother with his tone.  "Whatever you do, do it right, OK?  She's been on edge and that's hard to see."

Dean nodded. "I plan on it."  He paused, looking back at his brother curiously.  "No warnings about being careful with her?"

That got a grin.

"That's one thing you've never needed to be told," Sam said and with a smile of his own Dean left his brother alone.

* * *

Rose was dropped off back at the bunker in the early evening, relaxed and polished.  She waved hi to Sam in the library and smiled at Dean as she came in, kissed him hello then showed him her freshly polished nails. ("It's called Lip Service," she told him and got a smirk in return and then a demonstration of his interpretation of the title that left Rose breathless. "You should have heard the name of the color Lily picked," she managed finally and Dean laughed.)

"Have a good day, Baby?" he asked and Rose nodded. "Ready for some food?" Dean had put dinner in the oven when Rose had texted they were heading home and it was just about ready.

"Mmm hmm, just let me drop my purse off in our room."

By the time Rose came back Sam had left already and it was just her and Dean. They ate in the kitchen, talking over plans for the next week. Dean was telling her about the Halloween party at Donnie's. He'd only been once but he recalled it being fun and figured the girls would love it.

"I wish Daisy would get out in time but that doesn't seem likely," Rose lamented. Daisy was healing quickly but it seemed a bit fast for her to be out of the hospital already.

They finished up and Rose carried her dishes to the sink and Dean stopped her as she headed back towards the table, his hands on her waist.

"OK, Baby I want you to go take a bath." He saw the expression that crossed her face and smiled. "No, I won't be joining you this time. Once you're done I want you to get dressed for bed and then meet me in the library." He gestured to the kitchen sink. "I'm going to clean up here and I'll meet you in there."

Rose headed for her old bedroom, stopping in her current one along the way to pull out a nightshirt to sleep in. She hesitated when choosing, for some reason feeling this was an important decision. Settling on a simple pink and white striped one she headed for the bath. She soaked in strawberry scented bubbles and lay there in the bath trying to decide if she was more nervous or scared. Both? Along with a little streak of excitement she couldn't deny. If you would have ever told her that she, Saint Rose, would be getting ready to be spanked for real by Dean Winchester she would never have believed you. God, no one else would have even dared. But Dean knew her, knew the guilt had a strong hold on her and wasn't letting go and knew she needed it. Even if she was tempted to hide here under the bubbles.

But he'd come for her eventually.  He was letting her do this on her own, letting her follow his instructions. He wanted her to come willingly. She knew that without him explicitly saying so. She knew him just as well as he knew her. So, with a sigh Rose got out of the bathtub, got dressed for bed and padded barefoot down the hall to meet Dean in the library.

* * *

Sam has grabbed a quick dinner at the local burger place.  He knew some people hated to eat alone in public but it had never bothered him.  Quite often when they were on the road Dean would go out looking for a hook up and Sam more often than not would choose a quite diner to eat in where he could read.  After doing it for so long it was second nature to him. 

Afterwards he headed for Starbucks.  He intended to give Dean and Rose all the time they needed.  No way was he taking a chance of walking in on anything.  He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the loud frosted haired saleswoman was nowhere in sight.  He had been beginning to think she lived there.  Sam had gotten his drink and was seated in the leather chair he preferred, taking part in a routine he'd picked up from Rose.  A few weeks ago, he’d never noticed who ordered what drinks but she'd told him it was fun to pay attention to who ordered what and how often it didn't match what you'd assume.  He grinned noticing the older gentleman who looked like a college professor – complete with bow tie and tweed jacket – pick up his chocolate chip Frappuccino and agreed that Rose was right.  He was so caught up in the process that he didn't even notice anyone was standing by him till a voice broke into his thoughts.

"Sam?  What are you doing here?"

* * *

Dean was seated at one of the table’s in the library when Rose came in and he smiled at the sight of her. She returned it, though her smile was very small and slightly tremulous. Dean reached a hand out to her and Rose came to him, slipping her smaller one in his. He drew her to him, tugging her to stand between his legs.

"Good girl, Rosie," he said softly and kissed her forehead and despite her nerves Rose smiled. "Did you think about what I asked you to today?"

"The safe word?" Dean nodded. "Cupcake."

That got a smile from Dean. "Fitting," he offered and Rose nodded. "So, if at any point you're completely overwhelmed you say that word and I'll stop, understand?  But if you don't then it's up to me. Unless you say that word you're relying on me to say when you've had enough, when it's done." He paused and Rose nodded. She didn't think she could speak if she tried. All her nerves were back, her stomach a mass of butterflies.

"In a minute we're going to go to our room," Dean said, his voice smooth and even. "And once we do, once we enter that room you aren't in charge. You answer questions with a yes or a no, sir." Rose shivered at that and Dean couldn’t help but smile, though he turned serious again almost instantly. "If I tell you to do something you do it, no arguing." He tipped her chin up then so their eyes met. "Understand?"

"Yes, Sir," Rose breathed out, her eyes huge.  She felt trembly, small and unsure.  But safe too, because Dean had her hand, because he obviously knew what he was doing and he was going to show her. 

"One thing I want made crystal clear before this starts is what you're being punished for." Rose looked at him curiously. Did he really think she didn't know? " _Your_ actions. Your running away, your causing pain and running yet again. One thing you're not being punished for? Anything that fucking demon did or anything that bitch of a demon did to those kids when you were younger." Dean held her eyes and the angry tone that had slipped into his voice when talking about the demon disappeared, his voice gentle when he spoke next. "That's not on you, not at all.  Is that clear?"

Rose looked at him, searched his face as if once again needing to see he truly believed that and seeing unwavering certainty in his eyes she nodded.

"Uh-uh, words, Baby," Dean said and Rose flushed and stammered out:

"Yes, Sir."

Dean pushed his chair back and stood, gazing down at her. "All right then. If you have any questions, you ask. If you're unsure, you ask."  He squeezed her hand and then led her towards their room, her hand still firmly in his. "Let's do this."

* * *

Sam hadn’t been expecting to see Lily here. Aside from Rose he didn’t know anyone else who hung out at the coffee chain.  So, seeing those brown eyes staring at him curiously had been a pleasant surprise.

“Dean and Rose needed some time alone,” Sam answered and Lily frowned at that. “What about you? Just filling your caffeine needs?”

Lily grinned and glanced down at the large cup in her hands. “It is an addiction, I’ll admit.”

"And you do have an addictive personality," Sam said with a grin and Lily nodded.

"Guilty as charged." She offered Sam a smile. "Well, have a good night," and she turned to leave.

"You could stay for a bit," Sam offered and Lily glanced back at him over her shoulder. She hesitated then shook her head.

"Thanks, but I need to get going." She headed for the door with one more smile thrown his way.

Sam frowned, unbelievably disappointed she hadn't stayed. Texting with her these last few days had been great but he missed talking to her in person.  He loved watching her when she talked, when she laughed, hell when she did anything really. Remembering Rose's suggestion to be persistent Sam picked his phone up.

Lily was actually out the door and almost to her car when her phone buzzed. She looked at it and stopped, getting a loud honk from a car who was trying to pull into the spot she was standing in. She threw them a glare and moved, finally reading the text.

_"I miss my friend who I could talk to about anything."_

"Damn it, Sam," she muttered. He knew just how to get to her. The two of them had always talked and she did miss that. These past few days that they'd been going back and forth via texts had been nice, fun and it had felt good to have a connection to him again. She was so torn. She wanted to go back in there and sit with him, to talk, to hear his voice, see his smile, get him to laugh. But still she was leery...But then again even her ever cautious sister had told her to take a chance.

"Fuck it," she finally muttered and turned on her heel and headed back inside.

When Lily didn't reappear, didn't even respond Sam figured the text didn't have the desired effect and he'd be spending the evening alone.  With a resigned sigh he pulled his book out and started to rummage in his backpack for his earbuds. 

"Is this seat taken?" a low, female voice asked and he looked up in surprise to find Lily slipping into the chair next to him.

And God, that smile, Lily thought - all dimples and twinkling eyes, that was worth a risk.

* * *

Dean stopped at their bedroom door, opening it but dropping Rose's hand before he went in himself. She got the symbolism immediately: This was a step she had to take on her own. She hesitated at the doorway just a moment. This was a step, a pretty big one she realized as she looked up at Dean where he was watching her intently from the other side. But she was ready. As nervous as she was she needed this to happen. So, with a deep breath she took a step, then another until she was standing in their room in front of him.

Dean just nodded, the only acknowledgement of her step. There were no smiles now and Rose stood there at the end of the bed while Dean walked behind her and closed the bedroom door.  She watched as he circled around in front of her again and slowly started unbuttoning his sleeves and rolling them up. She couldn’t stop the shiver that sent up her spine. Intimidated or not she found that sexy and she caught a flash of Dean's eye and realized he'd caught onto that fact.

"You know why you're being punished." It wasn't a question but Rose answered anyway.

"Yes, Sir." Her voice was soft, the tone in it full of remorse. She knew and she wanted it gone. It was as if by walking into this room, by crossing that threshold she'd crossed some other barrier. She was ready.

Sleeves rolled up and ready Dean sat at the end of the bed and Rose gulped when she chanced a glance at his face, then bit her lip when she caught sight of his arms. His face was stern, a look there that said he was resolute and his arms had never looked so strong. God, what had she gotten herself into here? For a second she panicked and felt herself start to waver. As if sensing that, as if he knew, Dean reached out a hand to her.

"Come on, little girl. Let's get this over with."

His hand was her soul focus. If there was one hand Rose had held her entire life it was Dean's. She may have taken his first back when they were four but over the years it had gone both ways and his hand had been her lifeline more times than she could count. As long as she had his hand she was OK, she could do anything. Rose latched onto it now and he tugged her to him and pulled her over his lap in one smooth movement. Rose's hands just barely reached the floor, her bottom high on his lap, leaving her feeling very exposed and vulnerable. Her stomach fluttered at the position she was in, as the sheer helplessness of it all hit her.  Dean's hand pushed her nightshirt up, her pink panties the only barrier between her bottom and his hand and she let out an involuntary shiver.

Unbeknownst to Rose, Dean was feeling his first real moment of trepidation. He was preparing to spank her, to punish the most important person in his life, to hurt her on purpose and for the first time Dean was wondering if he could do it. He'd hated to see Rose cry from the moment he'd met her; watching those big blue eyes fill with tears was akin to driving a knife into his own heart.  And here he was preparing to spank her and if he did it right that would certainly lead to tears. God, was he a monster? The last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt her. His hand smoothed over her bottom hesitantly and as if sensing his apprehension Rose wiggled a little bit then asked in a timid voice, "I'll have a clean slate when it's done, right Dean?"

And it came flooding back to Dean in a rush why this was right, why this had to happen and why he had to be the one to do it.  She was his and she needed this.

"All clean," he promised and then he pulled back his hand and landed the first smack to her bottom.

Rose let out a soft gasp but that was it and Dean followed it up with several more, just as firm, just as sharp. It quickly became clear to Rose that in all the spankings Dean had given her before that he had indeed been holding back. This hurt a lot more and it was only the first few swats. How many was he going to give her?  Maybe she should have asked him that, she thought nervously as he continued to reign down smack after smack to her bottom.

If Rose had been able to read Dean's thoughts she would have really panicked because in his mind this was just the warm up. He'd planned this out, knew what he was going to do and how much depending on her reaction of course. He was covering all of her bottom, making sure to spread the smacks out evenly, not concentrating on any one area for now.  Every impact of his hand got some kind of noise from Rose, quite ones for now - just soft gasps or little, breathless “oh’s” though Dean was fairly sure that would change as the spanking went on.  He certainly intended for it to.

Rose had done ok for the first few minutes.  _“You deserve this,”_ she reminded herself when an especially hard swat landed.  She could take this.  She could do it. But the longer it went on the harder it was to remember that, to focus on the fact that she had put herself here.  Instead she could only think about how much this hurt.  Why had this seemed like a good idea?  What kind of craziness was that?  And why had she ever liked Dean’s arms? Because she was dumb, that's why. She was a crazy idiot and dear God this hurt!

Rose’s reaction had gotten steadily louder as the spanking went on and Dean frowned now as she started to move a little, trying to wiggle her bottom out of striking range. He tightened his arm around her waist. "Hold still, Rose," he admonished her.

"But Dean, it hurts," Rose protested, realizing how silly that sounded even as she said it. But it _did_ hurt. His hand was big and strong and this wasn't fun.

"It's supposed to hurt," Dean said, landing five hard swats to the same area and getting a loud response from Rose. "It's punishment. You were a bad girl."

"But I'm...I'm sorry now," Rose said loudly, twisting her body desperately.

"Nope, you're not even close," Dean said firmly and landed an especially hard smack to her sit spot. Rose threw a hand back desperately trying to protect her bottom and Dean stopped.

"Move you hand," he commanded and Rose reluctantly did it. "You get one warning. Do that again and you won't like what happens."

"I don't like _this_!" Rose said loudly and Dean gave her a dark chuckle in return.

"Good. Remember that the next time you want to run away." He swatted her left cheek. "Or lie to me." He landed a smack to the right cheek. "Or put yourself in danger." This one landed dead center and was harder than the other two, to match the severity of the mentioned crime and Rose let out a loud shriek.

She managed to keep her hands in front of her for a few more swats and then couldn't help but try and protect herself, throwing a hand back again. Dean didn't even pause; he just moved to the tops of her thighs, landing stinging smacks to the tender skin there and that got an incredibly loud protest, making Dean grateful that Sam wasn't here. He'd have been trying to break the door down, convinced Dean was killing Rose.

"You put your hand back here, your thighs get it," he informed her and Rose slammed her hands down on the floor, determined to keep them from flying back.

Finally, when Rose was sure her bottom was on fire, possibly in flames, Dean stopped and helped her to her feet. He took in her big sorrowful eyes, not a tear in sight and sighed. He knew she'd fight this. She'd never been an easy crier. And that wasn't remorse in her eyes, not at all. She was mad.

While Rose had been feeling nothing but contrite to begin with, all ready to take her punishment and move past this, as the spanking went on that feeling was hard to hang onto.  It hurt – _really hurt!_ and she wanted it to stop. That feeling of acceptance and any hint of submissiveness Rose had been feeling to begin with had quickly flown out the window. 

"OK Rose, you see that corner there." Dean pointed to the only empty corner in the room, next to her dresser (Which he had in fact had to move to make an empty corner.) Rose glanced at it suspiciously and then looked back at him. "I want your nose in it. Now."

He watched her face and guessed how this was going to go in about a second.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding you?" Dean asked crossing his arms and giving her a look that should have told her to just turn around and head to the corner. But instead it just caused the temper Rose had always struggled to control to flare up even hotter.

"I don't think so, Dean Winchester." She drew herself up straight, her eyes flashing and if Dean hadn't been fighting to tamp down on his own temper he would have thought how beautiful she looked, how righteously indignant. "I said you could spank me. I never said I was going to stand in a corner like some naughty child.  If you think-"

Dean's eyes narrowed and Rose had the fleeting thought that she'd just made a very big mistake.

"Fine. We'll just repeat that whole first part all over again." Before Rose could grasp what Dean meant his hand was shooting out, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back over his lap so quickly it knocked the breath out of her for a second. By the time she got her wits about her again he had her situated and was already landing swat after hard swat to her already sore bottom. "Til you get the message that you aren't in control here."  Dean hadn’t even bothered to move her nightshirt out of the way, not that the fabric offered much protection anyway, before he had started smacking Rose’s bottom again. 

"First off, little girl, you don't _let_ me do anything." These swats were harder than the first round, Dean obviously feeling he hadn't made enough of an impression. "You are being punished and you get exactly no say in it." Rose was letting out loud cries, demanding he let her up and twisting and kicking but it did no good. Dean's arm was like a vice around her waist. "If I say you are going to stand in the corner then you are going to stand in the corner."

"That's not fair," Rose protested desperately.

"Fair! You want to talk about fair? Nothing about any of this is fair. But this-" He smacked the very bottom of her cheeks rapidly, again and again and Rose let out a loud howl of protest. "-This is justice.  You deserve this."

Finally, Dean was standing her back on her feet and her hands immediately flew to and rubbed her sore bottom before he stopped her with a look. He stood up, towering over her and Rose looked up at him.  And maybe she was a little intimidated by the look he fixed her with but she never once flinched. And though Dean wouldn't tell her, he was impressed by that, loved that about her.  He looked into her eyes and for half a second Dean wasn't at all sure that she was going to give in.  He thought Rose just might fight him again and they'd repeat the whole process over. But thankfully Rose was smarter than that.

"Now get in the damn corner," Dean growled and Rose practically flew there.

* * *

Lily listened to Sam laugh and found herself smiling. She loved his laugh. It was right near the top of her favorite sounds.  It was so warm and his whole face lit up. Lily was fairly sure she'd smiled more tonight than she had in weeks.  She forgot or well no she hadn't forgotten, she’d forced herself not to think about how much she liked just being with Sam.  She always found him relaxing, his very presence was soothing to her. And God, she enjoyed just talking to him. He was a good listener and he was always willing to share with her, which she appreciated as she knew he didn't with everyone, not completely.  Compared to her he appeared to be an open book but he held a lot back from most people. Lily liked that he shared with her.  It meant a lot to her.

"So, what exactly are my sister and Dean up to that they need the whole bunker to themselves?" Lily questioned after they’d been talking awhile and Sam suddenly looked uncomfortable. He did that little shifting of his weight thing and his forehead furrowed as he focused on his coffee cup. "Some kind of weird kinky shit that no one would ever imagine my saint of a sister was into?” Well that got a little laugh along with a blush. Lily paused but Sam didn’t answer.  “Sam?" Ok that was alarming, him looking nervous and obviously not wanting to answer.

This was one reason Sam didn't like knowing people's secrets. Not that either Dean or Rose had ever explicitly told him any of this was a secret. And he didn't necessarily know details...I mean he could imagine and he knew way more than he wanted to, especially if he tried to envision – Which he didn’t! God, he didn’t. – and Dean's comments to Rose had at least told him partly-

"Sam!" He looked up to find Lily looking at him with real alarm on her face. "What's going on?"

Sam smiled at her to put her at ease.  "I think they're just talking, Lil, hashing out what happened finally," he said which was partly true. Luckily Lily bought that.

"Finally," she breathed out. "God, those two make everything so difficult."

Sam grinned, a little sly one that Lily caught and tossed a napkin at him. "Shut up."

"Hey! I said nothing, “Sam said holding his hands up innocently and laughing.

"You thought it," Lily threw at him and Sam didn't deny it.

He did however grin and ask, "So you can read my mind now?"

Lily just gave him a look and Sam chuckled and sipped at his coffee. He let his eyes wander over the woman sitting by him, her body turned towards his.  She looked better in jeans and a t-shirt than most women did in lingerie, though God knows, she was a wonder in that.  And the heels didn't hurt either he admitted admiring the suede purple stilettos. (He swore she’d given him some kind of shoe fetish.) Her t-shirt teased at him, and he frowned trying to place where he knew the quote from.

"My greatest weakness? Occasionally, I give a damn," he read aloud and Lily nodded her head then looked at him questioningly when he continued to frown.

"Don't tell me you're not a Jessica Jones fan."

"That's where I know it from!" Sam exclaimed smacking his forehead lightly. "Great show," he acknowledged and Lily nodded with a smile.

"I like the nails too," Sam said indicating her newly painted fingernails. He knew she'd gone with Rose and Charlie today and no way was he passing up a chance to give her a compliment.

"I do too," Lily said admiring the purple shade. Then her smile took a devilish turn and Sam couldn't deny his heart rate picked up at that. "It's called Nipplebiter."

Sam choked on his sip of coffee.

"Well that's fitting," he said dryly once he got himself back under control and Lily just laughed, her eyes shining at him.

And Sam thought he might just have to get Dean a gift for asking him to leave the bunker tonight. Because so far, this night was the best he'd had in a long time.

* * *

Dean was pacing around the room, no not pacing, his steps didn't sound aggravated Rose decided. He was calm, moving around quietly and she could hear some shuffling of things. This corner thing was awful. She was staring at the wall and doing nothing save for try and figure out what Dean was doing, thinking how much her bottom hurt and feeling sorry for herself.

In all her imaginings of what would happen tonight standing and staring at a wall was never part of it.  She’d thought Dean had just been angry when he’d thrown that comment out about standing in a corner all those weeks back.  She certainly never thought he’d go through with it. 

She was standing with her arms wrapped around her waist, thinking how unfair this all was when her conscious chose that moment to pipe up. Suddenly all she'd done was there in her mind, playing out like a movie she'd never choose to watch. She'd hurt Dean, hurt everyone she cared about and acted awful to them all. She deserved this, this and more. Feeling the weight of all that guilt and remorse hit her once again Rose let her shoulders slump and her head rest against the wall.  All her anger left her in a breath.

Dean saw her movement, read her body language and knew she was ready. He hadn't wanted to send her to the corner like that, knew she’d hate it, but he'd been pretty sure that despite her thinking she was ready to accept all this her initial reaction would be anger.  That was only logical. He knew Rose though and knew if left to her own devices eventually she'd remember why she was here, why this was happening and really be ready to accept it.  Seeing that time had come he stripped his flannel off and settled in.

"Rose?" He saw her straighten at his voice, which she noticed immediately had returned to calm and controlled, all trace of any aggravation at her fighting him about the corner gone. "Turn around and come here, please."

Rose turned to find Dean sitting in the armchair, watching her closely. Rose gulped when she saw him and what he was holding.

Her hairbrush.

Dean watched her eyes dart to it and then back up to his face.

"Come have a seat." He nodded to the footstool and Rose walked towards him and sat down, unable to hide the wince when her bottom touched the seat.

Dean studied her for a moment. She had her eyes on her lap and looked the very picture of sorry.  Unfortunately, Dean knew her too well to think they were done.  Rose needed to feel well and truly punished or she would never let this go.

"The day you left," Dean began and Rose glanced up at his face. "I found your brush still on our bed. I'd just finished reading the note you left me and it was the very first thing I touched and it went flying across the room.  I was, well I don't think I've ever been angrier at you." Dean considered. "Though last week comes close." Rose winced at that. Running seemed to be her eternal sin. "I know for a fact I've never been more scared. And that feeling didn't go away till you were finally home." Dean looked at her closely wanting this to sink in. "I want you to imagine that - an entire week of not knowing if the person who is the most important to you is all right, if they're in danger, if they're being hurt. It was truly fucking awful." Rose was looking at the floor now, remorse clearly written across her face and Dean could see his words were doing their job. He reached out a hand and tipped her chin up, making her meet his eyes. Rose winced because she knew as clearly as she could see the hurt in Dean’s eyes, he could read the guilt in hers. "I promised myself that morning when I picked this brush up off the floor and there wasn't a scratch on it that once I got you back I was going to use it on you, that I was going to paddle your ass with it till you never thought about running away again." Rose's eyes were huge and she was biting her lip as the reality of her fate sunk in. Guilt or no guilt no one truly wants to feel a hard spanking and that's what Rose was in for. 

"I'm a man of my word, Rose and it's time." He tugged on her arm and she got to her feet giving him a pleading look the entire time. "And it's time for these to come off," Dean said pulling her panties off her in one fell swoop.

"No, Dean you don't have to-" she protested, even as he pulled her back over his knee. "I'm sorry. I learned my lesson. I promise."

"I decide when we're done," Dean said calmly pushing her nightshirt up and out of the way. He checked out her bottom, finding it red but definitely able to take more. "And this lesson hasn't been taught yet, Rose." He paused then added, "Keep your hands out of the way. You don't want any swats from this on your thighs."

Rose cringed at that very idea and then let out a loud cry as the brush landed for the first time. She'd thought Dean's hand had hurt, had been awful, but the hairbrush was truly evil. It was solid and hit hard and stinging and Rose thought back to the one other time Dean had used it on her, in what she now knew was a playful manner. God, he'd given her just a few smacks with it then and she'd bruised. Now she knew how light he'd been landing the brush.

"If you ever think about running again I want you to think about how this feels," Dean was warning her as he landed swat after swat to her ever increasingly reddening bottom.  "Never again, Rose. The running has got to stop."

Rose was gasping and yelping and wriggling as much as possible to try and move her bottom out of the line of fire. Sadly, for her Dean was stronger and held her firmly in place, the brush continuing to fall.

“You get no more warnings,” Dean vowed as the brush bit into her skin and Rose thrashed about futilely. “You run away, I’m blistering your ass.” Dean smacked the brush down hard and Rose wailed. “Only next time will be worse.” Rose didn’t see how worse was even a possibility. Surely this was the worst spanking in the history of the universe.  But she wasn’t going to argue. 

"I'm sorry," she cried out as the brush from hell - what she was calling it now in her mind - smacked her left cheek repeatedly before moving to the right and doing exactly the same.

Dean didn't respond, just kept up his relentless assault on her bottom, expertly turning both cheeks a stunning shade of crimson.  Still there were no tears from Rose and Dean adjusted her a little, pushing her farther foreword, presenting the lowest part of her bottom up for the brush. These were all going right on her sit spot and Dean landed them all with a snap of the wrist that made the stinging bite of the brush that much sharper.

Rose's cries increased in pitch and intensity, her apologies mixed in with desperate promises to be good, to never, ever run away again.

"I trusted you, Rose," Dean said lowly though he wasn't sure if she could even hear him over her loud pleas. "And you left. That hurt more than anything."

And finally, the dam broke. Dean wasn't sure if it was the words he’d said or if she'd just finally reached her limit but the tears were there, pouring freely from Rose.  Dean kept the swats coming, knowing she needed them but they were softer, his tenderness for this woman making this almost as hard on him as it was for her.  Finally, when he'd given her all he felt she could take, all he could possibly give, he practically threw the brush from him, watched it bounce on the floor and gathered her up in his arms. He carried her to the bed and they fell there together, Rose's head against his chest, soaking his t-shirt as she sobbed pitifully, all the guilt and pain pouring out of her.  Dean let himself shed some tears too as he let go of all the pain he'd felt when she'd left, of the fear and anxiety.  The feelings poured out of the both of them as Rose cried and whispered she was sorry and Dean whispered right back that she was forgiven.

Eventually Rose cried herself to sleep and Dean tried to get up to turn the lights off, to undress but Rose clung to him and whimpered so sadly he didn't have the heart to move.  So instead he just tugged the quilt up from the end of the bed and pulled Rose tighter against him and went to sleep as well, feeling drained and exhausted but lighter than he had in months.

* * *

Sam walked Lily to her car as Starbucks was closing. They'd had a good evening, no pressure, no relationship talk, just two good friends who enjoyed flirting with each other. There was more there, so much more just below the surface, but for now, for tonight it had been enough to enjoy being together. 

"I had fun tonight," Sam ventured and Lily smiled at him.

"I did too," Lily admitted.

Sam leaned against the side of his car, wanting to push for more but knowing instinctively not to.  _Leave it like it is_ , he thought firmly.

"So, you're safe to go home now?" Lily queried leaning against her own car. She'd parked close to him, only one space away.  "Assuming they're done yelling?"

"Oh, I'd think so," Sam murmured, his eyes, despite his best efforts drawn to her lips.

"Good, that's good," Lily said softly. They were both quiet a moment and for the first time that night everything was there hanging in the air between them, desperately begging to be acknowledged. "I should go," Lily said suddenly as if feeling the need to leave, to distance herself, as if it all was just too much. But before she did she surprised Sam. She moved towards him quickly, reaching up and brushing a soft kiss across his cheek. "Thanks for the conversation, Sammy."

Sam's hands wrapped around her waist automatically, instinctively, as if that's where they belonged. "Well, I mean that's what good friends do right?" he asked, his voice softer than normal as his senses flooded with the smell of her. _Spicy flowers_ "They talk."

"Mmm hmm," Lily murmured her eyes not meeting his and Sam realized with a start and a flood of warmth that it wasn't just him who was drawn to her lips. Lily's eyes were fixed on his own.

"You know, sometimes friends do other things too," Sam said softly and Lily's eyes were on his then.

"Like what?" she asked, her own voice quieter than normal.

"Like this," Sam murmured before he brushed his lips against hers softly, sweetly. He heard, felt, Lily sigh and gently return the kiss, her hands coming up to wrap around his neck, her fingers tangling softly in his hair.

Sam had expected sparks, heat, passion to overwhelm them both.  Hell, the two of them going for it in the Starbucks parking lot wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility if he was honest.  They were just that combustible.  But instead something soft and gentle was there between them, something much sweeter than lust or overwhelming desire. He'd missed Lily, missed the feel of her in his arms and he would venture from the soft, tender way she was kissing him back that she'd missed that too.

He pulled back slowly, one hand moving from her waist to stroke her hair back from her face and take in the happy, if slightly confused expression she wore. He wasn't the only one who'd been expecting lust. And oh, that was there but something more was too and that was hard to ignore.  That something soft and sweet tugged at them both, making the air between them heady with something almost magical.

Sam found himself smiling, grinning like an idiot really, as he got home. Lily had gotten in her car and driven home with one more kiss shared between them, as soft and sweet as the last. They hadn't talked about it, hadn't discussed it, just acted as if this was normal when it was anything but. Sam wasn't sure what this meant for tomorrow but for tonight he was happy. He'd spent the evening with Lily and gotten to kiss her too. Not a bad outcome.

The lights were all still on in the bunker but it was quiet. Sam wasn't sure where Dean and Rose were though he assumed they were in their room.  He walked throughout the bunker, turning off lights as he went and shutting it down for the night, something Dean usually did. When he got to the hallway he hesitated outside Rose and Dean's door. He couldn't hear a sound and he had to assume they were asleep. He was sorely tempted to peek inside, just to make sure they were, to make sure things were OK. God, but if they weren't he could catch sight of something he didn't want to see either and Dean would rip his head off. He was torn.  This was where the sensible adult and nosy little brother were at odds with each other.  He didn’t want to know details about what they did.  He just wanted them to be OK, to be back to themselves again. 

Finally, figuring he needed to know they were both all right Sam knocked gently and when no answer was forthcoming he quietly opened the door and peaked his head inside, surprised to find the light on but the two of them sound asleep.  He glanced around, noticing the hairbrush tossed in the middle of the floor immediately. Taking in Rose's tear stained face, and all the threats he’d heard leave Dean’s mouth in New Orleans all the pieces fell into place and Sam got a pretty clear picture of what had taken place here tonight. Glancing at the couple it was obvious things were settled between them and Sam gave a sigh of relief. Rose was sprawled across Dean and his arms were wrapped around her tightly, the two as physically close as two bodies could possibly be.  Sam was happy for them. How they went about all this wasn't any of his business (Even if his nosy little brother side said otherwise.) He just wanted them fixed. They were adults who both obviously consented so as long as they were happy so was he. With a contented smile on his face Sam turned the overhead light off, closed the door quietly and headed to his own room.  It had been an eventful night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was pretty nervous publishing this chapter as I'm sure it could get me some hate. But I think it's been evident where Dean and Rose were heading for awhile now so if someone didn't want to read that they could stop reading or just skip this chapter. Still, you never know how people are going to react so there were some nerves today for sure.


	95. What the Head Makes Cloudy the heart Makes Very Clear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath, Mother-Daughter Convos and...

_Last night had been unexpected._

That was the first thought that popped into Lily’s mind when she woke up.  She hadn’t expected to run into Sam, she hadn’t expected to turn back around and spend the evening talking to him and she sure as hell hadn’t expected to be kissing him in the Starbucks parking lot.  But God, she'd enjoyed it she thought, a smile playing on her lips.  She'd really liked it.  She'd enjoyed just being with him, talking to him, watching him smile, hearing his voice.

And then there had been the kissing…which if Lily was honest had thrown here for a loop.  She had expected them to be all over each other the first time they kissed after so long.  But instead it had been soft and tender with so much emotion it had shocked Lily.  And scared her a bit.  She toyed with her hair, tugging on the ends as she lay in bed looking up at the ceiling.  Passion she understood, was comfortable with.  Heat and chemistry was something she and Sam had reveled in since their first time together.  The emotion was a recent addition, though maybe not a new as Lily would like to pretend.  She’d ignored it for a bit, brushed aside the feelings she knew they were both developing and then suddenly they were so big she couldn’t ignore them anymore.  She’d thought they would make her more nervous but it had been such a natural progression that it had just felt right.  And then after the blowup, after everything they were went up in a pile of smoke that’s when the fear had hit her.  Because suddenly Lily realized she’d given Sam a license to hurt her in a way no man ever had.  And that still scared her, she admitted to herself now.  Give her vampires or ghouls any day.  She could take them.  But the big guy with the dimpled smile?  He terrified her.

She knew they needed to talk, needed to discuss what happened and what they were going to do.  But God, Lily hated conversations like that.  She’d love to think they could just forget everything that happened and go back to being like they were before.  But even her gift of denial wouldn’t let her believe that.

Lily was on hospital duty today so with a sigh she rolled out of bed, got dressed and headed that way.  Daisy was awake and chatting away with her mom when Lily came into the room, with Cas in his normal spot beside the bed.  With a nod at the angel Lily dropped into the empty chair by Daisy and looked at both women curiously.

"What are we discussing?"

Erin and Daisy shared a conspiratorial look and then their mom smiled at Lily. "Oh nothing." Erin gathered her things.  "I'm going to get going now that you're here."

Lily raised an eyebrow when her mother produced a set of car keys from her bag.  "You're driving?"

Erin nodded. "I borrowed Bobby's truck so he wouldn't have to come get me.”

"Huh." Lily looked nonplussed.  Her mom could drive; she knew that.  She just rarely did.  Between her lack of enthusiasm for driving and Rose's lack of a legal license Lily and Daisy generally were the chauffeurs of the family.

"I can drive, Lily," Erin said giving her oldest daughter a look.

"Oh, I know," Lily hastened to assure her.  "You just...don't usually."

"Yes, well, it's time we all started doing what we can, even if it's not our favorite thing."  Erin smoothed her skirt, picked up her bag and kissing both her daughters she left. Lily stared after her for a moment then turned to Daisy.

"What was that all about?"

Daisy shrugged then glanced at Cas.  Lily watched the two of them as she made her way over to the couch to get comfortable now that her mom had vacated it.  She was fairly sure from their faces they were carrying on a conversation only they could hear.

"That's super rude you know," Lily said in an annoyed tone and Daisy let out a laugh.  Despite her annoyance Lily couldn't deny how nice it was to hear that sound.  She'd missed it.

"Yes, and manners are always upmost in your concern," Daisy said sarcastically.

"You must be feeling better," Lily said lounging back on the couch.  "You're snarky."

"Mmm, yes that's the first sign I'm feeling better," Daisy said with an eye roll.  "Mom's worrying," Daisy said after a moment had passed.

"Why?  I mean you're awake, Rose is home.  Things are looking better."

Daisy frowned and glanced at Cas again, then looked back at Lily.

“She feels guilty she can't stop all this, can't fix things."

"OK is she guilty or worried?" Lily queried.  "Those are two different things."

"Both," Daisy said.

Lily studied her sister closely.  The guilt she understood.  Lily knew better than either of her sisters how much her mother fretted over their future and how much had been decided for them.

"So, what's she specifically worried about?"

Instead of answering her question Daisy answered with one of her own.  “When was the last time you talked to Grandma and Grandpa?”

Lily looked surprised by the question.  “Well that came out of left field, Days.”  She thought for a minute.  “Um, a few months ago I guess?  Why?”

Daisy frowned and glanced at Cas again and Lily considered throwing something at them.  She was just about to tell Daisy she was not going to have a conversation where half of it she couldn’t hear when Daisy spoke.

“I think you need to talk to Mom,” she said, looking worried.  “They’ve been calling her and whatever they’ve said has her worried.”  Lily looked surprised, then concerned and Daisy rushed ahead. “I was going to tell you Friday morning but then Mom got here early and I couldn’t so…”

“No, it’s OK,” Lily said distractedly.  “You said they’ve been calling, so more than once?”  Daisy nodded and Lily’s frown grew.  That wasn’t like them.  “So not just to gripe about credit card bills?”

Daisy shook her head, glanced at Cas again and started to speak but Lily interrupted her.

“Cas, you can speak, right?”

The angel looked startled.  “Yes, I am perfectly able to communicate verbally.”

“OK then how about you tell me all you know about these calls.”

Cas looked at Daisy who nodded as if giving him permission and with a roll of her eyes at that Lily sat back to take in the details.

* * *

_Last night had been way more than Rose expected._

Rose woke before Dean the next morning, stretching and stopping with a startled gasp.  God, that hurt! It all came back to her then in a rush and she glanced around the room taking in the slight disarray still there before settling on Dean’s face. Last night had been awful. And wonderful.  And so much more emotional than she’d thought it would be. And it was way too early in the morning for thoughts like this she decided.  She slipped from Dean's arms as she got up to make a quick trip to the bathroom. The brush was still there in the middle of the floor and Rose considered tossing it in the trash as she passed by. She shuddered. That thing was truly, truly evil.  She couldn't resist turning and tugging her nightshirt up to look in the mirror and her eyes widened as she did. Her fingers traced over a vivid red mark, ghosted over a rapidly forming bruise and she shivered.  Dean had certainly left his mark.  With one more glance in the mirror she moved back to their bedroom, slipped back into bed and curled up next to Dean, his arms automatically wrapping around her as he moved closer to her as Rose felt herself drifting back to sleep, a contented smile on her face.

She woke up again a few hours later to the feel of hands stroking her back. She blinked her eyes open and found Dean lying beside her, wide awake, his eyes on her face. She gave him a sleepy smile.

"Morning," she murmured and reached up to kiss him.  Dean returned the kiss and they stayed that way for a few minutes, the kiss soft and sweet before Dean pulled back and asked her to roll over.

Rose sighed. She'd figured this was coming. She rolled over then lay still as Dean pulled the blankets back and pushed her nightshirt up, his hands stroking her marked skin softly. Rose waited, unsure of his reaction. Finally, unable to take the waiting she glanced back at him over her shoulder and found him wearing an expression that was an odd mixture of concern and satisfaction. Feeling her eyes on him he looked up at her.

"Well you can certainly tell you were punished, Sweetheart," he muttered. Rose smiled at him and surprised him by wiggling into his hand and then shivering at the touch.

"Doesn't that hurt?" he queried, his eyes drawn back to the vivid bruises and red marks that covered her bottom. And the tops of her thighs as well he noticed now.

"Mmm hmm," Rose murmured. "And I hated and despised it at the time." Another wiggle into his hand and a soft gasp left her lips when Dean squeezed.

"But now?" he asked, quickly catching on.

"Now," Rose said wiggling some more. "Now I feel differently."

"Oh yeah?" Dean asked with a small smile forming on his lips, as his hand slipped lower, sliding between her legs, his fingers slipping inside her and drawing a moan from Rose.  “I’m beginning to get that.”  In no time at all Rose was writhing under his hand and Dean was loving every second of it.  The way she had her legs spread open for him, was groaning and biting her lip and all but coming apart from his touch…and then she _was_ coming apart, was loudly coming on his fingers quicker than he’d ever seen her come before.  _Looks like this whole punishing her thing has some awesome side effects_ Dean thought smugly as he watched Rose’s body relax, a satisfied look crossing her face as he pulled back from her.

“Well someone was raring to go this morning,” Dean said with a smirk and Rose smiled at him as she turned over to face him.  She kissed him hungrily, pushing her body against his and sighing happily as he kissed her back. Her tongue licked at his lips greedily and Dean let out a small groan at the feel of her against him.

"You punished me," Rose breathed out once she'd pulled back from the kiss.

"I did," Dean confirmed, liking the look in her eyes.

"Because I deserved it," Rose said softly then she smiled. "And because I'm yours."

Dean growled at her and rolled her over burying his face in his neck and sucking at her skin. Rose let out a gasp and a whimper at the same time when her bottom touched the bed and Dean realized immediately this wasn’t the best position for her right now and started to pull back but Rose stopped him.

"Don't, please," she asked grabbing his arm and tugging him back towards her and catching sight of her eyes and the look in them Dean capitulated. He sucked at her neck in the spot he knew she loved till there was a dark mark there that made him happy then he pulled back and got off the bed, quickly shedding his clothes.

Rose watched him, her smile peaceful like he hadn't seen it in a long time. Dean eyed her hungrily as he moved back to the bed, a lusty grin on his face.

"If I didn't know better, Sweetheart, I'd say you liked being punished."

Rose shook her head. "Nope. It hurts. And I hate being in trouble."

Dean reached down and tugged at her nightshirt and she sat up, letting him pull it off. She lay back down then, pulling him with her. "Hmm, then why are you so happy this morning?" Dean queried as he settled his weight on top of her, his cock resting hard and heavy between her thighs and Rose spread her legs, wanting him inside her. Dean kissed her and slid inside her easily and Rose sighed in a way that Dean loved, in a way that made him feel that this, with him, with him inside her was the only place Rose ever wanted to be.

"Because," Rose breathed out when their mouths parted finally. "Because you _did_ punish me."

"That's confusing," Dean said as he rocked inside her slowly. And this was a first for them, carrying on a conversation during sex.

"You...Oh God," Rose whimpered softly as Dean moved his hips. "You have the right to, the only one who does."

That thought, those words went through Dean and he let out a groan. "Because you're mine."

"I'm yours," Rose confirmed as she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him deeper inside her.

"My Brat, My Princess, My everything," Dean ground out, thrusting deeply with each word.  Rose's fingers were digging into his back, her nails scratching, leaving marks on his shoulders and something about that, about the desperation in her touch just made the fire inside Dean burn that much hotter.

“I like the marks you gave me, Dean,” Rose said in a breathy tone and Dean loved how dark her eyes had gotten, how lost in him she looked.  His lips found hers, mouths opening and tongues entwining as their bodies rocked together.  Rose was making desperate little sounds and Dean just ate those up.

“There’s more where those came from, Sweetheart,” he growled, drawing his mouth back from hers and Rose let out a whine of pleasure that Dean swore went straight to his cock.  He shifted his hips and Rose’s nails dug in again, dragging across his back. 

Dean reached underneath her and gripping her bottom in his hands he squeezed and Rose let out a loud cry of his name as she came again. With a pleased smile Dean let her bottom go, putting his elbows on the bed and thrusting in her deeply. A few hard thrusts were all it took and he was yelling her name as everything exploded.

They cuddled as they came down, their breathing returning to normal and there were soft smiles between them then. Finally, Dean pulled back and smiled at her.

"Let me throw some clothes on and go get us something to eat, OK?" Rose nodded and sat up, pulling her nightshirt back over her head and Dean pulled his jeans on and headed down the hallway to the kitchen.

* * *

_Last night had been both easier and harder than Dean had expected._

After his initial worry and concern over hurting her Dean had found it surprisingly easy to figure out what Rose needed.  Rose was a unique combination of tenderness and toughness but Dean knew that.  He knew _her_ so that made this all so much easier.  He’d hated having to spank her to the point of tears but he knew it was the right thing to do.  And God, just the way she was smiling at him this morning proved it.  He might hate the idea of hurting her but he had to admit the results of spanking her were evident. 

Dean looked at this as part of him taking care of Rose, of taking care of what was his.  Last night had been needed. It had to happen.  It felt like they’d finally closed a chapter and now could move on.

And thinking back to the way Rose had been this morning the after affects were pretty damn amazing too, Dean thought with a satisfied grin.

He poured himself some coffee and started the kettle for Rose's tea before putting a pop tart in the toaster for her. He was busy trying to figure out what he wanted to eat when a voice behind him asked:

"So, do I get to comment on your marks this time?"

Dean jerked around to find Sam lounging in the doorway, a lazy smile on his face. "What?"

"Your back," Sam motioned towards him and Dean remembered Rose digging her nails in. "Nice scratch marks."

Dean just rolled his eyes at him and turned back to the fridge, deciding on cereal. He got everything together then headed back towards their room with Sam watching him go with an amused smile.

Dean smiled at Rose as he brought their food in and they settled down on their bed to eat breakfast.

“I hated the corner," Rose said with no preamble whatsoever and Dean laughed, slightly surprised that's what she started with.

"I figured you would," he admitted. He looked at her shrewdly.  “Worked though, didn’t it?”

Rose nodded reluctantly, hating to admit he was right. "Just don't...can you not do it again?"

Dean studied her as he ate a bite of cereal. "I won't promise that but I'll agree that it will only be for really big trouble."

"Right, no big trouble for me then," Rose muttered and Dean chuckled.

"You know you make it harder on yourself," Dean pointed out. "I swear anyone else would have cried well before you did."

"I know," Rose admitted. She'd never cried easily, which was one reason the number of tears she's shed recently had bothered her so much. People assumed because she was softer than Lily she'd cry easily but Lily was way more likely to shed tears than Rose. "I can't help it though."

"You're damn stubborn," Dean conceded and Rose looked at him knowingly.

"And so are you." Dean didn't even try to argue.

"So really, how are you feeling this morning?" He grinned. “I mean aside from so hot you practically jumped me the moment you woke up.”

Rose blushed and giggled but didn’t deny it.  "Sore," she said and Dean chuckled. "Seriously sitting is not going to be enjoyable for a while." Rose looked at Dean hopefully. "Do you have any more of that magic cream?"

Dean hated to dash her hopes but he shook his head. "I do but you don't get any this time," he said and Rose looked at him in surprise.

"Why not?" she demanded and Dean gave her a look that sent the butterflies in her stomach churning.

"Because this was a punishment and dealing with the after affects is part of that."

Rose pouted at him. "That's awful."

"Yep," Dean said cheerfully. "It is. So maybe you'll remember that the next time you want to be a rule breaking, brat."

"Oh, there won't be a next time," Rose said confidently, finishing off her breakfast and setting her plate aside. She sat back to finish her tea and winced as she put pressure on an especially tender spot. "I plan on being the most boring, well behaved girl in the world."

Dean had the nerve to laugh, to actually _laugh_ and Rose glared at him.

"Rosie, you may have the best of intentions but I don't think you could stay out of trouble if you tried."

"I could," Rose argued.

"Nope, you’re way too much of a brat," Dean said with a smirk.

"I’m not," Rose protested.

“Sweetheart, you argued with me about going to the corner seconds after I finished spanking you!” Dean said looking at her incredulously.  “If that’s not a brat…” He shook his head.  "God, you better be glad I have no desire for a quiet, respectful sub," Dean said with a grin and Rose blushed.

"You'd be bored," Rose pointed out and Dean nodded. "You like a challenge." Another nod. "And I hate to disappoint you but I seriously don't plan on getting in anymore trouble."

Dean just smiled at her. "I'll remind you of that next time your nose is in that corner."

And Rose just glared at him, even as she relished the warm, cozy feeling in her stomach.  She watched Dean finish off his coffee and said softly, "I do feel better you know." 

He glanced up at her and look on his face was so openly hopeful Rose felt her breath catch. "You do?"

Rose nodded, smiling as she spoke. "I really do. I feel like I took my medicine, so to speak. Like I paid for what I did and that weight's been lifted off my shoulders."

"Then I did my job," Dean said with a satisfied smile.

"So, about the hairbrush," Rose began. "How quickly can I talk you into getting rid of it?"

Dean laughed and smiled as Rose worked on him. She was brighter today, the shadows that had been in her eyes gone. Rose would hate to hear it so he didn't share it but that hairbrush wasn't going anywhere. It had played a big part in him getting his girl back and he personally had big soft spot for it.

* * *

_Sam had found last night to be unexpectedly enjoyable._

He couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips as he pulled books from the shelves and took them to one of the library tables.  He was researching a strange occurrence up in Albany for a hunter who had called looking for help that Bobby had sent his way.  Usually Bobby would handle these calls himself but with him being away from all his resources he’d passed it onto Sam.  He’d offered to help research if need be and Sam had promised to let him know if he needed the help.

Last night had gone much differently than he’s ever imagined but he’d loved it, Sam thought as he sat down with the last few books he needed. Spreading them out in front of him he let his mind drift back to the kisses in the parking lot.  They’d been different than expected.  Not bad, definitely not bad, Sam thought with another smile and he settled down to research, the smile refusing to leave his face, despite the gore on the pages in front of him.

* * *

Dean and Rose spent the whole day together.  They took a long, hot shower, dressed and ate lunch together then headed for the hospital to visit Daisy. They talked, and laughed and made out on the living room couch till Sam walked in and threw a pillow at them, telling them they had a bedroom for that stuff. And Sam had been so sweet, pulling her into a brotherly hug at one point, giving her a look that Rose knew meant he was checking that she was OK.  She’d hugged him back and whispered she was good in his ear and gotten a big smile in return. 

Even though Rose was finding sitting not at all enjoyable she wasn't lying when she said she felt better. (She blushed horribly when she saw Sam look at her in a knowing way when she winced as she sat down at dinner.  _That_ was embarrassing.) She felt fresh, ready to move on and handle whatever came next.  Dean made burgers for dinner and they ate with Sam who seemed happier as well.  

Dean for his part was grinning every time Rose made a face when she sat down, whispering comments in her ear about it and spending a ridiculous amount of time with his hands on her - especially her bottom where he proceeded to pat, or squeeze or just rub the tender skin every chance he got.  If she thought he’d touched her a lot before it was nothing compared to this and Rose found herself loving it, reveling in it really, though of course she told Dean he was horrible for teasing her.  Her smile told him the truth.

After dinner Rose shooed Sam from the kitchen, took a breath and told Dean she wanted to help do the dishes.

"You sure?" he asked. "You don't have to."

"I know," Rose said with a grateful smile. "But I want to. I want to ease back into the kitchen." She waved her hand around the room. "I'm doing better with reading, though God, I'm still slower than I was, but I can do it. So maybe if I can start just doing dishes I can ease back into the rest."

Dean smiled at her so proudly Rose blushed. He kissed her forehead and asked her if she wanted to wash or dry. Rose chose washing and they chatted while they did the dishes.

Sam couldn't help but sneak a picture of the two of them so happy together. He glanced at it then sent if off to Chastity with a note. _"Whatever you said to Rose you did good."_ He got a reply not five minutes later. _"Eh, I just told her what she already knew. Dean did all the hard work. She's a handful."_   And Sam couldn't help but laugh even while he acknowledged to himself the truth of that statement.  But then Dean needed someone to handle, needed someone who was both sweet and a challenge.  He liked that and he and Rose were a perfect fit.

Dishes washed, dried and put away Dean turned to Rose and pressed her against the counter. "How about we go to bed and I kiss all your sore spots?"

Rose gazed up at him. "You mean all the spots you made sore?" she tossed back and Dean grinned wickedly.

"Those are exactly the ones I'm talking about."

* * *

Bobby had taken over for Lily at the hospital in the early evening and she’d stopped off and picked up Chinese takeout from the place she had gone to with Rose, showing up at her mother’s hotel room door. 

From the moment Lily got there her mom was evasive, scattered and distracted.  She barely picked at her food and hardly sat down to eat.  Lily sat there eating her dinner from the white takeout carton and watching her mother flit about the room, fussing with this and that and rambling on about Daisy and how well she was doing.

Lily’s nature was to barge in, to tell her mother to cut the shit and tell her what the hell was going on.  But something in her mother’s demeanor stopped her.  It wasn’t just that she was avoiding the topic, before Lily could even bring it up.  (She figured her mother must know why she was here.  Par for the course Daisy was upset and went to Lily and now Lily was going to handle it.)  It was the look in her mom’s eyes.  No two ways about it - she was scared.  And why she would be Lily couldn’t really imagine.  She knew her grandparents were cold with her mom, were the least affectionate parent’s she’d ever seen and weren’t any more demonstrative with their granddaughters but she’d never sensed this kind of concern from her before.  Something had changed that was sure.  Lily thought that over for a second.  Could it just be because of the changes in their lives?  The sudden targets on them, the switching of powers, the prophecies coming left right and center?  But what did her grandparents have to do with that?

Lily wasn’t naturally patient but she could be that way when she needed to be and especially for the people she loved.  So, she ate her dinner, nodding her head when her mother’s rambling called for it.  And then finally when Erin was sitting down and taking out the knitting she seemed so obsessed with Lily got down to business.

“Mom?” she said and Erin looked up at her, sensing the change in her daughter’s tone.  “What’s going on?  Daisy said Grandma and Grandpa have been calling you.”  Erin’s mouth tightened and her shoulders tensed.  “They never call that much and you’re obviously worried.  So, what’s the deal?”

Erin knitted away silently for a moment and Lily let her, waiting for her to speak.  This was the side of Lily few people got to see, only the people she loved and only when it was really called for.  But when the situation called for it Lily could be an excellent listener, with stores of patience she didn’t normally have. Finally, Erin gave a sigh and lay her knitting down on her lap.

“They called initially because of the credit card charges,” she admitted and Lily nodded, having expected that.  “But I think they’ve figured out something is going on with you girls, with your powers I mean.”  Lily frowned at that then listened intently as her mother told her almost exactly what she’d told Bobby. 

“OK,” Lily said slowly once her mother was done. “But why does that worry you?”  Erin looked at her in surprise.  Lily wasn’t the intuitive one, the observant one.  But she knew her mother.  “I mean you’re obviously nervous about this.  Why?”

“You know what they’re like, Lily,” Erin said and Lily nodded.  “And there’s just so much still unsettled here.  Both Rose and Daisy are still figuring out their powers.  I just don’t want them interfering and making things harder.”

And that was a lie, Lily knew instantly.  Well maybe not a complete lie, but definitely not the whole truth either.

“You think they’re a threat,” Lily said bluntly and Erin started.  She paused then nodded slowly, her fingers brushing over the yarn on her lap.

“I think when someone is as vulnerable as your sisters are right now anyone can be a threat.”

Lily frowned, still not convinced that was the entire truth.  But it seemed all her mother was going to give her for now. 

“I can stall them though,” Erin was saying now, giving a nod of her head like that settled it.  “Buy as all some time.”

Not long after Lily got up to go, less settled than she had been coming here tonight. She hugged her mom and made her way to the car where she sat and stared at her phone for several minutes.  She needed to talk to someone about this.  Usually her instincts would have been to call Rose about most anything.  But Dean was still so protective of her, not wanting her upset and while Lily generally enjoyed annoying Dean (She'd list it as one of her favorite pastimes.) she understood where Dean was coming from this time.  And honestly Rose probably wasn’t the best choice for this topic.  She and their mother weren’t close and Rose wasn’t always the most unbiased when it came to her.  So, Rose was out.

She could talk to Charlie but that would involve a lot of explaining of family history that Lily just didn’t have the patience for tonight.

 _Just admit it,_ her mind whispered.  _You know who you want to talk to._   And she did.  He knew the history so she wouldn’t have to backtrack and he’d listen and understand why she was worried.  She bit her lip and tugged at her hair and then she was quickly texting before she could change her mind.

_Hey, could you meet me?  I need to talk._

She got a reply almost instantly.

_Same place as last night?_

And Lily smiled as she replied that she’d meet him there then drove off.

And if a little voice in the back of her head was singing that maybe there could be some kissing too, well she just chose to ignore it.  Not shut it down, but brushed it aside and just smiled to herself and went to meet him.

* * *

Rose spent a good part of Monday morning reading about self-compassion. She’d talked to Dean about it the day before, and he’d admitted that term was new to him too. Rose had promised to fill him in on what she learned.  She spent lunch time writing about it in her journal. It was an interesting but simple concept and Rose could see why Dr. Alexander had wanted her to look into it. She also wrote about what she'd learned from her ordeal and her bad choices and what she thought she could do with that information going forward.  She looked over what she’d written and was satisfied she’d covered it all.

She walked into therapy with a smile on her face and she and Dr. Alexander proceeded to have a good conversation concerning what she’d written.  He was happy that she seemed to grasp the concept of self-compassion and how it applied to her and they spent a little time discussing positive self-talk as well.  He didn’t ask her to share what she’d learned from her choices for which Rose was glad.  Those were extremely personal and even though she really liked the Dr. there were only a handful of people she could ever see herself sharing them with.

Feeling that topic had been dealt with sufficiently Will smiled and turned back to his notes.  "How are your relationships doing, Rose?  You had indicated initially that a lot of them were suffering because of the fallout from you leaving and your actions after.  Has that changed?  You mentioned your relationship with Dean last week and that it was going well.  What about the others? Any improved?"

Rose sat back and thought about it.  "I'd say they've really improved over all.  Lily and I are back as good as ever and Sam forgave me."  She smiled and toyed with an earring - a tiny little blue bead on a silver hoop - her smile one of contentment and happiness.  "And yes, Dean and I are doing great. So overall my relationships are doing well."

"And what about your mother?"

Rose frowned, a look of confusion crossing her face.  "What about her?"

"How are things between you two?" Will pressed.

"I don't...they're just like they always have been," Rose said, the smile suddenly gone from her face.

"So, she forgave you for leaving, for causing a disruption," Will said mildly and Rose's frown deepened.

"I don't know," she admitted.  "I never asked. We're not exactly a normal mother and daughter."

"How so?"

"We just don't click.  We don't get each other," Rose said.  "We never have.  Lily's her favorite, Daisy's the baby and I'm just me."

"Doesn't that bother you?" Will asked.  "I mean we all want love from our parents.  It's an inborn need."

"Oh, she loves me," Rose said assuredly and Will noted there was no hesitation there, no doubt. "We just don't quite understand each other."  Rose shrugged.  "It's OK.  It's just how it is."

Will studied the young woman in front of him who in the time he'd known her he'd come to understand was extremely loving.  This seemed an odd thing to be willing to accept, that she and her mother just didn't mesh after he'd watched her lament over any discord in her other relationships.

"This is obviously your call, Rose," Will said smoothly. "But I would suggest you might want to try talking to your mother a bit more. Parental relationships change over time and maybe what you see as the norm for your relationship will have changed."  Will mimicked her shrug. "It's worth a shot, isn't it?"

* * *

Rose was frowning when she left therapy and Dean was surprised by that.  More often than not Rose left therapy in a thoughtful mood, sometimes a bit quieter than normal, occasionally in a somewhat introspective mood but rarely did she look as disturbed as she did today.

"What's up?" he asked as Rose came towards his spot in the hallway.  He got to his feet and immediately put his arms around her. She buried her head against his chest and didn't say anything for several minutes.

"Rosie?" Dean nudged when she's been silent way too long.  "Do I need to go beat the doc up?"

That got a little laugh and finally Rose pulled back and gave him a small smile.  "No."  She pulled a hand through her hair.  "I'm just being dramatic.  Ignore me."  She waved a hand and headed for the stairs with Dean coming behind her.

"Couldn't if I tried," he shot back and Rose smiled. They made their way into the library which was rarely empty, Sam being at the hospital today.  They both took seats in the chairs in the corner where they'd sat that night Rose had a nightmare and Dean woke to the sound of breaking glass. Dean watched as Rose immediately pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them and wasn't surprised in the slightest.  Whatever was going on here she was nervous.  She fidgeted for a few seconds with her sneaker laces then finally gave a sigh and looked up at him with big, wide eyes.

"I never apologized to my mom," she said softly.  Dean looked confused and she clarified, "For running away."

"Oh. Huh."  Dean didn't know what to say to that.  It hadn't occurred to him that Rose should apologize to Erin and even if it had he tended to stay out of that relationship.  Rose and Lily he didn't get in the middle of because that usually led to blood shed for the party stupid enough to stick their nose in (Though hey, he'd survived that one time.  _“Points to you, Winchester.”_ )  Rose’s relationship with her mom he stayed out of because it was just messy.  It was a weird one, no doubt.  On paper you would have thought that the two of them would get along, would be close but they never had been. Lily and her mother may seem the ones least alike but they'd always been able to relate to each other, to talk which Dean didn’t quite get either.  And Daisy was the baby so everyone loved her, doted on her.  Rose and her mom were just the relationship that didn't quite work.  And hell, if Dean knew what to tell her.  This certainly wasn't his area of expertise.

"I should," Rose said suddenly in a firm tone Dean knew all too well.  "I should apologize to her and Bobby both.  I can take them their presents I got them too."

"Sounds like a plan, Princess," Dean said with a smile.  She looked less upset, more determined now which Dean liked.

"Dr. Alexander seemed to think.... well I don't know, maybe we could..." Rose was waving her hands around now, a decidedly nervous gesture. "Maybe understand each other more." Rose shook her head.  "I don't know if that's possible.  But it's...well I can do this."

* * *

And so, Dean found himself taking Rose to the hotel where Bobby and her mom were staying, a tote bag on the seat next to her with presents in it.

Dean stayed in the car at Rose's insistence and she knocked on the door and was greeted fairly quickly by Bobby.  If he didn't look all that surprised to see her Rose didn't seem to notice.  Dean may not be able to handle things with Erin but he could give Bobby a heads up that they were headed his way and what Rose was after.  Bobby had responded immediately just like Dean knew he would.

"Rosie!" Bobby said smiling at the nervous red headed girl standing outside his door. "What are you doing here?"

"Can I...is it OK if I come in for a minute?" Rose asked and Bobby ushered her inside, offering her a drink, asking if she needed anything.  Finally, when all his offers had been turned down Bobby took a seat on the lone arm chair, next to Rose who was perched on the couch.

"What can I do for you, Rose?" Bobby asked and Rose gave him a nervous smile, her hands clasped in her lap.  She took a deep breath and finally said:

"I just wanted to apologize for all the grief I caused when I ran away and then when I came back and was just.... well I was horrid."  She bit her lip anxiously. "I know I caused problems and worry for you and I'm sorry."

Bobby immediately leaned over and pulled her into a hug and Rose who had been expecting a tirade about how much trouble she had caused was surprised but quickly gathered her wits about her enough to hug him back.

"You're forgiven," Bobby said gruffly. "Just don't ever pull a stunt like that again."

"I won't," Rose promised and Bobby pulled back from her.

"I figure, knowing Dean like I do, you've probably had a telling off like no other so that's done and dusted." Rose blushed and nodded and Bobby chuckled. "Yeah, I figured."

The two talked a little more and Rose gave him his present and Bobby looked genuinely delighted at the book Rose had chosen.  It was a good little talk and Rose felt much better having had it.

"I love you, Bobby," she said hugging him again at the door.

"Love you too, sweetheart," Bobby said, waved at Dean in the car and closed the door behind her.  That all was a good sign, meant Rose was healing and moving on, Bobby thought with a smile.  Dean had told him Rose was going to talk to her mom too and he hoped it went all right. Lord knows, things never went smoothly with those two.

When they got to the hospital Dean took Rose's hand in his as soon as they got out of the car.  "It'll be fine," he assured her as they neared the elevator doors.

Rose gave him a nervous smile. "Do I need to remind you how many times conversations between me and my mom turn out very _not_ fine?"

Dean knew that better than most and he hoped and prayed that for once things would go smoothly. "Yeah, but Rosie she almost lost you too," Dean said and Rose glanced at him in surprise. "She was really upset when you came back," Dean said. "I think it occurred to her just how close she'd come to never getting you back and all that unsaid stuff between you two would never be fixed." Dean squeezed her hand as they got off on Daisy's floor.  "Just try, Baby. That's all you can do."

Rose gave him a grateful smile and they entered Daisy's room to find the blond chatting away with Sam.  Cas was sat in his normal spot, watching the two with amusement while Erin sat and knitted, smiling at the conversation going on around her.

Rose and Dean talked with Daisy and Sam for a moment, getting the update on Daisy's physical therapy and how well she was doing and then Rose took a breath and turned to her mother.

"Hey Mom, can we uh, talk?"

Erin looked up at her in surprise.  "Of course, Rose. Would you like to talk here or...?”

"Somewhere quiet?" Rose suggested and Sam mentioned the small waiting room at the end of the corridor.  They'd all come to know the hospital extremely well since Daisy had been here.

Rose was quiet as they made their way down the hall, tote bag in hand.  Erin opened the door to the small room, finding it empty and gave Rose a small smile as she made her way inside.  "Should we have some tea?" Erin asked and Rose smiled and nodded at her, making herself comfortable on the small sofa while her mom saw to the tea.

Cups of tea in front of both of them Rose took a breath and pulled her mother's present from her bag and offered it to her with a smile.  "I got everyone presents from New Orleans," she said.  "I figured this one would interest you."

Erin took the book and studied it, her eyes glancing over the title and the subject matter - One she would indeed have picked up herself if given the chance.

"Thank you, Rose.  It's perfect." Erin sat the book beside her and they both sipped at their tea, the air around them both awkward and stilted.

Erin watched as Rose bit her lip then said in a softer voice, "I wanted to say, I mean I think I should say...." Rose closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  She opened her eyes after a moment and said, "I'm sorry, Mom.  I know I... I mean I guess you were worried when I took off and-"

"You guess I was worried?" Erin's voice was sharp and loud in the small space and Rose winced.  "You took off on your own with no one knowing where you were when there were hordes of demons after you and you guess I was worried?" Erin was giving her a look that made Rose feel as if she were seriously questioning her intelligence.

"Well I mean you seemed OK afterwards," Rose said uncomfortably.

"Possibly because I had another daughter in a coma and every time I tried to talk to you you only shoved me away," Erin pointed out. Rose just looked guilty and sipped at her tea and it was Erin's turn to sigh.  Her temper was too near the front these days. Usually she was much better at tamping it down. That’s what dealing with her parents did too her. "Rose, letting you know I'm upset never seems to accomplish much. You outgrew fearing my displeasure a long time ago."

"That's not entirely true," Rose protested.  In truth Rose didn't like upsetting anyone, though honestly her mother wasn't on her top list of people she worried about disappointing.

"Oh, isn't it?  Did it once cross your mind as you were driving out of town how worried I would be?" Erin countered.

"Well no," Rose admitted. "Though to be fair, there were a lot of things I should have thought of at that point that I didn't.  I wasn't exactly at my best."

"OK that's a fair point," Erin admitted. They both took long sips of their tea and studied each other surreptitiously over their cups.  And finally Rose who was never very patient or good at what she felt was wasting time blurted out:

"We're pretty awful at this aren't we?" Erin started at her words but Rose continued on. "I mean you're my mother.  We should be able to talk.  I can talk to just about anyone." Erin gave a small smile of acknowledgement at that fact. She had gotten that art from her father. "But for some reason when it's you and me it just doesn't work. Everything that I can say so clearly to everyone else comes out all jumbled with you and my point never seems to come across."

"And everything I say to you always seems to come out judgmental and harsh," Erin admitted. The two for some reason just couldn't connect. It was frustrating. Neither of them lacked communication skills but with each other they failed for some reason.  “When that’s not my intent at all.”

* * *

"This could take a while," Dean said sitting back next to Sam on the couch.  Daisy and Cas were carrying on a private conversation now and Dean wanted no part of that. He considered his words then amended them. “Or it could be over in a matter of minutes if it goes really badly.”

"What's going on?" Sam asked curiously.

"Rose wants to apologize to Erin," Dean said lowly and Sam's eyes widened.

"Oh. Wow." He thought back to his conversation with Lily last night and considered mentioning it but decided this wasn’t the time.

"Yeah," Dean said with a nod. He was more nervous than he'd let onto Rose.  The two of them just had the worst track record with each other.

"So, fingers crossed it doesn't backfire," Sam said and Dean nodded.

They could only hope.

* * *

"I care about upsetting you," Rose said finally when it had been silent for quite some time. "But it just never seems to matter because that's all I seem to do, disappoint you." Erin's head jerked up in surprise at that statement but Rose didn't notice. She was letting out some things she'd felt for longer than she could remember. "Lily could come home drunk, half dressed, cursing a blue streak and you would still be prouder of her than me.  Every time.  Whenever I messed up even the slightest bit it's always been a bigger deal to you.  Like with Danny.  I get that I broke rules and got into trouble but compared to stuff Lily pulled?  It wasn't even in the same ballpark but you acted like I'd committed murder."  Rose shook her head. "You've always been tougher on me and I've just never, once been good enough." Rose gave a careless-not-careless-at-all shrug. "So, at some point I made myself stop caring."

Erin took a deep, halting breath. Well that was all out there in the open, wasn't it? Now how to answer all of that when she couldn't deny the truth in some of it?

"You and Lily are different people, Rose," Erin began gently and Rose gave a small snort, clearly voicing her agreement. "My expectations for you two have always been different. A boy like Danny wouldn't have made a difference in Lily's life.  Someone like him was never going to change her course.  With you he could have.  He wasn't good for you and I stand by everything I did back then and would do it all again." Rose shook her head and Erin sighed when she realized this wasn't getting any better. "You got to have a different life than your sister, Rose. You didn't have to know how to kill monsters as a teenager, to handle all that entailed." Erin softened for a moment as she said, "And maybe I didn't know how to deal with that.  I grew up doing that, not being as normal as you.” She gave a shake of her head. “But I think expecting different behavior from you was only fair."

Rose looked at her in shock. "So, because I'm not a hunter, because my "gifts" (And oh the sarcasm and venom in that word were so heavy Erin winced.) are different than Lily's what you expect of me is different?" Erin nodded and Rose just shook her head. "Well to quote Lily that's complete and utter bullshit. I'm your daughter.  You're not supposed to look at me as my powers, just as your kid."

"It's not wrong," Erin said hotly, Rose's dig about looking at her as just her powers obviously having gotten to her. "You needed different priorities.  You needed to be more in control of yourself, of your temper and your actions than your sister.”

Everything stopped then.  The room was so silent Rose could hear the voices of the nurses down the hall chatting away as she watched her mother freeze. If Charlie or Sam or Lily had been there they would have been reminded of the line in the prophecy about trust being broken.  But none of them were there and all Rose could think about was how it felt like her life had stopped, like the world had suddenly gone sideways and she couldn’t remember how to breath.

"Why? Why did I need control, Mom?" Rose's voice was quiet, but not soft in the slightest.

"Well I mean, control is good to have," Erin said, smoothing her skirt nervously.  “And you’ve always had that temper-”

"Mother. Don't." Rose's words were harsh, cutting through the air in the room like a knife.

Erin's eyes were panicked, realizing there was no way to take back what she'd said, what she’d made all too clear and Rose’s next words proved the point.

"You knew."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have a goal to get my Halloween chapter written and posted before or on Halloween. A lot happens between here and there so keep your fingers crossed. Assuming I can do this you'll be looking at a lot of chapters in the next week.


	96. Or With a Nasty Scar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fractures, Memories and Where do you get your comfort?

_"You knew."_

“You knew that I was going to have these God-awful powers.”

Erin's eyes flitted about the room, searching for something to latch onto. Finally, she gave a nod and her heart clenched when Rose let out a small sound that could have been a cry of pain but when Erin looked at her again there were no tears on Rose's face or in her eyes.  Just a look of betrayal, of all faith in her mother lost.

For a second Erin was thrown back in time to a moment when she was the one wearing that look.  A small baby in her arms and information spilling from her mother’s lips that shook her, shifted her entire world.  God, she’d never wanted to be on this end of that look.  What had she done?

"How long?"

Rose’s sharp tone brought her back to the here and now and she shook herself.

"Rose, I promise-"

"How long?" Rose's teeth were gritted, their teacups on the table rattling and Erin sighed in defeat.

"Since you were eight," Erin admitted and Rose looked at her in shock. "My parents knew from your birth. Your hair," Erin said, reaching out a hand towards Rose's locks and Rose drew back quickly. Erin's hand hung there in the air for a moment, then dropped beside her uselessly. "There was something about the gifted one having hair like a flame," Erin said “The witch who had foreseen my future saw it and told my parents, but they didn’t tell me till later."

"Did Dad-"

"No!" Erin said sharply, adamantly. "I never told him."

Rose nodded, feeling relief wash over her at that fact.  At least her father, who she'd trusted implicitly had been honest with her.

"Why?" Rose asked finally, that one word full of so much hurt and confusion. "Why would you lie to me?"

"You needed to not know," Erin said. "What child could keep that secret? And you were so very much a part of the normal world. That was important, would link you to humanity. You needed to be rooted in kindness and gentleness, all the things your father was so good at giving."

"But Daisy kept it," Rose protested. “When you thought these powers were going to be hers she kept the secret.”

"But Daisy was never going to actually have these powers." Erin looked at her middle daughter, the one who possessed so many powers she couldn't even fathom. "You needed to be as human as possible, Rose.  The witch was adamant on that fact."

"As human as possible?" Rose queried, sounding bewildered and Erin nodded.

"Castiel says all you girls are less than human, part human, part something supernatural."

Rose sat there and listened to her mother go on about humanity and strength and how important she was to the very future of the world and all she took in was that her mother really didn't see her as a person, as her daughter.  No, she was a piece in a battle to come, a very important piece, but not at all what she should be. And the whole time the panic and anger in Rose grew.

Finally, Rose had had enough.  She stood abruptly, their mugs shattering as she did, the remnants of their tea spilling out as they did, surprising her mother into silence.

"I apologized.  I did my part." Dean would have laughed if he heard that because that was pure Rose - Task driven to the very end. "I'm glad I know all this because now I know I wasn't wrong. There's a reason we never connected and it's because you've lied to me my whole life.” Rose eyed her mother angrily and Erin flinched at the emotion in her daughter’s eyes. There was so much anger and hurt there and Erin knew she was the one who’d put it there. “Now we're going back into Daisy’s room and we're going to call Lily and you are going to tell them all this.  Because I'm certainly not." Rose gave a nod and turned and walked out, leaving Erin sitting on the couch with her head in her hands.

* * *

The moment Rose left the room Erin pulled her phone out and dialed a number.  Her voice was hoarse when he picked up.

“Remember that promise you made about always having my back?  I think I really need that right now.”

A low response came to her over the phone, a promise he’d be there in a few minutes and Erin hung up, trying to gather her wits about her enough to explain something she’d never wanted to.

* * *

Rose actually called Lily herself on the way back to the room.

"I'm at the hospital," Rose said, stopping and leaning against the hallway wall.  She took a steadying breath and gave a shake smile to a nurse passing by.  She needed to calm down, didn’t need to have things flying around a hospital. And she wasn't going to break down here, not in front of her mother. "Daisy is fine but I need you to come, please."

"Rosie?" Lily asked, knowing by Rose’s tone that something was wrong.  “What’s going on?” Rose smiled as she heard the noises that told her Lily was already pulling a coat on, was heading out, and coming to her. Because that's what family did, the family she depended on. Not her mother.

"Mom has some stuff to tell you."

Dean was on his feet as soon as Rose came into the room, able to read from her expression that something wasn’t right.  He was by her side and wrapping his arms around her in a heartbeat. “Rosie?  What’s wrong? Did it go that bad?”

Rose shook her head, unable to say the words.  “My mom has something to tell you all.  Lily is on the way.”

Dean studied her face and then nodded as Sam and Daisy both looked on in concern.  Within fifteen minutes both Bobby and Lily were assembled in the hospital room.

Watching the faces of the people she loved most in the world as Erin told them the same story she'd told her was an unusual experience for Rose.  Dean and Lily both looked angry, Daisy looked surprised (Which wow, there was something she didn't know.) and Sam looked confused and hurt on Rose's behalf. Cas just looked bemused by it all, especially by the overwhelming emotions pouring from everyone in the room.  There were lots of questions, lots of raised voices and then a lot of confusion. None of them knew though, Rose could tell that from their expressions and their reactions.  And while she hadn't though it was a real possibility any of them had known it was nice to have proof. Even Bobby who had been her one big question mark as he and her mother were so close.  But he’d looked shocked too.  So, these were the people she could trust. 

Just not her mother.

“So, you...you knew all the time?” Lily demanded.

“Well I thought…I mean, nothing from a witch with a vision like this is certain,” Erin said and Dean watched as she twisted her hands in her lap.  Sam had gotten to his feet when Erin came back in the room and she’d taken up her usual spot on the couch, Bobby going to her side when he got there.  Sam was leaning against the wall now opposite Dean, looking blindsided by all this and Dean knew the feeling.

“Well it was obviously certain enough you believed it,” Lily retorted, from her spot by Daisy’s bedside.  Dean glanced down at Rose who had taken the extra chair in the corner of the room.  She seemed the calmest of anybody in the room.  But Rose did that.  She internalized things.  Lily exploded and Rose held things in.

“But then Rose showed certain signs that made it seem the witch was wrong,” Erin said.  “She seemed much more likely to have visions and Vera…you remember Vera, don’t you Daisy?” Erin cast a nervous glance at her youngest daughter who nodded her head.

“Who the fuck is Vera?” Lily asked and for once Erin didn’t even reprimand her for her language.  Daisy spoke before her mother could. 

“She was a witch who could see things,” the blond said, and Dean noticed Cas reaching out a hand to grasp one of Daisy’s, obviously aware of her emotional turmoil. Dean gave an unconscious nod of approval.

“Yes!” Erin said triumphantly. “She could.  And she said, after she saw you, Rose,” She waved a hand in Rose’s direction who was staring back at her blankly.  “She said that she could see in you the gift of sight, of visions so I thought maybe my parents were wrong, that the witch was wrong.”

“But you said you knew Daisy was never going to have these powers,” Rose said and Dean watched Erin wince. 

“Which is it, Mom?” Lily demanded, on her feet now. “It can’t be both.”

“I don’t know!” Erin said, jumping to her own feet.  “I just went by…I tried to go with what I thought was best and…”

“And you lied to us!” Lily exploded, and it was easy to see the anger and betrayal on her face.  She almost seemed to be taking this worse than Rose.  Then again, she’d always been closer to their mom so it made sense.  “Why couldn’t you just have told us you didn’t know, that you thought it was Rose but you weren’t sure?”

“Because she needed not to know!” Erin said, her own voice rising.  “I did what I thought was best to try and keep everyone safe.”

“By taking the word of people, you told me yesterday you didn’t trust?” Lily demanded.

“Whoa, what?” Dean asked straightening up from his spot against the wall by Rose’s chair, his interest peaked by this news.  But Lily was going on before he could get any more info.

“You said they were a threat.” And Dean met Sam’s eyes, that statement putting him on high alert.  From the look Sam gave him Dean realized quickly enough that his brother knew something about this and watched as Sam nodded, and Dean returned it understanding that Sam would fill in him later. “You didn’t want them near these two,” Lily gestured to her sisters and Daisy and Rose’s eyes met in surprise at this news. “But you took their word for things?  You believed them and didn’t tell anyone?  That’s just a little stupid, Mom.”

“Well I’m sorry if my decision-making skills weren’t up to par, Lily, but I was flying by the seat of my pants,” Erin threw back.

“Well you kind of fucked up royally, Mom,” Lily said, her face flushed with anger and Erin’s cheeks took on a deep flush to match hers as anger coursed through her.

“And how would Rose knowing have done any good?” Erin demanded and Dean spoke up, his own anger coming out.

“Maybe she’d have been prepared, wouldn’t have been blindsided by the powers, been able to keep herself safe,” he threw out and watched as Erin once again winced.

“That’s easy in hindsight to say,” Erin started and Dean cut her off.

“Oh, don’t give me that bullshit,” Dean said, his own anger bubbling over.  “Hindsight has nothing to do with it.  It’s called telling the fucking truth to your kids.” 

“Why couldn’t I know?” Rose spoke up suddenly and everyone stopped their arguing to look at her.  She sounded calm, much different than the angry voices coming out of everyone else in the room. “You said it was because I couldn’t keep it a secret but that doesn’t make sense.  I kept all our powers a secret, even from the boys.”  She glanced at Dean and he reached a hand down to squeeze her shoulder, making it clear that was behind them.  “So, what was it, Mom?  What was the real reason?”

Erin paled in front of their very eyes and Dean knew that whatever she was going to say he wasn’t going to like it.

“I told you.  You needed to be rooted in humanity, to be a part of the normal world.”

“Why, Mom?” Rose ground out and Dean reached down and grasped her hand, squeezing it. 

Erin swallowed and finally spoke. “Great power doesn’t always mean good.  My parents had concerns that…well, which side you would wind up on.”  Rose looked confused but Erin pressed on.  “Your Dad was so good with you, so kind and so good at being gentle.  He could, he could keep you grounded in the normal world if you grew up not thinking of yourself as anything different.  Being normal was important.”

“So, you didn’t trust that I would…” Rose floundered, and Dean grit his teeth at the hurt in her voice. “You didn’t think I’d wind up on the right side? You thought I could be evil?”

“No, no Rosie!” Erin protested coming towards Rose and stopping at Dean’s warning glare. “It wasn’t me.  It was my parents.  They were the ones-”

“But it was you who-” Rose broke off with a shake of her head.  She was fluctuating between anger and hurt, her emotions going up and down, making her feel like a crazed yo-yo.  “You didn’t trust me? You’re my mom and you…you weren’t sure?” Rose’s voice shook on the last word and Dean crouched down by her.

“Rosie, you don’t have to do this,” he said lowly.  “We can leave.”

Rose met his eyes but before she could speak Erin was there in front of her, crouching down too and touching her knee.

“Rose, I didn’t mean to…” she faltered as her eyes met first Dean’s angry ones and then Rose’s betrayed ones.  “You know I love you.”

Rose hesitated a second and when she spoke her voice was so full of pain Dean wanted to slam his fist into a wall. “They don’t know me, your parents, not really.  But you do.  You’re my mom and you…you don’t trust me.”

“I do!” Erin insisted vehemently.  “I was just…being cautious,” she faltered at Rose’s disbelieving look and Dean’s venomous glare.

“Bullshit,” Lily said, low and angry from behind Erin and with a sigh their mother got to her feet and turned to face her oldest.  “That’s just complete and utter bullshit.  If you were so-”

As Lily started in on their mother Rose met Dean’s eyes. 

“Can we go home, please?” she asked him softly and Dean nodded his head, giving her a smile.  He stood and pulled her to her feet and while she went and gave Daisy a hug (She'd pulled Rose tight, whispering in her ear she loved her and Rose had smiled and hugged her tighter, murmuring her own words of love in return.) Dean nodded to Sam, indicating they were leaving and Sam nodded.  Dean inclined his head towards Lily and Sam nodded.  He’d take care of her.

Then Dean was ushering Rose out and into the Impala. As soon as they were alone in the car Dean turned to Rose. "Talk to me, Rosie. What's going on in there?  How you feeling?"

And Rose had just slid over and pressed herself against him, burying her head in his chest. She was silent, her body shaking slightly from trying to keep this all in and Dean wrapped his arms around her, wanting to do anything he could to help.

“Just, can we go home?” Rose finally said. “I don’t want to fall apart here.”

Dean nodded and kissed her forehead tenderly. “You got it.”

As he was driving them home with Rose sitting silently beside him, curled up against his side, Dean was lost in his own memories.

* * *

After Dean’s mom died he had shut down.  He’d spent most of his time watching the others play and not speaking.  Rose clung to his side and he had latched onto her immediately.  Both girls petted and comforted him as best they could, both their tender hearts aching for the pain he was in. 

For Erin it had been hard to accept that Dean didn’t want comfort from her.  She’d tried repeatedly and he just shut her out.  She got it – she wasn’t his mother and he didn’t want a substitute.  But she ached to hold the sad little boy who trailed after her girls every day, the boy who reminded her so much of his mother.  Sam was easy, he was a baby and while he cried for his mother he was young enough that Erin could fill that role.  With Dean that wasn’t possible.

The breakthrough came almost a month after the first night the boys had arrived with their father.  John was out with Brendan looking for information from a hunter not far from them and Erin had been sitting in the living room looking through old photo albums.  She didn’t have many from her childhood, her parents not feeling the need to memorialize many moments but her teen years were another matter.  Then she’d had a camera of her own and there were countless photos.  She and Mary would set out for the park and take picture after picture of each other.  They’d pick different settings, have changes of clothes and spend hours there just enjoying the change of pace from home.

It was some of these photos she was looking at now, tears falling softly down her face as she looked at one of the two of them. They had asked a stranger to take their photo on a large tree branch that practically touched the ground.  They’d perched there, both in short skirts and floral tops, arms slung around each other shoulders and grinning for the camera.

“We were so young,” Erin thought tracing her finger over the photo, as if she could somehow touch her friend through the picture.  “We had no idea…- “

“Why are you crying?” A young voice startled her out of her reverie and Erin looked up in surprise to find Dean standing in the doorway, looking at her curiously and clutching a blanket in one fist. 

Erin was stunned.  He’d started speaking a little just last week, first to Rose then slowly to Lily.  But he had yet to speak to any of the adults. 

Erin studied his sleepy face.  He had been down for a nap with Rose and she hadn’t know either of them had woken up yet.  Lily was at school. Sam napping as well and so she’d assumed she had time to herself.  The big green eyes looking up at her now told her differently.

Some adults would have lied, would have tried to brush the incident aside but Erin tried to be as honest with her children as she could.

“I’m crying because I miss your mommy,” she said gently and Dean looked surprised.

“You do?” he asked coming further into the room.

Erin nodded.  “She was my best friend and I knew her since I was younger than you are.”

Dean stopped at the edge of the couch, his big eyes studying her.  He twisted the blue flannel blanket he was carrying nervously in his hand.

“You loved her?” he asked finally and Erin couldn’t stop the sob that bubbled up in her chest.

“I did,” she said, setting aside the photo album.  “I do so much.”

Dean came closer then, climbing up on the couch next to her.  He looked at her solemnly and patted her shoulder.  “I do too,” he said softly and Erin opened her arms and for the first time Dean let himself fall into them.  Erin rocked him and they cried together for quite some time.  Eventually their tears stopped and still Dean let Erin hold him and so she talked to him, told him all the things she’d wanted to.

“I’m not your Mommy, Dean.  I know that.  Your mommy was the best, bravest, kindest person.  But I do love you.”  She dropped a kiss to the soft brown locks of his hair and Dean let himself snuggle against her.  “Your mommy and I always promised each other we would take care of each other’s babies if something-” Here Erin’s voice broke and she had to swallow and wait a minute before she went on.  “If anything happened we would love and take care of each other’s babies.  So, I’m going to do that, Dean.  For you and Sam, anything you need I’m going to be here for.”

Dean thought that over.  He liked hugs and he liked being snuggled like this.  Rose and Lily hugged him lots but they weren’t big, weren’t grownups and it was different.  He missed him mommy holding him like this.  He didn’t want to forget her but maybe since Erin loved his mommy too it would be OK to let her take care of him and Sammy.

“Your Daddy loves you too, Dean,” Erin was continuing as she started rocking him again soothingly.  “But he’s very sad right now too so we’re going to help each other out.  That’s what family does, we help each other out and we’re there for each other.”  She kissed Dean’s forehead as she felt him relax against her.  “I promise I’ll do everything possible to keep you safe.  You’ll always have a home and you’ll always have a family.”  Erin looked down at the sweet little boy nestled in her arms who had drifted back to sleep and she prayed that wherever Mary was she knew she was keeping her promise. 

“I love them, Mary,” she whispered.  “I love them with all my heart.”

An hour or so later Rose came tumbling sleepily into the room.

“I couldn’t find Dean,” she said, her lower lip sticking out slightly and Erin couldn’t help but smile at her.  The two had been practically inseparable since Dean had arrived. “He wasn’t there when I woke up.”

“I’m here, Rosie,” Dean said surprising Erin.  She hadn’t known he’d woken up but sure enough his eyes were open and he was blinking owlishly at Rose.  Rose immediately came and snuggled up against her mom and Dean, all sleepy and warm.

They all three cuddled on the couch and then Erin showed them some of the pictures of her and Mary as teenagers. 

It was a good day, a day when new roads were forged and new bonds were made.  It was the day they all truly became a family and Dean gained a second mother.

* * *

Dean shook his head, pulling himself from the memory.  When he’d had found out that Erin had kept the prophecy from him and Sam initially he had been pissed and admittedly a bit hurt but deep down a part of him understood.  A prophecy like that was big enough that keeping it under wraps was important.  And he’d gotten from Bobby a sense of Erin’s unease with it so he could overlook it, at least not hold it against her.  But this, lying to Rose and all the girls about her powers, the fact that she obviously despite her protests to the contrary saw Rose as a possible threat…he wasn’t sure how to handle that.  He loved Erin, she’d helped raise him.  She was his family and he knew he owed her a lot, but he didn’t quite know how to make peace with these two different versions of Erin.  His loyalties had always first been to Sam and the girls, above anyone else.  And right now, he was going to focus on Rose he decided, glancing down at the redhead who was riding silently beside him, deal with how this made him feel later.

* * *

The fight between Lily and her mother carried on for a while, finally culminating in the two women leveling each other with looks – Lily’s one of disappointment and Erin’s one of regret.  A few moments later Erin gathered her things and Bobby trailed after her, clapping Sam on the back as he passed and briefly hugging Lily and then Daisy.

Lily collapsed onto the couch.  “Did that all just really happen?” she asked after a minute. 

Sam hesitated then sat down next to her. 

“I believe it did,” Cas said seriously and Lily looked at Sam, raising an eyebrow.  He gave her a small smile in return.

“You OK, Days?” Lily asked, looking at her sister who had been pretty quiet throughout the ordeal.

Daisy shrugged.  She wasn’t really sure there was a way to be OK.

Lily opened her mouth to speak and her phone dinged and a second later Sam’s did.  They both looked at their phones then glanced at each other.

“Rose wants us both at the bunker,” she said softly.

Sam nodded, smiled, then frowned.  “But someone needs to be here…”

“We’ll be fine, Sam,” Cas said quickly.

“Are you sure?” Sam asked cautiously and Cas nodded firmly.

“I could come back later tonight,” Lily offered and Cas nodded again.

In the next few moments Cas all but pushed Sam and Lily out the door.  Sam was pretty sure he hadn’t appreciated all the upheaval today and was ready for everyone to leave.

Standing in the parking lot, Sam watched Lily go toward her car.  He’d thought about offering her a ride but figured she wanted to get to Rose as soon as possible and he had a stop to make.  So, he’d just waved as she pulled out and got in his own car, headed to get dinner.

* * *

“Do you think I could be evil?”

The words caught Dean off guard, just as he was entering their room.  He looked up in surprise, to find Rose sitting on the bed looking at him curiously. He’d stopped in the kitchen to make her some tea while she’d gone ahead to their bedroom.

“What?”  No.” Dean said when his voice returned to him.  “Hell, no.”

“There was a prophecy Aine said to me,” Rose admitted.  “Something about me being good and true of heart but still able to be led astray by the darkness.”  She toyed with the hem of her pajama pants she’d changed into as soon as she’d gotten home.  “Maybe my mom was right to be worried.”

Dean crossed the room, setting Rose’s tea down on the table next to her.  Then he crouched down, taking her hands in his. 

“No,” he said firmly. “You aren’t evil, Sweetheart.”

“How can you be sure?” Rose asked anxiously.  “These powers are so strong and overwhelming.  What if they change me?  I mean, look what I was like after New Orleans and-”

Dean squeezed her hands.  “Sweetheart, I see evil out there all the time in my day job. If anyone knows what evil looks like it’s me.  Trust me - You are not it.  It’s not in you, Baby.”  Rose didn’t look convinced, so Dean stood and went to his side of the bed, sitting down and tugging Rose up against him.  “People are scared by things they don’t understand.  And some hunters see things in black and white, no shades of grey.  I’m gonna guess your grandparents fall into that camp.”  Rose nodded, sure of that fact.  “That’s all it is, Baby.  And I’m guessing they got into your mom’s head, fucked up her way of thinking.”  Dean bit his tongue to keep from voicing what he thought of that fact but now wasn’t the time.  His anger at Erin wasn’t going to help Rose. “I know you hate the powers you have but if your grandparents knew you like I do they’d know there’s not a better person to have them than you.”  He smoothed her hair back. “You’ve got the best heart of anyone I know.”

Dean was relieved when a tiny smile flitted across Rose’s lips.  “I’d argue I know a better one,” she said, her hand brushing across his chest making her meaning clear.

“And you’d be giving me way too much credit, Princess,” Dean said, hugging her to him.

“Not even close,” Rose said.  She rested her head on Dean’s chest and he ran his hand soothingly over her hair. She closed her eyes and let herself relax, let herself let her guard down now.  And then the tears came, finally.  He felt them first then heard the sobs and wrapped his arms around her even tighter, soothing her and letting her cry. 

“I broke some cups at the hospital,” she admitted finally when her tears were slowing.

“Well, all things considered I’m not surprised you didn’t throw them at your mom’s head.” A beat passed and then Dean asked, “You didn’t, did you?”

“No,” Rose said softly. “I would have liked to, but no.” Rose’s hands moved over Dean’s shirt, finding a button and fidgeting with it. “I wish my Dad was here,” she said finally, in a small, quiet voice and Dean felt his heart clench.

“I know, Baby. I wish I could bring him back for you,” Dean said, meaning it more than he’d ever meant anything. He paused a moment, then thinking asked, “What would be do if he were? What would he say?”

Rose thought about that. “Well, in a perfect world this would have never happened. My mom wouldn’t have lied to us all and…but he would make it better somehow. He always had the right words, you know?” Dean nodded, because he did indeed know. Brendan Sullivan had always known what needed to be said and when to say it in exactly the right way. “He’d hug me and then he’d tell me something like, “This is on your grandparents, not you. Your mother is just scared and people who are frightened say and do crazy things.” Rose paused then said, “Which is all well and good but she’s my mom. I mean if she doesn’t trust me what does that say about me?”

“OK and what would he say to that?” This one Dean could easily imagine. He’d been on the receiving end of speeches from Brendan enough times on self-worth and self-image himself. “I really can’t imagine your Dad being too happy you thought you might be evil because of some misguided thoughts of your moms.”  Rose was silent, so Dean nudged her.  “Rosie?”

Rose sighed, knowing Dean was right.

“Oh, I’d get all three names for that I’m sure.” Dean grinned at that.  Rose’s Dad had definitely been the parent to use full names with them. “Rose Emily Sullivan, you are my daughter. I have known you from the moment you were born. Do you think I raised an evil child?”  Dean had to chuckle at Rose’s impersonation which wasn’t half bad.

“What else?” Dean pressed, knowing there was more and hoping this would help.

Rose toyed with the button as she answered. “He would tell me that who I am is my own choice but that he knew my heart was good and that I shouldn’t let someone else’s thoughts or actions, even my moms, influence how I think of myself.” And that’s why Dean had asked. He knew that while this hadn’t happened before there had been enough blow ups between Rose and her mom over the years that there was sure to be something Brendan had said that would work.

“Right, well I’m not pulling the three name trick on you because I’m not your Dad,” Dean said. He pulled back, so their eyes met, Rose’s so big and vulnerable it killed him. “But I am going to point out that I think my speech about your heart matches up pretty nicely with what he would have said.”

Rose thought about that a moment then nodded slowly, giving him a small, tremulous smile. “Thanks,” she said finally, snuggling back against him.

“What do you need tonight, Rosie?” Dean asked and Rose thought about it for less than a minute before she answered.

“I want Lily and Sam here, want to spend the night watching movies and just being with my family.”

Dean nodded.  “I can text Sam, get him to pick some dinner up.  Will Lily go for that?”

Rose nodded, fairly certain.  She knew things had been getting better with her and Sam lately and besides which tonight she figured Lily would be here no matter what.

“You want Chinese?” Dean asked and Rose graced him with a small smile and nodded.  “OK You text Lily and I’ll text Sam.  We’ve got ourselves a plan.”

* * *

Daisy had been quiet for a long time after Sam and Lily had left and Cas could send her unease but wasn’t certain if he should leave her to her thoughts or try to talk to her.  Finally, she’d spoken, making the choice for him.

“I kind of thought it was because she thought I was strange.”  Cas cocked his head to the side, trying to follow her train of thought.  Usually he did that easily but tonight her thoughts were all over the place, jumping from spot to spot, idea to idea and painful moment to painful moment.  “That’s why she thought I would have the powers no one knew about, my mom I mean.  Because she thought I was weird.”

Cas frowned, unsure how to respond to that.  He wasn’t sure if this idea bothered Daisy or not.  She was decidedly unclear in her feelings this evening.

“I mean, I’ve always been unusual and that’s OK,” Daisy was saying now and Cas nodded, taking that as a good thing.  “But then I don’t know, maybe I just added to the confusion…”  Daisy trailed off and Cas got a blinding flash of just how thrown Daisy was by all that had been revealed tonight. 

“Your mother is very confused,” Cas said and Daisy flashed him a smile.

“You got that too?”  Cas nodded.  “Yeah, a lot of what she said didn’t really make a lot of sense.”

Cas considered how much to say, knowing that family issues were sensitive.  Still, he felt he could be honest with Daisy.

“Your mother is very damaged.”  Daisy’s head jerked up at that phrase and Cas hoped he hadn’t said the wrong thing.  “Perhaps that’s not the correct way to say it.”  He paused the tried again.  “There is a lot of confusion in her mind when she talks about her parents, about things they’ve told her and done.  She is very conflicted.”

“Because of my grandparents?” Daisy asked and Cas nodded.

“Whenever she looks at you girls there is strong, intense love for you all.  But her parents confuse the issue, make her look at things differently, make her question herself.”  Cas shook his head.  “She has one of the most conflicted minds I’ve ever seen.”

Daisy frowned.  She thought that over for a moment, not sure what to make of it.  “I hate this, Cas.  Everyone’s upset and I don’t know what to do.”

Cas smiled at her regrettably.  “I wish I had a solution, Daisy.”  He reached out and took one of her hands in his.  “The best I can tell you despite what happened, what’s been said, your mother does love you and your sisters.”

“And we love her,” Daisy said with a sigh.  “I just wished that fixed everything.”

As Cas watched Daisy toy with her dinner he found he was learning a painful truth; that one of the hardest parts of caring for a human was not being able to fix things for them, no matter how badly he wished he could.

* * *

Sam loaded the bags of Chinese food into his car and headed towards the bunker.  He still couldn’t believe what all had happened today.  Erin having secrets was nothing new, Sam mused as he went around a car slowly inching along the road.  Erin was someone who had always played her cards close to her chest, revealing what she wanted when she chose to.  But Erin having secrets like this, that hurt her daughters…that was surprising.  And Sam knew how hard this was going to be for Lily.  She was the one closest to her mom, the one her mother confided in.  The fact that Erin had kept this from her was going to hurt her and Sam hated that.  He’d been brought up in the life.  He understood that secrets had to be kept sometimes and was pragmatic about that fact, much more so than his brother.  He didn’t quite understand Erin’s reasonings but he had to believe she hadn’t mean to hurt people.  He could practically hear Dean mocking him for that, for giving Erin the benefit of the doubt.  So, he’d keep his opinion to himself for now and just try and help everyone get through the fall out.

Sam could hear the television coming from the living room when he entered the bunker but he made his way to the kitchen first, figuring he’d find his brother there.  Sure, enough Dean was there, pulling plates out.

“Hey, I got the food,” Sam said and Dean turned to him and nodded. 

“Great, the girls are getting the living room ready.  Apparently, we’re having a nostalgia night tonight.  Chinese food, watching horror movies and pretending everything else doesn’t exist.”

Sam smiled, wanly.  “I can handle that.”

“How’d it go after we left?” Dean asked.

“Pretty much just more of the same,” Sam said. “Lily is really upset with Erin.”

Dean snorted.  “I know the feeling.  Remind me to thank the good doctor for his suggestion.” Dean looked at his brother curiously. “What was that bit about Erin not trusting her parents?”

Sam gave Dean a quick version of what Lily had told him last night and watched the concern cross his face. Just what they needed, another possible problem.

“Great,” Dean said with a shake of his head. “Makes what Erin did make even less sense.”

Sam nodded before following Dean into the living room.

The girls had brought every blanket they could find into the living room, making the couch a cozy nest.  They’d drug the table in the middle closer to the couch, putting their drinks cups there and had the TV turned to a station that was showing a Halloween marathon, starting with the original and going right on through all the sequels.  And apparently, they were all sharing one couch, Sam noticed from the setup.  Oh, that was going to make this interesting.

Dean settled down in the corner, Rose next to him and Lily took the spot beside her.  She glanced up at Sam with a slightly nervous smile and Sam smiled back, slipping into the remaining spot.  It was close quarters, no doubt, Lily pressed up right against his side but Sam didn’t mind.  And aside from the pleasure of feeling her against him Sam figured the contact was a good thing.  Touch was always Lily’s comfort so this could work out.

So, as they opened the bag of Chinese food and the first eerie strains of the iconic movie music began to play Sam let himself just enjoy being with the people he loved most.

* * *

The moment Lily had entered the bunker she had been on a mission to find her sister.  She found Rose in the kitchen, sitting at the table finishing up her tea and had immediately pulled her to her feet and into a tight hug.

“Fuck her,” she said lowly, her face against her sisters’ hair and Rose had smiled at that, even though she knew deep down Lily didn’t mean it.  Well, she did in the moment but eventually, probably sooner rather than later Lily and her mother would make up.  Rose knew that as surely as she knew her own name.  But she appreciated the sentiment and the note of loyalty behind it.  Lily pulled back then and took a seat. “What the hell was she even thinking?  I mean to take their word…”

Rose sat back down and listened to Lily ramble on and caught Dean’s eye.  He was nodding, obviously approving of the show of support from Lily. They may disagree on a lot, but when it came down to core values they were like for like.  You stuck buy each other, end of story.  They always had.

Finally, after Lily had ranted for several minutes she stopped to take a breath and really look at her sister, noticing the signs of recent tears on her face.  “How are you, Rosie?”  Rose just shrugged.

“I’m OK,” she said, giving her sister a smile.  “Upset and hurt and kind of shocked actually.”

Lily nodded and reached out and squeezed Rose’s hand.  “Yeah, understandably.”  She glanced at Dean then.  “So, what’s the plan for tonight?”

“Chinese food and movies,” Dean said, glancing at Rose for confirmation and she nodded.  “Family night.”

Lily nodded her approval.  “Good plan.”  She glanced at Rose.  “Want to get things set up?”

And now here they were, all snuggled on the couch just like when they were kids.  They’d eaten, sharing bites of each other’s dishes, all of them eating way too many egg rolls and then when they were full to bursting had settled back to watch the movies they’d seen a hundred times.

“He never moves very fast,” Dean protested at the validity of the film, sneering at the lumbering killer on screen.

“He’s a slasher movie icon,” Lily said. “He doesn’t need to run. He’ll get you in the end.”

“Not me,” Dean said smugly, his arm wrapped around Rose’s shoulder. “I’d run and leave his ass behind.”

“I’d set up some booby traps,” Sam said. “That way we could catch him and stop him.”

“They’ve tried that,” Lily pointed out. “It never works.”

“They’re not hunters,” Sam said smugly. “Mine would work.”

Rose sat there snuggled up against Dean, close to Lily with Sam on the other side of her and felt, well not happy because her heart hurt too much right now to be happy.  But as good as she could feel considering.  These were her people, her family, the ones who would do anything for her and vice versa.  Sam had hugged her when he’d come into the living room earlier, picking her up off the ground and whispering he loved her and Lily kept stroking her hair, touching her hand, checking on her even while Rose knew her sister was in pain too.  And Dean, he was being as wonderful as ever, standing by her and taking care of her like no one else could.  She was lucky, she knew that.  It didn’t take away the hurt of what her mother had done but it eased the sting a little.  And all things considered that was a lot.

Rose snuggled back against Dean and wound her fingers into Lily’s hair, wanting to return some of the comfort and smiled at Sam when she saw him glancing at her.  Yep, this was her family and they’d get through this together.

* * *

Several hours later Lily woke with a start.  She glanced around, unsure of where she was for a moment.  Then taking in the TV (The movies long since over, an infomercial for a pasta maker being sold by an obnoxious Australian man in its place.) and the people on the couch with her it all came back to her.  She dug her phone out and glancing at the time she cursed softly.  She was supposed to be at the hospital hours ago.  She couldn’t believe they’d all fallen asleep out here, all flopped together like a bunch of puppies.  She smiled in amusement at that thought when she looked at Sam.  _Puppy dog eyes_ , she thought.  She really didn’t want to get up from the warm couch, snuggled up with Sam and her sister.  She felt safe here, comfortable and this evening had sucked big time.  Lily had never felt betrayed by a family member before and certainly not by one of her parents.  Hearing her mother try to explain and do so very badly had been like grinding glass in an open wound and Lily felt fresh tears come to her eyes at the thought of it.  Tonight, here at the bunker with the people she loved most in the world had been the only thing that could have soothed her.  She glanced at Sam again and smiled softly to herself. 

She hesitated a moment, then sent a quick text and getting a quick answer she nodded.  She turned the volume down on the TV, then snuggled back up against Sam, who sighed contentedly in his sleep and let herself fall back asleep, lulled by the breathing of the people around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back after NaNoWriMo with a lot written. Looking forward to seeing what y'all think.  
> Let's see how much I can get out this month. Expect frequent updates.


	97. Tell Me Your Secrets, I'll Tell You Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Devil's in the Details

Bobby stared at the four people in front of him and for just a moment he had a flashback to the same four at a much younger age, all piled on top of each other, sleeping like a litter of kittens.  He shook his head and let a small smile flick across his face at the fact that these four were formidable forces, yet all he saw when he looked at them were the kids they had been.  And right now, they were all hurting he knew.  Of course they would all come together, taking comfort from each other as they always had.  He was glad they had each other, glad they had this bond and this deep trust of each other.

He sighed.  Time to wake them up and have a talk.

* * *

"What are we doing here?" Erin's words were the first ones she'd spoken since leaving the hospital.  She glanced up at the bar Bobby had pulled up to curiously then looked up at him in confusion.

"We're gonna talk," Bobby said. "And we're gonna have a drink or two while we do."

"I don't drink," Erin said.

"Bullshit," was Bobby's immediate reply.  He knew better than most that at one point in her life Erin could have drank most people they knew under the table and still be calling for another round.

"I don't," Erin protested.  "Not in years."

"Well there's no time like the present to start again," Bobby advised, opening his truck door. "If ever a night called for alcohol it’s this one."

"I stopped when Brendan died," Erin supplied a short while later in answer to Bobby's question.  They were seated at a back booth, glasses in front of both of them -whiskey for Bobby and Scotch for Erin- though only Bobby had drank any yet.  "I figured if I drank a drop then I'd never stop and just drown myself in it."

Bobby nodded in understanding.  He knew what it was like to mourn and grieve till your entire world felt unrecognizable. 

Erin was silent, turning her glass in circles, her gaze locked on the liquid swirling around.  Finally, with a sigh she picked the glass up and drained it.  When her eyes met Bobby's they were pained, stricken.

"I think I just lost all my children, Bobby."

* * *

Bobby clicked the TV off and that, _that_ made Dean jerk awake.  Not Bobby opening the front door, coming down the stairs and entering the room but the absence of the noise of the TV.  It was like a domino effect after that, Sam startling awake when his brother croaked out a, "Bobby?" and Lily waking at both boy’s sudden movements.  Only Rose had to be shaken awake by Dean.  Some things never changed Bobby thought.  Lily could fall asleep anywhere and Rose could sleep through anything.

"What are you doing here, Bobby?" Sam asked when they were all sitting up and looking at least semi awake.

"We need to talk," Bobby said shortly.  "I started the coffee pot when I came in so feel free to go grab some and then get back here."

By silent agreement the boys headed to the kitchen and Bobby watched as Rose moved to the corner of the couch, pulling the blanket tighter around herself and keeping her eyes on her lap.  Lily was eyeing him suspiciously.

"How are you girls doing?" He asked.

"How do you think we're doing?" Lily asked, her tone sharp and defensive. "Our mother lied to us and if you're here to defend her-"

Bobby cut her off. "I'm not here to defend anybody.  I'm just going to share some facts with you, some details you don't know."  Bobby gave an easy shrug as he sat on the couch opposite them. "What you do with that information is up to you."

* * *

Bobby knew for a fact he'd never purposely gotten a woman drunk before.  And honestly that hadn't been his goal.  He'd just thought a few drinks might relax Erin, make her open up more.  She could be incredibly tight lipped at times, especially when it came to the subject of her parents.  Especially when it was a situation she'd made a mistake in.  Like her middle daughter Erin hated to mess up.  But unlike Rose, who instinctively was that way Bobby knew why Erin felt so strongly about making a mistake.  While the family she raised may react differently the one she grew up in was not one where mistakes were forgiven.

It hadn't taken much, as it had been so long since she'd drank any.  A few drinks and Erin was talking freely.

"We turn into our parents whether we want to or not."  Bobby winced at that but Erin didn't notice. "I mean I hated my mother.  I still do." Bobby blinked at that as Erin was rarely so candid. "She's the vilest, most manipulative, coldest person I've ever known.  And then what do I do?  I lie to my own daughters. I do just what she did to me."  Erin took a sip then looked at Bobby closely.  "You didn't," she said, and Bobby started. "Your father was an awful, mean bastard but you fathered Sam and Dean perfectly." Bobby found himself blushing under the praise, especially about something that meant so much to him. "So, it's just me I guess.  I'm just the idiot who can't escape her mother."

"You're not your mother, Erin," Bobby said gently and Erin just looked at him.  "Tell me what happened," he coaxed. "How did this all start?"

Erin leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling, her eyes glossing over as she remembered a day so long ago.

"It was Lily's 10th birthday and my parents actually showed up."

* * *

"I remember that party," Lily said.

The boys had shuffled back in, cups of coffee in hand, cup of tea for Rose and settled back down.  Rose was securely in the corner of the couch with Dean next to her and Bobby could tell he was doing his best to shield her from this. Not that he could but he was damn well going to try, Bobby knew.

"We were all shocked my grandparents showed up.  They never did that."  Lily frowned, sipping at her coffee. "And something happened, some kind of fight I think?" She shook her head.  "I just remember they left early and my mom was real upset though she tried to hide it."

"You're telling me Erin's excuse is a bad birthday party?" Dean asked, and Bobby fixed him with a look.

"Like I told the girls, I'm not here to defend or excuse anyone.  I'm just filling you in on the details."

Dean's look said he wasn't mollified, but he kept quiet for the moment.  Rose for her part seemed to be trying to sink into the couch.  Sam and Lily at least were listening.

"Apparently your mom was as surprised when your grandmother showed up as everyone else."

* * *

"They never came to the girl’s parties," Erin said. "If we could get them to stop in a few times a year it was an accomplishment, but it rarely seemed to be on an important day."

She could picture that day so clearly.  Some memories stick with you because they’re beautiful, important moments. Others last because of the sheer awfulness of them. This memory was definitely the latter.

Lily had wanted an obstacle course for her birthday, so they'd set one up and most of the kids were running it, getting dirty and having a great time doing it.  Daisy was still a baby and Sam too young to take part while Rose had no interest in it at all.  She was amusing herself and Sam on the swing set, swinging and reading to him.  It was rare to see Rose without Dean even then but when it came to sports or any physical activity Rose was much more likely to be a spectator. In her frilly dress with a storybook in her hands she looked like the quintessential princess she so often pretended to be, Erin thought with a smile as she glanced out at her two more quiet children making their own fun.

Erin's parents had been impressed with Lily's choice for a birthday party.  Such a physical activity and one at which she excelled.  They'd both always loved how strong and naturally athletic she was.

Erin's mother glanced out the window at Rose and Sam.  "She always has been odd," she sneered, and Erin felt her spine stiffen.

"Mother," she started but her mother was going on.

"I never have understood her but then when Daisy was born it was clear.  Rose is the one with the red hair.  The witch was clear she'd be the one."

Erin froze, feeling the noise of the party slip away then come back in a loud rush.

"What did you say?"

"Don't be dense, Erin," her mother said impatiently. "She's the one that's always concerned us, the one with the powers not mentioned."  Claire Murphy eyed her granddaughter speculatively through the window. "God, only knows what she'll become." She considered for a second. "Or maybe not God.  Maybe Lucifer."  She turned back to her daughter who was gaping at her. "Best keep your hands off that one, Erin."

"-We know how you have a tendency to mess things up," Erin repeated her mother’s words to her, her tone bitter. "Let Brendan raise her.  He likes the soft things in life.  Maybe he can keep her normal enough she won't be the downfall of us all."  Erin gave a soft laugh, full of no humor but lots of pain. "As if parenting was like that.  "Oh, you raise this one.  I'll take that one."  Erin took a sip before continuing.  "Though I tried for the most part," she admitted. "I figured they'd always been so close anyway and maybe he could do a better job.  I didn't want to be the reason...I didn't want to mess her up."

"Erin," Bobby began gently, as always amazed by the depth of her mother's cruelty. "You wouldn't have messed her up.  You didn't.  Rose is who she is partly because of both you and Brendan."

Erin gave him a wan smile. "Only because he wasn't there all the time.  He had to go on hunts and-"

"You're making it sound like you had no interaction with Rose whatsoever," Bobby interrupted impatiently.  "I was there.  I know that's not the case."

"No of course not," Erin acknowledged. "I'm her mother.  I was there.  I just tried to make sure Brendan helped shape her, that all the big advice came from him."

Bobby gave a frustrated sigh.  There was no reasoning with Erin when it came to her parents, especially her mother.  The woman could pull a head trick on Erin still.

* * *

"They had her convinced that Erin would mess Rose up if she didn't back off and let Brendan take charge of her."  Rose had her knees pulled up and her head resting on them so that Bobby wasn't sure if she was even listening to him.

"Erin had to know that was bullshit," Dean said and Bobby fixed him with a look.

"Your Dad ever tell you something that you knew logically wasn't right, but you still couldn't ignore?" Dean nodded hesitantly. "Erin's mother is a master manipulator and she knows all the buttons to push with her daughter."

"So, she was afraid she'd what, turn Rose to the dark side?" Sam queried.

"Yeah," Bobby said on a sigh. "Or worse."

* * *

"She told me I was going to lose Rose," Erin said, her words less clear now as the Scotch worked its way through her system. "No two ways about it, Erin, you'll lose her.  Either she'll be killed, or she'll go to the wrong side.  Either way you’ll lose her."  Erin took another drink then looked at Bobby.  "She told me if I wasn't careful I would lose all my girls, that they all could die or be taken from me somehow."  Erin choked back a sob. "And now I think that's happened.  I did what she told me, and I lost them all."

“You haven’t lost them, Erin,” Bobby said patiently.  “We make mistakes. Give them some time.” But Erin was shaking her head so hard she almost fell over.

“No, no I did, I lied to them forever. They can’t get past that.” She stared down at her glass. “Brendan was the good parent who always knew the right thing to do.  Not me.”

“Why didn’t you tell him what your mother said about Rose?” Bobby asked. That had surprised him more than just about anything.  As far as he knew those two had told each other everything. He’d always been amazed at their closeness.

“My family was so fucked up.” Bobby started at Erin’s abrupt statement. She sounded like she was seventeen again, he realized. “They’re mean and spiteful and will do anything to get what they want. And Brendan’s were like The Brady Bunch.” Erin paused. “I mean if they only had one kid. And were hunters.” Erin shook her head then seeming to realize that wasn’t the best comparison. “They were nice.  He’d already gotten way more than he expected when he married me. My evil family and a prophecy about his kids. I just couldn’t tell him that my mother thought Rose was going to be bad.” Erin took a sip.  “He didn’t really like my parents anyway.”

“They’re not the most likeable people, Erin,” Bobby said gently, and Erin nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, he, God, he hated my mother though he wouldn’t say that, you know.” Erin smiled, a sloppy smile. “He told me once he had no idea how I’d ever come from her, that she was the worst excuse for a mother that he’d ever seen.” Her smile faltered then and she buried her head in her hands. “He’d be so disappointed in me now.”

Bobby had taken Erin home not long after that, tucking her into bed and watching her fall into a restless sleep.  He'd known then he needed to talk to the kids.

* * *

"So that's the details, kids," Bobby said, taking in the faces before him. Still angry, confused, sympathetic - they ran the whole gamut of emotions. "Just thought you ought to know the full story."  Bobby rose to leave then, Sam getting to his feet to walk him out.

Rose surprised everyone by jumping up and following Bobby and Sam out.  She caught up to them in the map room, grabbing Bobby's arm. 

"Is she scared of me?" she asked and both Bobby and Sam turned to look at her in surprise.  "My mom.  Is she afraid I'll turn evil?"

Bobby's face settled into kind lines.  "She was told one thing by your grandmother, but your mom knows you, Rose.  She couldn't think you were going to go bad."

Rose frowned, and Bobby could see she was unconvinced. "But my grandparents do."

"Your grandparents are idiots," Bobby said bluntly and Rose looked startled while Sam let out a surprised laugh. "Sorry, sweetheart, but they are.  They've spent your mother's entire life telling her she's useless and weak.  She's about as weak as any of you girls." Bobby smiled at Rose kindly. "They don't understand power, not like you girls have.  They don't get it, so they view it as dangerous. They can't think beyond their narrow world view.  So that's a weakness on their part.  Not on you, Rose." Bobby hugged Rose tightly and she returned it gratefully.

"Thanks, Bobby," she said and with one more smile Bobby walked out with Sam by his side.

"You OK?" a voice asked, and Rose turned to find Dean and Lily in the doorway watching her carefully.

She shrugged. "I guess so?  I mean, at least now I know the whole story."

Lily hugged her sister then followed Sam and Bobby out, meeting Sam by her car.

"You heading out?" he asked and Lily nodded. 

"I need a shower and a change of clothes." Lily smiled at Sam. "I can't believe we all fell asleep on the couch like that."

"Just like old times," Sam said with a grin.  He sobered a moment later.  "You OK?" he asked, unknowingly echoing his brother’s words to Rose.

Lily thought about it a moment.  "I'm still angry. And I need some time before I want to talk to my mom.  But I'm glad Bobby told us everything."

Sam nodded. The two were silent a moment then Sam asked, "See you later?  You could come over for dinner..."

"And just who is cooking?" Lily asked with a grin. "I happen to live with an amazing cook."

"Aw, but does she have my charm?" Sam asked with a teasing grin and Lily laughed.

"So, you expect me to give up good food for a handsome face?" Sam shrugged at her, his smile giving her his answer. "Maybe."

Lily was in the driver's seat when Sam crouched by the window.  She rolled it down, catching the serious expression in his eyes.

"You know we need to talk."

It wasn't a question.  It was a fact and Lily couldn't deny it.

"I know," she said hesitantly. "Just...not yet."

"Soon." Sam's eyes were pressing, wanting a promise from Lily she wasn't sure she was ready to give.

"Soon," she said finally and smiled when Sam leaned in the window and kissed her, full and sweet.

* * *

Rose and Dean cleaned up the living room, gathering the empty takeout containers and dirty plates and glasses, folding up the blankets and pushing the table back into place. After depositing everything in its proper place they headed for their room, both heading for the shower by unspoken agreement.

Both were quiet, moving through the motions silently, their minds preoccupied. Once out and wearing one of Dean's t-shirts Rose collapsed back onto their bed.

"I'm still tired," she admitted.

Wearing a pair of pajama pants Dean turned the overhead light off and climbed into bed next to Rose.

"Let's nap," he suggested, pulling Rose close to him.

"Yeah?" Rose yawned widely, the pull of sleep strong.

"Mmm hmm," Dean murmured and moments later the two of them drifted off, shutting everything else out.

* * *

Lily did come over for dinner that night, actually bringing food with her. She'd invited Charlie but she'd been hesitant, seeming to feel she'd be intruding.

"You won't be," Lily insisted but still Charlie hesitated. "You could always cook? Bring dinner?"

That had worked, and Lily and Charlie showed up at the bunker with homemade macaroni and cheese, rolls from the local bakery and a pie as well. Lily was relieved. She didn't want Charlie to feel excluded. She might not be technically related to any of this, but she was a part of it now and Lily was going to make sure she wasn't left out.

Both boy’s eyes lit up when they saw the food Charlie and Lily carried, though did Dean make sure to ask who exactly cooked it, earning a glare from Lily. Once he'd found out it was Charlie's cooking his smile grew.

They warmed everything up and camped out in front of the TV again, this time on two couches with Dean and Rose on one and Sam, Lily and Charlie the other. Tonight's movie marathon was of the Nightmare on Elm Street variety and they all watched the much-viewed movie as they dug into their dinner.

"God, Charlie this is amazing," Dean enthused and everyone else nodded enthusiastically. Rose ate with less enthusiasm than the others and Charlie watched as Dean nudged her a few times, the two of them carrying on a few whispered conversations until Rose finally ate enough to please Dean. Then she snuggled against Dean's side, wrapped under a blanket with Sookie (Who'd joined their viewing party tonight) lying next to her.

Tonight didn't go nearly as late as last night and once pie had been had (With many joyous exclamations by Dean.) and two movies watched Charlie and Lily headed home. Charlie headed to the car first, seeing the way Sam and Lily kept looking at each other, giving the two some time to do whatever the hell they were currently doing - Charlie had given up trying to figure it out.

* * *

Rose cancelled therapy the next day.  She didn't explain, just sent Dr. Alexander a message saying she had to cancel. She told Dean she just couldn't bear facing him and having to explain what happened.  Dean nodded sympathetically.  He understood that.

"So, talk to me," he said that afternoon when Rose had woken from her nap. "Tell me what you're thinking, how you're feeling about your mom."

Rose smiled at him playfully. "Is this some of that role playing you seem to like?" she teased, and Dean laughed. “’Cause if so it doesn’t really sound like my thing.” Rose sat up, leaning back against the headboard and Dean joined her.  She thought silently for a minute, her hand stroking Sookie's coat as she did so.

"I don't hate her," she said finally. "In a way it would be easier if I did.  But I don't.  I still love her, she's still my mom." 

"But..." Dean led, knowing there was more.

"But she hurt me.  She lied to me almost my entire life. I can't just ignore that and be OK."

"No one expects you to, Baby," Dean said, wrapping an arm around her.

"Lily will though," Rose said and Dean knew it was the truth. "Lily will get past this and I'm OK with that, I understand that.  But I can't.  I can't just go on with her like things are normal, like nothing changed."  Rose considered her hands for a moment then said, "I don't quite get the whole mind job my grandparents did on her.  I don't think I can grasp that.  Can you?"

Dean thought that over, had been thinking it over since Bobby had mentioned it. "I do, kind of, yeah." Rose glanced at him curiously and Dean sighed. "You weren't raised with your parents teaching you how to hunt.  They got to stay your parents.  But when your parents are in that roll, it changes.  Suddenly they're like your...your platoon leader or something." Dean frowned at that description, but it was the best he could come up with. And it was accurate. "When you're out there on a hunt you have to act without question if they tell you something.  It changes your relationship, the whole dynamics of it. So yeah, I get that."

Rose nodded thoughtfully, taking in what Dean had said. Dean was honestly so torn.  He got more than most what Erin's parents had done to her.  Not that his father had ever been that manipulative, but he'd certainly cared more about getting the job done that how his sons felt. Dean got how that could play with your mind, especially if the person in charge didn't care about the fallout. He could empathize. He truly felt for Erin.  But on the other hand, she'd hurt everyone, had lied and kept things back and most importantly she'd hurt Rose and that Dean found hard to get past. His innate protectiveness was always heightened when it came to the woman in his arms. This was going to take some time to get past.  As if reading his thoughts Rose sighed and said:

"I'm just going to need some time."

Dean kissed the top of her head and hugged her to him. "Take all the time you need, Sweetheart. No one's timing you."

"What about you?" Dean pulled back from Rose in surprise, unsure what she meant. "This didn't just affect me you know." Rose looked at him knowingly. "She lied to all of us and I know that hurt you too. We can talk-"

Dean cut Rose off. He wasn't ready for that. "No, we're focusing on you right now, Baby."

Rose frowned. "Dean, it can't always be about me." She ran a hand over his head, her fingers stroking his hair soothingly. "I'm not pushing," she assured him, and Dean gave a sigh of relief. "I know you're upset and if you want to talk I'm here, OK?" Dean nodded and rested his head against her hand which was now stroking his cheek. "It's not just you taking care of me, Dean. We take care of each other," Rose said softly and Dean smiled.

He didn't say anything, just let Rose's soft touch sooth him. Sometimes actions really did more good than words.

* * *

"So, what did Bobby have to say about my grandparents?"

Dean froze in the doorway to the bedroom, his surprised glance finding Rose sitting on their bed and looking at him knowingly.

He and Sam had headed out after dinner to grab a drink with Bobby. He hadn’t mentioned why, that they were wanted to get his take on what the hell was going on with Erin's parents. Were they a threat?  Did they need to be worried? These were all questions the boys had and they hoped Bobby may have some insight, actually knowing Erin's parents.

"How are the girls?" Bobby asked, sliding into the booth across from them. He nodded his thanks to the waitress who dropped off a beer then looked at the boys.

"They're fine," Dean said.

"They're at the bunker," Sam supplied. "Charlie and Lily came over and they're hanging out together."

"Probably watching more horror movies," Dean added.

They were in fact at the bunker, the boys were right about that fact. But there were no movies being watched. Instead Lily was filling Rose in on what had been going on with their grandparents and Mom. Rose has asked about the comment Lily had made at the hospital about keeping their grandparents away from her and Daisy and Lily had figured she deserved to know.

"Why the sudden interest?" Rose asked her sister when she’d told her the highlights and Lily shrugged.

"Well you and Daisy are suddenly the Kardashians of the supernatural world, aren't you? Maybe they heard something.”

Rose made a face. "Oh, that's just mean, Lily.  A Kardashian?  Really?" Charlie let out a laugh at that and Lily grinned.

"You know what I mean," she said with a wave of her hand.

"What exactly is Mom worried about?" Rose asked, tucking a leg up under herself. The three of them were in the living room, warm and cozy on the couch. It had gotten a lot colder out and Rose was happy to stay in the warm bunker tonight.

Lily frowned. "I don't know really. She wasn't too clear."

"Is she over reacting?" Rose queried, and Lily thought about it a minute.

"I don't think so," Lily said finally, carefully. "I think for whatever reason her instincts are telling her to be cautious and she's listening to them."

Bobby didn't seem to know much more. He relayed to the boys almost word for word what Lily had said to Sam, with a few added details thrown in.

"OK, you know these people, Bobby," Dean said in frustration. "What are we dealing with here? I mean they're hunters, can we trust them?"

Bobby sighed taking a sip of his beer.

"Erin doesn't," he said finally and before Dean could let spill the words on his tongue Bobby held up a hand. "I know, but she knows them better than anyone."

"Do you trust them?" Sam asked, and Bobby considered that.

"I don't like them," he said finally. "They're controlling and manipulative. They were with Erin and they would have been with the girls if it wasn't for Brendan and Erin. They would have liked nothing more than to bring the girls up hunting from day one." Bobby shook his head. "They've never forgiven Erin for giving up hunting, for trying to raise the girls as normal as possible. In their mind that was her turning her back on everything they taught her."

"They're not nice people," Dean said shortly. "We get that. But do we need to worry?"

"I think," Bobby said slowly. "We need to be aware that at some point we'll have to deal with them."

"Deal with them?" Sam asked.

"Erin can only put them off for so long," Bobby said. "They want to see the girls and they aren't used to being told no."

"Well if they think they're seeing Rose after thinking she's some kind of evil they can just think again," Dean said hotly and Bobby just eyed him without commenting. The boys left soon after.

"How'd you know we talked to Bobby about them?" Dean asked Rose now, closing the bedroom door behind him. He kicked his boots off and put them in the closet while she smiled knowingly.

"You and Sam go out for a drink with him just after this whole thing comes up?" Rose snorted. "Please. You're not the only one who can figure things out."

Dean grinned. "You talked to Lily about this?" Both she and Charlie had been gone by the time he and Sam got back.

Rose nodded and Dean sighed. He shrugged out of his flannel, tossing it into the hamper and and climbed up on the bed, stretching out and putting his head on Rose's lap and closing his eyes.

"I don't like it," he said after a minute. "The fact that your mom's worried makes me worried."

"So, just lots of worry to go around," Rose said and Dean's eyed popped open to stare at her in surprise. She seemed surprisingly calm. Seeing his look Rose smiled, running a hand through his hair. "I've found out my mom lied to me and my grandparents think I may be evil this week," she said. "I think I've officially hit my limit of being surprised or shocked. And I spend most of my time worrying about either my powers or demons." She shrugged. "My grandparents are just going to have to wait their turn for me to worry about them."

Dean smiled, amused at Rose's thinking but also relieved she was handling it OK. "How about I handle worrying about them?" he offered, and Rose smiled down at him.

"Along with your list of other worries?"

Dean shrugged. "I like worrying. It's a hobby of mine."

Rose frowned. "It's a pretty bad hobby. You used to have better ones."

"You can come up with others for me," Dean promised, closing his eyes again as Rose's fingers combed through his hair. It felt good, was relaxing him and making him sleepy.

Rose smiled down at the man who was very close to falling asleep on her. She smoothed her hand over his hair and he sighed, his body relaxing even more.

Things were a mess. Rose knew that, she wasn't in denial. There was so much craziness going on, such utter chaos that Rose couldn't believe even existed in her life. But there was also _this_. Her fingers traced over Dean's face and her heart clenched at the happy thought that he was hers. Here in the quiet of their room it felt like a haven from the storm. As long as they had this, as long as they had each other they could survive anything.

And with that thought in mind Rose got Dean to lift his head so she could move, got him to help her at least get his jeans off and get under the covers before she turned the lights off and snuggled in bed next to him.

Whatever happened tomorrow they’d deal with it then.


	98. Who Can Act Like They Care Less

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Chickens Come Home to Roost, Loose Lips Sink Ships & As Truth Be Told, Homecoming Never Gets Old.

The next day everyone attempted to get life back to resembling some appearance of normalcy. Rose and Dean did their normal routine of working on her powers, having lunch, then Rose took a nap and they headed to the shooting range. Then in the afternoon Rose and Sam once again headed for Starbucks.

Rose settled into a chair, happy to be back to their routine. With everything that had happened, everything that was still happening she wanted somethings to stay the same.

She smiled at Sam as he sat down with his book and coffee.

"So," she said, and Sam knew from her tone what was coming. "You and Lily seem to be doing better."

He shrugged but couldn't hide the small smile.

"Yeah, I mean we haven't talked yet, but things are going OK."

Rose raised an eyebrow at him.

"I think I'll take the alternate path here than my sister would take and won't ask exactly what "things" are," she said, and Sam chuckled. "But I'm happy for you."

"Yeah, me too," Sam said, then he couldn’t help teasing her. “And if our unexpected trip to New Orleans taught me nothing else it’s that not asking what certain “things” includes is quite often the best idea.” Rose immediately turned scarlet and Sam laughed. 

“Stop being evil, Sam,” Rose said. She was smiling when she said it though, despite her blush and Sam couldn’t help but grin.

They both settled down with their drinks and books then. They'd both come to really enjoy these trips and Sam was even getting to where he could tune out the obnoxious sales woman.  Occasionally her voice would cut into his thoughts, but he'd lived his life with a persistent, louder brother and it certainly wasn't like Lily was quiet. He'd learned some good skills throughout the years for blocking others out.

The shop was fairly quiet today and Sam quickly got lost in his book until a mother with several young children came in and the sudden noise caused him to look up.  The mother quickly corralled them, and Sam glanced at Rose, realizing she hadn’t looked up from her book once. She was definitely doing better with concentration. Actually, Sam was impressed with how she'd seemed to handle the situation with her mom. Then again, he knew Rose tended to keep things to herself more than others. Sam wondered if he should ask her about it, how she was really feeling.

As if feeling Sam's eyes on her Rose glanced up and gave him a smile.  Sam was just opening his mouth to ask about the situation when his phone rang.  He took it out of his pocket and scowled at the name on the screen. 

Curious as to who could get that reaction from Sam Rose peered at his screen curiously and then glanced up at him in concern.

"Sam, why are you getting a call from 666?"

Sam grimaced.  "I'll explain.  Just let me take this."  He punched the call button.

"Crowley," Sam ground out.

"You know one would hope that you would have better taste in women than your idiot brother.”

"What are you talking about, Crowley?" Sam sighed.  If Crowley had just called to stir the pot he was hanging up.  Dean may enjoy going back and forth with him, but Sam had no patience for it.

"You don't keep very good tabs on that dark-haired treat you're so enamored with do you Moose?"

"What's that mean?" Sam asked losing what little patience he'd had.

"It means this is why dim-witted hunters shouldn't mess with witchcraft." There was a pause and when it became clear Sam didn't know what he meant Crowley gave a deep, much put upon sigh. "Your little bit of saucy traipsed back to her childhood home not so long ago," Sam glanced up at Rose realizing when she drew in a sharp breath that she could hear Crowley.  "Disturbing all the wards there and catching the attention of a few curious demons."  Rose's eyes had widened, and Sam watched as all the color drained from her face, cementing for Sam that Crowley wasn’t making any of this up. "They are in fact headed to take out said dark haired temptress right now."  Rose scrambled up, grabbing her things as she went with Sam moving swiftly with her.  "Guess you’ll get to see just how tough your little piece is.”

“Crowley,” Sam growled. “If you had any part in this-”

“Oh, no, this is not my doing,” Crowley assured him. “This is a rogue group with plans of their own.” Crowley paused. “I’d hurry if I were you, Moose.  They're pretty nasty sorts who are pretty determined.  Ta ta."

Sam didn't even hear Crowley hang up - He was too busy throwing the car door open. 

"She's at the hospital," Rose was saying as she clicked her seat belt in place, obviously prepared for Sam to fly if need be to get there.

"Call Dean," Sam ordered as they were pulling out of the parking lot and he realized as he picked up his own phone that Rose was already on it.  He dimly heard her in the background telling Dean they needed him to get to the hospital now. 

"Hello?" Some part of Sam's brain registered the fact that Lily sounded confused as it had been awhile since he'd actually called her.

"There's a group of demons headed for you," Sam said bluntly.  "I'm headed your way with Rose but you need to tell Cas, make sure you're prepared."  He heard Lily already talking to Cas as soon as she'd taken in what he said. 

"How many?" she asked, and Sam cursed not knowing specifics.

"He said a few," Sam said.

"He?" Sam could hear her rummaging through something and he assumed she was looking for weapons.

"Crowley," Sam offered. "Who else is there with you?"

"Just me, Cas and Daisy," Lily said.

"Ok we'll be there in," Sam checked where they were.  "Less than five minutes."

"Hurry," Lily said shortly and Sam nodded even though he knew she couldn't see him and hung up.

"Well I’m sorry, but I am." Sam realized with a start that Rose was still on the phone with Dean and it didn't sound like things were going well.

"Damn it Rose," Dean's voice carried easily through the phone, his tone both angry and alarmed.  "If you go in there I swear to God you won't fucking sit down-"

"I'm not helpless!"  Glancing at Rose Sam could see the color had come back to her cheeks now and she looked angry. "My sisters are there, Dean and I'm going."  She hung up then and seeing Sam's eyes on her she shrugged.  "He'll be there."

Deciding it best not to comment on that conversation Sam just focused on flooring the car.

When they walked into Daisy's room things looked normal.  Daisy was awake, Cas was by her side and Lily at the foot of her bed.  Sam sighed in relief.  They'd made it here before the demons.

Unable to help himself Sam rushed towards Lily and pulled her into his arms.

"You're OK?" Sam asked his eyes focused on Lily, only glancing at Daisy and then Cas once Lily nodded. 

"Aw, isn't that sweet?" a voice sneered near the door and everyone's eyes turned to face the source of it.  A group, much larger than Sam had expected stood there, all women of similar height to each other aside from the speaker who was much shorter, all crowding in the doorway.  "Oh no, don't stop," she said when Sam and Lily parted. "I wouldn't want you to miss out.  Especially as I plan on pulling her spine out in a few minutes."

Sam sneered at the demon. "Might want to check what's above you." He was counting even as he spoke, coming up with ten – Ten! How the hell was that a few?  He silently cursed Crowley and his shitty information.

"Oh, you mean that?" The short demon questioned and with a wave of her hand the devil's trap was illuminated including a missing piece that looked to have been scraped away. "Why that's nothing but pretty finger painting now boys and girls."  With a grin thrown over her shoulder at her fellow demons she led the way into the room slamming the door behind them. 

“What’s with the girl power trip?” Lily asked, commenting on the all female contingent in front of them.  She shifted her weight from foot to foot, nervous adrenaline coursing through her. Lily had always loved a good fight. Honestly if it wasn’t for the fact that her sisters were here she’d be excited about this.

The leader smiled at her, her eyes alight with something akin to a rabid, religious fervor. “Unlike your kind we don’t serve men. Our leaders are strong and female and will usher in a new future.” She cocked her head to the side, studying their group as the rest of the demons flanked her. “After all the future is female.”  She grinned again.  "Now where should we start?"

* * *

Dean was flying, or as close to flying as he could get and still have the wheels of the Impala touch the road.  When Rose had called and told him what was going on he'd felt a wave of concern.  But Lily and Cas could handle themselves and Sam could be there quickly, and he'd be just a few minutes behind. But that concern had morphed into outright fear when Rose said she was going to go in with Sam.  He'd tried to stay calm, tried to tell her to stay in the car till he got there at least (And he could fucking handcuff her to the car, though he left that part of the plan out.) but she was having none of it.  She’d argued with him and he'd felt his temper rise along with his fear.  He'd threatened her, and it hadn't done any damn good either. She'd ignored all his arguments and told him she was going in and then hung up on him.  Dean was fuming.  He swore when he got his hands on her...well first he was going to make sure she was OK.  Then he was going to make sure she was sorry for ever stepping foot in the hospital after he told her not to. With that thought in mind Dean put the pedal down ever further, rushing to get there.

* * *

Cas had immediately moved in front of Daisy.  The second he did her bed went screeching across the wall thanks to Rose and all four of them stood in front of it, guarding her.

"Oh, now your bravery knows no bounds," the short sarcastic demon said.  "Though to be honest she's not important.” She pointed a knife that materialized suddenly in her hand at Lily. “She’s the bitch we want.” She grinned. “Though we could just take the blond one out for fun I guess, right girls?"

Cas moved so fast no one had time to blink.  The demon had been turning to laugh with her comrades and Cas had his hand on her forehead before she could move, another on the demon closest to her and a bright light was pouring out of their faces and then their bodies were dropping. 

One of the demons dove for Lily and Sam jumped in the way before she could get to her, his knife slicing into her, the orange light illuminating her as she fell.  Another dove for Lily and she quickly stabbed into it with an angel blade that Sam blinked to see her carrying.  As a light poured from the demon and the body dropped she nodded to Cas, indicating he’d lent it to her before Sam got there and then she turned to focus on the fight.

Rose was focused on a demon that had made a move for Sam and was holding her still, her mind focusing on that sensation, that feeling from before and reaching out she watched the colors surrounding the demon, watched the color of her own powers touch them and she managed to grasp onto the demon, yanking it out from the girl’s body.  The other demons stopped, not sure what Rose was doing but sensing a pull, a tugging due to her powers in the air.  A moment later everyone saw the essence of the demon be pulled out and the girl’s body fell, unharmed to the floor.  Only Cas could see the streams of brightly colored energy emerging from the girl’s body and from Rose's but even without that it was something to see.  The demons could all sense the change in the air and the humans could see the essence of the demon be yanked out of the girl’s body.  No one had seen anything like it before and it was enough to stop them all.

As the demons shook off their stupor a few things happened all at once.  Two demons went for Lily at the same time, one from behind her and one from the front and Sam reacted on instinct, shoving Lily down so the demons in an ironic twist wound up sinking their blades into each other and taking each other out.  Rose focused on another demon that had turned her attention to Lily.  She took a step towards her and the demon backed up, startling Rose so much she stopped. She swore the demon flinched when she moved towards her and Rose didn’t understand that at all.  How was she terrifying to a demon?  Shaking her head, she focused and pulled the demon out of the girl in front of her, watching the body drop. That left just two demons, one of which Cas was focusing on, reaching out a hand and taking her out easily.  The remaining demon struck while Cas’ attention was focused on her ally and stabbed at him with a vicious looking blade.  She never made contact though as Daisy let out a strangled scream and the demon stopped, her hand frozen in midair.  Sam, Lily and Rose exchanged startled glances, not sure what was going on.  The demon was stock still, the expression on her face changing to one of absolute terror.

"What's going on?" Lily asked as she scrambled to her feet, ignoring Sam’s outstretched hand and glancing from the demon to Daisy and to the others.

"Should I?" Rose motioned unsure if she should try and remove the demon with what was happening.

"Don't!" Cas said sharply and marched to Daisy's side, where she was sat with tightly squeezed shut eyes and a look of total concentration.  Cas spoke to her softly then turned to Sam.  "Can you fix the trap?"  He gestured towards the devil's trap on the ceiling.

Sam figured it didn't matter what it was done with, so he grabbed the nearest thing which happened to be a sharpie that Lily had been marking something with and reached up and filled in the marred line.  Cas nodded and turned back to Daisy.

"She's trapped now, Daisy.  You can let go, get out."  It took a moment of Cas talking softly but eventually Daisy's face relaxed and she opened her eyes, immediately focusing on Cas.

"Are you OK?" she asked anxiously.  "She reached out a hand, grasping his shoulder. "Did she hurt you?"

As Cas reassured Daisy he was fine the demon seemed to snap out of whatever stupor that had held her, glancing around her in confusion.

"Rose if you would," Cas just nodded towards the demon then and focused back on Daisy.

Rose did her best but this time for whatever reason she couldn't grasp the demon itself.  She could control it, she could make the demon listen to her will, but she couldn't remove it.  She was ready to admit she couldn't do it when the door flew open and Dean was standing there in the trap with the demon.  Panic flooded through her as she realized Dean was in danger and she felt a rush as her powers did as she told them, and the demons essence flew out and down and that body dropped too.

And then Dean was standing there taking in the chaos of the room, a visibly shaken Daisy in Cas' arms, bodies scattered across the floor – some dead, some just unconscious – everyone else looking winded but no worse considering.  And then his eyes came to rest on Rose and as she took in his unhappy expression she decided that she might have preferred dealing with the demons.

* * *

Dean scanned the room, taking in everyone there and seeing no grave injuries he marched straight to Rose.

"Are you hurt?" he barked out and Rose shook her head. His hand shot out, grabbing her arm pulling her from the room, getting a confused look from Lily which he ignored.

"Dean, what are you...where are we going?" Rose asked in confusion, stumbling to keep up with him.

"This'll do," Dean muttered, pulling her down the hall and into the same waiting room she'd gone into with her mother just days earlier. The door was barely shut behind them before Dean was whirling her around and bending her over, so her hands were on the couch.  Before Rose could grasp what was happening, before she could even take a breath, Dean's hand was coming down hard on the seat of her jeans and Rose’s head flew up as pain rushed to her bottom.  Her mouth opened but no noise came out and his hand was landing again, quicker than she thought possible.  His hand smacked down furiously on her still recovering bottom a third time and Rose found her voice then, letting out a surprised, pained yelp.

"Dean!  What?"

"Don't you ever do that to me again!" Dean was saying as his hand rose and fell in a furious rhythm. "Call and tell me that you're walking straight into danger!" One hand was on the small of Rose's back, keeping her in place while the other continued its determined path smacking down again and again on her bottom.  Rose was very aware of where they were, that the walls weren't thick, and she kept her voice down, kept the noises she wanted to make to herself, only letting a few slip out.  But God, it hurt!  Her bottom had just been almost recovered from the spanking she got over the weekend and Dean was smacking her hard and fast.

Luckily it was over quickly, Dean pulling her to her feet and wrapping her in his arms.

"Don't do that again," he repeated his voice urgent. And then he was kissing her, his lips desperate on hers as his hands ran over her back, needing to assure himself she was there, was OK.  Rose fell into the kiss, into the rawness and realness of it and how grounded she felt here with Dean.  No powers, no demons, no things she had to control.  Just them.

Dean pulled back finally, and his eyes once again swept over Rose, needing to check that she was OK.

"I'm fine, Dean," Rose reassured him and Dean nodded.  He linked hands with her and lead her back to Daisy's hospital room.

"We'll talk about this later," he promised her, and Rose felt a shiver of trepidation run down her spine, knowing this conversation wasn’t close to finished.

* * *

"What the hell was that about?" Lily had whirled on Sam as soon as Rose and Dean left the room.

Sam looked stunned by the heat in her voice.  He'd pushed her out of the way, true but there had been no time for a warning and he would have done the same if it had been Dean or Bobby.  So, he ignored her question, instead turning to look at Cas and Daisy.

"Are you OK?" he asked Daisy and she nodded gingerly, letting her eyes slip shut. She looked suddenly exhausted.

"She shouldn't have done that," Cas answered and Daisy opened her eyes to look at him.

"Yes, I should have."

"You're not ready yet, Daisy," Cas argued. "We haven't practiced that enough-"

"They came at you," Daisy interrupted. "I couldn't let you get hurt."

Sam watched Cas' expression which was an amazing mixture of concern and wonder. He could have told Cas he was wasting his breath arguing with Daisy.  She'd made up her mind. He’d have a better shot at arguing with a thunder storm.

Dean and Rose slipped back in the room then, Lily looking at them curiously again which they both ignored.

"OK what was that all about?" Dean asked, looking around the room at the assembled group and Sam shrugged.

"Crowley called me," he said then explained the phone call. "And what the hell, Lily?” he asked, whirling to face her. “You went home?"

Lily who had taken a seat on the couch looked back at Sam defensively.  "It wasn't planned."

"We told you why you couldn't go there," Dean said and Lily glared at him. "We told you it wasn't safe."

"Yeah, I got that loud and clear."

"You put everyone here in danger," Dean continued, well and truly pissed at Lily now.  Rose had slipped into the chair by Daisy's bed side and Dean was pacing now, waving his hands in Lily's direction and berating her about the stupidity of her actions.  "You're fucking smarter than that, Lily. You could have at least told somebody that you went home so we'd know to be on the lookout."

"I did!" Lily yelled back. She waved her hand in the direction of the bed, encompassing Cas, Daisy and Rose - who she failed to notice looked suddenly like a deer caught in the headlights. "They all knew!  Just because you two didn't know...You're not the end all be all of everything, Dean."  Lily glared at him, but Dean wasn't paying any attention to her now.  He'd turned his gaze on Rose who was biting her lip and purposely studying her shoes.

"Rose." One word, said in a tone that made Rose immediately look up, meeting Dean's eyes and Lily watched curiously as the two seemed to carry on a silent conversation. Whatever was said Rose didn't seem to like as Lily watched her cheeks flush and her eyes take on a guilty caste. With a small shake of his head Dean turned from her to focus on Lily again.  Before he could speak though Sam was talking.

"I can't believe you did that, Lily." He looked so disappointed in her that Lily felt her heart catch. "We brought you all here to keep you safe. You knew that. By going back..." He shook his head and Lily felt awful. "You put everybody at risk."

"I didn't mean to," Lily said apologetically and then winced at the tone in her voice. "I just...it was a bad day.  I didn't plan it and then I just..." She trailed off, hating that she felt the need to justify her actions.

"You're the oldest," Dean barked out. "You're supposed to protect these two." He waved towards Rose and Daisy and despite herself Lily felt herself wince again. That was her weak spot and Dean went right for it. "What the fuck were you even thinking?"

"I wasn't, OK?" Lily exploded. "I was just driving and wound up there and-"

"And you very conveniently didn't tell a single person who could do a thing about it," Dean said, his derision clear in his voice. "Real fucking responsible, Lily."

"Oh, well sorry I'm not perfect like you, Dean," Lily said sarcastically. "I mean obviously you never fuck up."

"At least I take responsibility when I do," Dean growled, shooting daggers at Lily. "I do what I have to to fix it."  Lily felt a wave of guilt shoot through her at his words, hitting way to close to home. She should have told someone, should have told her mother or Bobby or the boys.  She'd known that, but she hadn't wanted to deal with the telling off that would inevitably follow.

"We just want you all to be safe, Lil," Sam said in a gentler tone. 

"Yeah, so badly you push me out of the way," Lily snapped and Sam drew back in surprise at the heat in her voice.  Some part of Lily knew she was overreacting, knew she was taking her guilt and irritation out on Sam.  Him not thinking she was strong enough and able to take care of herself was still a big concern for her and here she'd just proved she'd screwed up.  But instead of admitting that she tore into him.  "I can handle myself.  I could have taken that demon."

Sam just looked at her, shaking his head. "I pushed you out of the way on reflex.  I would have done it no matter who you were."

"Bullshit." Lily got up and stood in front of Sam, her posture straight, her face angry.  "It was just you once again proving you don't think I can take care of myself.  Just like Wisconsin."  And Sam felt his temper rise.

"If that's what you think then you are blind and stupid," he bit out and Lily felt her temper flare.

"Oh crap," Rose said softly and Dean glanced at her, thinking she was worried about Sam and Lily fighting.  He felt a wave of alarm course through him when he realized she was bleeding, that blood was dripping from her nose.  He grabbed a handful of kleenex and crouched in front of her, applying pressure and tipping her head forward.

Cas was watching the couple across the room argue, feeling his own temper rise. Neither Sam nor Lily seemed to be aware that Rose was bleeding and Daisy was obviously weakened by what happened.  They seemed completely caught up in their own drama, oblivious to everyone’s pain around them.

"I'm blind and stupid?" Lily screeched, and Dean threw her an annoyed glance over his shoulder. "At least I know what a capable adult looks like."

"A capable adult who runs back home and breaks spell barriers and brings demons down on her family," Sam shot back and Rose winced at his words. "Yeah, real capable."

"This is getting nasty between them," Rose muttered to Dean as best she could. "Someone should split them up."

"They're adults," Dean advised her. "They can handle this.  Just focus on stopping the bleeding."

"Well maybe if I wasn't treated like such an incapable-"

Cas closed his eyes as the two people went on and on.  He had never seen Sam like this, so out of control and angry at someone he loved.  And Cas could tell he did indeed love Lily and most of his words today came from a well of frustration and fear.  And Cas could easily see Lily's love for Sam, but her guilt and frustration were clearly visible too, causing her harsh reaction to his criticism.  Cas was trying to tune them out, to just focus on Daisy but he could easily feel how this was upsetting her.  And finally, when their raised voices had gone on and on and Cas feared they would never stop and Daisy gave a little shiver as a particularly nasty comment flew from Lily's lips Cas had reached his limit.  He kissed Daisy's forehead then stood, glanced at Rose and Dean and touched Rose's forehead lightly, stopping the bleeding and received two grateful looks in return.  Then he turned to the arguing couple.

"Enough."

One word. That was all he said but it carried and vibrated through the room so that they all felt it in their bones. And when Sam and Lily turned to look at him this was not the Cas they knew standing there but a truly fearsome being intent on stopping them both.

"Your sister is exhausted and drained from what happened, your other sister is bleeding and yet you two stand there, bickering like school children.  Enough."

Sam and Lily glanced at each other then back at Cas and the angel watched as Lily’s eyes darted to her sisters, taking in the state they were in for the first time and he saw guilt wash over her face. Sam cleared his throat, then began to speak but Cas cut him off.

"Just leave. Twice this week there have been loud vocal arguments here and it is not helping.  Leave."

Then he turned and went back to Daisy's bedside and with one more guilty look at the party by the bed both Sam and Lily slunk out.

"Thanks, Cas," Rose said softly when the door had shut behind them.  Cas nodded, his eyes on Daisy.  "Days, are you OK?"

"I'm tired," the blond offered. "Those powers are...whoa."

Rose smiled, easily able to understand that.  She rose from her seat and went to Daisy's side, her hand sweeping Daisy's curls back.  Cas watched the two and seeing that Rose was keeping an eye on Daisy he went to Dean to speak to him privately.  Something had to be done.

* * *

Once the room was empty of all save Cas and Daisy the angel did something he hadn't done before.  He lay down beside Daisy in the bed and curled his large body around her much smaller one.  She smiled up at him in surprise and found his eyes serious, full of storm clouds once again.

"I think I understand now why Dean feels the need to spank your sister," he said, catching Daisy by surprise. "You shouldn't have put yourself in harm’s way for me."

"Don't even think about it," Daisy warned him when she found her voice, his threat having shocked her into momentary silence.

Cas nodded at her, then pulled her against him tightly. "Don't do that again, Daisy. You could have been severely injured."

"I couldn't see you hurt, Cas," Daisy said, snuggling against him. "It...it terrified me."  Her eyes when they looked up at him were windows into the fear she felt, and Cas felt his heart catch.  There was so much concern and emotion there, the likes of which he'd never seen.

"I'm fine, Daisy," Cas said reassuringly.

"But you could have been-" Daisy cut herself off and drew her fingers over the hand where Cas wore his wedding ring. "This ring means I get to protect you too."

Cas looked at her curiously. This small human, with amazing powers true, but still a human who was so willing to throw herself in front of danger to save him. She was indeed a wonder.

"Then we need to get working on strengthening your powers," Cas said and Daisy nodded. "But right now, we need to discuss a plan."

* * *

 

"She's really coming home?"

Dean smiled at the eagerness in Rose's voice. 

"Yeah, Cas doesn't think the hospital is safe anymore.  He's calling the doctor and going to speak to him.  Daisy can still go back for physical therapy, but he doesn't want her staying there anymore.  Can't say that I blame him."

"And what if he doesn't agree?  What if he thinks Daisy should stay in?" Rose asked curiously.

"Cas can uh, convince him," Dean said and Rose considered that.

"You don't mean with charm, do you?" Dean smiled and shook his head.  "Huh.  O.K."  Rose pulled her phone out and started texting someone.  "Well we need to get Daisy's room fixed up.  I don't think anyone's been in there since she left."  She waited a few minutes and after receiving a reply she nodded. "Good, Lily will be at the bunker in an hour."

Dean was silent, not speaking again until they pulled up at the bunker and were inside. 

"Good, that gives us time to talk."  He snagged Rose's wrist and pulled her behind him till they were in their room.  He let her wrist go then and nodded to the chair, indicating she should take a seat.  He didn't miss the face she made when she sat down.  He didn't think he'd been that hard on her at the hospital but he guessed she was still tender from her previous punishment.

"You're in a lot of trouble, Sweetheart.”

Rose glanced up at him and seeing the expression he wore was as stern as his tone she bit her lip.  So much for not getting in anymore trouble. 

"I know."

"How long have you known Lily went back to Hastings?" Dean asked, taking a seat on the footstool.

"Since we went out for Mexican," Rose admitted and Dean swore.

"Jesus, Rose, that long?" She nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you'd be mad and Lily told me, and I didn't want to get her in trouble." Rose frowned at how that sounded. Sometimes with Lily it was like she was still in junior high, covering for her when she snuck off to smoke.

"So, you got yourself in trouble instead," Dean pointed out and Rose nodded again, all too aware of that fact. "Well it's not happening today so you can relax," Dean said and Rose looked up at him hopefully. "I know you're still sore," he said, and Rose blushed and nodded. "I need you all healed up before I spank that butt of yours again. Should only take a day or two."

“Oh, it could take a lot longer,” Rose said hopefully, and Dean gave her a look that she understood clearly – Don’t push it.

"I'm sorry, Dean," Rose said sincerely and Dean sighed.

"You get why I'm pissed, right? Look what happened today.  What if you and Sam hadn't gotten there in time?"  Rose nodded.  She understood and knew Dean had a legitimate reason to be upset. "Speaking of which...that doesn't happen again."  Rose looked at him in confusion. "You don't go rushing into danger to save your damn sister.  Understand?" But instead of the compliant, contrite look Dean was expecting he got a frown of disagreement.

"No."

"What do you mean, no?" Dean demanded.

"I mean I won't agree to that," Rose said firmly. "I'm not going to make a promise I can't keep."

Dean was scowling at her now.

"You're not supposed to put yourself in danger, Rose. You know that.  Or does your butt need some more reminding?"

"There's a difference in putting myself in danger needlessly and taking a risk when someone I love is in trouble,” Rose argued. “If one of my sisters needs me I'm going to be there."

"Rose, they could have handled that today-"

"You weren't there, Dean," Rose interrupted. "You don't know. They couldn't have.  There were ten demons.  _Ten_.  That's way too much for him to handle.  Even with all of us it was a lot."

"OK, yeah but my priority is you," Dean said. "I wasn't far out and-"

"And I was there, and I could do something," Rose cut him off again. "Don't make me feel useless, Dean.  Please." Rose looked at him beseechingly. "If it were Sam in danger you would always go in. You can't expect me to act any differently with my sisters."

Dean was scowling, not liking this argument at all.  A noise came from out in the bunker distracting him then.  Assuming it was just Sam getting home, Dean opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a knock on their bedroom door.

"Rosie? You in there?" Lily asked, and Rose was on her feet in a heartbeat.

"I thought she said an hour," Dean said, not happy at the conversation being left like this.

"Yeah, well you know how it is," Rose said. "Time is just a man made concept and all..."

And she was out the door and joining her sister before Dean had a chance to respond.

* * *

The next hour was a flurry of hanging up clothes, doing laundry and vacuuming. Daisy's room had been left in less than stellar condition (Though her sisters could tell you that's how it normally was anyway.) and both Rose and Lily were determined to have it looking perfect when Daisy came home.  There was very little conversation save for "I'm gonna throw this in the laundry," and "What is this on the chair?" Both girls were lost in their own thoughts and focused on the task at hand.

Dean texted Sam as soon as Rose left the room with Lily, just checking to make sure he was OK and see where her was. He got a quick response, saying Sam needed some air and he'd be home sometime later tonight.  Dean filled him in on the news and got a happy reply. Everyone was glad to have Daisy home.

Because appearances needed to be kept up Dean went to pick up both Cas and Daisy once she had gotten the all clear from the doctor and the discharge papers had been signed.  Dean came to tell the girls before he took off, kissing Rose and ignoring her curious glance that was all about trying to gauge if he was still upset with her.

"Movie night tonight?" Rose asked her sister once Dean had left. Daisy had lucked out and gotten one of the bedrooms with a TV, even if it did look less than new.

Lily nodded. "Good idea.  Days hasn't gotten to partake in any horror fests this month and she'll probably be tired."  She hesitated with a t-shirt of Daisy's in hand. "She looked tired today, huh?  After doing whatever that was she did to save Cas."

Rose nodded, smoothing a new pillow case on.  "Yeah, powers do that though especially if they're new."

"I guess you would know," Lily admitted and Rose nodded. "Are you guys OK? You and Dean I mean?"

Rose nodded, loving that even if he was upset with her, even if he was mad, she knew they were OK.

"He just wasn't thrilled with me rushing in there today. I scared him."

Lily nodded, and Rose waited for the snark to follow but was left waiting. Lily was silent instead. Rose considered if she should say what she was thinking.  Finally looking at her sister she took a breath and dove in.

"You know Sam did push you out of the way on instinct, right?  There were two demons coming at you, Lily. It wasn't because he thought you were weak or anything." Lily looked up at her, studying her for a second then slowly nodded. "And you know you overreacted, right?" A hesitation and then another nod. "And that the boys were right.  We should have told them.” Not waiting for a response Rose kept going. “And at least half that stuff you and Sam said to each other had nothing to do with today.  It's just all been simmering there because you never dealt with it before.

Lily dropped into the chair in corner with a sigh, all the air coming out of her like a deflating balloon as her sister brought to light all the stuff that Lily knew deep down. She studied the blue sneaker she held in her hand, turning it over as if it held the answer she was looking for. Rose waited for her to respond but again Lily was silent. 

"Lil?" Rose finally prodded and Lily glanced up.

"Yeah, we need to get this room finished or Daisy will be here, and we won't be done," Lily said, getting to her feet, tossing the sneaker into the pile of shoes in the closet and going back to the pile of clean clothes she had been folding, making it perfectly clear she didn't want to talk about this.  Rose just sighed and let the subject drop. Pushing with Lily never worked.

“Hey, look in my bag,” Lily said a moment later and Rose dutifully went over and opened the duffel Lily had brought with her. Looking at the contents Rose looked surprised then smiled up at her sister. “Had to be done, right?  Tradition is tradition.”

By the time Dean and Cas appeared with Daisy the room was as close to shining as the girls could make it.  The bed had been freshly made, all the clothes put away and the lamps lit, bathing the room in a cheery glow. 

The girls were waiting at the bottom of the stairs when the trio arrived, excited smiles on their faces and Cas thought idly they looked more like children than grown adults. Dean thought they looked exactly like they had as kids on Christmas morning. Except in this instance Daisy was the present.

Cas refused to let Daisy even try to walk and carried her straight to her room, depositing her carefully on the bed. Before he could move he was being brushed aside as two bodies went past him, making their way to the bed and curling up by their younger sister.  Cas stared in bemusement as Lily took a side and Rose the other, the three curling up together like this was expected.  And maybe it was, he mused, watching the way the three settled together, in positions obviously well known to them. An image came to him suddenly from Daisy, one he wasn’t even sure she was aware she was projecting, the three of them at many different ages, in this very same position - a different house, a different room but these three were the same. Many things could change, Cas realized but this wouldn’t, not this bond and connection between the sisters.

"Hey Cas?" Dean said and when the angel looked up Dean motioned to him to follow him out.  He led Cas towards the kitchen.  "Give them a few minutes," he said. "They need this."

Cas nodded and leaned against the wall, watching Dean as he moved about the kitchen. "That's a tight bond they have, an important one." He glanced back at Cas to make sure the angel got what he was saying. "You don't want to try to come between it."

Cas considered Dean's warning for a second with his head cocked to the side. "You're concerned because I was displeased with Lily's behavior today that I will convey that feeling to Daisy." Dean nodded as he pulled down a large bowl from a cupboard. "I was simply upset at her and Sam's behavior and wished it to stop. I understand how important Daisy's sisters are to her. But thank you, Dean," Cas said sincerely. "For the reminder."

Dean nodded then said, "Yeah, Sam and Lily are fiery."

"I always expected you and Rose to be more volatile," Cas said and Dean shrugged.

"We don't fight much," he said, pulling out a bag of microwave popcorn. "Never have."

"I suppose it helps that you spank her when she displeases you," Cas said thoughtfully, missing the horrified look on Dean's face as he whirled around to face him. "That must help-"

"What?" Dean demanded. "Where the hell did you get that idea?"

"From you," Cas said simply. "From your thoughts."

"Holy shit," Dean said, slumping against the counter. "Cas, that's not at all...I spank her when she breaks a rule when…because that’s how...and God, why am I explaining this to you?"  Dean shook his head, running a hand over his face, his cheeks red, clearly rattled by this topic.

"Because you're displeased with the image I had?" Cas suggested, and Dean nodded slowly.

"Yeah, that's...that's just all wrong. It’s not like that." Cas nodded as if he understood which he wasn't sure he did. No, he was sure he didn’t. But Dean didn’t seem open to more questions on the subject. "Let's just, let’s set a new ground rule here. If you see or hear anything in my head about me and Rose you ignore it,” Dean said firmly. “You don't wonder on it, you don't talk about it. You pretend it doesn't exist. Got it?" Cas nodded, and Dean sighed.  "Good."

Dean turned back to the counter and put the bag in the microwave. "Sam and Lily don't deal with shit. It's why they blow up so much," he said after a moment and Cas considered that.

"They don't say what they mean," Cas said finally.

“Yeah, and like it or not you have to deal with shit or it just stays there, festering,” Dean said as the popcorn popped. He glanced at Cas curiously. “You and Daisy talk, right?”

Cas nodded. “We do.  We have daily conversations.” Cas thought back to their conversation this morning about breakfast foods. “Sometimes quite lengthy ones.”

Dean nodded. “Good. Keep that up. We already have a couple who routinely has screaming matches in public.  We don’t need another.”

Cas studied Dean for a moment. “You don’t think Sam and Lily will work this out,” he said finally, and Dean winced.

“I didn’t say that,” he said, as the popcorn slowed it’s popping.  He looked at the microwave, gave it a few more seconds then pulled the door open and got the bag out. He let it cool then opened it and dumped it into the bowl.

“You think it will take a lot of work and you aren’t sure this won’t be an ongoing issue for them,” Cas said, and Dean nodded.

"Bingo."

Cas frowned. "What does a numerical game have to do with relationships?"

Dean just rolled his eyes and headed towards Daisy’s room. He’d had his fill of explaining relationship shit to Cas today.

“Ask your wife. She’ll explain it.”


	99. They're Drivin' You Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There Really Is No Place Like Home

“We’re glad you’re home, Days,” Lily said squeezing her youngest sister tight.

“Definitely,” Rose agreed, and Daisy smiled, her head resting on Rose’s shoulder, glad to be here.

“And, guess what I got?” Lily asked, her voice sing songy.

Daisy looked at her curiously then comprehension dawned.

“The dresses?”

Lily gave a quick nod.  “The dresses.”

With lots of giggles they all three dressed themselves In the Halloween dresses Lily had gotten, a long-standing tradition.  They weren’t identical, though all had cats on them and both Rose and Daisy’s were white, while Lily’s was black. But all were similar enough and of a similar cut.  They all cuddled back together on the bed, admiring their dresses and laughing at the silliness of them which they all enjoyed. 

* * *

Dean stopped in the doorway, with Cas right behind him, letting himself just take in the picture before him for a moment.  All three Sullivan girls were curled up on the bed together, their joy at being back together with Daisy free from the hospital palpable. Dean felt that overwhelming feeling he felt when he looked at Sam sometimes, a small voice whispering to him softly, " _Family_ ". These were a group of people he would do anything for, would kill for, would die for in a heartbeat and he knew deep in his bones they would do the same. Not everyone had this, he knew, and Dean felt a wave of gratitude sweep over him.  Not even bringing into play what he felt for Rose, which was overwhelming enough on it’s own, these girls, these women, they were a huge part of him. 

Shaking himself and ignoring the curious look Cas was giving him (Not to mention the ones he was giving the girls at their change of clothes) Dean strode into the room, bowl of popcorn in hard.

"All right chick flickers, I've got your popcorn right here.  I'm taking drink orders.  And what exactly are we going to be watching?"  He deposited the bowl of popcorn on the bedside table closest to him and moved to the end of the bed, focusing on the TV, ready to change it for them.

The girls all smiled at each other and Dean and Cas could feel the happiness and peacefulness coming off of them. You didn't get between them.  Dean had been serious about that. These three needed each other.

"We don't want chick flicks," Daisy piped up as her sisters moved to sit up beside her and she pulled herself up.  _I can do that now,_ she sent to Cas and he smiled at her.

"Didn't say you did," Dean said easily, flicking the TV on.  "But you are chicks and you’re ready to watch movies.  Chick flickers words."

"Only in your mind, Dean," Lily threw out.

Dean sent Lily a look then said, "Rosie, tell your sister to shut up or I won't be bringing food and drinks to any of you."

"Lily, shut up," Rose said promptly and Lily stuck her tongue out at her but was silent.

"Yeah, Lily, don't make us lose our man slave," Daisy giggled and Dean turned to raise an eyebrow at her and all three women descended into giggles.  Dean just shook his head, turning back to the TV.

“Ridiculous women,” he muttered, with a smile on his face. "Right, are we looking for horror here?"

"Yes, please," Rose piped up and Dean dutifully turned the channel till he found one where a slasher flick was just starting, the opening music just starting to play. Dean stood back and studied the TV critically. "We really need to get some new ones," he muttered.  Most of the TVs in the bunker had been here when they came, save for the one in Sam's room and they looked like it, the pictures grainy and fuzzy.

"Tell Santa," Daisy said with a grin.

Dean took their drink orders and brought what the girls requested back dutifully, then he sat down on Rose's side for just a minute, one hand entwining with one of hers.

"I'll bring you girls dinner in later," he said softly, and Rose smiled at him.

"You're spoiling us," she said, and Dean nodded, not even denying it.

"Can we have cheeseburgers?" Daisy asked, and Dean laughed, so genuinely happy to have her home he would have agreed to anything.

"Cheeseburgers it is, munchkin." He reached over and tapped Daisy's nose and she smiled happily at him. "Now watch your crazy movie." He eyed the movie critically over his shoulder. "Jason or Michael or whatever the hell his name is."

"You know very well it's Jason," Daisy said. "You could watch with us."

"I'll eat dinner with you all," Dean promised then dropping a quick on Rose's lips he left the girls to their movie watching, taking Cas with him.

Daisy took in the smile on her sister's face and felt her own grow.

"You're happy," she said softly to Rose who looked at her in surprise. 

"I am," she acknowledged, and Daisy couldn't miss the sheer contentment shining out of her sister’s eyes. She squeezed Rose's waist then turned back to the TV.

"Right, so back to Camp Crystal Lake..."

* * *

“Why are they dressed alike?” Cas asked as soon as they’d left the room. Daisy had picked up on his confusion but her thought of _Its Halloween tomorrow_ that she’d sent his way hadn’t cleared anything up, just made him feel as if he was missing something obvious.

“Well they’re super holiday fiends,” Dean said. “And that’s a tradition for them.  Erin got them matching dresses for the day before Halloween for as long as I can remember.” Dean shrugged. “They’ve kept it up.” Cas frowned, and Dean could tell he found this odd. “Wait till you see how they are at Christmas,” Dean warned. “Holidays are a very big deal.”

“Do they dress alike then too?” Cas asked, and Dean laughed.

“No,” Dean said, then paused before adding, “Though there are matching pajamas.”

“Is this some human ritual that I’m unaware of?” Cas asked. “Matching attire for holidays?” Dean shook his head.

“Na, it’s totally a Sullivan thing.”

* * *

Dean brought them cheeseburgers for dinner as promised and smooshed on the bed with them, with Cas dragging the chair over to sit by them.  He seemed fascinated with the movie they were watching, asking question after question about summer camp and serial killers and why everyone who had sex in the movie seemed to die.

"Because sex is evil," Lily said with a straight face. "And all homicidal maniacs know they're doing society a favor by killing off promiscuous teenagers."

"Good thing you didn't run into Jason as a teen then," Rose said dryly and Dean laughed.

"Or you," Lily shot back and Rose just giggled. Daisy was silent for this exchange and Cas looked at her curiously, sensing her unease.  No, not unease. Concern? Hmm, that didn't make sense to him. He'd have to ask her about it later.

The girls moved from the slasher movie onto one that Cas found much odder.  This one seemed to be shot from a video camera and there were no killers with knives or chainsaws. Instead whatever was the evil in the movie was mostly off screen. There were lots of scary moments (Judging by the girl’s reactions) but it was less overt than the last movie. Dean didn't seem nearly as interested in this movie and went out halfway through, taking everyone’s empty plates, which Cas helped him with and coming back with store bought cookies for the girls.

"You enjoy this," Cas noted in the kitchen, watching Dean gather up a few different kinds of cookies.

"What?" Dean asked looking at him curiously.

"You like taking care of them, feeding them and such."

Dean looked uncomfortable and Cas could see him struggling with what he should say. Finally, he just shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess.  I mean, it's what we do." Cas looked at him quizzically. "We take care of each other."

Cas studied Dean as he headed back to the girls. What he said may be true but there was more to it than that. This, feeding the girls and making sure they were safe and comfortable, it fulfilled something in Dean. This made him happy, Cas realized. He'd always known that Dean was a caretaker with Sam.  He'd seen it enough first hand. But this was Dean taking care of people when no great crisis was at hand, when no blood was being shed or danger was at the door. And Cas could tell it made him happy. It was interesting to watch.  He watched the way Dean smiled when the girls all chorused, "Thank You, Dean!" and the angel was amazed at how bright his aura glowed. Dean was a nurturer.

"I like your cookies better, Rosie," Daisy said as she bit into a chocolate chip cookie.

"Yeah, your cookies are way better," Lily agreed.

Rose just murmured a soft thanks but said nothing more. Cas wandered off with Dean when he went to the kitchen to clean up, leaving the girls to themselves.

"You know, you think these people would just move," Rose said, watching the couple on screen discuss the odd happenings in their home.

"But wouldn't the spirit just follow them?" Daisy asked, and Rose shrugged.

"Maybe but at least they'd have tried.  I mean to just sit there and have this thing come at you night after night seems kind of dumb."

The girls made it through the movie and half way into another one before they started to fall asleep. Realizing what was happening Lily roused herself enough to get up.

"Hey guys, I'm heading home," she said to her two sleepy sisters.

"You could stay," Rose said and Daisy nodded in agreement, but Lily shook her head.

"Na, I need to go home.  I need a shower and to sleep in my own bed." Rose looked at her knowingly.

"You mean you don't want to run into Sam," she said, and Lily just ignored her. She leaned down to kiss Daisy's forehead and hug her.

"Bye, Days.  I'll see you tomorrow." She ruffled her curls affectionately. "I'm glad your home, brat. Halloween tomorrow!"

"She's making such a mess of things," Daisy said softly once Lily had left the room and Rose nodded.

"Yep, she is. But there's no talking to her when she's like this."

Daisy nodded, knowing that was the truth and the two turned back to the movie, awake enough now to watch the rest of it.

* * *

Lily was greeted by a surprising figure in the library.  Bobby was sat there with both Dean and Cas and he looked up when she entered, giving Lily a look that let her know he’d been waiting for her.

"Hey Lily, I was wondering if you wanted to help me on a hunt."

Having heard from Cas and then from Sam and Dean what all had happened at the hospital today Bobby had decided it was time to get Lily some breathing room. He'd had a call from a hunter about a case in Oklahoma that the hunter couldn't get to, a simple salt and burn and he figured it might do Lily some good to get out there and do something.  She never had been any good at sitting still and after what had happened with her and Sam he thought it just might help.  So, when she’d agreed he'd gone with her to Charlie's where she ran in, changed her clothes and grabbed her bag, then he sat in the passenger seat while she drove them towards Oklahoma.

"Are you going to tell me off for going to Hastings too?" she asked after they'd been on the road just a bit.

"Do I need to?" Bobby asked, and Lily shook her head. "I figured. You're a smart woman, know it wasn't the wisest thing to do.  So, why'd you do it?"

And with a sigh Lily let the story of that day spill out, of how the botched therapy session with Rose had gone and how it had made her feel and how she'd been driving on auto pilot and found herself home before she even realized what was happening.  She talked a lot, more than she'd talked to anybody about how the whole situation had affected her and Bobby listened, letting her pour her heart out.

"And Sam?" Bobby asked when she'd seemed to get all the emotions about her sister out of the way. "How's he figure into all of this?"

"Hell, if I know," Lily muttered and Bobby waited for her to spill forth with more words but these less forthcoming.

So, Bobby started for her.

"I talked to Sam." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye but said nothing. "He says you were mad he pushed you out of the way when two demons came at you." A frown crossed her face. "Thing is, I'm pretty sure he did it on instinct, would have done the same if it had been Dean in your place.  It had nothing to do with him thinking you can't take care of yourself, Lily."

Lily pursed her lips thoughtfully. "OK but how do I know that?" she asked finally. "Because he tried to keep me out of Wisconsin, acted like I was a helpless female who couldn't take care of herself.  So, me and Rose go in and save him and Dean and I still get nothing from him but "I did it and I'm not sorry." So, you have to understand, yesterday felt like more of the same."

"You two need to talk," Bobby advised and Lily just shrugged.  So, Bobby decided it was time for a story.

"You know, a few years ago, well maybe more than a few, I knew a couple that reminded me of you and Sam." Lily glanced at him curiously and Bobby took that as his cue to keep going. "These two were crazy about each other but hell if they didn't have a tough go of it along the way, mostly because the girl was determined she was looking for something different in a guy, despite the fact that everyone who met them could see that these two made for each other."  Bobby leaned his head back, relaxing as he let the tale spin out. "That couple had some of the most intense fights you ever did see, kinda like you and Sam. They yelled and broke up and drove everyone around them crazy because despite all their yelling and bitching they couldn't stay away from each other."

"So, what happened to them?" Lily asked curiously when Bobby was silent.

"Eventually the girl figured out that you can't pick who you fall in love with.  That despite the fact that she'd rather the man she loved wasn't a hunter he was still the only guy for her.  And God knows, she needed a stubborn man to match her."  Bobby shook his head ruefully.  "They married and were the happiest couple you can imagine.  Had three beautiful girls and helped raise two amazing boys."

"My parents," Lily breathed out as realization dawned on her and Bobby nodded. "They were really that bad?"

Bobby chuckled. "Oh hell, Lily, they had fights you wouldn't believe. You know I love your mom but how she didn't drive your Dad crazy during that time I'll never know.  But he was determined and in love.  He wasn't very good at giving her space though, so they'd fight about that too.  It was like watching a soap opera play out right in front of me."  Bobby studied the dark-haired woman behind the wheel then asked softly:

"You love Sam?"

Lily nodded. "I do."

"He loves you," Bobby said and watched as a smile brushed across Lily's lips.

"I know," she said softly.

"Not that simple?" Bobby asked, and Lily shot him a rueful look and shook her head. "Why not?"

"I want him to love me for who I am, not who he thinks I can be or who he can make me.  And I know-" Lily said before Bobby could say the words. "I know that he's said he does. But it's just hard when his actions say the opposite.  And maybe I am being oversensitive to it because of what happened before, but I can't help it."

Bobby shook his head.  Her mother had fought loving her dad because he was a hunter and here Lily was, worried that Sam wanted to change her from being a hunter. That was some painful irony right there.

"You two need to talk," Bobby said again and Lily nodded.

"I know," she said. "But right now," she swallowed, and her shoulders straightened, and Bobby could almost see her slipping back into hunter mode. "Right now, tell me what we're walking into."

* * *

Not long after Bobby and Lily left Sam came home.  He bypassed Dean and Cas in the library with a wave and headed down the hallway, figuring the girls would be in Daisy’s room.

He stopped in the doorway, breathing a sigh of relief that Lily wasn’t there and taking in the scene of Daisy and Rose curled up on the bed together, both looking happy and content.

“Hey blondie,” he said, making his way into the room and plopping down next to Daisy.

“Hey Sam,” she said with a smile and immediately snuggled up against his side and Sam wrapped her up in a tight hug.

“Nice to see you out of the hospital,” he said, and Daisy nodded. “So, what are we watching?”

“Paranormal Activity 2,” Daisy said. “You missed the first one and Friday the 13th.” Daisy shot him a look from the corner of her eye. “And you missed Lily.”

Sam nodded noncommittally. “Are you doing OK?” he asked, looking her over. “You’re all right after today?”

“I’m fine,” Daisy said with a smile. “And I even got my Halloween dress!” She flounced the skirt out as proof and Sam couldn’t help but grin.

“So, I see,” he said.  He sat with them for a few minutes, taking in the action on the screen with Daisy tucked up against his side, her TV viewing position of choice since she was little.  Then with another hug and a quick tug on one of Daisy’s curls Sam stood up.  He glanced at Rose who smiled at him contentedly and after asking if they needed anything Sam made his way back to the library, joining Dean and Cas.

"Hey Cas, man, I'm sorry about what happened at the hospital," he started immediately, and Cas nodded.

"It's fine, Sam. I understand that things between you and Lily blow up loudly, because you don't..." he looked at Dean. "…Because you need to talk."

Sam dropped into a chair. "Talk.  Right."

"Bobby took Lily out on a hunt," Dean said and Sam looked at him in surprise. "I think he figured she needed to blow off some steam."

"Is that safe?" Sam asked, and Dean nodded.

"Salt and burn up in Oklahoma. They'll be back by tomorrow afternoon easy."

Sam nodded, and Dean poured him a shot of whiskey.

"So, Daisy’s home," Sam said after a moment. “She and Rose looked to be enjoying that.”  Cas nodded.

"They’ve been watching horror movies all night." He looked thoughtful. "I can't say that I understand the appeal."

"Well if you're at a theater it's great," Dean said. "Scary movie, frightened girl who wants to be held to keep the monsters away." He grinned. "That's a good time all around."

Cas considered this. "The girls didn't look very scared."

"They're horror aficionados," Sam said. "There's very few horror movies they haven't seen."

"Find out what scares Daisy and watch it on your own, just you two," Dean advised. "That'll work out fine." Then he grimaced. "Ugh, never mind. That's a baby we're talking about." And with a shudder he rose and went back to the kitchen, leaving Sam laughing and Cas looking intrigued at the possibilities.

* * *

Once Dean had done a quick clean up in the kitchen he headed back to Daisy’s room to check on the girls.  He figured they had to be getting tired by now.

Dean found himself pausing in the doorway again, this time taking in the sight of a sleeping Rose and a wide-awake Daisy.  Rose was curled on her side, facing her sister and Daisy was staring at the TV, her fingers weaving through Rose's hair.  As far as Dean could tell Rose seemed to be sleeping peacefully and it was such a rare sight for him to see without her pressed up against him that he just let himself soak up the image for a moment.

"Hey Dean," Daisy said softly and Dean started, unsure of how long he'd been standing there.

"Hey squirt," Dean said, moving into the room. "Figured you'd be conked out like Rosie, here."

Daisy shook her head, her curls spilling wildly around her.

"Na, she's tired." She glanced at her sister then back at Dean. "Today took it out of her."

Dean frowned, settling down into the chair Cas had been sitting in earlier. "It didn't you?" Dean hadn't seen what Daisy had done but he'd heard she did something from Sam.  He hadn’t been quite clear on what she did.

"Oh yeah, but Cas could help me recover," Daisy explained. "I'm still a little tired but not like her." Daisy's hand stroked Rose's hair softly, gently and Dean smiled at the care and love that was in Daisy's touch.

"Yeah, that demon shit she can do really drains her," Dean said with a frown and Daisy only nodded. "What did you do anyway?" Dean asked curiously. "Sam wasn't really clear what it was."

Daisy sighed. "Remember how I went into your dream?” Dean nodded, that experience very clear in his mind. “Well I can make you see it while you're awake too." Dean frowned, and Daisy was tempted to demonstrate but she was still tired, and Cas would have a fit. "Everyone has things they're afraid of and love or want. I can make a person be in their best dream or worst nightmare."

Dean’s eyes widened. "While they're awake?"

Daisy nodded. "But it's tougher when it's someone I don't know because I haven't done it much yet.  That demon today..." Daisy twisted her fingers in the fabric of her dress. "Her fear was really visible, so I could latch onto it." She stared down at her lap for a second then glanced up at Dean and he was surprised by the visible fear there. "And I was really scared.  She went for Cas with a knife and I was terrified."

"Hey Kid, it's OK," Dean said, reaching out and hugging her. "He's OK. Cas is a pretty durable guy."

Daisy smiled at Dean as he pulled back. "So's Rose," she said, and Dean frowned.

"I'm gonna argue that comparing your sister to an angel isn't a really fair comparison."

Daisy laughed. "Maybe not but she's stronger than people give her credit for.  You know that."

"I do," Dean admitted. "But just because she's strong doesn't mean she needs to be walking into a fight with demons."

"You would have," Daisy argued and Dean made a face.

"I'm a hunter, Days."

"And even if you weren't...if Sam or me or Lily was in danger." Daisy looked at him knowingly. "You'd storm right in."

"OK yeah," Dean admitted reluctantly.

"So why would you expect her to do any different?" Daisy asked, nodding towards her sister who slept soundly through this all. "You know how loyal she is, how she loves."

Dean frowned at her and Daisy could see she'd made her point, especially when he muttered, "Shut up and watch your damn horror movie." Daisy just smiled at him and Dean pulled one of her curls. "I liked it better when you just a dumb kid."

"Oh, I was never a dumb kid, Dean," Daisy said. "I was always wise.  I was just keeping it all to myself."

“Speaking of keeping things to yourself,” Dean said arching an eyebrow at her and Daisy sighed, knowing what was coming. “You should have told me or Sam about Lily going home, you know.”

“Probably,” Daisy admitted. “But she’s my big sister. It’s kind of my default setting to not tell on her.”

“Since when?” Dean scoffed. Daisy had reveled in getting her sisters in trouble throughout their childhood. Since she rarely had a reason to with Rose it was most often Lily who got the fallout and had led to some all mighty fights between the two.

“Since now,” Daisy sniffed, raising her chin, making it clear how offended she was by Dean’s insinuation. Dean rolled his eyes and Daisy said quietly a moment later, “I assumed she’d tell Sam or my mom. I kind of underestimated how much of a crash and burn mode she was in.” Daisy gave Dean her most contrite look.  “Sorry about that.”

Dean nodded, and Daisy smiled, knowing she was forgiven.  Being the baby had its perks.

Dean stood and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. 

"It’s good to have you home, munchkin," He said as he moved to the other side of the bed and lifted Rose up. She stirred slightly, moving against him and curling into him and Daisy watched as Dean smiled down at her.

"A wise munchkin," Daisy said cheerfully, watching Dean carry her sister out. "That's me."

* * *

Dean carried Rose to their room, laying her gently on the bed and he quickly undressed her, putting her in one of his t-shirts and then slipping out to lock up.  Sam had gone to bed and Dean caught sight of Cas slipping into Daisy's room as he headed back to Rose.

He dressed for bed and slipped in next to Rose, pulling her against him and burying his face in her hair. He knew what Daisy said was right, that he shouldn't be upset with Rose for rushing into the hospital today, but it was hard. He smoothed a hand over her back. All he wanted was her safe and happy and today had terrified him. But she was here now.  He squeezed her reassuringly. She was here, and she was safe.  He went to sleep with that comforting thought in mind.

* * *

Daisy greeted Cas with a wide smile as he came into her room.

"Our room," she corrected, and Cas smiled at that. That was an important distinction to her and he nodded in agreement. He took the chair Dean had been sitting in and looked Daisy over.  She looked well if a bit tired.

"You enjoyed tonight," he said, and Daisy glanced at him and nodded.

"I did," she said. "I love scary movies," she waved a hand towards the TV where a man with a hook for a hand was terrorizing a blond housewife. "And I love my sisters. It was nice to be here with them and out of the hospital." She grinned at Cas impishly. "And I finally got a cheeseburger."

Cas couldn't help but smile at her joy over this simple fact. "And you feel all right after today?"

Daisy nodded. "A little tired but OK." She hesitated then, wanting to say something but whatever it was she found too much.  So instead she sent the image to him and Cas sat there for a moment truly stunned by what Daisy had shown him.

"That was her fear?" he questioned, and Daisy nodded her head. Cas leaned across the bed, grasping one of her hands in his. "You did very well, Daisy. Especially with something so personal." Daisy smiled at him and then Cas turned serious. "But we definitely need to start practicing with this power. With a little effort and use it shouldn't drain you so much."  Daisy nodded, and Cas sat back in the chair, studying the movie on the TV.  There were lots of bees on screen now which he found perplexing.  How were bees horrifying?  When a commercial came on and Daisy cleared her throat Cas turned his eyes to her questioningly.

“I’m uh, could you help me,” she motioned towards the bathroom door and Cas was instantly on his feet, helping her, letting her put some weight on her legs herself this time.

“Are you, do you need help in there or-” Cas floundered, and Daisy smiled at him.

“I’ve got it,” she said and closed the door.   Daisy emerged a few moments later, the Halloween dress gone, and a pair of black pajamas covered in white ghosts in their place.  Cas helped her back to bed then took his spot in the chair again.

"Cas," Daisy said softly and Cas looked at her. "You could sit on the bed you know.  It's much bigger than the hospital one.  And it's more comfortable than that chair."

Cas hesitated, glancing at Daisy then nodded and got up and slid his shoes off.  He took the spot on the bed Lily had been in.  He'd gotten quite clearly from her mind that being by the door was the place the person providing protection went so that was where he went now. He leaned up against the headboard like Daisy did and she snuggled against his side and Cas smiled, settling his arm around her.  She was right; This was more comfortable than the chair.

"You scared me today, Cas," Daisy said after they had both been watching the movie for a moment. "You could have been really badly hurt."

Cas caught the anxious note in Daisy's voice and reached a hand up to stroke her hair. "But I wasn't."

"Don't get hurt, OK?" Daisy asked, looking up at him. "I need you to be all right."

Cas smiled at her and kissed her gently. "I'll be all right."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Daisy smiled and settled back against Cas' chest, her eyes on the TV now.  She hadn't watched TV in so long. What kind of archaic hospital didn't have TV's in all their rooms? She watched the end credits play and the announcement for the next movie come on.

"Oh, I like this one!" she said excitedly, and Cas smiled at her enthusiasm. "There's lots of blood and gore and the girl just goes crazy!"

Cas nodded because those all seemed to be key components to this movie and they made Daisy happy. Then he settled back and got comfortable, holding Daisy as she watched the movie and thought that it was indeed good to be home.


	100. The Only One Who's Got Enough of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween!

Halloween morning dawned clear and cool.  Lily and Bobby had made it to the small town in Oklahoma just after one in the morning. (Population eight hundred and fifty-seven and “Home of the Midwest’s biggest fried chicken festival!” according to the sign when they drove in.) Bobby had researched on the way and since they knew exactly where they were going they went straight to the cemetery.  After digging up the ghost’s bones (Something Lily could never say she found enjoyable but went with the gig.) and salting and burning them, they then headed for the spot she had been manifesting in, to keep watch and make sure things were taken care of. 

The ghost apparently had been showing up near dawn on a local running path and terrorizing joggers. Lily had to admit she found that amusing (And slightly ironic considering the huge frying pan that held a place of honor in the middle of the park, along with a plaque that proudly proclaimed it could cook 365 chickens at once. Fried chicken and running – Not a likely combo.). She'd never get people who ran for fun.  Running was what you did to get away from something that was trying to kill you, not for enjoyment. She knew Sam liked it, but she’d never understood why. She shook her head to clear it of that thought. No Sam thoughts right now she vowed. And then of course a few seconds later she was thinking about him again.  It went that way well into the wee hours of the morning, till dawn broke and they sat there long enough watching people run by, earbuds in place, breaking into a joyous sweat without a single sighting of the ghost. Job done, Lily and Bobby turned around and headed straight back to Kansas. 

"How's my mom?" Lily asked after they'd been on the road for a few minutes.

Bobby glanced at her, trying to gauge her mood on this subject.

"Sad," he finally said honestly and watched as Lily flinched. "Missing you girls. You know she's only talked to Daisy since.  And not much at that."  Bobby didn't need to fill in since when. Lily knew.

"Yeah." Lily cleared her throat. "I'm still not over it.  And Rose isn't going to talk to her." Lily shook her head. "I can't make Rose forgive her and I'm not going to try." Bobby nodded, understanding. "And you know if Rose doesn't, Dean won't really..." Again, a nod.  Bobby knew all too well how Dean felt about the situation and that he would always come down on Rose's side. "It's a pretty fucked up situation, Bobby.  You have to admit."

"No doubt," Bobby agreed. "And your mother knows that too.  She's not wanting absolution, Lily. But I think she'd like to know you all don't hate her either."

"I don't hate her," Lily said immediately. "I'm just pissed." Lily drove in silence for a moment then cleared her throat and said, "Just tell her to give us all some time."

And Bobby nodded. "Will do." That was better than he'd hoped for so he'd take it.

* * *

Sam woke up Halloween morning with a groan. He'd hoped he and Lily would have worked things out by now and here they were, fighting again.  Sam's patience was at its limit. He was done playing games and walking on egg shells with Lily.  He may have screwed up to begin with but he'd be damned if he was going to apologize for pushing her out of the way yesterday. He'd thought about it long and hard last night, after he'd gone and spent some time by a nearby lake.  He'd looked at it from every angle, put Bobby or Dean in Lily's position and knew he would have done exactly the same thing. Lily was too damn sensitive and was just picking a fight here.  And love her or not Sam was fed up.  The ball was in her court now.  He wasn't doing anymore.

* * *

Daisy woke up feeling warm and cozy. She buried her head into something warm and firm and looked up in surprise to find Cas' chest right in front of her.  She blinked and looked up further to meet his stunning blue eyes staring down at her curiously.

"Morning," she said softly, and Cas smiled down at her.

"Good Morning. Did you sleep well?"

Daisy started to answer then stopped as something occurred to her.

“You took your coat off.” She sounded surprised but pleased and Cas noticed that.

“Yes, I…uh, it was warm,” Cas said, remembering how Daisy had slept pressed up against him.  He’d enjoyed that.

Daisy smiled back then and answered his previous question. "Mmm hmm. I was very comfy."

Cas smiled at the image of the two of them sleeping wrapped around each other that carried across to him. He had to admit he liked the image too. Granted, he didn't sleep but he had spent the entire night close to Daisy in this much-more-comfortable-than-the-hospital-bed.  And he'd enjoyed it.  Daisy was warm and very cuddly in the morning he was learning as he watched with interest as she snuggled her body against his, her eyes looking up at him inquisitively. And then she was reaching up, winding her arms around his neck, her hands stroking his shoulders and kissing him, and Cas decided this was a wonderful way to start the day.

* * *

Rose woke up late on Halloween morning feeling confused as to how she'd gotten into her bed. "Did you carry me in here again?" she asked and Dean startled from where he was leaning up in bed looking at his phone.  He hadn't even realized she was awake.

"Yep," he said, setting his phone aside. "You fell asleep in Daisy's room."  Dean was eyeing her speculatively. He wasn't sure how she'd be this morning after using her powers yesterday.  She'd slept a long time, it being much later than her normal wake up time. But she looked all right, he decided.  No circles under her eyes, no extra paleness. She looked well rested.

"Do I pass inspection?" Rose asked with a grin and Dean's eyes flew up to meet hers, looking chagrined at being caught.

"I think so," he said, and Rose smiled at him, crawling up and settling herself on his lap. "Good." She leaned into him, kissing him softly and Dean wrapped his arms around her.  The kiss was sweet and searching, ending when Rose let out a surprised gasp as Dean cupped her bottom in his hands and squeezed.

"Sore?" he asked with a grin when she pulled back.

"You know I am," she said with a pout.

"You deserved it," Dean said completely unapologetically and Rose kept up the pouting, her fingers fidgeting with his t-shirt.

"I was still tender from Saturday," Rose said, looking at him reproachfully.

"Hmm, you think you'd learn to behave then, wouldn't you?" Dean said with a look that sent Rose's heart fluttering.

"You're the only person in the entire world who thinks I _don't_ behave," Rose pointed out and Dean smirked.

"Maybe. But I'm the only person who counts." And Rose smiled at that.

"You always have been," she said sweetly and Dean pulled her mouth down to his, kissing her fully.  Then there were no more words for a while, aside from a few "Oh God's," and "Yes, please’s." Afterwards the two were wrapped in each other’s arms when Rose spoke up.

"I'm not trying to be difficult you know." Dean looked at her curiously. "About my sisters and refusing to say I won't try to save them if I can." Dean sighed and rolled onto his back, taking Rose with him.  He was silent for a few minutes and Rose could see his mind working so she left him to it.

"I know," he said finally. "And I'd rather you be honest with me about it. And I get it. You're right, I'd do the same for Sam and I know, I understand how you feel about your sisters."  Dean smoothed her hair back from her face. "I just, I need you to be careful."

Rose nodded seriously. "I will be.  I am.  I promise."

"I hate the idea of you ever going into any situation that's dangerous, that even has the _possibility_ of becoming dangerous," Dean admitted.

"I know," Rose said. And she did.  She understood how careful Dean was with her, how protective and why. And after what she’d been through these last few months she got that her taking any kind of risk terrified him even more than usual. "And I'm not looking for danger, Dean. Trust me.”

And that was it, Dean realized. He had to trust her, had to believe she'd use her best judgement when going into a situation. Rose had a good head on her shoulders, wasn't prone to rash judgement, despite some of her choices in the last few months. He did trust her, he admitted to himself. He just had to tamp down on his over-protective side that wanted to keep her safe above anything else, damn the costs.

"You promise to be careful and not rush into any situation that could be dangerous without a damn good reason and I promise to try to not freak out," Dean said and Rose nodded. Her smile turned mischievous then, the one Dean was quickly beginning to think of as her brat smile. He had to admit, he loved it.

"So, does that mean you're sorry you dragged me down the hall and spanked me yesterday?" Dean was shaking his head before she was even done with the sentence.

"Not even. You scared the hell out of me and ignored everything I said. Just be glad that's all you got." Rose pouted at him again and Dean laughed, kissing her. "Don't even try that. Now come on, brat. We need a shower."

A short while later Rose sat her phone down on the kitchen table.  "Lily is back home and getting some sleep. She says the hunt went off without a hitch. That party starts at eight tonight, right?" Dean nodded as he placed a plate with poptarts on it in front of her. "OK I'm supposed to be at Charlie's by six."

Dean looked at her suspiciously. "And why are you getting ready there?"

"Because that way you won't get a chance to peek at my costume beforehand," Rose said with a knowing look which Dean returned with a lofty one that said he would never dare…. even though they both knew he would. 

"Any idea what Daisy is planning tonight?" Dean asked as he slid onto the stool across from Rose. "She won't be able to go to Donnie's," Dean said apologetically. "Halloween night is strictly for 21 and over."

Rose frowned. "I'll have to ask her."

"Cas is getting me a costume and I'm going to spend the night at mom's hotel room," Daisy supplied when Rose asked. And the angel in question was indeed MIA. "There will be little kids there trick or treating and we'll hand out candy and watch movies."

"I'm sorry you can't come to the party, Days," Rose said sadly and her younger sister smiled.

"It's OK. I figure you're the one who's stuck with Lily when she's in her very-bad-decision phase.  I'm OK with missing that."

Rose groaned. "Oh God, I hadn't thought of that." Lily at a bar in her current state of mind could lead to disaster. "Maybe I'll just hand out candy with you."

Daisy laughed. "You'll have fun. Just let Lily do what she does. You can't stop her anyway."

"Tell me about it," Rose lamented. "You should see the costume she picked out for me."

"Oh God, you let her choose?" Daisy’s look clearly said she though Rose had lost her mind.

"Well, I mean I had a little input," Rose hedged. She had in fact just been so happy she and Lily were good again she’d gone along with it. "I vetoed a few ideas. The one she got me is bad enough." Picking up her phone Rose brought up a picture of the costume in question and showed it to Daisy, who's eyes widened dramatically.

"Well, Dean will like it," she said finally. "Though you know, you in public in that is going to get a lot of attention. Which he won’t like."

"Na, it's nothing compared to Lily’s," Rose promised. "I'll just fade into the background next to her."

"Not for Dean you won't," Daisy promised and watched as her sister blushed and smiled happily.

Cas reappeared then suddenly, a blue dress and other assorted accessories in hand.

"We'll stop by before we head to the bar to meet the guys," Rose promised then left Daisy and Cas alone.

Cas handed over the costume to Daisy and watched as she smiled happily.  “It’s perfect,” she declared, and Cas felt a flush of accomplishment go through him that was on par with winning a war.

* * *

The one thing Rose had to do today was therapy. Dean had been fine with her missing all her training as he knew tonight was a big night for her but she'd already missed therapy once this week and despite her apprehension he wanted her to go. So, with a deep breath she met Dean at the top of the stairs and headed down with him.

"I can come in with you if you want," Dean offered and Rose smiled at him in thanks but declined.

"I can do this," she said softly. She could. She just didn't want to.

Dr. Alexander was silent as he listened to Rose recount the happenings with her mother and the truths that had come out. He looked genuinely shocked. And angry if Rose was reading his expression right. But that made little sense, so she brushed it aside.

"And your powers," he asked. "Were you able to control them during all this?"

"I broke some teacups," Rose admitted. "I was pretty angry. But other than that, I did OK."

"Which shows just how far you've come," the doctor said proudly.  He paused then said, "I'm sorry, Rose. My only goal was for you to get closure, some sense of having settled all your relationships. I had no idea such an upheaval would occur."

They talked a little bit more about what had happened after her mother's revelation and how everyone had dealt with it. Rose admitted that things still felt unsettled in her family but she was OK.

"I take it you have Halloween plans," Dr. Alexander said, gesturing to her shirt. "I’m the fourth Sanderson Sister" it proclaimed, and Rose smiled.

"I do.  We're all going to a local bar that's throwing a Halloween party. Well actually just five of us. Cas and Daisy are going to my mom’s." She'd already told him that Daisy was out, that there'd been an attack but left out any further details.

As it turned out Rose was wrong. There weren't going to be five of them, only four. Sam was staying home.

"Sam," Rose said, peeking her head in his door after he answered her knock with a yell of, "Come in!" "You aren't coming to the party tonight?"

Sam shook his head from his spot on the bed. He'd decided early this morning he wasn't going and had told Dean that.

"Na, I'm gonna stay here. I'm not in the mood for a party." Rose took a seat at the end of the bed.

"Because of my sister," Rose said and Sam nodded, not denying it. "I'm sorry, Sam. She's being an idiot." Sam laughed, caught off guard by this declaration. It was rare to hear Rose be so critical of her sister. "She'll..." Rose hesitated then said, "I think she'll get it worked out. It's just going to take time."

Sam looked frustrated. "I just can't anymore, Rose. I love her, I do. But I'm sick of the back and forth and the upheaval."

"So, you're done?" Rose asked in alarm. "That's it?"

"I'm not saying I'm done," Sam reassured her. "I'm saying I'm done chasing her. If she wants to be with me then she can come after me. I'm not doing anymore."

Rose considered him seriously for a moment then stood and hugged him. "She'll get her act together, Sam. She loves you too much not to."

Sam hugged her back then smiled at her thinly as she walked to the door.

"I hope you're right," he said. "Have fun tonight. Promise me you're wearing something that will drive my brother insane?"

Rose winked at him at the door. 

"I can pretty much guarantee it."

* * *

Charlie came to pick up Rose just before six and Cas and Daisy left not long after, with Cas promising to come back and get Dean at eight. Charlie was their designated driver of the night, having volunteered herself.

"How is she?" Rose asked as they neared Charlie's apartment and Charlie frowned.

"She's scarily cheerful and upbeat."

Rose saw exactly what she meant when she entered the apartment. Lily had apparently started pre-gaming and was already sipping from a glass of tequila. She had all their costume elements laid out on her bed, all the makeup and hair tools at the ready. She was in pre-Halloween party mode.

Rose took one look at her costume and groaned. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this."

"What?" Lily protested. "It's not that bad."

"It's short, Lily," Rose said flatly. "And just...oh God, I don't know if I can do this." She buried her face in her hands.

"You can," Lily reassured her. "You'll look great.  Other guys will dare look at you and Dean will get all possessive which you love - admit it, and you'll have a great time."

Peeking at her sisters between her spread fingers Rose didn't look convinced but she started getting ready anyway.  Halfway through the whole process Charlie came into see if she could help. She was dressed in a cool costume; one Rose would have happily worn.  Her skin was pink, her hair held back under a slouchy beret, red contacts covering her eyes and what appeared to be loops of intestines at her waist.  She was easily recognizable to a graphic novel fan, not so much to Lily who frowned at her in confusion.  When Lily had asked about her costume she’d replied with a one-word answer of Izabel which meant absolutely nothing to Lily.

"Why couldn't I dress like her?" Rose demanded of her sister then turned back to Charlie. "Great costume, Charlie."

Charlie smiled at her thankfully. "You're going to look great. Now this one..." she said gesturing to Lily.

"I know," Rose said on a dramatic sigh. "If only she wasn't so shy and modest."

If it was possible for Snow White to look any sexier Rose wasn't sure how. When she'd told Lily she had planned to go as a Disney princess she thought surely her sister couldn't do too bad a version of that. Silly her. The Snow White dress was as short a version as Rose had ever seen, brushing Lily's thighs and leaving her legs bare, aside from a pair of white knee high stockings. Red sparkly heels adorned her feet, giving her extra inches. The top of the dress was tight and laced up, tying in a plunging bow and a push-up bra squeezed and pushed Lily's breasts up so they were on display like the ripe, juicy apples the evil queen had poisoned Snow White with. Lily's hair was long enough now that she could curl it into a bob just like Snow White wore with a red ribbon tied in a perfect bow on the top of her head. Lily's naturally red, full lips were made even fuller by lip plumper and scarlet red lipstick, a light pink blush kissed her cheekbones and her lashes were darkened and curled. She looked like a beautifully, tarty version of Snow White.

"Hey girls, nothing wrong with flaunting what you've got," Lily said.  She waved the curling iron in her sister’s direction. "Now come over here so I can get your hair to behave."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Rose muttered but dutifully took a seat.

Lily who had always been better at managing Rose's hair than Rose herself was soon had Rose's hair pulled into two low pigtails that were made up of a mass of curls each.

"That's so unfair," Rose muttered, looking in the mirror at the perfect curls there. "Why don't you have long hair?" She demanded of her sister. "You're so much better with it than I am."

"Too much hassle," Lily said with a wave. "And the baddies like to grab it when I hunt so it's a job hazard." She reached for her glass which Rose swiped quickly and handed to Charlie. "Hey!"

"I'm not going to a bar with you if you're already drunk," Rose said and Lily narrowed her eyes at her menacingly. "You can drink all you want there.  But let's show up sober, shall we?"

"Spoil sport," Lily said. "Let's stow the sainthood for tonight." Rose ignored the comment just grateful Lily didn’t fight to get the tequila back.

Lily helped her into the last pieces of her costume and stood back to admire her. "You look great, Rosie."

Rose tugged down at the shirt which left a bare slice of skin between her top and skirt. "I hate this. I feel like my stomach is sticking out."

"It's not your stomach," Lily argued. "You look hot and Dean's going to love it."

Rose eyed herself nervously in the mirror. When Lily had said she wanted to go Goth Rose had initially protested. That was not her look or one she could pull off.  Then it somehow morphed into Goth Schoolgirl and Rose went along with it, knowing full well of a certain hunter’s weakness for the schoolgirl look. A peter pan collar shirt cut off at midriff, baring the skin Rose was so uncomfortable with while a pair of black thigh high socks with bones on them graced her legs, leading down to the black clunky shoes on her feet. Black lace hair ties held her hair in curly pig tails that were adorned with black skull and cross bones.  And on her hips, was the thing that had sold her on the costume - a so-short-it-should-be-illegal red plaid school girl skirt that she knew Dean would love.  A black cardigan covered in skulls completed the outfit. She wore heavy black eyeliner and a matte red lipstick, leaving her naturally pale skin untouched.  Studying herself critically in the mirror she admitted she didn't look too bad. It was just nerve wracking as this was not in her comfort zone, especially the top but she was doing her best to take a chance here. 

The finishing touches done they all piled into Charlie's car and headed to their mom's hotel room. Rose took a deep breath, it being the first time she'd seen her mother since their altercation and Lily squeezed her hand reassuringly as they got out of the car.  They all oohed and awwed over Daisy's adorable Alice in Wonderland costume – The blue dress with white pinafore and white tights with black Mary Jane shoes fitting Daisy perfectly.  She’d even straightened her curls, so her hair lay smoothly down her back with a black bow holding it back.  The girls had dozens of pictures taken while Rose and her mother did their best to ignore each other, to just get through the ordeal without speaking to each other. It was awkward but bearable.  Then they were in the car and heading to Donnie's. Cas had left while they were there to get Dean and he promised he'd be waiting just inside the bar for them.

"Don't get too drunk tonight, Lily," Rose cautioned as they pulled up and Lily rolled her eyes.

"It's Halloween, Rosie," she proclaimed as they climbed out. "A night for drunken debauchery and mayhem." Rose and Charlie met each other’s eyes behind Lily, both their faces showing their concern.

Then they were inside, and Dean was there in the suit he'd mentioned to Rose and he did indeed look good. Rose felt her heartbeat pick up at the sight of him, at the way the suit fit and the air of confidence and authority emanating from him.  He was leaning against the wall, hair parted neatly, surveying the room around him.  The second he caught sight of her Rose watched as his eyes widened, then traveled up and down the entire length of her body, once, then twice before meeting her eyes. He gave her a heated smile as he came to meet her.

"You look sexy as hell, Baby," he purred into her ear. "Can we go home now?"

Rose giggled and blushed, smiling at him, pleased with his reaction. "No, silly, we just got here."

"Aw, but Rosie..." Dean complained, then he caught sight of a guy close to them eyeing Rose as well and she watched as his eyes narrowed. "Oh great. Now I really want to go home." She heard him mutter something about her sister but she was too busy dragging him towards the bar to pay attention.

Donnie had special drinks on sale tonight, Halloween concoctions he'd whipped up - one called a Witch's Brew, another a Zombie Kiss and a third a Goblin Juice. Dean stuck with beer but the girls all tried one of each of the Halloween libations.

"Glad to see you're keeping it classy, Lil," Dean said to the brunette at the bar, eyeing her barely there costume.

Lily smirked at him knowingly. "Enjoy watching other guys watch my sister tonight, Dean." And she slunk off, Goblin Juice in hand, a trail of eyes following her.  The next time Dean caught sight of her she was dancing with a guy dressed as a construction worker.

Rose stared after her in concern. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her," Charlie piped up and Rose smiled at her gratefully.

"She started drinking before we ever left the apartment," Rose explained to Dean.

"Mmm hmm," he muttered, distracted by her outfit and the attention she was getting from an older looking fellow at the bar. Dean wrapped an arm around her waist tightly and gave the man a glare. Next year they could just celebrate Halloween at home, he decided.

* * *

Cas smiled as Daisy plopped down next to him on the couch.  The candy had been handed out, the kids had stopped coming and her mother and Bobby had both called it a night.  It was just the two of them now in front of the TV, a bowl of popcorn in front of them.  Daisy had kicked her shoes off, but the rest of her costume remained in place, though her curls were stubbornly returning which made Cas smile. He liked Daisy’s curls.

“Wow, that was a lot of kids,” Daisy breathed, and Cas nodded. There has been an amazing number of children who had come to the door.  He found their costumes odd, but Daisy had enjoyed it, cooing over the little princesses and fairies and pretending to be scared of the monsters and villains.  She’d smiled throughout the whole process and Cas had enjoyed watching her most of all.  Daisy grinned as she pulled a candy bar out of one of the pockets in her dress.  “I managed to hang onto at least one bit of chocolate thought.”  He smiled as she leaned back and turned her attention to the TV, switching the channel to another where a horror movie was just beginning.  His attention was caught when he felt the enjoyment Daisy was experiencing from the chocolate shift to concern thought he couldn’t see why.  Before he could ask Daisy was speaking.

“Oh, I don’t know if I can watch this,” she murmured, her eyes large and fixed on the TV.  Cas glanced at it and saw nothing more alarming than a corn field with a large scarecrow in the center.  He saw nothing to be concerned about but it seemed the straw figure was what was drawing Daisy’s attention.  Dean’s words flashed back to Cas: _"Find out what scares Daisy and watch it on your own, just you two."_ He’d mentioned something about a scared girl wanting to be held.  So, Cas reached his arm out, draping it around Daisy’s shoulders experimentally and sure enough she immediately snuggled closely against his side.

“It’s silly,” Daisy said softly, her eyes darting back to the screen.  “I’ve always hated them.”

“Scarecrows?” Cas ventured and felt a shiver go through Daisy simply at the word.

She nodded quickly.  “They’re just so creepy looking and they look like they want to get you.” She shivered again and pressed herself even closer to him and Cas wondered if he should feel guilty for enjoying it so much when she was obviously frightened. But she was so soft and was pushing herself against him as if the closer she got the safer she was, and Cas couldn’t deny how very much he liked that.

“I wouldn’t let a scarecrow harm you, Daisy,” he said earnestly, and Daisy looked up at him and gave him a smile that made Cas think that maybe he wasn’t the only one who was enjoying this.  And as Daisy snuggled closer, resting her head on his chest while still keeping a watchful eye on the TV Cas felt he was beginning to understand the allure of horror movies after all.

* * *

A few hours passed, and Rose, Dean and Charlie were all seated at a booth with a view of the dance floor. Charlie was texting someone off and on throughout the night and keeping an eye on Lily.  She was also doing her very best - and failing - to tune out Rose and Dean. Rose it turned out really liked the Witch's Brew and had drank at least three.  She was giggle after the first, tipsy after the second and heading towards plastered after the third. Dean had several beers and had then discovered he liked the Zombie Kiss when he took a sip of Charlie’s and had several of those. They were both totally drunk with Rose currently on Dean's lap, his legs sprawled out across the seat and carrying on what they thought was a quiet conversation, which was anything but. 

"You really like the skirt?" Rose giggled.

"Fuck, yeah," Dean said, his hands roaming over her ass and thighs. "Told you you'd make a good schoolgirl." 

“Does that mean you’re gonna be my teacher?” Rose asked, smiling up at him from under her lashes and Dean’s hands tightened on her hips.

“Hell, yeah.”  He twirled a finger in one of her pigtails. "So whatcha gonna be, Rosie?  Teacher's pet or a naughty schoolgirl?"

Rose considered his question seriously, as if it was of the utmost importance while taking another sip of her bubbly purple drink. "Which one will get me spanked more?"

Charlie buried her head in her hands then typed a text out, voicing her frustration.

_"My Halloween night - Listening to these two plan role playing scenarios and watching Lily dance with every single guy in the bar."_

_“Sounds like fun”_

_“Oh, loads”_

"Whatcha got on under here anyway, Rosie?" Dean slurred and Rose giggled again. "Feels silky."

Charlie's head jerked up at that pronouncement and she barked out, "Hey! Hands on top of the clothes, Dean. I'm not getting arrested for you two having sex in a bar nor do I ever want to see that."

Dean pouted at that but slid his hands out on the right side of Rose’s clothing. "You don’t gotta be so mean, Charlie."

"No," Rose shook her head. "No, we like Charlie. She's good."

"We do? She is?" Dean queried, and Rose nodded her head enthusiastically.

"When I was being awful and mean to you she told me off.  She threatened me." She beamed at Charlie proudly and leaned over and patted her hand clumsily. "She's a good, good person."

"She threatened you?" Dean seemed confused by this statement, unsure if he should be happy or upset by it.

"To protect you," Rose said seriously and Dean seemed to consider that then grinned happily at Charlie.

"Thanks, Charlie!"

"Don't mention it," Charlie muttered, going back to her phone.

"I like the suit," Rose said a moment later, running her hands down the front of Dean’s jacket as Dean smirked smugly.

“Knew you would,” he said, reaching out and taking a sip of his green, fizzy drink. He reached a hand up to her waist, his fingers tracing the bare strip of skin showing just above it.  “I like this outfit. Gonna like it even better when I take it off you.”  And Charlie rolled her eyes as Rose giggled again and she did her best to tune them out. She searched the dance floor, finding Lily dancing this time with a tall blond dressed as a cop. Well, you could kind of call it dancing, she guessed, if you really stretched the definition of the word.  They were on a dance floor and they were moving... Charlie sighed, knowing that trying to get Lily to settle down wouldn't work.  All night she'd stopped by their table for a drink or two and then it was right back on the dance floor with whatever hot guy asked her. Dean had been devious, keeping Rose in the booth most of the night to cut down on the leers of other men, though Rose didn't seem to mind in the slightest. It was patently obvious that the only man she was interested in was the one who's lap she was sitting on.  Charlie’s eyes were drawn back to the couple as Dean let out a laugh and as Rose leaned into Dean and he gripped her waist Charlie focused on Lily again, having seen the couple kiss too many times tonight already to keep count.

Charlie felt her pulse quicken when she realized Lily was no longer on the dance floor and the blond guy she'd been dancing with was standing on his own looking confused.  Looking around the room Charlie didn't see Lily anywhere, so she slid out of the booth, unnoticed by the couple kissing across from her and headed outside. At first, she didn't see Lily, not till she walked around the side of the building and found her standing there on her own, breathing hard and heavy and clearly looking distressed.

"Lily?" Charlie asked in concern and Lily's head whipped her way. "What's wrong?"

* * *

Lily had come into tonight with a plan.  She was going to dance, she was going to drink, she was going to flirt. In short, she was going to pretend that she wasn't in love with a tall hunter who was making her life topsy-turvy. She was well aware she'd overreacted the other day, even if Sam had been being protective, her reaction at the hospital had been well out of bounds. And she was more than aware that despite their distance her feelings for him hadn't diminished in the slightest.  If anything, they had increased as she was made aware of just how much about Sam she appreciated and missed. Turns out that old adage "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," really was true." The logical thing, the reasonable thing, would have been to call Sam and talk. To even go to the bunker and see him. But as logic and sense had never really appealed to Lily she was going for diversion. And if a not so small voice in her head told her this was a bad, stupid plan that wasn’t going to work, well she was good at ignoring it.

The night had started off well.  Her costume and Rose's had gone off without a hitch and Lily had enjoyed knowing they both looked good (Even if Rose wasn't showing hers off too much. Seriously what was the point of having that outfit if all Rose was going to do was sit on Dean's lap all night?) The Halloween drinks the bar was serving were not only tasty but potent and combined with the tequila Lily drank beforehand she quickly had a strong buzz going. And there had been more than a few attractive guys there who were eager to dance with Lily and distract her. 

The blond in the cop uniform was definitely the front runner and they shared quite a few dances mixed with flirty banter throughout the evening. He was her type to a tee - Tall, tattooed and hot with sparkling blue eyes. He was even funny which wasn't something Lily put on her short list but was a nice perk. They'd flirted more and more with each dance and by the time they were sharing their fourth of the evening it was evident they both found the other attractive and pre-Sam there would have no question how this night was going to end.  He was moving against her in a way she should have found enjoyable - not too pushy but definitely sexy and making it clear how he felt. Except she didn't enjoy it.  It felt wrong and uncomfortable and awkward and all Lily wanted was for it to stop.  Still, she tried to persevere. "I can do this," she thought stubbornly. "It's just been awhile since another guy has touched me. That's all." 

"Hey, are you OK?" cop guy asked and it occurred to Lily she had no idea what his name was. Not that she cared really but calling him cop guy sounded weird in her head. Todd, she decided, she'd call him Todd.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine, having a great time. You?"

The newly named Todd looked at her quizzically and Lily wasn't sure he completely believed her. So, she plastered a bright smile on her face, a totally fake one that would never have worked with Sam but worked on Todd just fine. He smiled back at her and oh-God-just-shoot-her-now he had dimples. No, no, no. No more smiling, Lily decided. This was just all wrong.

That's when Todd swooped in for what Lily was sure he intended to be a seductive, sexy kiss. Except he never reached her lips. Because before he could Lily was pulling away in a panic. She couldn't do this.

"I'm sorry," she said to a now confused looking Todd. "So sorry. I just can't..." She backed away rapidly from him, knocked into another couple on the dance floor and got a glare. "It's not you," she assured Todd. "It's me. I'm crazy." And then Lily fled off the dance floor and out the door, hurrying around to the side of the building where it was quieter, gulping in the cold night air and trying to slow her racing heart. It felt as if it was going to beat out of her chest at any minute as panic and alarm coursed through her.

She'd almost let him kiss her. And in that moment, as Todd's very nice lips came towards hers she realized that couldn't happen. Because Lily was many things but she wasn't a cheater. She'd always broken up with one guy before moving onto another. And that moment made it clear that no matter what she said, no matter how many times she declared Sam wasn't her boyfriend, in her heart Lily didn't think of herself as single.  Her heart still belonged to one man.

"Damn it, Sam," she muttered, her breath hitching in her chest. "What the hell did you do to me?

* * *

"I need to go home," Lily said to Charlie's concerned face.

"OK I can drive you-" but Lily was already shaking her head.

"No, I don't mean our place. I mean the bunker." Lily closed her eyes for a second, trying to get herself under control. "I need to see Sam."

She opened her eyes to find Charlie smiling at her kindly. "Why don't I call Cas?" Charlie offered. "He can get you there faster and I can stay and babysit the two lovebirds."

Lily nodded her head, afraid to speak. She wasn't going to break down crying outside of a bar. That was way too cliché. Charlie called and a moment later Cas was there and another minute and she was in the library at the bunker.

"Thanks," she said and Cas just nodded and disappeared, leaving Lily alone in the bunker with just Sam.

* * *

Sam had spent the evening watching TV and doing some more research on a job for another hunter. He'd eaten a frozen dinner, enjoyed the mini candy bars Daisy had snuck to him before she left (She knew his weakness for Baby Ruth’s), then stretched out on his bed to watch some Netflix. He'd checked his phone a few times, the only interesting text coming from Dean who sent him a picture of the girls in their costumes, with a message for Sam to "Get his ass down to Donnie's and get his woman back." Sam had snorted at that. Nope, he wasn't doing it. He hadn't given up hope, but he'd definitely backed off. He'd fought hard and wound up right where they had been to begin with. If Lily wanted to be with him she was going to have to come to him.

Sam eyed his phone longingly. He had to admit she looked fucking amazing. He'd bet that every guy at the bar tonight was drooling over her. Yeah, best not to go there.  Sam was flicking through the guide, trying to figure out what to watch next when a noise in the hallway caught his attention. He frowned. Charlie had promised to text him when they were headed home just in case she needed help with her most likely drunk passengers and he'd had no messages from her yet.  Sam was just about to slip his gun out from his bedside table and investigate when something landed heavily against his bedroom door, surprising him. A second later the door crashed open and Sam was staring in surprise at an irate Lily who was standing there, glaring at him.

"What the fuck have you done to me, Sam Winchester?"


	101. You Didn't Love the Boy Too Much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drunken Idiots, Sparkly Rocks and Plans

Charlie slipped back into the booth and from the look of things she was fairly certain neither Dean nor Rose had even noticed she'd left. They were still curled up together, sipping from their respective drinks and looking completely besotted with each other.

"-should go get one tonight," Rose was saying and Dean nodded enthusiastically.

"It'll be so sexy," Dean said, his words slurred.

"What are we talking about, guys?" Charlie asked, wanting to make sure no plans for anything dangerous, illegal or just downright stupid were in the works.

"A tattoo!" Rose said happily. "We wanna get one."

Charlie considered the two people in front of her and slowly shook her head. She'd never been around Rose when she was drunk before and had only been around Dean maybe once or twice before when he'd had too much to drink, (usually after a case gone wrong. He was a much happier drunk tonight.) There was no way either of them were up to making decisions like tattoos.

"All the tattoo shops are closed on Halloween," Charlie told Rose soberly and Rose frowned.

"Oh, that's sad." She glanced back at Dean. "We'll have to go tomorrow."

Dean nodded agreeably, and Rose glanced down at her glass, realizing it was empty.  She slid off Dean's lap and was heading to the bar before Dean even realized what she was doing. Despite his drunken haze Dean watched her the whole way and Charlie watched him eye every guy who dared look at her - which granted in her current outfit was quite a few. For her part Rose was focused on the goal of the bar, leaning over happily when she got there and smiling at Donnie as she ordered another Witch's Brew. Dean's eyes at that point were completely focused on Rose and her ass which she was so prominently displaying.  In fact, Charlie was fairly certain he might have been drooling.

"We could go home you know," Charlie offered to Dean and he glanced at her and shook his head slowly.

"Na, not yet. Rosie is having a good time and she likes the drinks."  He glanced back towards the bar, catching sight of a dark-haired guy dressed as a baseball player openly ogling Rose and Charlie was fairly sure Dean growled.

What a Halloween.

* * *

Sam gaped at Lily. Of anything he hadn't expected this tonight, hadn't expected her to show up here so enraged. As he watched she pulled off first one shoe and then the other, tossing both haphazardly in his general direction.

"Lily, what-"

"You...you've wrecked my life," she announced, coming into the room and clumsily slamming the door behind her. She was waving her arms dramatically as she stumbled towards him. "You come in with your charming smile and your pretty hair and your perfect words and you just...you turned everything upside down." Lily sucked in a deep breath. "And now I can't...I can't even breath."

Sam was at a loss for words, unsure how to respond.  Luckily Lily wasn't in need of a response, she had enough words all on her own.

"I can't even dance with another guy without thinking how he's not you...how he doesn't feel right...or move right or do anything even close to right." Lily was swaying on her feet and Sam got slowly to his own, coming towards her. "And I just...I can't do this anymore." Lily looked up at him and he'd never seen her eyes look so tortured.  "I hate it...I hate all of it," she spit out. Sam was almost to her when she wrenched out words that seemed to come from the very depths of her soul. "So, would you just, could you just love me again, please?"

Lily crumpled into a heap on the floor and Sam was there to help her down, to cradle her in his arms as she fell apart on him, letting out broken sobs and words of remorse and regret.  She sobbed into his chest and Sam just held her tightly, letting her talk, letting her vent and let it all out.  Finally, it was quiet, the two of them tangled there together on the floor together, Lily half way on his lap, Sam's shirt soaked with her tears.  Sam had no idea how long they'd been there, how much time had passed since Lily entered the room. Time had ceased to have all meaning. Eventually he spoke.

"I _can't_ love you again, Lily," he said hoarsely, and it was only then when Lily glanced up at him in alarm that she realized she wasn't the only one with tears on her face. "Because I never stopped loving you." He brushed her hair back gently and Lily let her face fall into his hand. "You've got my heart, Lil. Always have, always will."

* * *

"Where's Lily?" Rose asked at least an hour after her sister had left.

"She went home," Charlie supplied and Rose looked at her in confusion.

"No, I don't think so. She did that before and they got awfully mad." She waved a hand in Dean's direction and Charlie looked confused, not sure what she was talking about. She didn't ask, figuring any response she got wouldn't make sense anyway.

"She's at the bunker," she said instead. "She wanted to see Sam."

Rose's face lit up on delight and she clapped her hands in glee as she bounced on Dean’s lap.

"Oh yes!  Yes, this is wonderful!" She turned to Dean in excitement. "This is so, so good." Dean nodded, and Charlie was discovering he was a very relaxed drunk.

"Now they'll make up and be happy," Rose continued. "And life can be so, so good."  She turned to look at Charlie thoughtfully. "We just need to find someone for you now, Charlie."

"Oh no, that's OK," Charlie demurred. "I'm fine."

"No no no, you need some romance," Rose said with certainty. "Some seduction, some sex," she said with a wink and Charlie's eyes widened.

"Sex?" Dean asked, perking up. "We're talking about sex? I like sex."

"We are _not_ talking about sex," Charlie said firmly, thinking this seemed like an incredibly long night.

"Why not?" Rose demanded. "Sex is awesome. Sex is like the cupcake of life. It's hot and fun and..." She paused considering and was quiet for so long Charlie thought, or maybe just hoped, she'd lost her train of thought. "Delicious," she finally finished.

"You're delicious," Dean said, nuzzling her neck and Rose let out a giggle and turned to face him and they were back to kissing.  Which all things considered Charlie decided was the lesser of the evils.

* * *

"We need to talk," Lily said, looking at Sam with bleary eyes. "Everyone keeps telling me that and we do." She shook her head. "But Sam, I'm really drunk."

Sam let out a chuckle at that. "Yeah, I got that idea." He studied her closely. "You're not gonna sober up on me and take this all back, are you?"

Lily shook her head. "No. Sober me thinks all this too." She looked at Sam seriously. "I almost threw up on a guy tonight when he tried to kiss me."

"A guy tried to kiss you?" Sam asked, feeling a wave of jealousy - something he wasn't used to wash over him.

Lily nodded. "We were dancing. He was hot." She considered. "And nice. He knew I wasn't right, wasn't really into it and asked me but I tried to play it off.  Not very well obviously. I ended up running out and then Charlie got Cas to bring me here."

Sam nodded, glad it hadn't gone as far as Lily actually kissing some other guy. The very idea made him feel ill.

"Can we talk tomorrow?" Lily asked, and Sam glanced down at her, at the way she was clinging to him. "I'm tired, Sam."

 Sam smiled at her softly and got to his feet and helped her to hers. "Let's go to bed," he said, and Lily thought she'd never heard a more wonderful sentence.

Sam lent her a t-shirt and she changed in the bathroom and came out to find him already slipped under the covers. She smiled when she saw the glass of water and asprin by the side of the bed. She came to the bed almost shyly, so happy to be back here and slipped under the covers next to him and sighed in relief when he clicked the light off and wrapped his arms around her.

Sam felt the first sense of peace he'd felt since this nightmare with Lily began. She was back here, back with him and they could work things out. The last words he heard before slipping off to sleep were one's he'd never forget.

"Happy Halloween, Sam. I love you."

* * *

Charlie finally convinced Rose and Dean to go home just after one.  She'd been trying persistently for the last hour and finally succeeded in convincing both it was time to go.  She guided the couple out to the parking lot and had made it to her car, even had the back door open for the two to climb in when Rose was distracted by something Charlie never saw coming - rocks.

"Oh!" Rose let go of Dean's hand and rushed over to a small group of white rocks in the parking lot that were picking up the light from the streetlight, causing them to sparkle. "They're so pretty!" she exclaimed, picking up a handful and staring at them as if they were diamonds. "They must be some kind of special rock."

"Nope, just plain old parking lot rocks," Charlie assured her but Rose shook her head.

"We need to take them with us!" She declared, rushing over and depositing a handful in the backseat.

"No, Rose, we really don't," Charlie argued while Rose ignored her and went back to grab more of the "special rocks."

Charlie glanced at Dean who was just watching Rose with a stupid smile on his face and realized he was going to be no help whatsoever.  So, with a deep sigh she grabbed Rose's arm the next time she rushed back with her hands full and explained patiently that the special rocks really should stay here, that whoever put them here would be very upset to find them all gone.  Rose looked at her suspiciously for a moment then nodded slowly, looking crestfallen she couldn't take all the pretty, sparkly rocks with her.  "I'm not putting these back though," she declared stubbornly, motioning to the pile she already had in Charlie's backseat and Charlie just nodded, ready to agree to anything to have this night be over with – even to have piles of rocks in the backseat of her car.

She herded the two into her car where they proceeded to giggle and make out like teenagers the whole way home. She hadn't called Sam since the last thing she wanted was to interrupt him and Lily if things were going well. So, she ushered Dean and Rose into the bunker herself, steered them into their room, shut their door then turned off and locked up as she left.  As she headed home she decided she was officially hanging up her babysitting hat.

* * *

"You lay down," Rose commanded and Dean grinned at her and leaned back on the bed. She frowned. "No wait, we gotta...you need to take your clothes off."

Dean laughed at her. "Rosie, you're so drunk."

"So are you!" Rose retorted, hands on her hips.

"I think...I think," Dean said, trying to make his brain clear and his tongue work properly. "We should both go to sleep."

"Aw, but we were supposed to be doing fun, sexy stuff," Rose said with a pout.

"Yeah, but Rosie, you're drunk and the rooms kinda spinning." Dean looked around woozily and glancing around Rose saw he was right. She sat down next to him.

"Wow, you're right. It is." She turned her head slowly then leaned back next to Dean. "Maybe we should go to sleep." She frowned. "But I'm in this costume and I can't sleep in this."

"Maybe we could help each other," Dean suggested and Rose nodded. What followed Rose was sure was quite possibly one of the most ungraceful few moments of her life. Luckily her and Dean were both so wasted it was pretty fuzzy in both their memories. Eventually they were both dressed in clothes that seemed possible to sleep in, though Rose wound up sleeping in her pigtails, unable to manage to get the hairties loose and Dean somehow managed to keep his socks on. They both slept well into the afternoon, waking up feeling wrung out.

"Do you remember much of last night?" Rose asked, and Dean considered.

"Parts of it?" he admitted, and Rose nodded.

"There's a lot of parts that are just kind of blurry? Though I think I remember something about rocks," Rose suggested and Dean nodded. "God, I hope we weren't too awful. Charlie probably hates us."

"Na, I bet we were amusing and charming," Dean said though Rose didn't look convinced. "I'll give you this: It was a Halloween to remember."

* * *

Lily woke first the next morning. Though to be honest it was closer to noon.  The first thing she saw was the grey of Sam's t-shirt right in front of her face. She was turned to face him, held closely in his arms, a position they rarely slept in. Sam tended to sprawl out when he slept and more often than not Lily would wind up using one of his arms as a pillow. It had just felt so good to be back together they'd both clung to each other.

She pulled her head back to study his face as he slept and couldn't help the small smile that immediately crossed hers. She'd missed waking up to him. He looked so much more relaxed when he was sleeping, all the seriousness and worry easing from his features. Lily stretched a hand up to smooth over his cheekbones lightly. She hadn't planned on last night going like it had but she wasn't sorry. This was where she wanted to be. She wasn't sure how to work everything out between them, how to fix it all. But she had to believe, had to hope that the love between them was strong enough that they could do it.

Lily pulled her hand back and buried her head against his chest.  Her head ached but aside from that she felt surprisingly O.K. Laying there with Sam's warm body pressed against hers, his breathing even and deep, Lily let herself be lulled back to sleep.

* * *

Sam woke up not long after Lily fell back asleep. He was shocked when he saw the time. He couldn't believe he'd slept so late.  Then again, it wasn't like he'd been sleeping well. He smiled down at the woman asleep in his arms. Not since she'd left his bed. She was supposed to be beside him. It didn't feel right when she wasn't.

Lily was soundly asleep, and Sam really didn't want you leave her.  So instead he lay there, rubbing a hand over her back, just enjoying and soaking up the fact that she was here. She'd come to him.

Sam spent the time Lily was asleep thinking and planning.  He and Dean had discussed with Bobby the need to go back to Hastings at some point.  The girls did need more things and the wards needed to be checked. Sam figured Charlie's program should work there as well. Maybe they could do that in the next day or two. It needed to be done.  And then... Sam looked down at Lily's face, praying that when she woke up she was as agreeable to reconciliation as she had been last night.

They needed to get away, to talk without interruption, without everyone else's problems and issues getting in the way. He'd talk to Dean, he decided. He'd had that place he went to with Rose. Maybe there was somewhere he and Lily could go. Actually...Sam reached behind him, shifting slightly and grabbed his phone, sending Dean a quick text so he'd see it when he woke up. Assuming he and Rose were still in bed. Sam hadn't heard any movement in the bunker but it was possible if they were out in the main part he wouldn't. His movements disturbed Lily and she shifted a little, blinking at him sleepily.

"Sam?" she said, her voice heavy with sleep. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," Sam soothed, putting his phone back and wrapping Lily back up in his arms. "Go back to sleep, Darling."

Lily patted his chest clumsily, her movements bogged down by sleep. "You too," she murmured and then snuggled against him, falling back asleep.

Sam smiled down at her, at the mess her hair was, at the way she looked in his shirt and felt a huge burst of happiness.  This was good.

Lily only slept about an hour more and then she was moving, waking up and looking around. Sam could see her mind working, figuring out where she was, and he watched as she smiled slowly. Her eyes lit on his face then and her smile grew shy, a little unsure.

"Hi," she said softly, and Sam smiled down at her.  And Sam couldn't help himself. She looked so right, laying there in his bed, in their bed, smiling up at him in that way he so rarely saw - a touch reserved, a bit hesitant. Sam had to kiss her. His lips touched hers softly and Lily immediately sighed into the kiss. Her hands wrapped around his neck, her fingers threading in his hair as Sam's lips swept over hers, making it clear how glad he was to have her back.  Lily's tongue darted out teasingly and Sam immediately chased it back, his own dipping between her lips.

Sam's hands ran down her back, reaching her hips and pulling her against him and Lily let out a pleased sound. Passion flared up hot and heavy between them and Lily was tugging at Sam's shirt, he was stripping hers off and quicker than Sam would have thought possible they were there, skin to skin, bodies pushed against each other, kissing and touching, both letting out desperate sounds.

"Need you," Lily was muttering as she kissed Sam's face, her hands roaming over his body. Sam let out a hiss as she wrapped a hand around his hard cock and then he was rolling her over and after one quick check in (With a look...they could still do that, even with the time and all that had happened they got each other.) Sam was sinking into her. Lily arched her back as he filled her, and Sam let out a load groan.

"God, Lil," he said lowly, his eyes locking with hers and Lily pulled his head down so their lips met again. Sam moved his hands between their bodies, cupping her breasts and earning a pleased noise from Lily. He wasn't going to last long, no way after all this time, and he needed to make sure she was good too.  It didn't take long for either of them, too long apart and without each other's touch made them both ready to explode in a fraction of the time it normally would.

Afterwards they lay there together, hands stroking each other’s skin softly and smiling at each other.

"I missed that," Lily said softly.

"That all you missed?" Sam asked.  It was done in a teasing manner, but Lily heard the question underneath. _Is this all you're here for?_

Lily shook her head.

"No, I missed you." She bit her lip. "As amazing as that was it didn't even make my top three."

"What did?" Sam asked and felt like a jerk, felt like he was fishing for compliments, but he wasn't. He needed to hear this.

"Your smile, waking up to you." Lily glanced down then back up at him and Sam could see the vulnerability there. "Hearing you say you love me."

"I love you, Lily," Sam said immediately and Lily smiled.

"I love you too," she said.

"I think we could use some coffee." Lily immediately nodded her head and Sam chuckled. "And then maybe a shower." He kissed her forehead, then eased out of bed and pulled the clothes he'd been sleeping in back on. "I'll be back."

Sam made his way to the kitchen, finding one very hung-over Dean sitting at the kitchen table.

"Well you look like you had a hell of a night," Sam commented and Dean slowly raised his head.

"Halloween drinks are evil," he said, and Sam smiled. Dean watched as his brother got two mugs of coffee, putting sugar in one.

"So, you and Lily...you two…" Dean trailed off, finally resorting to hand signals. Sam rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'll take that as a yes," Dean said. "You look less tense."

"She showed up here," Sam said shortly. He turned, leaning against the counter and studying his brother. "How'd Rose do with the Halloween alcohol?"

Dean groaned. "She's still asleep. I've never seen her drunk before." He considered for a second. "She was fun. I think." He frowned. "I was pretty drunk too."

Sam nodded, figuring he'd hear more about that over the days to come. Or not. He was fine either way.

"Jesus, Sammy you should have seen her costume..."

"I did. You sent me a picture, remember?" Sam said, and Dean slowly nodded. "I take it you enjoyed it."

"Well yeah, I mean, how the hell could I not?" More hand motions followed, this time to indicate to Sam the voluptuous curves Rose had been showing in said costume. Sam just chuckled and then Dean frowned again. "Could have done without all the other assholes looking at her though."

Sam just shook his head. "Doesn't really work that way." Sam took a sip of coffee then asked if Dean had checked his phone. He figured with as wrecked as Dean looked there was a good chance he hadn't. When Dean glanced at the device in question laying on the table but gave a dim shake of his head, verifying Sam's hunch he cleared his throat and said, "So, remember we were talking about a trip to Hastings? What about if we did that sooner rather than later?"

Dean considered this, taking a sip of his own coffee. "Yeah, we could do that," he said finally.

"And then after...me and Lily need some time on our own." Sam laid out his idea and Dean agreed immediately. He picked his phone up and sent Sam the hunter's number he'd rented the cabin from, telling him to tell the guy he was his brother.

"So, you're thinking of going straight after?" Dean queried, and Sam nodded.

"Yeah, leaving straight from Hastings," Sam said. "I need to talk it over with Lily first."

"What do you think of getting away for a few days?" Sam asked once he was settled back with Lily, both seated on their bed, drinking coffee.

Lily looked up at him curiously. "You mean just us two?"

"Yeah, I figured it would be easier to talk then. Less distractions."

Lily turned that idea over in her head, nodding slowly.

"We'd need to, well first we have to take a detour to Hastings." Lily jerked her head back in surprise. Sam explained what they needed to do, and Lily bit her lip.

"I didn't mean to go, you know," she said slowly, and Sam reached out and took one of her hands, squeezing it. "I was just upset over Rose and I drove without thinking and then I was there, and I thought, "Well I'm here already. What harm can it do?" Sam sighed. He didn't want to point out it had in fact caused _a lot_ of harm. They were doing so well. Luckily for him Lily pointed that out herself. "Obviously I was wrong."

Sam squeezed her hand again before taking his hand back. "So, we'll fix it. People screw up, Lily. It's not the end of the world." He hesitated then added, "Just if you could have told someone who could have helped..."

"I know," Lily said guiltily. "I just knew everyone would be pissed off and everyone had been so upset for so long anyway." And that said a lot, Sam thought, because Lily usually was good at apologizing, at admitting she messed up. Things had indeed been a mess lately. "I hadn't planned on telling anyone. But Daisy found out on her own and with Rose, well I got drunk."

Sam nodded knowing how bad Lily was at holding anything back if alcohol was in the picture.

"So, are we just gonna wait to talk till then?" Lily asked, and Sam thought about that.

"Do you want to work things out?" he asked, and Lily nodded her head emphatically.

"I do too," Sam said with a smile. "So, yeah. Let's wait till we've gone to Hastings and are on the way, when we're on our own. It shouldn't be more than a day or two before we go."

They finished their coffee and showered together, and Lily realized when she got out she had a problem: She had no clothes aside from her Snow White costume. She was contemplating the outfit when Sam went to the closet and with a slight blush on his cheeks he pulled the closet doors open and pulled out an outfit of hers. Lily looked at it curiously, trying to decide why out of anything he kept it was this one. Just jeans and a t-shirt. Then it came to her.

"It's what I was wearing..."

"The first time you told me you loved me," Sam finished for her and Lily couldn't help but go to him and kiss him. How many guys would remember that?

"I kept your jacket, you know," Lily admitted when they had both dressed and she was combing her hair out.  Sam smiled.

"I like that," he said softly, hugging Lily from behind, looking at their reflection in the mirror.

"I'm usually really good at letting go," Lily said. "Just not with you."

Sam's pleased smile was all the answer she needed as to how that made him feel.

* * *

Sam and Lily finally made it out to the kitchen, finding it empty. Dean must have gone back to his room, Sam decided. He checked his phone, saw he had an answer from Mickey already and a list of places they could choose from.

"Wanna go out and grab a late lunch?" Sam suggested. "We can look over the choices of where to go."

Lily nodded and the two slipped out of the bunker and onto lunch. They had a good time, having driven to a town close to them with a small but good pizza place. They spent the time looking over their options, opting finally for a place that was set in the mountains and quite remote.

"There's a kitchen," Sam supplied, taking a bite of the side salad he'd just had to order.

"We don't cook," Lily pointed out before taking a large bite of her slice.

"No, but apparently there's a local woman who will make meals for you. She can leave them in the freezer or the fridge and we can even pick up more in town if we need them."

"Oh, well now that sounds like a good idea." Lily looked over the picture of the cabin they liked on her phone. "And there's a whirlpool tub for two."

Sam grinned at that, then stopped, his fingers hovering over his phone. "Should we go for a week?" he asked hesitantly. That sounded like such an indulgence and Sam instantly felt guilty. Until Lily nodded, and he met her eyes. The message in them was clear - They needed this. Sam sent the text off, confirming which cabin they wanted and for how long. Mickey was able to give them a bit of flexibility and Sam promised he'd let him know the exact day when he knew for sure.

Lunch finished, and their plans made Sam and Lily got back into the car.

"So now where?" Sam asked, and Lily looked at him in confusion for a second.

"Oh," she said when she realized he was asking her where he should take her: Back to the bunker or back to Charlie's. "Um, why don't you take me to Charlie's." She saw Sam's face fall, but she hurried on. "Why don't you all come over for dinner tonight?" she suggested. "Charlie's always wanting to make dinner for everyone." Sam nodded, and Lily hesitated before rushing on. "And then um, tonight maybe I could bring a bag back to the bunker and spend the night."

Sam's head popped up and the smile that lit his face up was bright enough it made Lily's heart squeeze.

"Brilliant plan," Sam enthused and Lily couldn’t help but return his smile.

* * *

"So, are they back together or what?" Rose asked from her spot in her and Dean's bed. she was buried under a pile of blankets, snuggled against Dean's side with Sookie by her head. Aside from a trip to the bathroom she had yet to move today. She'd sipped at a cup of tea but hadn't eaten. To say she was feeling rough was putting it mildly. She felt like she might die and not complain about it either.

"Beats me," Dean said with a shrug. "I mean, obviously they were with each other all night and judging from the way Sam was smiling they fucked each other silly."

"Well obviously," Rose said and Dean glanced at her in surprise. "They haven't been with each other in how long? They were probably desperate."

"Hmmm," Dean thought about that then filed his thoughts away for later. He filled Rose in on the plan for Hastings, told her he was waiting for the final word from Bobby, but they were thinking Monday or Tuesday.

They were halfway through a viewing of The Princess Bride (Which Dean would never admit he actually liked. But Rose loved and if Dean was being honest he'd admit it was funny.) when someone knocked on their door, Dean yelled out to come in and then Sam was sticking his head in.

"Hey guys," he said, taking in the pair on the bed. "How are you feeling, Rosie?"

Rose made a face. "Don't ask."

Sam gave her a sympathetic smile. "Uh so, Charlie wants us to all come over for dinner tonight. Think you two will be up for that?"

Rose frowned. "I don't know-"

"You need to eat something today," Dean said and Rose slowly nodded.

"Great!" Sam said, bouncing on the souls of his feet. "We're supposed to be there at seven." And he left with a cheery wave directed their way.

"Oh yeah," Rose said with a nod. "They definitely had sex."

Dean nodded as he started the movie back up again. "Told you."

* * *

"And just where have you been all night, young lady?" Charlie demanded with a grin when Lily let herself into the apartment. Lily gave her a slightly chagrined look as Charlie continued. "And how did it go?"

Lily followed Charlie into the living room, both women dropping down onto the couch.

"It went...well I think it went OK." Lily filled Charlie in on what had happened, not going into precise detail but giving her enough that Charlie got an idea.

"So, going away just the two of you, huh?" Lily nodded and the smile on her face made it clear she liked the idea. "That's good."

"It is, right?" Charlie nodded her head enthusiastically. "I mean, I know we have to talk and sort stuff out but it will still be nice to have time that's just for us." Lily frowned, realizing something. "We had more alone time before we were officially a couple."

"Well, your life's been crazier than normal these last few months." Charlie paused. "Or at least I think it has been."

"Oh, it definitely has been," Lily assured her.

"It'll do you both good to have a chance to get away," Charlie said and Lily nodded. "Now, as I'm throwing this impromptu dinner party I need to get started. And you can entertain me with more gossip." Charlie stood and pulled Lily to her feet, the two women heading towards the kitchen. “And I can tell you about the utter hell your sister and Dean put me through.”

* * *

Charlie asked Lily while she was getting prep done for tonight's dinner if Cas and Daisy were coming and Lily realized with a start she didn't even know where the two were.  She knew they'd spent the evening with her mother, but she had no clue if they'd come back to the bunker or were still at the hotel. She texted her youngest sister with an invite to dinner and got a positive reply in a matter of minutes.

"She said yes," Lily said. "But to remind you that Cas doesn't eat."

"Throwing a dinner party for a group that includes one who doesn't consume food," Charlie said with a laugh. "You guys are never boring."

* * *

Dean, Rose and Sam all arrived together, with a nice bottle of wine in hand that Rose had insisted they stop and get.  Charlie seemed pleased with the bottle, brushed aside Rose’s profuse apologies for her and Dean’s drunken behavior the night before and ushered them all into the living room while she finished off dinner.  Cas and Daisy appeared moments later, and the boys realized it was the first time they'd seen Daisy stand on her own. Her sisters of course had noticed last night and neither missed the look Daisy and Cas shared now. Obviously, Daisy had gotten Cas to help her progress quickly through the healing process. The boys made a big fuss which pleased Daisy, causing her to blush happily and smile brightly at Cas.  A moment later Charlie appeared in the doorway and invited them all to the table.

Everyone was impressed with dinner - a comforting combination of Salisbury steak and macaroni and cheese with fresh rolls from the local bakery.  Everyone noticed but didn't comment how Sam and Lily kept glancing at each other all night and though Lily denied it Charlie was fairly certain her days as Lily's roommate were severely numbered.

When Lily appeared with a bag and came with them to the car Dean sent his brother a knowing smirk though Rose stepped in before he could make a remark.  Driving back home with Sam and Lily in the backseat Rose smiled. It was nice to be together once again.

* * *

"Tonight was nice," Daisy said from her spot on the bed and Cas nodded next to her.  They'd come back to the bunker and were watching a TV show that Cas found quite odd.  It was a medical show but the people on it seemed to spend much more time concerned with their romantic lives than saving people's lives.  Daisy seemed enraptured by it and only spoke on commercials. “Thank God my stupid sister seems to have finally gotten her act together.”

Cas nodded, knowing how important that was.  "Yes, a communal meal is a bonding experience," Cas said seriously. He considered a moment then added, "You all laugh quite a great deal when you're together."

Daisy nodded. It was true.  There always had been a lot of laughter when all of them were together. "Sounds like they all had a wild time at the party last night."

Cas nodded.  There had been quite a lot of teasing about some of their drunken antics.

The show came back then, and Daisy sat up straight, looking alert. "Ok we should find out if Misha got Amber or Eva pregnant now."

That meant nothing to Cas but he sat back, soaking it all in it only to try and understand Daisy's fascination with the show.

* * *

“So, they’re good?” Dean asked, watching Rose slip her shoes off.  She’d drug Lily off to talk as soon as they’d gotten back to the bunker, leaving the boys alone to share a beer.  They’d reappeared a while later, obviously having discussed the latest developments in Sam and Lily’s relationship to their hearts content.  Dean had led Rose off to their bedroom soon after.

Rose nodded and smiled happily. “They are. They still need to talk things out but they’re going in the right direction.” Rose hummed happily, and Dean couldn’t help but smile.  Nothing made her happier than the people she loved being happy. That was Rose to a tee.

"So, were you?" Dean asked as he watched Rose slip the dress off her shoulders and throw it in the hamper.  She looked at Dean curiously as she pulled on a pink nightshirt.

"Was I what?"

"Desperate," Dean supplied from his place on the bed. "I mean we went quite a while there too."

“Were you?” Rose shot back quickly, and Dean immediately nodded.

“Oh, hell yeah,” he said. “It was like being back in fucking high school again - Look but don’t touch.”  Rose snorted at that, knowing Dean had done more than his fair share of touching in high school. Dean ignored that and leveled Rose with a look. “Those naps you took pressed up all against me were a special kind of torture.” Rose blushed and giggled at that and then Dean pressed her for an answer. “What about you?”

A frown came over Rose’s face as she headed to the bathroom to brush her hair out. "Rosie?" Dean asked, unsure what he'd said to get that look.

"One second," Rose said and Dean had a feeling she needed a minute for some reason. A few minutes past and then Rose came back and sat down on the bed facing him.

"I didn't feel anything for a while," she said slowly. "Honestly in the time after I came back when I had shut everyone out I had forgotten what passion was.  I had a little bit where I thought maybe I was just...broken or something I guess." Rose bit her lip and Dean tried to hide his surprise. Rose was nothing of not passionate.  The idea of her without that part of herself was unthinkable. "I didn't even realize it till you started being around again." Rose smiled at him shyly. "Then it was like a tidal wave. All those feelings and desires came back, and it was a bit overwhelming at first. But it was good. It made me remember what it felt like to be alive." Rose leaned forward and kissed Dean softly. "So that's something else you gave me back - passion."

Dean wrapped his arms around Rose when she went to draw back and tugged her, so she wound up lying against his chest.

"Trust me when I say it was my pleasure," he said with a smile. His eyes told the whole story of how much it meant to him that he could do that for her. He winked at her just before he pulled her mouth back to his. "Should we see if I can do it again?"

 


	102. What's Past is Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Road trip time, Memories, Being Helpful = Trouble

Monday morning saw everyone setting off for Hastings. Rose and Dean went in the Impala, Lily and Sam went in Lily's car and Charlie (who had been brought into help with the warding and because she swore there was no way she was going to miss out on the pictures) turned out to be the chauffeur for Daisy and Cas.  Since Sam and Lily were going off on their trip without heading back to the bunker they figured it made sense to have an extra car with some space.

"OK what's going on?" Rose asked once they were on the road. Dean had been acting nervous all morning. Rose had thought maybe it was just because they were going back to Hastings but they'd taken every precaution including all of them drinking some vile potion Erin swore and Bobby agreed would make them able to slip under any demon's radar for forty-eight hours. All that aside Dean's behavior seemed over the top even for him and it all seemed to have to do with her. He kept shooting her nervous glances and shifting in his seat, like he needed to say something and really didn't want to.

Dean sighed. He knew he'd done a shit job of hiding this from Rose.

"So, I need to ask you something." He glanced at Rose who was just looking back at him calmly. She looked especially pretty to him today even if she was just in jeans and a cute t-shirt. (It was one Dean understood, the yellow color and listed attributes along with the house name at the bottom obviously referring to house from Harry Potter Rose fell into.) She looked especially happy at the moment. She and Dean were getting along great and her sisters were both at the bunker and all of that combined to make Rose a happy person. The deal with her mother sucked but that was the lesser of the evils right now. Dean sighed again. And now he was going to ask her something he didn't want to ask that was probably going to upset her. But he had to do it.

"You remember those numbers I was working on?"

Rose thought for a moment then said, "The ones that had something to do with a prophecy?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, those. So, none of us can figure them out."

"Where'd they come from?" Rose asked curiously, turning in her seat to face Dean.

"Danny dropped them off for Sam," Dean said shortly and watched as Rose looked surprised. It took a minute then he saw it sink in.

"Oh, that night he stopped by..."

"Yeah," Dean didn't say anything else about that night though he wanted to. There was a lot there he wanted to know. But for now, he needed to get this done. "So, we're thinking if we could get a hold of Danny maybe his brother has something else that could maybe help us figure it out."

Rose nodded. "That makes sense. So, what's the problem?"

"No one can get a hold of Danny," Dean said, trying to keep as much of an eye on Rose's face as he could while driving. "Sam's called him multiple times and has gotten no answer. Just goes straight to voice mail."

"And you want to ask me..."

"If you have any way to get a hold of him we don't," Dean said, hating to ask, hating that there was a chance she could have a way.

Rose looked thoughtful. "He gave me a number when he was at the bunker the first time," she said slowly." And Dean thought back to the conversation he'd overheard. "I don't know if it's any different than the one Sam has but I could try..." Dean could hear the hesitation in her voice. She definitely didn't want to call.

"Or I could," Dean offered and Rose smiled.

"I've already been informed by more than one person how very much you two don't get along," she said and Dean didn't bother to deny it. Rose thought for a moment. "But I know someone who would be fine with talking to him." Dean glanced over to see Rose texting someone quickly and less than a minute later she had a reply. "Lily's going to try the number."

* * *

Lily called the number as soon as she'd replied to Rose and relayed to Sam what she was doing.  The phone rang once then was picked up and an automated voice informed Lily she didn't have the authorization to have this number and promptly disconnected.

"What the fuck?" she muttered. Going on a hunch she called Rose, asked her to have Dean pull over and a moment later both cars were pulling into a rest stop parking lot. Lily went to Rose, asked to borrow her phone and dialed the number again. This time the call was picked up on the second ring by a familiar voice.

"Rosalie! Not still mad at me, are you?"

"Oh, I'm not, Danny," Lily assured him with a laugh. "As for my sister...well there's a reason she isn't calling."

"Hey Lily," Danny said and Lily could hear the grin in his voice. A soft, female voice was heard in the background and Lily heard Danny murmur something in response.

"So, what, are you on vacation or something?" Lily asked, taking a seat back in the passenger seat of her car. It was too cold to be standing outside.  The rest of the group had gone inside, Sam promising to bring her coffee and she settled back in her seat.

"Even us warriors need some R&R," Danny said and Lily laughed. "So, what can I do for you, Lily? Bored with your serious, brooding fellow and want someone more fun? I'm sure we could make room for another-oof! Or not." Lily laughed at the sound of something smacking Danny and had to imagine that suggestion hadn't gone down too well.

"Yeah, as fun as that sounds I'm gonna have to pass. I'm calling because of those numbers you gave us from Sean," Lily said. "We're stuck and were wondering if Sean had any other info, maybe a key or something?" Lily had looked at the numbers with Charlie and had made a little headway, enough that Charlie had been impressed but not enough to tell them anything. They were still stuck.

"Hmm, I can see.  I'm headed home tomorrow anyway so I'll see what he has."

"Authorize my damn number to call your freaky phone," Lily said and Danny laughed.

"I will."

"What the hell is that about anyway?" Lily demanded.

"Peace and quiet isn't easy to come by," Danny said. "I take my down time very seriously."

"And do what, throw your other phone in the ocean?" Lily asked.

"Na, just turn it off," Danny said easily. Lily heard movement, a door opening and then shutting as thought Danny was leaving whatever room he'd been in. "So, how is she?" he asked, and Lily sighed.

"Rose is good," she said. "She's doing a lot better."

"Good, good." Danny paused, and Lily knew what was coming. "She and Dean still together?" And oh, Rose would hate the way he said Dean's name - with so much contempt.

"They are," Lily said. "And she's happy, Danny. And you have a girlfriend, don't you?" Rose had told Lily about the girl in New Orleans whose picture was on Danny's phone.

"Indeed, I do," Danny said.

"That who you've been shacked up with?" Lily asked, and Danny chuckled, giving Lily all the answer she needed. "So, figure something out and call me.  I'll be in Hastings for a day or two."

"Oh really?" Lily heard the interest in his voice and rolled her eyes. He was starting to say something else when another voice was heard in the background again. "I'll call Sean and let you know what I find out. It may be a day or two though as he most likely won't talk about this over the phone."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Lily said. Sam had told her about Sean's aversion to discuss anything about them over the phone. He always had been weird.

Danny promised to be in touch then hung up and Lily got out to bring Rose back her phone. She gave the trio the rundown on what she knew and they all loaded back into their respective cars to get back on the road.

* * *

"You know he's still hung up on you, right?" Dean asked, and Rose looked at him in surprise then slowly nodded. She knew.

"Danny didn't want to break up in the first place," she admitted. "And he's never been one to give up easily." Rose studied Dean's profile, saw his jaw clenching and sighed. "I didn't know it was some special number, Dean. I don't have any desire to go back." Rose slid over next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "I've got who I wanted." Dean squeezed Rose's hand that was resting on his knee and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.  And even though Dean knew there were still questions about her past, about things that had happened with Danny they didn't seem so important anymore. They could wait.

* * *

"Why don't you have a car?"

Daisy looked up in surprise at Charlie’s question. They’d pulled up at their house a few minutes earlier. Sam had texted Daisy to let her know they’d be a few minutes behind and had passed on strict orders that no one was to get out of the car till they got there. They wanted to be as careful as possible.  Daisy had been using the time to check social media to see what everyone back here was up to. She set her phone down now and smiled at Charlie.

"I'm awful at making my mind up," she admitted. "I could never decide what I wanted and then Rose lost her license, so I drove her car a lot and just never got around to picking one." She shrugged. "I like to drive but it's not like my favorite thing like Rose." Charlie nodded while Cas listened to their conversation with interest. It had never occurred to him that it was odd Daisy didn't have a car.

"So, you've always lived here?" Charlie asked, looking up at the big white house. Daisy nodded from her spot in the front seat.

"My whole life," she said, and Cas smiled at the waves of happiness coming off Daisy. She loved this house, loved her home. "It's a great house," she was saying enthusiastically. "The bedrooms are all pretty big. Not as big as Rose's because she has the biggest one, though she used to share it with Lily. And the backyard is huge, and we have a great kitchen."

Charlie nodded at Daisy's sales pitch. She got the impression Daisy really loved it here.

A short time later Dean pulled up with Sam right behind him. They all got out of their cars and headed for the front door, everyone keeping a watchful eye out as Lily used her key to let them all in.

They entered a foyer that spilled into a wide hallway with wooden floors, the walls lined with pictures that Charlie just knew she'd enjoy looking at. There was a staircase in the hallway and a doorway to the left that looked like it led into a living room and an entrance to a large formal dining room to the right. Rose and everyone else immediately went down the hall, heading to a room in the back - the kitchen.  Charlie took it in - the yellow walls, blue checked curtains and sturdy farm kitchen table and thought it looked just as she'd imagined it. It was cheery and warm and obviously well used. There was a large island counter and counter space behind it that was full of cooking gadgets, making it clear this kitchen was not just for show.  There was another staircase here as well as a closed door and an entry into the living room, as well as a a back door leading to the aforementioned yard.

Rose immediately headed for the stove and put the kettle on and turned to ask everyone what they wanted to drink. She stared at everyone as they stared back at her in surprise and then it dawned on her.

"Oh right, I haven't done that in awhile have I?"

Dean gave her a crooked grin. "Na, but it sounds good."

A little while later they were all sat around the large table, cups of tea, coffee and cocoa in hand and Charlie smiled at how at ease everyone looked her. Aside from her and Cas all the other had spent countless hours here and it showed.

"Right, so we need a plan," Sam said and Dean nodded.

"I figure I'll get my stuff ready, put whatever I'm not taking with me now in Charlie's car and I'll be done," Lily said. "I just pretty much need clothes and a few other things. And shoes."

"Of course," Sam said, dryly. "Shoes."

Lily made a face at him, but she couldn't hide her smile and Charlie was so glad they were talking, were working on things. It was obvious how they felt about each other.

"Mine could take a while," Rose said slowly. "I need a few things aside from clothes."

"I need a lot," Daisy said and both boys laughed, and Daisy stuck her tongue out at them.

"I can run the program in the house," Charlie said. "It shouldn't take long."

Dean nodded. "But don't go outside. One of us will come with you." He turned to look in turn at everyone at the table. "That goes for everyone. No one goes outside alone." Everyone nodded and then a moment later scattered. Daisy went up to her room taking Cas with her, Lily headed to hers while Sam went with Charlie to get what she needed from the car, leaving Dean and Rose in the kitchen.

* * *

Rose's Dad quite often worked at the table. While Erin preferred the basement as long as he wasn't working on anything too gruesome for young eyes to see Brendan preferred the kitchen. He told Rose years later it was because the room had a good feel to it, that the air moved right, and he could feel his family. Rose liked it because it was easier for her to check on what he was doing.

This time he had a big book in front of him that was open to a picture of an angel. Rose studied it, thinking it didn't look like the angels in movies did. These looked a lot scarier, with swords and very angry faces. Rose didn’t like them very much.

"Hey Rosie," Brendan said, catching sight of her. "What's up?"

Rose just smiled at him, walking around the table till she was pressed against his side and he reached out and wrapped her in a one-armed hug. She smiled and snuggled against him.

"Daddy?"

"Mmm hmm?"

"When did you know you wanted to kiss Mommy?"

That got her father's attention and Brendan looked up from the notes he was taking to study his middle daughter's face. She was young, only eight years old, much younger than he thought she'd be asking him a question about kissing.

"The very first time I saw her," he answered truthfully with a smile. He'd caught sight of Erin and no other woman had held a candle to her since.

"But you didn't then, right?" Rose asked seriously, and Brendan shook his head.

"No, I waited till later." Brendan leaned back and pulled his daughter onto his lap. "Why the questions, Rosie?"

Rose bit her lip and looked up at him with serious blue eyes that were like looking into a mirror. Rose had her father's eyes and hair color and everything else about her was taken from some part of Brendan's family. She bore little if any resemblance to Erin's side.

"Well, I was thinking that...I really love, Dean, Daddy." Rose looked thoughtful and her father was sure this was something she'd been thinking about. That was his Rosie. She thought on things, pondered them. Lily would jump without looking but Rose would have thought out a plan. "And so, I was thinking that I'd like to kiss him."

Brendan did his very best to hide any trace of laughter from his face. He wanted his girls to come to him, to talk to him and laughing was not the way to keep that happening - no matter how amusing and adorable they may be. So, Brendan did his best to answer her seriously and in a way he thought would actually help.

"Rosie, I'm going to tell you the truth. I think Dean may be a bit young for kissing yet."

Rose looked taken aback by this thought. "He's the same age as me," she protested.

"Aw, but boys don't grow up as quickly as girls do, Rosie." Brendan smiled at her, thinking how very much love Rose's heart had to give. And that one day he was fairly certain Dean would be the boy she gave it to. "Dean's still a bit young to be kissed by you, sweetie."

 Rose frowned, not looking pleased that her plans were dashed. "Well how long do I have to wait?" she demanded finally, and Brendan let himself laugh softly.

"A few years, maybe more. You'll know when the time is right, baby."

"How? How will I know?" Rose pushed, and Brendan thought on that seriously.

"You'll look at him and everything else will disappear and you'll know you don't ever want to kiss anyone else ever again." Brendan looked down at Rose who was taking his advice in and surely filing it away. "And he'll look at you just the same. And then you'll know it's time."

"That sounds complicated," Rose complained and Brendan laughed again.

"It's not, baby. I promise. Not when it's right." He hugged her and set her down on her feet. "Now, have you finished your homework? No, then go bring it down here and we'll work together..."

* * *

"You miss it here, don't you?" Dean asked, sitting back, his words pulling Rose from her memory. "Hey, where'd you go?" Dean asked, realizing when she started that she'd been lost in thought.

Rose smiled at him, her hand tracing a pattern over the worn wood. "I do miss it here, I love this room especially." She looked up and smiled at her surroundings then at the man next to her. "I was just remembering a conversation I had with my dad."

"Oh yeah?" Dean asked with interest and watched as Rose blushed.

"I told him, when I was eight mind you,” Rose said with a grin. “That I wanted to kiss you."

Dean choked on the sip of coffee he was taking as he let out a surprised laugh. "Well, weren't you just ready at an early age?" Rose laughed. "So, what did he say?"

"He told me he didn't think you were quite ready for that yet and that I should give you some time." Rose smiled. "He told me I'd know when the time was right."

Dean grinned. "Your Dad was a smart guy." Dean got up and took his mug to the sink then came back and pulled Rose to her feet. He smiled down at her, his hand coming up to caress her cheek, his touch tender. "I'm glad he was right."

Rose smiled at him. "Me too."

And just for good measure she kissed him right there, again.

* * *

"God, Lily wasn't kidding about the pictures," Charlie said once she and Sam had come back into the house. She was looking at the ones in the hallway now, taking in the dozens of school pictures, little league, dance recitals and Christmas morning shots.

"Oh, and look, here's proof you did in fact celebrate Halloween as a kid!" Charlie was pointing to a group shot of the five kids all together in various costumes on Halloween night, Sam a gawky pre-teen in the shot.

"Yes, let's focus on that one," Sam said dryly. "Obviously my best picture."

"I love this," Charlie said in excitement. "I absolutely love this. You guys had this whole life, were actually kids at one point instead of these bad ass hunters.” She'd moved onto the next photo group which included one of Dean before a junior high dance. "Did they go together?" she asked, pointing to Rose who was in the same shot, dressed in a simple lavender dress, her hair falling around her shoulder in soft waves, smiling happily at the camera.

"Na, they both had dates," Sam said. "But Erin liked pictures of us without the other kids." Sam shooed her towards the living room.  "Well if you get your work done in here there's loads of albums full of pictures. You can look to your hearts content."

Charlie let out a gleeful laugh and Sam shook his head at her enjoyment and headed upstairs.

* * *

Cas watched Daisy open a door and followed her in. She was feeling shy, hesitant. _He's in my room, my bedroom._ Cas was confused by Daisy's thoughts, but he was quickly distracted by his surroundings.

Daisy's room was an explosion of color. Everything was rainbows with a kaleidoscope of colors everywhere he looked.  Most of the walls were made up of different collages of photos, intermixed with posters of both artists Daisy liked and musicals and movies.  But the largest wall that Daisy's bed faced was painted in an array of colors with different portraits hand drawn throughout. There were flowers, cartoon characters and words interspersed with broad strokes of colors. Whoever had painted the wall had not only been talented as the drawings were drawn deftly and artistically but there was a touch of personalization there that made it seem evident the artist had known Daisy.

"Sam did this?" Cas asked plucking the name from Daisy's thoughts. He glanced back at Daisy who was perched nervously on the end of her bed, watching him take in her room. She smiled at Cas' question.

"Mmm hmm."

"I didn't know he could draw," Sam said looking at a cartoon version of the sisters surrounded by a field of flowers. Behind them were similar versions of Sam and Dean, dressed as pirates and dueling with swords.

"Oh yeah, he's really talented. He just doesn't let a lot of people see what he does." Cas thought back to times when he'd noticed Sam idly doodling in library.  He'd hide it or cover it up whenever he saw Cas looking.

Cas had to assume these were much younger versions of the girls. Daisy was small, her head surrounded by a riot of blond curls. Rose had a red halo of hair and Lily had much longer hair than Cas had ever seen her with, a sheath of black velvet flowing down her back. The paintings of the girls were whimsical and sweet, interspersed with much less childlike images. It was obvious a lot of care had gone into the artwork.

"They redid my room for me when I turned thirteen," Daisy explained as Cas took in other random drawings of them – Rose reading under a tree with Dean it the branches above, Lily in roller skates, Daisy perched on the top of the staircase, Daisy on the couch watching a movie, happily snuggled between the two boys. "My Dad had painted it when I was eight, the yellow color." Cas looked where Daisy pointed and indeed there was a lot of yellow on the walls still. "I didn't want it to go away entirely so Sam worked around it."  Daisy motioned to the unusual shelves that adorned the wall by her window. They were white, standing out as crisp and clean against the brightly colored walls, and built in such a way that they seemed to stack on each other in a random, haphazard way but that upon closer inspection Cas could see were artfully done.

"Dean built those and put them up for me." Cas was impressed with Dean's handiwork, at the way the shelves effortlessly fit into the room.

"The boys have hidden talents," he said finally after looking over the shelves some more.

"Don't we all?" Daisy said with a smile and Cas smiled at the feelings coming off Daisy. Contentment and belonging. The boys doing this for her had been important, had meant a lot to her. Cas felt the admiration he already had for the Winchester's grow. They saved lives, fought demons and yet made time to do over Daisy's bedroom for her. They were good men.

Cas looked over the items on her shelves and Daisy left him to it, pulling a suitcase out of her closet and opening it on the bed.  He inspected the stuffed animals, the awards and books there then moved onto the wall with the most pictures. There were many of Daisy and her sisters, of Sam and Dean and her parents. But there were also a lot of two girls who looked to be Daisy's age.

"Who are they?" Cas asked pointing to a picture of Daisy with the two girls sitting on a picnic table, smiling broadly for the camera.

Daisy came over to look at the picture in question. "That's Bridget." Daisy pointed to the girl with the dark hair, a pair of glasses on her face, then to the other who was tall with light brown hair that fell nearly to her waist. "And that's Casey."

Cas studied the pictures, having heard the names before. "Your friends."

"My best friends," Daisy confirmed going back to her suitcase.

Cas looked over the many photos of them together, from small children to pictures that looked much more recent.

"And where do they think you've been?" he asked curiously.

Daisy frowned, and Cas could sense her unease, her guilt.

"Visiting family," she said, and Cas could tell it bothered her to lie to these two girls she was so close to. "And yes," she said in answer to Cas' unspoken question. "They know about you. Not everything," she said, going to her closet and pulling clothes out and taking them back to the bed. "I mean, I couldn't very well tell them you were an angel, could I? And they don't know we're married."

Cas watched her fold a shirt and place it into the case, then move onto the next. "So, they know...what exactly?"

"Um, that I met someone..." Daisy hadn't told them much since the accident. She'd only gotten her phone back last week.

Before that all they'd known was that there was a guy she liked. Casey had pressed for details as was her nature, but Daisy had held her off.  She'd given them the same line that they'd told everyone at the hospital, that muggers had jumped her and Cas and she'd been hurt. (She'd had to talk both of them from coming to visit her.) She'd just left out the being married part.

Daisy looked up from the suitcase to find Cas staring at her with a perplexed, almost wounded look.

"Daisy...are you not happy we're married? Is this something you're ashamed of?"

"No!" Daisy said loudly, dropping the shirt in her hands. "No, not at all. I just..." Daisy sank down on the bed, closed her eyes and admitted, "I've just always been the one without a boyfriend so to go from that to, "Oh, I have a husband!" seemed like a big leap. Daisy toyed with the shirt she'd dropped. "I was hoping to tell them in person but now I'm not sure..." She looked up at Cas hesitantly. "Can I even do that?"

Cas considered. Dean wouldn't like it. He wanted them in and out as soon as possible with as little contact with the outside world as they could get away with. But looking at Daisy's forlorn face Cas also understood how much this meant to Daisy.

"Let me talk to Dean," he said confidently. "I'm sure we can work something out."

* * *

"No, no way in hell."

Dean had been adamant from the second Cas brought this up that this was a bad idea and one he was not going to go for.

"Dean, she needs to see her friends."

"No, she needs to stay safe," Dean shot back. He was currently sat in Rose's window seat, looking quite out of place amongst the purples and pinks of the room, Cas thought. He seemed comfortable enough, at ease even, or he had been till Cas had brought up this plan.

"Keeping these girls safe has turned out to be an almighty pain in the ass," Dean continued, his aggravation showing. "Worse than babysitting a bunch of toddlers."

"At which you have so much experience," Rose threw in dryly and Dean tossed her a warning look.

"It's a risk and we don't need any more of those," Dean said firmly, the topic obviously closed in his mind.

"You know, Daisy's been through an awful lot recently," Rose said thoughtfully. "I heard the doctor say at one point that emotional stability was really important in the healing process."

"Rose," Dean started in a warning tone but Rose carried on.

"You know how close she is with Bridge and Casey," she said as she placed some items in a box on her bed. "I think it would be a really good thing for her to see them." She looked at Cas. "And Cas would go with her, right?"

Cas nodded. "Yes, I would definitely accompany her."

"Rosie," Dean groaned and Cas looked at him in confusion, trying to ascertain why his tone had changed. A moment ago he'd sounded sure, in charge with no hesitation. But now there was a note of uncertainty in his voice.

"You could give her a time limit," Rose was saying blithely. "Maybe three hours? And Daisy's good at being on time. You know that Dean."

"Why did I ever think I was in charge here?" Dean asked the air. "I mean, who was I kidding?"

"Oh, you are in charge, Dean," Rose said with a sweet smile, patting his shoulder reassuringly as she passed him on the way to grab more items. "I'm just trying to help."

Dean groaned and buried his head in his hands while Rose smiled at Cas. Cas wasn't sure what had just gone on here, but he was fairly certain Rose had gotten him what he'd wanted. Sure enough a moment later Dean lifted his head and glared at Rose, then at Cas.

"She can have two hours," Dean said. "No more, not even by a minute. And you watch her like a hawk, Cas. If anything looks hinky you get her ass out of there, no questions asked." Dean considered a moment then said, " And get Sam to drive you and pick you up. Can't have you popping up all over town. Sam knows the way to both their places. But get Daisy to call them and just meet at one. The less locations you go the better...Actually let me go with you to talk to Sam."

Rose listened to Dean rattle off precautions to Cas as they walked out as if he was leading a battalion into battle with a smile. It would be good for Daisy to see her friends. She needed that, Rose thought as she put books into a box.  She was making good headway when a few minutes later she looked up in surprise when the door shut firmly, and she distinctly heard the lock turn.

"Dean?" she queried then let out a nervous gulp as she caught sight of the expression he wore. Oh, she was in trouble. And God, that look should not be so hot. Rose found herself squirming, squeezing her thighs together as Dean stalked towards her and grabbed a hold of her wrist, yanking her up against him.

"So, Rosie, looks like someone needs a reminder of just who's in charge, don't they?" His eyes met hers and though his look was stern his eyes were smiling at her. And that right there was why Rose could submit to him. Because he liked her willingness to stand up to him as much as he liked her ability to bend to his will.

"Um, I don't know what you're talking about," Rose said, biting her lip. "I mean, like I said I was just helping..."

"Mmm hmmm," Dean murmured, looking her over in that way he had that made Rose equal parts nervous and ready to throw herself at his feet and let him do whatever he liked to her. He turned, taking her with him as he headed back to the window seat. "Hands, right there," he said, pointing to the spot he'd been sitting in and Rose hesitantly put her hands where he indicated. "I bet," Dean said, in a cheerful tone. "If you look out the window you'll be able to see Sam and Cas and Daisy drive away, your handiwork in the flesh." He reached a hand out and squeezed one of her bottom cheeks and Rose moaned. “And now as to my handiwork…” He pulled her to her feet, surprising her and before she could even grasp what he was doing he was unzipping her jeans and sliding them down her legs. "Let's just get these out of the way right now," He purred in her ear and Rose willingly stepped out of them, leaning back against him when he tossed them aside. Dean ran a hand over her body, trailing down the front of her panties, his fingers stroking her and making Rose groan. "You seem awful willing, Sweetheart. Almost as if you need this." His lips trailed over her neck. "You need to be put in your place, Rosie, is that it?" Rose whimpered softly and Dean grinned, loving the sound. "You know what I'm going to do to you, don't you, little girl?"

Rose nodded her head as she writhed against him. "Tell me," he demanded, and Rose took a breath then gasped out:

"You're gonna spank me."

"And she gets it in one," Dean said triumphantly, tugging her panties off her as well before bending her back over. He pulled back, taking in the sight she made - bent over, ass in the air, just waiting for him and he had to bite back a groan of his own.

Without warning he pulled his arm back and snapped his hand down on her left cheek, pulling a load sound from Rose and quickly causing a fresh bloom of color on her pale skin. Any traces of her previous punishment were gone, Dean noticed, and he quickly proceeded to turn the pale skin of her bottom a rosy, red color.

In no time at all Rose was writhing under his hand, letting out whimpers and groans and Dean stopped to slide his hand between her legs. "Dripping yet, Rosie?" he asked in a wicked tone and Rose just moaned and pushed back towards him. And God, she was wet and desperate, her movements and the sounds coming from her making that abundantly clear. "Mmm no, we're not done here yet," Dean said pulling his hand back and landing it sharply on Rose's bottom. "Nope," he said cheerfully as he peppered her cheeks with smacks. "You just seem to need a whole lot of spanking, Sweetheart. Otherwise you forget who's in charge, don't you?"

"No, no sir, I don't, I swear," Rose panted out and Dean just chuckled.

"Oh sure, now it's sir but a minute ago you were the one trying to run things, weren't you, Sweetheart?" He stopped his hand, rubbing it over her now cherry colored cheeks.

"No, I wasn't, I was just trying to help," Rose protested again and Dean watched in amusement as she tried desperately to get his hands where she wanted them.

"Oh, so you're a helpful brat," Dean said in amusement pulling back from her entirely.

"I prefer to think of myself as a helpful girlfriend," Rose offered and Dean couldn't help but laugh.

"All right little miss helpful, stand up."

Rose did, giving him a curious glance and then smiled when she saw Dean had stripped out of his clothes. "Get the rest of those clothes off, Baby," he instructed and moved to sweep the bed clean of the boxes Rose had been working on. He turned to her, kissing her soundly then pulled back with a smile. "Now, on the bed, Rosie, on your stomach and arch that back for me."

Rose smiled in pleasure as she recognized the position and put herself into it quickly, Dean chuckling at her eagerness.

"Think you're ready for me, Baby?" he asked, sliding his hand between her legs, slipping his fingers inside her and Rose made a delicious sound. "Oh, I think you are," Dean said stroking her, then scissoring his fingers and Rose pushed back against him. "My naughty girl likes to be spanked, don't you?"

"Only by you, Dean," Rose said and Dean groaned at that. He pulled his fingers out then was stroking into her, the both of them letting out sounds of pleasure. Dean settled into her, loving how she felt, then pulled his hand back and landed a smart slap to her ass.

"Damn well better only be by me," he growled, and Rose whimpered underneath him. "I don't share and I sure as hell don't share you." Dean lay more spanks onto her already red bottom as Rose ground against him. The smacks came between his thrusts and Rose was lost in a sensory overload. A deep thrust, a hard swat, a thrust that hit her just right and then a stinging slap on her bottom cheeks. It was all too much and before Rose could even fathom it she was coming long and loud, her body shaking with the sensation.

Dean gave a satisfied nod then focused on the sweet feel of sliding in and out of her body. Rose was still giving off small sounds of pleasure beneath him and he slid a hand over her bottom, squeezing as he moved inside her. Dean kept up his pace, quickening till he was close, so close and then it hit him like a tidal wave and he came inside Rose with a loud moan of her name.

He pulled out and collapsed beside her, smiling sleepily as she rolled over to lay against him.

"That was fun," she said after a few minutes had passed and Dean laughed.

"You're an awful brat," he said affectionately, and Rose smiled at him, not denying it.

"Mmm, but I'm your brat," she murmured and Dean grinned.

"Hell, yeah you are."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question time - Would y'all rather see longer chapters less frequently or shorter chapters more regularly?


	103. I Believe in Angels, Too

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teenage girls, Nosy sisters and Hobbies

Dean and Rose ended up cuddled under her blankets and Dean let himself doze for just a few minutes. Then he got up and got dressed again, letting Rose rest, figuring it was near her usual nap time anyway. He hesitated at the door, unsure if he should leave or not. She'd been doing OK with the nightmares if he was gone for a few minutes and he hadn't really pushed it further. He wanted to check on Charlie though, so he placed a kiss to Rose’s forehead, murmured he’d be back and slipped out and headed downstairs where he found Charlie sitting in the living room, a large photo album in front of her.

"Slacking already?" he teased, taking a seat by her on the couch.

Charlie shot him a look. "Not even. I'm done in here. There's a ward by the door that needs redone, looks smudged, but other than that things are good in here."

Dean nodded. "Good job. Once Sam gets back one of us will go with you outside."

Charlie looked at him curiously as she turned a page that made Dean smile. Toddler Sam was in full on construction mode, surrounded by mountains of blocks and legos he'd turned into enormous villages. In one picture his tower was so big you could just only see his eyes and a shock of brown hair peeking over the top.

"You really think we need to be that cautious? I mean we all took the potion Erin made." Charlie was legitimately curious, unable to ascertain if Dean was being over the top or if the threat was really that big. Then again demons had come for Lily in a hospital room.  Not just demons, a horde of them.

"I think we're back where the girls are known and there's no reason to think this place isn't being watched," Dean said. "And potions don't come with guarantees.  What if it wears off quicker than Erin thinks it will?  Or what if for some reason it doesn't work on one of us? It's not like we have a way of knowing." Dean shook his head and Charlie could see the genuine concern in his eyes. "So yeah, we're being cautious. As soon as Rose is awake we need to finish whatever the hell we're doing here and get out."

"We're not staying the night?" Charlie knew that had been the original plan.

Dean hesitated. "Not if we can help it. Though knowing how long this could take, probably." He fell back against the cushions dramatically.  "And now that Daisy has had to make a trip out..." He shook his head, hoping that went all right.

"Anything I can do to help?" Charlie asked, turning the page to a layout of photos that made Dean wince. Why Erin had decided to come take pictures when they were doing square dancing in gym class he had no idea but those were some stupid pictures. Dean shook his head and focused on Charlie's question, ignoring her delighted grin at these pictures.

"Actually, yeah there is. Wait here a second." Dean went to the staircase and yelled Lily's name and a moment later she appeared.

"What?" she asked with an irritated glance in Dean's direction.

"You done packing?" he asked, and Lily nodded.

"Just about, got a tiny bit to go but I'm good for the most part.  Why?"

Dean didn't answer, just headed towards the kitchen. Lily and Charlie shared a curious look and followed him to find Dean standing in the middle of the room looking at the countertop.

"What will she want?" he asked Lily. "Rose," he clarified. "What from here does she need?"

A look of comprehension crossed Lily's face and she smiled. Charlie watched as the two shared a look she rarely saw between them, one of understanding and dare she say it, even admiration.

"Can I leave you two to this?" Dean asked and both women nodded. Dean grabbed a bag of chips off the pile on the table from their stop on the way here and headed back upstairs.

Rose was still sleeping soundly when he got there so he walked around the room, munching on chips and trying to decide what Rose would want to take.  Books, obviously.  He knew she’d already packed some up.  Pictures, he supposed and more clothes. His eyes focused on the fabric structure near the window, the lights twinkling there as always. He wished there was a way to take that with them. Instead he snapped a picture of it on his phone, filing it away for later thought. Then deciding he'd done most of what he could do without Rose's input he slipped his shoes off and settled back down next to Rose to wait for her to wake up.

* * *

Cas watched in bemusement as Daisy's friends went from squealing and hugging her to enthusiastically hugging Sam. They obviously knew him which made sense Cas supposed. Sam had always been in Daisy's life and it was apparent from their reaction to him he was loved by them as well. Cas was suddenly very aware of how easily they all fit into each other's lives, like puzzle pieces each with their own slot.

Both girls stopped when they came to him and openly stared. Cas stared right back, cocking his head to the side and taking them in. Daisy came back to his side then, slipping her hand in his and he could sense her nervousness.

"Bridget, Casey, this is Castiel." She swallowed and pressed on. "My husband."

Silence reigned for a second and then shrieks took its place.

"Your what?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"No," Daisy shook her head. "We're married for real." She thrust her hand out displaying her rings and one of them - Cas couldn't remember which was which - grabbed her hand.

"Holy shit, that's some ring!" The other girl joined in her excitement and quickly drug Daisy off to the living room.

"There's lemonade in the refrigerator, Sam," the darker haired girl called out over her shoulder.  "Help yourself."

Sam smiled and headed towards the kitchen with Cas following behind. He was pleased to see they had a clear view of the girls from the kitchen. He was taking Dean's "keeping an eye" on Daisy advice seriously and no way was he letting her out of his sight

"So, how'd you convince Dean to let Daisy out?" Sam asked once he'd gotten himself a drink and sat down at the table.

Cas frowned in thought and took a seat as well, still able to see Daisy from here.  The dark-haired girl - friend #1 - was stool oohing over Daisy’s ring while the other one - friend #2 - seemed to be full of questions.

"I don't think I did," he said slowly, and Sam looked at him curiously. "I suggested it," Cas explained. "And at first he was firmly against it." Sam nodded, having expected that. "But then Rose mentioned how good it would be for Daisy to see her friends. And the next thing I knew we were here."

Sam chuckled, not looking surprised Cas noticed. "That sounds about right. Rose is a good ally to have." Cas looked confused and Sam tried to explain. "Dean will listen to her more than most people. And more often than not if Rose wants something from Dean she gets it."

As laughter poured in from the living room Cas considered that. "At first Dean seemed irritated at Rose's arguments but then he seemed almost..." Cas trailed off unsure how to describe it.

"Charmed?" Sam suggested. "Enchanted?"

Cas frowned. He hadn't sensed any kind of witchcraft. "Are you saying Rose is using some kind of spell on Dean?"

Sam laughed. "Nothing like that, Cas." He looked at him thoughtfully. "Do you like making Daisy happy?"

"Very much," Cas said immediately and Sam smiled.

"There you go. Dean likes Rose being happy and would do just about anything to accomplish that." Sam took a long sip of lemonade then said, "And between you and me he likes that she challenges him. Keeps him on his toes."

Cas considered Sam's words carefully. Dean had seemed pleased with Rose's actions that was true. Which puzzled Cas as he had been so against them to begin with.

"I find this all very confusing," Cas admitted finally and Sam grinned at him.

"Welcome to relationships." Sam took another sip of his drink as the girl’s voices drifted in from the living room.  Cas watched Sam smile and chuckle at some of the comments they could hear coming from the living room (“Oh, he’s really hot!” “He seems so dark and intense.” I can’t believe you’re married!” Followed by more squeals.) then seemed to focus back on Cas. “Dean thinks like a hunter,” he explained, and Cas nodded, understanding that. Dean was definitely all about precaution especially when it came to the girls. “Rose thinks like a sister.” Sam nodded his head towards the living room. “Especially when it comes to Daisy she thinks about what’s best for her. And Dean wants to when it comes to Daisy, he wants to just be the fun, big brother.” Sam smiled, and it was clear to Cas how much he liked that, how indulging Daisy made him happy too. “Rose’s arguments gave him that chance.”

Cas sat back and thought over what Sam had said. In just the small amount of time he’d gotten to watch the boys with Daisy he could see what Sam meant.  They adored her and doted on her. She had told Cas she had a different relationship with them and he saw it clearly now.  The older four had a tight bond but all four of them treated Daisy like she was someone in need of sheltering. It was odd for Cas to see though he could sense the real affection behind it.  Thinking about Sam’s words Cas thought he understood what he meant about Rose’s argument letting Dean act differently.

“So, you’re saying that Rose gave Dean an excuse?” Cas asked finally, and Sam looked at him and frowned.

“Not an excuse,” Sam corrected him. “She just gave Dean another option.  If you’re lucky the person you’re in a relationship with sometimes thinks differently than you do, sees things from a completely different perspective.” Sam smiled then and Cas could clearly hear him thinking about Lily. “And if you’re smart you listen and try to see where they’re coming from.”

Cas nodded and mulled over Sam’s advice while Daisy and her friends carried on in the living room. It was food for thought.

* * *

"Your parents wedding picture is beautiful," Charlie said, as she loaded a pile of bowls Lily deemed as "necessary" into a box.

Lily glanced at her, a happy smile flitting across her lips. "Thanks, yeah it is." The photo had been there on their living room wall her entire life - A young Erin and Brendan dressed in their wedding finest, eyes only on each other.  "That was them their whole lives actually. Always dreamy eyed over each other." Charlie could tell by Lily's smile how happy that fact made her. She was just opening her mouth to say more when her phone rang. She picked it up with a frown, but her face changed the second she heard the voice on the other end.

"Hey, yeah," Charlie half listened as she tried to fit in some more of the needed kitchen tools into the box. "He wants us to come there?" Charlie's ears perked up at that. "OK, yeah let me talk it over here. I'll get back to you."

Charlie looked up when Lily hung up and stood there, staring at her phone. "Lily? What's up?"

"That was Danny. His brother wants us to come see him in Lincoln." Charlie winced.

"That's the opposite direction of where you and Sam are headed." Lily had shown Charlie pictures of where the cabin was they were going to. It looked absolutely beautiful and remote, just what Sam and Lily needed.

"Yeah," Lily said, tugging on her hair. "I don't know...shit this sucks." Lily sank down onto a stool at the counter. "I'd really rather me and Sam go. I'm assuming Danny will be there...or maybe not. I mean, I don't know where he was exactly. But him with Rose and Dean doesn't make for a comfortable meeting."

"I could go..." Charlie offered but Lily immediately shook her head.

"If you had someone for backup I'd be fine with that," Lily said. "But Cas and Daisy in this case wouldn't work. I mean, Daisy still isn't in control of her powers really and Cas, well he always seems shocked when a person lies. These people lied to us the entire time we knew them."

"Didn't you guys do the same?" Charlie couldn't help but ask and Lily winced.

"Yeah, OK, we did. Still it just seems worse somehow that they knew who we were..." Lily shrugged. "Not saying it is really, just how it feels." Lily sighed, getting back to her feet. "I'll get the boys and Rose together when Sam gets back. In the meantime, let's get this done."

* * *

Thirty minutes later the trio returned from visiting Daisy's friends and from the look on her face it had done her a lot of good. She was smiling and chattering away happily to Cas when they came in and after hugging her Lily shooed her upstairs to finish packing, Cas following happily behind.

"What's up?" Sam asked with one glance Lily's way and she told him the short version.

"Right," Sam said, running a hand through his hair. "We need to talk to Dean and Rose." So upstairs they trooped, leaving Charlie to finish in the kitchen.

"We could go," Sam offered after Lily had told Rose and Dean the story.

"It's out of your way though," Dean said and Rose frowned.

"Yeah, but we could do it," Lily said. "I mean, we're not on a super tight schedule."

Rose shook her head. "No, guys, we'll go." She glanced at Dean. "Or if you don't want to I could go without you. I could get Charlie or-"

"Oh, you're funny," Dean said with a smirk. He glanced at Sam who was grinning knowingly.  “She’s really funny.” He glanced back at Rose. “Like I'm gonna let you go in there without me." He shook his head. "Na, we'll go. I've studied those damn numbers more than anybody and you guys can head out when you're ready."

"You sure?" Sam asked and both Dean and Rose nodded. This they firmly agreed on. They didn't want to get in the way of Sam and Lily working things out.

"Hey since, we're all here..." Lily said, motioning to the canopy.

"Later tonight," Dean said. "We need to get Charlie looking at the wards outside and she can't do that on her own." Dean glanced at his brother. "We'll spend the night, I guess since we're nowhere near done here."

Sam nodded. "We'll plan on heading out in the morning then.  And I'll go help Charlie."

"Yeah, if we're spending the night we need that done for sure," Dean agreed.

"Why don't you both go?" Lily suggested. "I can help Rose here."

* * *

"This is weird, right?" Lily asked from her spot on the bed where she was folding a pile of clothes into a box. "I mean, it's like you're leaving for college all over again."

Rose smiled from her spot by one of her bookshelves. "Yeah, I mean I'm not taking everything. Just what I need, but it's definitely weird." Rose brushed her fingers over the shelf in front of her. "I hate leaving this house, I always will.  It's my home." She hesitated then said, "And for a long time I thought no place else would ever feel like home. But the bunker, with Dean there and you and Daisy and Sam...I think it kind of feels like home now too."

Lily smiled. "Yeah, it kind of does." She'd acclimated right away, feeling settled there but it had taken Rose longer and Lily was happy to hear she'd gotten there. "Are you OK going to deal with Danny's family?"

Rose nodded, adding some more to the box in front of her. "Yeah, I mean it's going to be strange, but I can do it." Lily nodded, seeing the determined look in Rose's eye and knowing she'd be OK.

“So, showed that lingerie to Dean yet?” Rose shook her head and Lily threw a shirt at her. “Why the hell not?”

Rose picked the shirt back up with a glare and threw it back at her sister. “Well I was going to Halloween night and then proceeded to get so drunk we both could hardly stand up.  Not really the time for lingerie.”

Lily laughed. “Yeah, you were really blitzed. I think that’s the drunkest I’ve ever seen you. OK, so since then or before that even…”

“I don’t know, we’ve been busy,” Rose hedged, and Lily tossed her a knowing look.

“Bullshit. You bought the damn lingerie, Rosie now wear it.” Lily softened her tone. “You know Dean will go crazy for you in it. Come on, I saw the way he looked at you in that costume.” Rose blushed and smiled. “What was it you said to me, take a chance? And trust me this is a slam dunk.”

"How are you feeling about this trip with Sam?" Rose asked curiously, wanting to get the subject off herself and lingerie. She'd been excited to get away with Dean, but they'd been going away for a lot more enjoyable reason.

Lily considered the question seriously before answering, her fingers running over the soft fabric of the t-shirt in her hands.

"A whole jumbled mess of excited, scared, thrilled and petrified," she finally admitted,

Rose smiled. "You guys love each other. You can work this out."

"You always seem so sure of stuff like that," Lily grumbled. "Like you got some special pamphlet at birth on relationship shit and know how to deal with it all."

"Well first things first, I don't call it "relationship shit." Rose said with a grin and Lily rolled her eyes. "I don't have some secret code or special understanding, Lil. I screw up and fumble my way just as much." Rose shrugged. "I just think when two people really want to be together they can make it work."

"Can I borrow your certainty?" Lily asked, and Rose glanced at her curiously.

"Are you not sure? About you and Sam I mean?" Rose watched her sister hesitate and for just a moment she felt Lily holding something back. Then Lily shook her head and the moment was gone.

"No, I'm sure. I'm just nervous." She made a face. "I don't exactly excel at relationship talks."

"You're better than you think you are, Lily," Rose assured her. "You just somehow think that romantic relationship talks are different than others. They're not." She smiled at her sister. "Just be honest. You guys love each other. You've got this."

Lily gave her sister a grateful smile, hoping she was right. Rose always had more faith in her than she felt she deserved but this time she'd take it and hang onto it. She needed this to work out right.

* * *

"They spent a lot of time staring at me," Cas said and Daisy laughed.

"Well yeah, they don't know you, Cas. And they just found out you're married to me." They were going to have to come up with some backstory, Daisy realized. She'd gotten away with only a few random details this time but that wasn't going to work for long. Her friends were too nosy.

They'd been loud. That was the first thing that really stood out to Cas. He thought Lily was loud and she was but Daisy's friends...the two of them with their combined shrieking... There'd been jumping too and the one, the dark-haired one, she stared a lot while the one other was overly excited by everything. Cas was trying to remember these girls were important to Daisy, but he'd found them annoying.

"You forget she's a teenager, don't you?" Sam had asked at one point with a grin and Cas had frowned.

"I don't know exactly what you mean," he'd said finally, and Sam had chuckled.

"They laugh and giggle and gossip," he explained, and Cas had looked confused.

"Lily does all that too," he pointed out and Sam had just smiled.

"Not at this volume," he'd said, and Cas had nodded. He did see what Sam meant.

"Sorry we were so loud," Daisy said softly and Cas glanced up to find her sitting on the window seat looking embarrassed. "It's just we hadn't seen each other for so long and we were excited."

Cas shook his head and got up from her bed. "You don't need to be embarrassed Daisy. I like that you're so enthusiastic."

"You do?" Daisy asked with a surprised look.

"Very much so," Cas said, standing in front of her so she had to look up to meet his eyes. "Your friends are just very loud, and I'm not really used to that." Daisy smiled. "But they love you very much."

"They're amazing," Daisy agreed and Cas cupped her face in his hands.

"Just like you are," he said, bending down to kiss her.

Cas forgot Daisy was young. He never thought of her as her age, just as Daisy. But now, hearing her thoughts he couldn't help but smile even as their kiss deepened.

_"He's kissing me in my room! Oh God, I'd never imagined this and...I never even had a boy in here before!"_

He tugged her to her feet, wrapping his arms around her and felt a rush of excitement when Daisy pressed her body to his. He backed up slowly, kissing her all the way and then the back of his knees were hitting the bed and he was toppling down with Daisy on top of him. The fall took their breath away for a second and then they were grinning at each other shyly, Daisy leaning her head down to kiss him.

Her body felt so good against his, so soft and warm and Cas buried his hands in Daisy's curls, holding her mouth to his as his tongue swept past her lips.

Her tongue flirted with his, touching then drawing back and Cas made a noise low in his throat as he felt Daisy moving her body against his. His body responded instantly, and Daisy let out a small, pleased noise. Cas pulled his mouth back and rolled over, flipping them so she was underneath him and he smiled at the picture she made - lips swollen from his kisses, hair a riot of curls and eyes big and wondering. How could anyone keep from wanting to kiss her, he wondered as he once again lowered his mouth to hers.

Daisy's hands were running over his back and he realized they were pushing, trying to take his coat off. Cas hesitated then pulled back and shrugged out of it, loving the bright smile that got from Daisy. Her hands immediately went to his shoulders, spreading across them, her touch light, gentle but something more Cas couldn't quite put a name to.

Her eyes were shining though, and her hands felt wonderful gliding over him and Cas was just lowering his head to kiss her some more when Daisy's bedroom door swung open.

"Daisy, are you going to want to - oh shit, oh sorry!"

Daisy and Cas' heads both swiveled towards the door where Lily was standing, looking much too interested in what they were doing, a mischievous smile on her face. "Sorry, I'll, we're uh...we're working on dinner plans and other stuff, so you might want to come downstairs." And Lily disappeared pulling the door shut behind her.

* * *

Cas and Daisy appeared downstairs moments later, both looking slightly disheveled and taking one look at the disgruntled look on Cas' face Dean pulled him aside. He may want nothing to do with any part of the physical side of Cas and Daisy's relationship, but he could commiserate with Cas and felt compelled to offer him some advice.

"Get in the habit of locking doors," Dean advised lowly. Cas looked at him in confusion and Dean sighed. He always had to explain way more than he wanted to. "Lily barges in. If she knocks you're lucky. So, lock bedroom doors. I don’t care if you’re just talking about the weather.  Unless you want Lily to be a part of the conversation lock the door. Understand?"

“Why would we be discussing the weather?” Cas asked, looking perplexed and Dean sighed.

“It’s just an example, man. Whatever it is you’re doing or not doing - which I do not want to know about - with Lily around it’s best to lock the door.”

Cas nodded slowly. "She didn't even knock." And no, that wasn't a whine in his voice. It wasn't.

Dean grinned but clapped him on the back in commiseration. "Yep, been there, done that. Door locks are you friend."

* * *

"I hate you," Daisy muttered, dropping down on the couch next to Charlie and throwing a glare her oldest sisters way. Lily gave a careless shrug.

"Since he's an angel would this be considered wing blocking? Or do we still call it cock blocking?  Would you like to tell us about his coc-" Rose reached over and smacked her sister's leg and Lily let out a shriek as if Rose had stabbed her.

Dean and Cas chose that moment to come back into the living room and Dean just rolled his eyes at Lily's theatrics and took a seat by his brother.

"OK Kids, settle down," he said and nodded at Sam, who had been watching all the unfolding drama between the sisters in amusement.

"Right so, Charlie's checked all the warding," Sam began. "There was one smudged portion in the house and one outside that was definitely messed up. We've fixed both and will do another quick sweep before we leave tomorrow." Sam turned to his brother then and with a nod Dean took over.

"We're leaving in the morning. You don't have something ready it doesn't come with. Remind me Cas, to talk to you about something extra we need to get back to the bunker." Cas nodded, and Dean went on. "Sam and Lily are taking off for their week away and Rose and I will be heading to deal with Sean and whoever else of the merry wackadoodles is there in Lincoln." Dean looked at Cas and Charlie. "I need you all to go straight home, back to the bunker, no detours. Got it?" He got nods in return. "Good, now onto dinner."

It turned out that even though they'd been gone for a while the freezer was still full of frozen meals. Rose had popped two lasagnas in the oven that she'd made months ago and would be ready soon. In the meantime, Dean took Cas up to Rose's room to get his help with something while Rose snuck something into Charlie's car that got a raised eyebrow from Charlie.

"How did I never know about this?" she asked, touching the case.

Rose smiled. "He doesn't tell people," she said. "It's something he does to relax and he's a little shy about it."

"My lips are sealed," Charlie promised and headed back into the house with Rose.

* * *

Dinner was a rowdy affair and Charlie was never more aware that she was from a small family growing up. Everyone gathered around the kitchen table, (Even Cas who didn't eat but seemed to take great pleasure in watching Daisy enjoy food.) was loud and boisterous. There was much talking and laughing, and general conversation and Charlie realized how much better behavior they had all been on at her house.  This was their home and it was evident in the way they relaxed and let loose. There was a lot of teasing (“Funny what a mess your bed was just from you taking a nap, Rosie.”), a lot of conversations that obviously contained inside jokes (“No, no asparagus! We know what it does to you, Sam.”) and a lot of good hearted banter between them all (“Well Dean did steal my cookie.” “Oh God, Daisy not this again!”) as the food was quickly devoured.

The boys cleaned up while all the girls went and collapsed on the couches in the living room.

"God, packing is tiring," Daisy said, dramatically and Lily poked her side.

"Yeah, especially the way you and Cas were "packing" up there," Lily said and Daisy immediately turned scarlet.

"Shut up," she said, smacking at her sister's hand.

Charlie glanced at Rose who was ignoring the other two and glancing through the photo album closest to her. Charlie looked over her shoulder at the page she was on. In it a very young Rose and Dean were dressed for school with lunch boxes in hand, standing on the front steps of the house. Rose was in a cute, purple dress, standing next to Dean and clutching his hand. His brown t-shirt had a picture of a cowboy on the front and he seemed to be doing his best to look brave though his big, wide eyes showed his nerves. There was a shot of Rose's Dad crouching down and talking to them both and both their faces were so serious, taking in every word he said. The last picture was of the two of them, walking towards a brick school building, hand in hand. Charlie smiled. It was an adorable photo.

"Our first day of kindergarten," Rose said softly. "Neither of us really wanted to go and my Dad gave us this big speech about how we had to be brave." She laughed. "And that afterword we'd get ice cream."

"Yeah, Dad was really big on the rewards," Lily said with a smile, overhearing their conversation and stopping her picking at Daisy to take part.

"Yeah, not like Mom who was always just, "Do it."

"Rose," Lily started but Rose waved a hand, cutting her off. "They were different sorts of parents," Rose said dismissively and Lily sighed.

"Dad was a romantic," Rose said after a minute and Lily nodded. "Very into the, "You'll know the right person for you when they come along."

"And your mom?" Charlie queried.

"Oh, she was much more concerned with birth control," Rose said dryly. "Then again..." she waved a hand in Lily's direction who just cackled evilly. "She was much more, "Be careful. Enjoy yourself but be safe." Much more about the practicalities as opposed to romance."

"She always liked my boyfriends," Lily said and Rose raised an eyebrow at her, closing the album and leaning back on the couch. "He seems nice, Dear." I heard that a lot."

"Really? We're calling them boyfriends now?" Daisy asked.

"What would you prefer?" Lily asked, stretching out on the couch and nudging Daisy with her foot.

"Well Rose called them boy toys," Daisy said, pushing Lily's foot back.

"Oh, that's just because she thought that was nicer than what I generally called them," Lily offered. "Boyfriends seems to make other people more comfortable."

"What did you call them?" Charlie asked curiously.

"Well my preferred term was fuck buddies," Lily said cheerfully. “Because that’s pretty much all they were.  No stupid dating, just lots and lots of fuck-”

"Yeah, we get the picture, Lily," Rose said cutting her sister off.  Lily made a face at her which Rose chose to ignore. She reached out and grabbed another picture album, pulling it onto her lap. "Your first day of school must be in another album,” she said, glancing at her sisters.

"God knows, Mom has enough of these," Lily snorted.

Rose flipped through a few pages, taking in the many pictures of her childhood. She stopped on a page with pictures of a picnic. There were quite a few shots of the four of them running around in a field, eating sandwiches, laying on a blanket - all the usual picnic activities. There were even a few shots of just their parents together, Erin very obviously pregnant. Rose focused in on one of them where Brendan was staring at Erin looking off into the distance, the look on his face one of utter adoration.

"He loved her so much," she said softly, her fingers clasping the book tightly. She looked up at Daisy suddenly. "He'd like Cas," she said, and Daisy looked at her in surprise, which quickly morphed into delight.

"Yeah?"

Rose nodded her head. "He's protective of you, Days but he doesn't smother you. Dad would definitely approve."

"God, he'd be proud of the boys," Lily said suddenly and Rose smiled. "He had a big thing about it only mattering so much what kind of hunter you were, if you weren't a good person," she explained to Charlie. “Instincts and skill were important but it mattered way more to him what kind of person you were." Charlie nodded, able to see why he'd be proud of Sam and Dean then. "Anyone can shoot a damn gun or gank a ghost. But if you don't have a moral code, if you treat the people most important to you badly, then it's all for nothing. You need to be the kind of person who does the right thing even when it's hard." Lily recited words their Dad had said that obviously made an impact on her and then glanced at Rose. "That’s Sam and Dean to a tee, right?"

"Absolutely," Rose said, a proud smile on her lips. She looked down at the album in her lap. "We should take these with us," she said, and Lily nodded.

"Put it in the box," she said, nodding towards an empty box that was sitting near the TV. Rose started to stand, and Lily shook her head. "No, put it in the box." Rose looked at her in confusion then Lily's meaning slowly dawned on her. "You have powers, Rosie. You might as well use them."

Rose nodded her head slowly. She used to practice on her own before everything went so wrong. So, with a look of concentration she slowly lifted the album, floated it across the room and lowered it into the box. Then she gathered up the stack on the table and did the same, quickly filling it. Lily nodded her head in satisfaction.

"You can't be scared of them, Rosie or you'll never control them."

"Quit being so smart," Rose said affectionately and Lily just grinned.

"Well who's in here showing off?" A voice asked from the doorway and looking up Charlie wondered just how long the boys had been standing there. Something told her they'd overheard what Lily and Rose had said about them. Their eyes looked too emotional but neither mentioned it.

"That's me," Rose said with a smile. "A show off."

* * *

Rose and Lily and Sam and Dean disappeared not long after, leaving Daisy and Cas in the living room with Charlie.

"They'll be going off to lay under the canopy, under the stars," Daisy said to Charlie. "In Rose's room. It's their spot."

Daisy clicked the remote as Charlie nodded. "I saw pictures of it."

"You should check it out before we leave," Daisy said, eyes firmly glued to the TV. "It's pretty."

"There are no TVs in the bedrooms here," Cas said, looking at Daisy curiously.

"Nope," Daisy agreed. "That was a family rule. My parents always chose weird things to be strict over."

"So where am I sleeping tonight?" Charlie asked, and Daisy considered her question.

"Probably in the boys’ room. There's no way they'll be in there," she said with a roll of her eyes.

* * *

"It's been awhile," Dean said, twirling a hand in Rose's hair. She snuggled against him and he thought how very much had changed since last time they'd lain here.

"Mmm hmm," Lily murmured. "And probably will be awhile again."

"Well Christmas," Rose said. "We have to do Christmas at home. I know Thanksgiving is a bit soon but by Christmas we should be able to come home, right? Even if just for a few days."

Sam and Dean's eyes met. They hoped so.

"Let's hope so, Rosie," Dean said and Rose heard it for the not-a-promise it was.

"You guys will be careful, right?" Rose asked, looking at Lily cuddled up against Sam. She knew they had things to talk about but already they looked better. Just being together was so good for them.

"Of course," Sam said with a nod.

"And it's safe?" Rose asked, glancing back at Dean.

"Yep, there's protection there," he promised, and Rose relaxed.

Lily linked fingers with Rose. "We'll be fine, Rosie," she said, and Rose smiled at her.

They were silent then, looking up at the twinkling stars and enjoying the peace and quiet they always found here along with the comfort of each other's presence. They didn't know how long it would be before they were here again. So, they took this moment to hold it tight and to let it wash over them and strengthen them in the days ahead.

* * *

"OK so, yeah you can sleep in either bed," Sam said, showing Charlie to his and Dean's room. She peered inside, taking in all the knick knacks and photos, the drawings on the wall, the very much "boy" items around the room.  Charlie took in the different items, figured out whose bed was whose and chose accordingly.

Sam frowned a little when he saw she'd chosen Dean's.

"He's neater," she explained, and Sam laughed but didn't argue. Dean's bed was made neatly where his was well, _made_. "So, are those yours?" she asked, waving a hand towards the drawings on the wall. Sam colored slightly and nodded.

"Yeah, I uh, doodle sometimes."

Charlie got up to look closer at the black and white sketches. One of a tall building, the lines crisp and clear.  There was another of a car that was instantly recognizable as the Impala on Dean's side of the room.  And there was one Charlie was really impressed by - a large tree, it's branches spreading out, covered with leaves of differing shades, a small figure of a girl underneath reading a book. Her face was in shadow, but Charlie was fairly sure who it was. The picture was beautiful, drawing a person in so that they wanted to be in it, to know the book the girl read, to sit under the tree themselves and soak up the coolness of the shade it provided.

"These are really good, Sam," Charlie said softly and Sam smiled, looking embarrassed as he often did when praised.

"Yeah, um, thanks, so anyway, if you need anything..."

"You'll be in Lily's room." Charlie had been in there earlier, taken by the room and how much calmer it was than she'd pictured it. True, she shared an apartment with Lily and knew she was a neat roommate but when she pictured Lily's room at home she'd somehow pictured something wilder - posters of half-naked men on the walls, stacks of shoes reaching the ceiling. Lily's room was actually incredibly neat, the only disarray the tops of her dresser and desk which were covered with different accessories – earrings, necklaces and the like.  The walls were painted in differing shades of blue and was quite soothing. And yes, there was an incredible number of pairs of shoes, but they were all neatly labeled and shelved. For all her apparent chaos Lily was organized.

That room was where Sam made his way to after leaving Charlie. Lily had headed to take a shower before going to bed and he knew she was waiting for him. He slipped into the room quietly, finding Lily in bed, dressed in a nightshirt and looking at her phone. He’d always found Lily’s room surprisingly peaceful. It showed another side to her that not everyone got to see, a calmer side he found as enticing as her fire.  Lily looked up and smiled when he came in.

"Everyone tucked in?" she asked, and Sam nodded.

"Dean and Rose are still up in the living room.” And Sam didn’t want to know why.  Something about Dean’s grin when Sam said goodnight told him it wasn’t for TV watching. “But Daisy and Cas headed to bed."

"Daisy having a boy in her room," Lily said with a shake of her head. She put her phone down on the bedside table. "Will wonders never cease."

"Well, I mean they are married," Sam pointed out as he changed out of his clothes for bed and Lily just smiled.  Sam slipped into bed beside her and Lily switched the light off, lying next to Sam, his arms wrapping around her. They hadn't touched each other anymore than this since the first morning they’d made up, hadn’t even really kissed. The sexual tension was there between them, the desire a constant buzz in the background and Lily figured if either of them made a move the other would follow. But neither did. It was like they were both waiting, wanting things settled, made right again.

"Night, Lily," Sam said softly into the dark. "Love you."

"Love you, Sam," Lily said, resting her head against his chest. "Good night."

* * *

"So, before we head to Lincoln can we make one stop?" Rose asked. Dean looked up from where he was sitting on Rose's bed.

"Where?" he asked, and Rose could already tell from his tone he didn't like the idea.

"I need to stop in at the florists where I worked," Rose explained, climbing up on the bed and sitting in front of Dean. He had been relaxed when they came up here, their time on the couch fulfilling a teenage fantasy of Dean's having been enjoyable for both of them. Now he looked tense again. Still, this needed to be said. "I need to tell my boss I'm not coming back."

Dean frowned. He had hoped to get out of here without Rose talking to anyone.  All his instincts were screaming at him to hide her, keep her safe. But he knew how much Rose liked the woman she worked for, how important it was to her to explain in person that she wouldn't be returning.

"What are you going to tell her?" Dean asked, buying himself some time.

"Well, I was thinking since she doesn't know you I could say we were moving somewhere together."  Maggie was a relative newcomer to Hastings, having only moved here in the last five years. She didn't know the boys and no one who worked at the shop had gone to school with them, so it gave Rose a bit more leeway with what she could say.

"Where were you thinking of saying?" Dean asked, and Rose thought a moment.

"Texas maybe? I mean everyone knows I have family there, so it would make sense, especially as I left in the first place for a family emergency."

Dean nodded slowly. "OK that could work. Just don't take too much time. We'll stop on the way out of town."

Rose nodded in agreement, happy she could get this taken care of. Her boss had been good to her and despite the fact she'd said she'd keep her job open Rose didn't feel right leaving her like that.

"Why do you work anyway?" Dean asked curiously as Rose turned off the lamp and climbed into bed next to him. "You have that handy dandy credit card and your Daddy Warbucks grandparents. So why work?"

"I liked having money that was mine," Rose explained, snuggling against him. "And I liked what I did. I mean it wasn't exactly a hard job for me and I liked talking to people in the shop."

Dean nodded, able to understand that. Rose liked people, liked interacting and talking to them. He knew this last bit must have been hard on her, having so little social contact. Hopefully they could find a way for her to get out more in the next while.

"So, the question now is, can you fake a Texas accent?" Rose asked, and Dean could hear the grin in her voice.

"Well Ma'am you'll just have to wait and find out, won't you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These boys need some hobbies! Obviously Sam's is drawing and Dean's will be revealed later. Any guesses?


	104. Your Eyes Look Like Coming Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fantasies come true and Nightmares are real

Lily and Sam got a later start than originally planned the next morning, taking coffee with them and hugging everyone as they left.  Lily hugged Rose especially tight and Rose whispered to her, "You love him, Lily. Just be honest."  Lily had nodded, hugged her even tighter and then the two were gone.  Daisy finished up in her room not long after, with many last-minute additions thrown into suitcases that Daisy just “had to have”.  Cas and Dean loaded the last little bits into Charlie's car and they were off, headed home. Then it was just Rose and Dean left in the house that suddenly felt much too big and way too empty.

Dean slammed the trunk shut, feeling sure nothing else would fit in there. Anything else Rose was taking would have to go in the backseat. He went back in the house and headed upstairs but her room was empty. "Rosie?" he called going down to the next floor.

"In here," he heard her call and headed towards his and Sam's room. The sight that greeted him took his breath away.

There was Rose, sitting on his bed in one of his t-shirts, smiling at him in a sexy way that drew him to her.

"I have my fantasies too, Dean," she said softly, standing and meeting him halfway across the room. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her body pushing into his. "I used to imagine sneaking in here and climbing into your bed, waking you up, kissing you and doing all the things I'd wanted to do for so long." She kissed him then, her lips hot and sweet and Dean quickly felt himself getting lost in her. She was walking backwards towards the bed and somehow managed to turn the two of them so that Dean wound up falling onto the mattress, his back against the wall. Dean watched in wide eyed wonder as she sank to the floor in front of him, sliding her hands up his spread legs.

"I used to wonder if I did, if you'd still want to kiss those other girls." Rose's hands were on his belt, unbuckling, then unzipping his jeans. Dean lifted his hips as she slid them down his legs along with his boxer briefs, more than eager to help her as she pulled them completely off, making quick work of his boots at the same time. Her hands trailed back up again, caressing his thighs, fingers trailing lightly over his skin. "If I came in here one night and touched you like I wanted," her fingers made their way to the insides of his thighs and Dean sucked in a breath. "Would you be mine then? Or would you just go back to a different girl the next night?" Rose’s eyes looking up at him were searching, reaching for the answer.

"After you?" Dean asked, his voice rough. "Not possible."

Rose smiled. "I'd like to think that," she said, leaning towards him, her breath ghosting across his skin as she spoke. "I’d like to believe that once we touched, once we truly admitted we belonged to each other no one else would ever be an issue." Rose looked up at him with those big eyes of hers at the same moment she wrapped a hand around his hard cock and Dean let out a hiss. "Because I don't share either, Dean."

"Aw, Jesus," Dean moaned as she slid her hand around him, her touch gentle but firm. "Don't have to worry about sharing, Sweetheart. I'm yours."

Rose smiled. "See, I like that. And now I know that.  But back then...I don't know. We were young and stupid." She shrugged. "So, I just imagined a lot." Rose reached out and licked the head of his cock and Dean let out a groan. "I used to imagine taking you in my mouth all the time." Dean loud out a lowly muttered, "Fuck," at that and Rose smiled, obviously pleased at this response. "We'd be sitting at the kitchen table, working on homework and I'd picture myself dropping to my knees, unzipping those tight jeans of yours and just swallowing your cock."

"Jesus, Rosie," Dean said, her words making him crazy. He’d never heard her talk like this.

"And see now, I get to do more than imagine," Rose said, reaching down to cup his balls in her hand. "So, it's hard to stop myself." Rose leaned down and took his length in her mouth and Dean let his head fall back against the wall, watching Rose work his cock over with her mouth and thinking he was pretty sure he'd died, and this was some crazy alternate universe where all his fantasies came true. Rose in his childhood bedroom telling him she'd fantasized about him, about sucking his dick?  God, yeah that was fantasy material right there. And then her actually doing that? Even better. And God, she was taking him so far back...sucking and licking at him hungrily...if she wasn't careful he was going to come already...

Rose pulled back then as if sensing this. Dean was looking at her with lust glazed eyes when she stood up and straddled his lap. She tugged his shirt over his head and did the same to hers, leaving them both bare, chests against each other.

"Make me yours, Dean," she said, her voice low and raspy and Dean was more than happy to do just that. He surged up into her, his cock settling deep inside of her as she threw her head back and he latched onto her neck sucking hard. He flipped them, sending the both of them tumbling over and he surged back inside of her. Rose in his bed, this was a dream come true and suddenly all the longings of Deans teenage years were a reality fulfilled.  Not just her here, naked and willing in his bed, but the way she was looking at him, as if he, Dean Winchester, was the only person that mattered in the universe.

"I always wanted you, Rosie," he gasped out, thrusting into her and Rose smiled.

"And I'm yours," she said, her hands cupping his face and drawing his mouth to hers. The kiss was full of emotion, years of pent up longing and desire that now finally could be fulfilled.

It took a lot less time than it normally would for Dean to spill into Rose with a shout of her name. Any other time that would have bothered him, but this wasn't about that and he knew Rose's body well enough by now to make sure she found he release too, before him even with a sweet, loud moan. This was about completion, something that they had both started dreaming about so long ago finally being a reality.

"That's quite a mouth you have on you, Princess," Dean said as they lay there in each other's arms and Rose blushed, giving Dean a smile.

"Is that a complaint?" she asked giving him a wide eyed innocent look.

Dean’s response was swift and sure:

“Not even a hint of one."

* * *

Lily was driving while Sam navigated, a role he was well accustomed to. It was quiet until they got out of Hastings and were on the highway, the drone of the radio on an 80's station playing softly in the background as Lily hummed along.

"So, I was thinking," Sam said slightly hesitantly once they had been on the highway a little while. "Do you want to start talking now?" Lily glanced at him, not saying anything and Sam took her silence as permission to keep going. "I was thinking we could save the hard part-"

"What part would that be?" Lily interrupted, thinking that she didn't know there was any of this she thought would be easy.

"The prophecy part," Sam said softly and watched as Lily winced.

"Sam-" Lily started but Sam didn't let her finish.

"We have to discuss it, Lily. It's not going away and not talking about it didn't work."

Lily sighed. She bit her lip and Sam gave her a minute. Finally, she gave in.

"I know."

Lily’s voice was soft and in it Sam could hear the acceptance, albeit grudging.  He wouldn’t have to fight her on this and for that Sam was grateful.

"So, we'll save that for once we're at the cabin, settled in," Sam said and Lily nodded. "Or we can save it all, talk about it all there," Sam said and watched Lily think that over. She shook her head after a few minutes then reached over and snapped the radio off.

"No, let’s start. The sooner we do the sooner it's done, right?" She gave Sam a crooked smile and Sam could see the nerves in her. He reached out and squeezed her hand.

"Hey, it's OK. We can do this."

Lily gave him a grimace. "Maybe you can but I suck at this stuff. Remember,” Lily motioned to herself. “Not relationship girl here, remember?"

"You gave Daisy some good relationship advice that seemed to work for her," Sam pointed out and Lily slowly nodded. "And what was it?"

"To talk," Lily said. "And to make decisions together." It was Sam's turn to wince this time. "To not be afraid to mess up and to make a decision her heart and head could agree on."

Sam smiled at her. "Sounds like brilliant advice to me. So, on that second point, the one about making decisions together? I kinda fucked up at that."  Lily glanced at him in surprise, a surprised bubble of laughter leaving her lips and Sam grinned ruefully. "Hey, I know it and I can admit it now."

"But at the time..." Lily led, needing to know what had led to Sam’s actions.

"At the time I was freaked out," Sam admitted. "And it took me awhile and talking it out with Dean to understand see why." Lily watched Sam out of the corner of her eye fidget nervously before continuing. He took a deep breath and proceeded to explain to Lily how he'd felt - how happy he'd been with her on their road trip with Charlie and what a slap of reality it had been to be yanked back into hunting with her, how he'd sworn the maid had looked just like her and how panicked he'd felt at the idea of her coming there and getting hurt. Lily nodded at Dean's explanation of Sam slipping from hunter to boyfriend and not being able to slip back quick enough, that making sense to her. "It's not that I think you're weak, not at all, Lil. You can cover my back any day." That got a smile from Lily and Sam felt hope surge through him. "I just got flooded by every protective instinct I had, and they were so fucking loud I couldn't hear sense."

"But Sam, why didn't you tell me that?" Lily asked in exasperation. "If you'd just explained, I mean I would have still been irritated but I'd have gotten over it."

"I didn't get it myself at the time," Sam admitted. "I had no idea why I felt so strongly. I just knew I did and I had to keep you away. It took me awhile to figure out, which was frustrating as hell believe me." Lily got that. Sam was someone who thrived on logic. He liked to know _why_ in all cases. It was one reason he was so good at research; he wouldn't stop till he'd uncovered whatever he was looking for. So, to not understand why he'd acted a certain why himself must have been excruciating.

"So, when I demanded answers you really didn't have any to give me," Lily surmised and Sam nodded. "And you swear you didn't plan on not letting me come all along?"

Sam immediately shook his head. "I swear. I may not like you walking into danger any more than I do anyone else I love but I do understand it goes along with the job."

Lily nodded then said slowly, "Well it's not like we went about any of this the normal way. I mean, it wasn't ever supposed to be serious between us and then suddenly or maybe not so suddenly it was."

Yeah," Sam agreed. "And maybe this is part of that, adjusting and all."

They were both silent a moment, the highway speeding by, as they let all that sink in. So much had changed so quickly.

"It was a nice bit of irony," Sam admitted, a wry twist to his lips. "You and Rose having to come save us."

Lily smiled. "I'm not going to deny I got personal satisfaction at that." She frowned. "Once we knew you were OK, anyway. Before that I was too worried to think about that."

"You two were impressive, I'll give you that," Sam said with a grin and Lily smiled at him. "And sexy as hell."  Sam waited a beat then addressed the point he knew had been particularly painful for Lily. "One thing I can guarantee, despite how it may have looked I wasn't trying to change you, Lil. I love you, the fighting side and the softer side and every other side - The whole package."

Lily glanced at him and Sam watched as she bit her lip hard. Finally, she spoke, her voice lower than normal. "You hurt me. I'm not saying I was blameless here because I obviously didn't handle it well, but I don't like being hurt." Sam watched pain flash across her face and wanted to kick himself for it. "I'm really bad at dealing with emotional pain and honestly I, well I haven't really had a guy hurt me before. When someone hurts me I want to, well hurt them back." She shrugged and flashed Sam a guilty look. "I know that's not the healthiest response but it's my instinct and it's usually you know physical." Lily glanced at him again. "I'm sorry I kicked you." Sam grimaced. "The funny thing is I got pissed off at you for trying to protect me and then afterwards that's all I was trying to do - protect myself from you."

"You shouldn't have to protect yourself from me," Sam said and Lily hated the note of self-loathing in his voice.

"Nope, stop," she said firmly, and Sam looked at her in surprise. "My brilliant sister pointed out that we're all stupid humans who hurt each other, that it's kind of one of the risks of love."

"OK yes but I-"

"No, you get to be sorry and work on not doing the same thing again, but you don't get to beat yourself up endlessly over it," Lily said. "That doesn't do any good." Sam looked at her in surprise and Lily shrugged. "I've had a lot of conversations about relationships lately and had a lot of time to think."

They talked a little more and eventually stopped for lunch. After they'd ordered Lily looked at Sam with a remorseful expression.

"I know you did the right thing at the hospital," she admitted. "I totally overreacted and acted like a crazy bitch and I'm sorry."

Sam smiled and reached out and took one of her hands in his. "Well you had reason to not trust me at that point."

Lily shook her head. "No, that's not true. I've never had a reason not to trust you, Sam. A reason to be mad at you sure. But you've always been someone I can trust." Sam smiled at the feeling of warmth that sent through him, knowing how much trust meant to Lily.

"The thing is," Lily said, playing with her straw. "I think maybe this made me realize that I maybe, possibly have some insecurities when it comes to relationships." Sam tried to think if he'd ever heard Lily admit she was insecure about anything. Not that he could remember. "They were never on my agenda and then suddenly I'm in one and it's one that really matters to me and the fight we had, the feeling that maybe I wasn't what you wanted, it just made me scared." And another first, well not a first but a rarity. Lily almost never admitted to being scared. "Also, I kind of realized that I might need to learn to be able to have a fight without, you know, hitting someone."

Sam laughed at that and that at least got a smile from Lily. "Yes, let's put that on our list of things to work on." Sam smiled at Lily in that way that she loved, in that way that made her feel like she was perfect when she knew very well she wasn't. "I need to work on telling people when I'm unhappy, especially you. It wasn't fair for me to throw the fact that we hadn't discussed your prophecy in your face when I'd never let you know I wanted you to."

Lily nodded then said, "It's not really just my prophecy though. It's ours."

Sam smiled. "You sound like Dean."

"Bite your tongue," Lily responded with a horrified look and Sam laughed. Their food arrived then and they both dove in.

"You know the very first thing I told Kyle about you?" Sam asked after a few moments had passed with no conversation, just eating. Lily look up and shook her head. "I told him you were the most bad ass woman I'd ever known, and the absolutely hottest thing was you could kick my ass if you wanted to." Lily grinned and Sam returned it.

"Let's not put that to the test, OK?" Lily said, and Sam smiled in agreement.

"The point is I don't want you to change," Sam said. "I need you to know that. I'm not saying I wouldn't like you to be careful. I would. But I don't want you to suddenly stay at home and be someone you aren't."

"Promise?" Lily asked, and Sam could see in her eyes how much she needed to know this, to believe it.

"I promise," Sam said solemnly and Lily studied his face and slowly nodded, a genuine smile turning up the corners of her mouth that Sam felt like he hadn't seen in way too long. And he knew then that no matter what they were going to be OK.

When they came out of the diner Lily spotted a store across the street she dragged Sam into - An art supply store and Sam was confused what they were doing in there.

"Lily, why are we here?  We should get back on the road..."

"We will," Lily promised, dragging him through the store till they found the section that she wanted. Being back at the house had made her think of something Sam needed. "Pick one," she said, waving towards the sketch books and pencil sets.

"What? Why?" Sam was clearly perplexed at this demand.

"Because you like to draw," Lily said. "It makes you happy and you don't do it enough." Aside from small sketches he’d done of her in motel room she hadn’t seem him draw in a long time.

"Lily, it's just doodling," Sam protested and Lily rolled her eyes.

"No, it's not and even if it was who cares?" Lily said, hands on her hips, daring Sam to argue with her. "It makes you happy. So, pick. Or I will, and I'll pick the kids one with the sparkly pony on the front."

Sam rolled his eyes at her but couldn't help the grin that tugged at his lips as he looked over the choices. Lily was right - He did love to draw. It was soothing, letting out some creative, artistic side of himself he rarely tapped into. It was a luxury he didn't indulge often though.

"And remember," Lily murmured into his ear. "It's my evil grandparents who are paying. So, pick the best, Sammy."

They left the store with a bag of supplies that would keep Sam busy for some time, both of them smiling happily like little kids. When they got to the car and had placed the bag in the backseat Sam stopped Lily before she could get back in.

"You have a generous heart, Lily," he said softly and Lily blushed and tried to brush it off.

"Na, I mean it's not my money-"

"Stop," Sam said. "You go out of your way to make me happy. Don't deny it." He brushed her hair back and Lily shivered thinking how very much she'd missed that simple gesture. "It makes me feel special and that's nice."

"Well you are special," Lily said giving Sam a look that clearly said she thought that should be evident. "So, uh, where do we go from here?" she asked, a note of nervousness creeping into her voice.

Sam smiled at her confidently. He knew they still had a conversation to have about the prophecy that neither wanted to have but he felt sure they'd come through it OK.

"We go forward," he said simply, and Lily looked at him curiously then slowly nodded in agreement. "And we go there together." He leaned down and kissed her, soft and sweet and right there on main street of some little town Lily felt all her walls melt. She loved this man more than she had ever thought possible. And they were going to be all right.

Then Sam pulled back and smiled at her.

"Want me to drive for a while?"

* * *

Dean watched Rose sleeping on his bed, tangled in his sheets and smiled at her.  He brushed a hand over her hair, still slightly in awe of her actions this morning.  He sure hadn’t seen that coming. He thought back over some of what she’d said. He could easily picture the two of them at the kitchen table working on homework, a routine image.  Suddenly all the sweet little smiles she’d given him back then seemed to have a much different meaning. He was still surprised she’d said, admitted all that. For Rose that was pretty wild. He liked it though, he admitted with a grin.  He liked it a lot. He’d have to encourage her to do it more often.

She was right, he admitted to himself. If they’d gotten involved at teenagers it was sure to have been a train wreck. They hadn’t been ready then. Now they were.

Dean sighed, wishing they didn't have to leave. It was rare for them to be in the house alone and while it felt much too big with everyone else gone Dean welcomed the silence for a bit, so he could think over tonight. The fact that Sean had asked them to come in the evening made Dean think Danny was planning on being there. Lily had told them that Danny had been heading home so that made sense.  Aside from that Dean wasn't sure what they were walking into. Rose hadn't said much about Danny's family and he knew very little. He wasn't sure they could be trusted and honestly wished he'd asked Cas to stay but had wanted him with the girls going home. Just in case he sent him a quick text, asking him to be on standby. Dean checked the time and seeing Rose should be waking soon he got up and slipped back into his clothes. If he was naked when she woke up there was no way in hell they'd get out of here on time.

Less than an hour later they were pulling up to the flower shop where Rose had worked. “Blossoms and Petals” a sign read outside, a trail of roses and ivy surrounding it. “When words won’t work, flowers can.”

"Cute," Dean said with a smirk and Rose nodded. She looked nervous and Dean squeezed her hand reassuringly. She gave him a grateful smile then they both got out of the car.

"Rose!" a petite blond came rushing to the door when they entered, enveloping her in a hug. "My God, it's been ages! We thought maybe you'd left the country."

Rose smiled at the excited girl as she hugged her back. "No, just the state. Is everyone working today, Annie?"

Annie nodded, her eyes slipping from Rose to Dean, taking him in slowly. "Yeah, they're all in the back. Who's this?"

Rose smiled. "This is Dean," she said motioning to him. "Dean, this is Annie, the best flower arranger I know." Dean watched as the blond flushed with pleasure at the compliment.

Dean shook her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Annie." Rose started at the soft drawl falling from his lips and when Annie turned to lead them back to the others he winked at Rose.

"I'm full of surprises," he whispered in her ear. Before Rose could respond an older woman with her dark hair in a messy bun was bustling towards them while a younger female with short, green hair followed behind her at a much slower pace.

"Rose!" she said hugging her enthusiastically. "Oh, my we've missed you." She pulled back to look at her. "Please tell me you're here to say you're coming back to work."

Rose smiled. "Sadly, no, Maggie. Just the opposite." Before she explained any further Rose turned to the younger girl and hugged her.

"Hey Sadie," Rose said and Dean noted the softer tone in her voice, the gentle way she looked at her, reminding Dean of how Rose so often was with Daisy. This girl was special to Rose. Dean heard her whisper something in the girls’ ear, unable to make it out and watched as the girl nodded her head, earning a pleased smile and another hug from Rose.

"Sadie, Maggie," Rose said, pulling back from the hug but keeping her hand on Sadie's shoulder. "This is Dean, my boyfriend."

Both women looked him over and Dean felt very much as if he was being measured up. He held himself still, smiling but letting them take their time. Finally, Maggie reached out and surprised him by pulling him into a hug.

"Our girls brought you to see us, so you must be important," she said, and Dean wanted to laugh at how taken with Rose all these people were. Of course, they were.

Sadie eyed him a bit more skeptically, though she shook his hand when he extended it.

"Pleased to meet all of y'all," Dean drawled and Maggie smiled.

"Oh, I just love your accent. Where's it from?"

"Texas," Dean said with an easy grin, flashing the dimples. "Just north of Dallas."

"Oh, that's beautiful country," Maggie said and Rose hid her grin. Maggie was obviously a sucker for dimples too.

"Yes, ma'am it is," Dean agreed. "So, you can understand why I have to steal Rose here away to it."

"Oh no, Rose!" Maggie exclaimed dismayed.

"I know, Maggie I'm so sorry but I don't know when, if ever I'll be back," Rose said.

Dean stood there and listened to her boss and co-workers mourn her leaving as if they would never, ever see her again. Sadie threw him a hostile glare, she being the lone holdout who was not taken in by his charm.

They stayed a little longer, Rose talking and catching up on regular customers and Dean watched as she took Sadie aside so the two could talk.

"Sadie just adores Rose," Maggie said softly to Dean, when she saw him watching the two together. "Sadie hardly talked when she first started here.” 

“That must be tough in a job with customers,” Dean pointed out and Maggie smiled.

“Rose suggested she work in back, handled the flower orders and she was good at that from day one. She’s the only person Rose has ever suggested I hire and she got it right.” Maggie looked at Rose with a smile. “She's something special you know."

Dean nodded. "Oh, I know. Rose is one of a kind."

"You'll treasure her, won't you?" she asked, looking at him in a way that made it clear that despite her soft, motherly appearance if he hurt Rose the mother bear would come out. "Treat her right."

"Yes, Ma'am I surely will," Dean promised.

"So, what's the story with Sadie?" Dean asked once they were back in the Impala and on their way. "She's obviously a fan of yours."

Rose smiled, a soft smile. "She's a sweetheart. She had a horrible creep of a boyfriend for way too long and finally got the nerve up to dump him not too long ago."

"Why do I think you had something to do with that?" Dean asked, and Rose shook her head.

"I may have given her some advice, but Sadie did it all on her own." Rose smiled, and Dean could see her genuine fondness for the girl.

“Just like she got the job all on her own?” Rose looked at him in surprise and he shrugged.  “Maggie likes to talk.”

“I just suggested Maggie give her a trial run and it worked out,” Rose said. "Sadie’s a good girl, a genuinely nice person. She just never had anyone tell her she deserves to be treated well."

"Until you," Dean said knowingly.

"Stop making me sound like some kind of angel or something," Rose said. "I didn't do anything special. I just listened to her and told her she was worth more."

"Yep, absolutely nothing," Dean said cheerfully with a wide grin.

"You mean like you did nothing special with Cooper," Rose said smartly and Dean just gave her a wink.

"So, tell me about these people we're seeing today," Dean said. "Danny's family. What are they like?"

"The Dochertys," Rose said, frowning thoughtfully. "I haven't seen them since I was in high school. Sean's nice, a bit quiet, nothing like Danny. Sara, she was his girlfriend and is now his wife. She's nice, sweet."

"And their parents?" Dean pressed, not getting anything he needed here.

Rose's frown grew. "I don't know how to describe them. I mean, they're nice." Dean could hear her hesitating, hedging.

"Rose." She looked at him, hearing the edge in his voice and Dean was as blunt as he could be. "Are we safe walking in here tonight?"

"You think we're not?" Rose asked, and Dean could see this idea hadn't really occurred to her.

"I think these people kept information from your family for years and seem to still be doing that to some extent," Dean said. "I think most people are threats until proven differently."

Rose stared at him a moment then slowly said, "I dated their son for years, Dean. I don't think they would hurt me."

Dean was the one hesitating this time. He hated to be the one to give Rose harsh news she didn't want to hear. Before he could think of a way to say things nicely Rose was asking him:

"You don't agree?"

"I think you have to be more careful now," he said carefully. "I think that not everyone is Maggie or Sadie, people who love you just for who you are. People have hidden agendas, Sweetheart. Some people will look at you and just see your power."

Dean glanced at Rose and saw her staring at him with wide eyes. He was both amazed and slightly frustrated with her trusting nature. On one hand he loved that she could still be that way; it was part of Rose's genuine sweetness. But on the other it made keeping her safe harder. She could unknowingly put herself at risk.

"OK but aren't they supposed to all be my guardians? Don't they by heritage want to keep me safe?" Rose asked finally, and Dean nodded.

"Sure, in theory." Dean caught Rose's confused look and sighed. "I'm not trying to scare you here, Rose. I'm just trying to decide how careful we need to be tonight."

Rose was quite a minute then finally she said, "They're weird."

Dean frowned, concerned. "OK weird, how?"

"Picture a used car salesman stuck in the 1950’s," Rose said. "Really over the top and hokey, that's their dad. You always feel like he's on, putting on a front or a show or something. And their mom, she doesn't talk much. She just kind of ghosts around, giving you looks."

"Oh, they sound like a delightful couple," Dean said.

"It was a long time ago though, like I said." Rose shrugged. "Maybe we'll walk in there and they'll be completely different."

"Maybe," Dean agreed, not believing it for a second.

* * *

They were in fact even weirder than Rose described. Mr. Docherty - "Bernard, call me Bernard!" - was overly tanned, wearing a sweater and carrying a pipe and was indeed as cheesy and hokey as Rose had described. He greeted Dean with the statement about what to call him then proceeded to tell Dean what a fine fellow he was while slapping him on the back (“A fine, strapping lad!” were his exact words.) and greeted Rose as if she was his long-lost daughter.

"Rose!" He hugged her and unlike at the flower shop Rose looked incredibly uncomfortable, which said a lot to Dean. Rose was a hugger.  If she didn’t want you hugging her then there was something wrong with you. "Well aren't you just as bright and shiny as a new penny!"

"Hi Mr. Docherty," Rose said and he tutted at her.

"Now you know you can call me Bernard, Rose." He glanced at Dean. "Been trying to get her to call me by my first name since she first started dating my youngest boy. Oh, not that they are now. No, no I mean that was obviously not the way things were supposed to go."

Driving up to the address had been surreal enough. Dean hadn't been sure what to expect but a white picketed yard and a traditional ranch style home straight out of a 50's sitcom was definitely not it.

"Holy Pleasantville, Batman," Dean breathed out but Rose had looked unsurprised, so Dean had to believe they'd lived in something similar when living in Hastings.

"Meara, come say hello," Bernard called out and a small, pasty woman floated into the room. Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun, her mouth small and tight as if she'd just been given very bad news. She wore a long black dress as if in mourning as she ghosted up to her husband's side and looked over both Dean and Rose in a way that made Dean feel as if she was looking for bugs or dirt on them. "We're just pleased as punch that you're here," Bernard beamed, his overly tanned skin stretching as he flashed a wide smile at them.

"Yeah, she looks it," Dean muttered and Rose elbowed him in the ribs.

"Mr. and Mrs. Docherty, is Sean here?” Rose asked politely. “We really need to speak to him and then have to be on our way."

"Oh yes, kids your age, lots to do," Bernard enthused, with a wide grin. "Busy, busy!" He turned to his wife. "Now where was Sean?" She jerked her head towards a door behind them and then floated away back in the direction she'd come from.

"Oh yes, he's downstairs," Mr. Docherty said, nodding towards the door. "Holed up with his books. Hard to believe he's a father now, isn't it, Rose?" Rose smiled politely and nodded. "Not like that rascal, Danny. We know he'll never settle down. Never was the right one for you, Rose."

Having heard enough Dean asked, "So, can we just..." he motioned towards the door and Bernard nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh yes, yes, don't let me keep you. Rose will tell you, Dean, I can talk the hind leg off a donkey if you let me." He winked jovially and ushered them towards the door. "And Rose, can I just say how nice it is to be able to be so open now about who we all are." He stopped, placing a hand on her shoulder and Dean watched as her smile dimmed. She was trying so hard to be polite, Dean knew. "None of us liked keeping secrets but well, that's the way the cookie crumbles, don't you know."

"Right," Dean said, barreling between the two of them and knocking Mr. Docherty's hand off of Rose's shoulder. Unlike Rose he didn’t feel the need to be polite to this weirdo who obviously made her uncomfortable. “We’ll just let ourselves downstairs."

"Yes, yes, just like a hunter," Bernard said enthusiastically. "No time to waste."

Dean gave him a curt nod, pulled the door open and walked in, pulling Rose behind him. As soon as she closed the door Dean sighed.

"OK you weren't exaggerating."

Rose gave him a wan smile and Dean started down the stairs. Nearing the bottom, they came out into a labyrinth of shelves, crammed full of books. And seated near the end of the first stack was none other than Danny. He was lounging in a chair but sat up straight when he saw them, a genuine look of fear crossing his face.

"What are you doing here?" he asked getting to his feet, his body tight, face grim.

Dean and Rose looked at each other in confusion.

"We're here to see Sean," Rose said. "Lily talked to you-"

"She said _she_ was coming," Danny interrupted. "She never said anything about you..." He cut himself off, running a hand through his hair in agitation. "Damn it, Rosalie, you're not supposed to be here!"

Dean stepped forward, putting himself between Danny and Rose. "OK, just what the hell is going on here?"

"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" Danny was beside himself with distress and neither Dean nor Rose had any idea why.  Dean on his part had never seen Danny like this.  Gone was the smart ass, loud mouth who wanted nothing more than to steal his ex-girlfriend back.  In his place was a serious and focused man who was obviously very upset by their arrival.

"Danny, what's the problem?" Rose asked, coming around Dean to stand beside him.

"It was supposed to be Lily," Danny muttered and Rose frowned.

"Do you...should we go?"

Danny shook himself and took a deep breath. "No, no it'll be OK." He glanced at Dean then turned back to Rose with a smile, a wobbly one at best. "Just get in, get what you need and get out, OK?"

"I don't understand-" Rose started but Dean cut her off.

"OK is this dangerous? Are we walking into something here?" he demanded, and Danny hesitated.

"No, no it should be OK," Danny said finally and Dean frowned, not looking convinced but Danny had turned and was walking off into the stacks.

"Look, whatever happens you stay by me, understand?" Dean said, looking at Rose seriously and she nodded, then turned with Dean to follow after Danny.

"Sean's just been really stressed lately," Danny said when they caught up to him. "He's been spending more and more time down here and he gets a little...off when that happens."

Dean felt his heart rate quicken at that statement.  "Off?  What do you mean off?"

"He's just intense," Danny said, glancing back at the two of them and despite how Danny was trying to downplay it Dean could see real genuine concern there. And maybe a little fear. He reached out and grabbed Rose's hand, linking his fingers with hers, wondering if he shouldn’t just turn around and drag Rose out of here. But damn it, they needed this information.

They followed Danny through a maze of shelves and Rose quickly found herself lost. What looked like a small house from above had an impressive under building.

"Sam would love all these books," she said to Dean and he nodded with a distracted eye roll. He would never understand his brother's love of books, though right now that was the last thing on his mind. He was alert for anything threatening. 

"How big is this place, Danny?" Rose asked after a few minutes passed and they were still walking.

Danny considered her question. "I'm not really sure but it goes well under the back lot."

"Sean always did love books," Rose said, glancing at some on the shelves they passed.

"Well, he's got a shit load down here," Danny offered. "Hardly leaves. Sara has to come down here to make sure he's eating." Dean raised an eyebrow at that. Even Sam wasn't usually that bad.

Finally, they came to a large square room filled with tables with reading lamps on them and bookshelves, not unlike the setup of the library at the bunker. There was a long table along one wall with several computers set up and the wall above it held a large electric map with several blinking lights on it. Unlike the coziness of the bunker library though this felt very utilitarian, very functional but not at all personal. Rose frowned. She couldn't imagine spending a great deal of time in this room. It felt hollow to her, like it was missing a soul.

Seated at one of the tables was a whip thin man, light brown fair falling in his eyes which were glued to a book in front of him. He didn't notice them standing there until Danny said his name and then he looked up, his face startled. Dean figured they could have come in, taken whatever they wanted and left, and he probably wouldn't have even noticed. Now that Sam did do. He would get so lost in researching something that anything could happen around him and he wouldn't notice.

"Rose is here Sean," Danny was saying in a patient tone and Sean blinked at him for a moment.

“Rose?” he queried, and Danny nodded impatiently. “I thought the other one was coming.” Dean frowned at that, unsure what he meant.

“Well there was a change of plans,” Danny said shortly, and Sean smiled in delight, glancing their way.

"Yes, yes of course." He got to his feet and Dean could see he was taller than his brother by a good few inches, putting him just under Dean's height. He was painfully thin though and moved in a jerky fashion, as if his whole body was stiff and unused to movement.

"Hello Rose," he said coming to take Rose's hand. "It's been quite some time, hasn't it?"

Rose smiled at him warmly. "It has been, Sean." She moved to hug him, and he returned it stiffly, seeming to be taken by surprise as if it had been awhile since he'd had human contact. "Danny says you're married to Sara now and have a baby."

Sean looked surprised that she knew this. "Yes, Emmet's...he's a few months old now-"

"He's a year old," Danny cut his brother off flatly and Dean glanced at him curiously.

"Oh right, yes, that's right," Sean said, turning back to the book he'd been reading when they came in. "I'm not...I lose track of time down here." Dean watched him put the book back on a shelf, catching the title as he did: "Fae and Folklore of Ireland." Dean caught Danny rolling his eyes at his brother's response too, obviously unimpressed.

"And you're Dean," Sean said, turning back around and eyeing Dean. "A hunter." This last bit was said in the same tone one might have said sewer rat.

"Damn straight," Dean said, not liking the tone in which Sean spoke. Actually, he didn't like this guy, period. Not like Danny where Dean just thought the guy was an ass. Something was way off with Sean.  Dean moved a touch closer to Rose.

"They're here about the numbers, Sean," Danny said and Dean once again got the distinct impression that Danny wasn't happy they were here, which brought up all sorts of questions, none of which Dean liked the answers he was coming up with.

"Right, the numbers," Sean said, moving to the table underneath the computers that had a stack of paper on it. He pushed a few buttons, rummaged around a little, finally pulling out a small file, glancing inside of it then handing it to Danny. "That's what they need."

Another eye roll and Danny handed the folder to Dean who glanced inside, saw what looked like some sort of key and a few other papers and nodded in satisfaction. That's what they came for.  He handed it off to Rose, wanting his hands free just in case.

"Rose, I was just wondering if-" Sean started but his brother cut him off.

"No." The look that passed between them was nothing short of venomous. Whatever Sean wanted to ask Danny didn't like it.

"I was just going to ask, Danny," Sean said stiffly. "She could always say no."

"You shouldn't," Danny said sharply. "You shouldn't ask."

"What shouldn't he ask?" Rose piped up and the brothers' eyes met, an unspoken conversation took place and Danny seemed to acquiesce, though not happily.

"I was just wondering," Sean said, moving towards Dean and Rose and stopping a few feet away. "Well it just seems like such an amazing turn of events that you’re here…” Sean clasped his hands together and took a breath.  “I was just thinking, wondering really, if you would mind if I, well could you possibly demonstrate your powers for me?" Sean gave her what Dean supposed he thought was a charming smile, but it came off as creepy one.

"You want me to-" Rose started, looking taken aback at the request.

"Just show me what you can do," Sean said, smiling even broader but coming no closer to them. Dean had the distinct impression that he wasn't comfortable being any closer and Dean wasn't sure if it was one or both of them that made him uncomfortable. "It would be really helpful for my records."

"You have records on me?" Rose asked, and Dean could hear the anxiousness in her tone. He squeezed her hand to try and reassure her.

"Well, yes going back quite far," Sean said. "But no actual information first hand on your powers. That would be so nice to have, the missing piece of the puzzle really. Oh, and if you could get your sisters to come here so I could see them, well really just Daisy, I know what Lily can do I don’t need her to come here, that would be even better." Sean looked excited at the prospect. "Though really Rose, you're the one I want to study."

Dean watched as all the color drained from Rose's face. Enough was enough. "Yeah, OK we're leaving now."

"You want me to bring my sisters, so you can study them?" Rose asked, her voice faint.

"Not happening," Dean said and turned to go back the way they came only to find the door shut. He went to open it, but it wouldn't budge. "OK, open the damn door," he growled, turning to glare at Sean and Danny.

"Sean, what the hell is wrong with you? You asked, she said no.  Now open the door," Danny said, glaring at his brother but Sean shook his head.

"No, I can't do that." He focused on Rose. "Rose, you're so very important. Please, if you could just demonstrate...I even, I could find a demon for you to show me what all you can do-"

"Sean," Danny said, grabbing a hold of his brother’s arm. "Open the damn, door." He glanced at Dean and Rose. "He's got everything done by computer down here," he explained apologetically.

"Danny," Sean was saying, the excitement in his voice reaching manic levels. "She's here. Don't you understand? She's here! My God, the things I can find out and record-" And Dean felt his temper snap.

"Oh, you're not finding a damn thing out," Dean growled, dropping Rose’s hand and coming towards him and pushing Danny out of the way. He grabbed Sean's shirt front and hauled him up close to him. "Open the fucking door and let us out of here right now."

Sean smiled, a semi crazed smile and Dean wondered just who the hell they were dealing with here.

"I can't do that," Sean said. "She's too important."

"Right," Dean said, pulling his gun out and taking the safety off. "Open the door or get ready to lose a knee cap."

"Stop!" A loud crash sounded and the men in the room all turned to see Rose standing by the doorway, which now had no door. It was lying beside it, torn off its hinges. "That's the only power you'll get to see," Rose said and with a snarl Dean turned back and pushed Sean from him, knocking him back into the computer bank.  He rushed to Rose's side, grabbing her hand and heading for the door. They wove through the stacks, leaving the brothers behind and trying to find their way out. They'd been walking for what felt like hours, though in fact was nowhere near, but Dean was desperate to get Rose out of there and was worried what they'd face when they got upstairs. Assuming they ever got there.

A noise behind them had Dean whirling around but it was only Danny, a look of real contrition on his face.

"Follow me," he said quietly. "I'll get you out of here."

Dean studied him for a second, then gave a nod, able to see from the man's body language how upset he was by all of this.

"When we get upstairs, don't say anything about what happened," Danny warned. "My parents are, well Sean’s the golden boy."

"Still?" Rose asked, and Danny looked back and nodded.

"Something's never change," he muttered.

"Are we going to have any problem getting out?" Dean asked, and Danny shook his head.

"As long as you don't mention what went on down here to them, no." He glanced down. “And you might want to put that away,” he said motioning to the gun Dean still held. “Kind of a dead give away we weren’t all playing nice.” Dean gave a nod and tucked the gun away.

Danny led them out of the basement and up the stairs where they were greeted by a smiling Bernard at the living room door.

"Get what you came for?" he asked, and Dean nodded. "Good, good. I hope we'll be seeing more of you, Rose."

Rose gave him a wan smile. "Thank you, Mr. Docherty."

"I'm just going to walk them out, Dad," Danny said and his father smiled.

"Good manners, son. I approve." Then he placed his pipe back in his mouth and headed back into the living room. Dean glanced at him as he settled down on the couch, thinking this was the freakiest family he’d met.  And that was saying something.

Danny ushered them both out to the Impala and Dean opened the door for Rose, helping her in. He closed the door then turned to Danny, grabbing him by the shirtfront and slamming him up against the car. "What the hell was all that?" he demanded, and Danny placed his hands up placatingly.

"Not here," he said, glancing back at the house nervously. "We can meet somewhere else and talk later tonight but not here."

"Is she in danger?" Dean asked, glancing at Rose. "Is she?"

"Of course, she is!" Danny snapped. "She's always in danger."

"From your family!" Dean snarled, and Danny hesitated, making Dean shake him. "Is she?"

"Yes," Danny snapped. "Yes, OK? She is." He looked Dean in the eye. "But not from me. I swear it."

Dean stepped back, releasing his shirt and taking a breath. What the hell was going on here?

"Meet me in Kearney," Danny said urgently. "Get a place to stay and I'll meet you there in a few hours." Dean considered this. He knew the town, knew most of the towns in Nebraska. His instincts were screaming at him to get Rose as far away from here, from these people as possible.  But they needed to know what was going on. "Please."

Dean glanced up finally and nodded. "But I swear to God if you're lying and you mean her any harm I'll gut you."

Danny paled but nodded. "You pick the place, text me and let me know." He glanced at his watch. "It's a two-hour drive. Let me smooth things over her and I'll meet you in three."

Dean nodded, going around to the driver's side and climbing in then taking off.

* * *

"Are you OK?" Dean asked once they were on the highway. Rose gave a nod and Dean reached out, putting a hand on her knee. "Talk to me, Rose. Are you OK?"

"I'm OK," Rose said softly, slipping a hand under his and he squeezed it reassuringly.

Dean took a breath. "OK, the plan is-"

"I heard," Rose said and Dean glanced at her. "You're not quiet, Dean."

"I'm gonna have Cas come and stay with you when I talk to Danny," Dean said. "We'll get a hotel room and you can stay there, be safe."

Rose shook her head. "No, I need to know what's going on too."

"And I'll tell you," Dean said smoothly. "I promise."

"So, you don't trust that Danny's telling the truth and you think I should let you walk into a meeting with him on your own?" Rose said, and Dean frowned. Why did she always have to be so logical?

"I'll be fine, Baby," he said. "I can handle myself."

Several minutes later they had come up with a plan they could both agree on, if not quite happily. Dean would call Cas and ask him to meet them and they'd have Danny meet them in their hotel room. That way they could talk openly and have backup.

"I don't want you there," Dean grumbled and Rose just gave him a stubborn look.

"Well I don't want people who've known me since I was a teenager to want to run tests on me like I'm a lab rat," she shot back. "But we don't always get what we want."

"You know, you're being awfully calm about all of this," Dean said eyeing her speculatively and Rose laughed.

"Oh, I'm not calm. I am freaking out inside." She looked determined. "But I want to know what's going on. Later on, after everyone's left and we know what the story is and it's just you and me? Then I'll be having a meltdown of epic proportions."

Dean nodded. "OK, good to know."

They got checked into a Holiday Inn using Rose's credit card and Dean got a hold of Cas who met them in their hotel room moments later. Dean told Cas the situation as Rose sat quietly in one of the chairs, her knees drawn up to her chest, legs wrapped tightly around them. She'd texted Danny herself when they got checked in and quickly got a response that he'd be there.

"You could still change your mind," Dean said to her softly once Cas was up to date. Rose looked up to find Dean sitting on the bed nearest her, giving her a kind, compassionate look. “I could go meet him at a bar, leave you here.  I promise I’ll tell you everything.”

She shook her head. "I can't. But thanks." She’d been on the sidelines too much recently, playing catch up on her own life.  If today had shown her anything it was that she needed to know just what was going on.


	105. I Believe in Second Chances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whiskey and Angels and Snow

Danny arrived right on time, two bottles of alcohol in hand - one whiskey and one vodka.

He greeted the angel who just nodded in his direction, avoided Dean’s eyes and dropped into the other chair across from Rose. He shot her an anxious smile.

"You doing OK, Rosalie?"

"Oh, she's great after your brother tried to turn her into his guinea pig," Dean snapped, stalking over from the other side of the room where he’d been pacing till Danny’s arrival. He glared down at the dark-haired fellow now, snatched the bottle of whiskey from him and went and poured a healthy amount into one of the plastic cups the hotel provided. Dean tossed another Danny's way and he grabbed it, pouring himself some vodka. Danny motioned to Rose.

"You want any?"

She shook her head with a small smile. "No thanks."

"So, get to spilling," Dean said. "What the hell was that Dr. Moreau act about?"

Danny drained his glass then leaned back, stretching his legs out while Dean took a seat on the bed nearest Rose.

"My parents sent Sean to Ireland last year," Danny began and Rose turned a little in her chair to face him, tugging her sweatshirt down over her knees. "Emmet was just a few months old and he wasn't thrilled about going but you know Sean." This was directed at Rose and she nodded in understanding. Realizing he was speaking to an audience that wasn't just her Danny explained. "Sean's the good son, the one that always does what my parents want. He's always been better at doing what they want than what _he_ wants. I never had that problem," Danny said with a wry smile that Rose returned. Dean bit back the surge of jealousy that came up every time it became apparent Rose and Danny shared a past.  "Obviously Sean's always been the bookish one, the one into all the history and myth of you and your sisters. He could rattle off facts and lines of prophecy from the time he was a kid." Danny's eyes were on Rose when he said, "When he realized it was you, that you were the one with all the power he was ecstatic." Danny grinned, a lopsided grin at Rose and Dean just rolled his eyes. "He thought you were the perfect one to balance it all, to not get lost in the power or let it overwhelm you."

Rose nodded. "I always liked Sean." She frowned. "I mean until he locked me in a room and wanted to experiment on me." Danny cringed at that.

"Sean was in Ireland for months. He was staying with relatives of my moms, people who kept the deepest prophecies safe. He brought all that back with him and then got to working on getting them online." Danny fidgeted with his necklace and Dean tensed, not knowing what was coming but feeling sure it wasn't good. "At first when he was over there he seemed fine. He called a lot and Sara and Emmet even flew over to stay with him for a bit. Then he moved to another town, staying with other people that our relatives suggested but my mom didn't know. That’s when he started acting weird." Danny took another sip. "The calls became a lot less frequent, then stopped all together. Sara wanted to go back over but Sean told her not to come. He said where he was staying wasn't as nice, that it wasn't anywhere for a baby." Danny shrugged. "He might have been telling the truth."

"But you don't think so," Dean said and Danny glanced at him and shook his head.

"No, I think he didn't want to be bothered, to be distracted."

"From what?" Rose asked.

"From whatever the hell he was learning over there. Or doing.” Danny frowned. “Hell, if it was anyone else I'd have just thought he was having an affair, screwing some Irish girl and didn't want his wife interrupting. But that's not Sean." Danny leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a minute. "He came back different. I don't think I realized just how different till the last few months." He opened his eyes and focused on his cup, turning it on the table. "I was out a lot, working and nowhere near home. Sara called me a few times saying she was worried but I, I didn't take her seriously enough." Danny shook his head. "I should have. It wasn't till I went home after what happened in New Orleans that I realized what she meant. He's obsessed."

"With what?" Rose asked, and Danny looked at her.

"With you. You and Daisy actually." Dean saw Cas stiffen at this statement out of the corner of his eye. "He was livid I didn't bring you to him after the attack, said I'd had you and I shouldn't have left you with hunters." He glanced at Dean. "No offense but my family doesn't think very highly of hunters. Well, my dad anyway and Sean follows his lead." Dean shrugged casually.  Way too casually making Rose wince.

“No offense,” Dean bit back sharply. “But I don’t think very highly of your family.  They all seem to be fucking wackos.” Danny just grinned, offering up no argument leaving Dean with no one to battle. And that was beyond annoying.  He’d like nothing more than to fight someone now, to punch someone hard. He should have punched Sean before they left. As if sensing his turmoil Rose reached out a hand to him, entwining their fingers together and Dean felt himself relax slightly.

"Sean was pissed. He thought I should have brought you to our house, so he could watch you, observe you." Rose shivered at that and Danny sent her an apologetic smile. "The next time I saw him, when I got those initial bunch of papers for Sam, he started up again and it turned into a huge fight. We haven't really spoken since, but he scared me enough that I didn't want you around him. He talked about you like he didn't know you, like you were just..."

"Just my powers?" Rose suggested, and Danny nodded. "Yeah, that seems to be going around."

“He’s definitely gotten more obsessed with you and your sisters as he got more and more information. But this went beyond that.” Danny shook his head. “Sean’s always been the even keeled one, you know that.” Rose nodded. “Not anymore.” Danny shook his head. "Anyway, it's why I was OK with Lily coming to the house. You know how Sean is with her."

"Uh, no not all of us do," Dean interjected and Danny glanced at him.

"Lily and Sean were in the same class at school," Rose said. "They weren't...friends." Danny laughed.

"You mean she scared the hell out of him." Rose nodded, with a small grin. "She had Sean didn't click, shall we say. And he has no interest in her powers, called them common." Danny shook his head. "My brother the power snob." And that got a small huff of laughter from Dean despite himself. "Lily's powers are spelled out pretty clearly. Rose and Daisy's aren't and so Sean is obsessed with them, wants to study them." He gave Rose an apologetic look. "I didn't think he'd act like he did though. He went on after you left about how if he could just run some tests on you and Daisy he could learn so much."

Cas was standing ramrod straight now and Dean was surprised at how concerned he felt with how this would go if Danny kept mentioning Daisy. Usually Cas was the one in control of his emotions, so much so that Dean had even questioned if he had any. He obviously did when it came to Daisy.

"Your parents, they realize your brother's acting weird?" Dean asked, and Danny frowned.

"Sara has commented on it a lot and it's obvious he's not seeing Emmet hardly at all."

"I can't imagine," Rose said softly and Danny nodded.

"He adored him when he was born, was over the moon at having the little boy. Then Ireland happened, and it was like he just lost interest." Danny's eyes were sad. "I'm not sure how much longer Sara can handle it. Anyway, my dad is, well living in denial is one way to put it." Dean thought back to the man they'd met and could easily see that. "My mom is concerned. She's tried to talk to Sean, but it hasn't done much good."

Dean glanced at Rose then Cas. "Sound like a spell to you?" Both nodded. "Yeah, you need yourself a witch," Dean said turning back to face Danny.

"You happen to know a good one?" Danny asked, and Dean looked at Rose.

"You could call Bobby, see if him and my mom know of someone." She frowned. "I'm not sure Heather wants anything to do with us after last time."

"I'd appreciate it," Danny said. "My brother at the best of times is an uptight geek I don't really get along with, but he's never wanted to hurt a person in his life. And he loves his wife and son. That guy today..." Danny shook his head. "I don't know him."

Rose reached across the table and put her hand on his arm. "We'll get him back, Danny. Don't worry."

"Right, give us a minute," Dean said, standing and nodded at Cas. The two stepped outside, leaving Danny and Rose alone.

"My mom was under a spell," Rose said. Danny looked at her in surprise and Rose proceeded to tell him the tale.

"God, I just...that's unbelievable," Danny said with a shake of his head when Rose was finished. "You've really been through the ringer these last few months, haven't you?" Rose nodded with a rueful smile.

“It’s been something all right,” she said softly.

"You seem like yourself again though, Rosalie," Danny noted. "And you seem, well all things considered, happy."

Rose smiled softly. "Yeah, my life is a horror show lately but there's a lot that is happy."

Danny jerked his head towards the door. “Him?”

Rose nodded. "He's not the only thing but yes, he's a large part of it."

Danny studied her, the girl he'd loved since he was sixteen. He’d caught the way she’s reached out to Dean when he’d been upset, the way Dean had squeezed that hand before leaving the room, the deep connection between the two of them readily apparent. Before he could say anything, Dean was letting himself back into the room. Which was good because Danny didn’t have a clue what he’d say.

"OK, Cas went back, and I called Bobby. He agreed it sounds like a spell and he and your mom are going to see if there's anyone close who can remove it. They'll call you on that normal number you have when they do." Dean left out the fact that he’d checked with Cas that Danny was telling the truth and Cas had verified he was. Danny nodded now, and Dean glanced at Rose. "I'm pretty sure they want to spare Heather if they can."

"Do I even want to ask what you guys did to this woman?" Danny asked curiously.

"Well she died," Dean began.

"Yeah, but not for long," Rose interjected. "I mean Cas brought her back pretty quick. Still, it wasn't exactly fun."

Danny just stared at the two of them for a moment then got to his feet. "Right, so before I ask any more questions I really don't want the answer to I'm going to go." He hesitated then walked over and leaned down, hugging Rose. "I'm sorry," he whispered, and Rose shook her head.

"It's not your fault" she whispered back and smiled at Danny as he stood up. He looked at Dean for a second, considering then thought better of it and walked to the door. "Are you safe to go home?" Rose asked, concerned.

"Oh sure," Danny said. "My parents don’t even know anything happened.  But I'm not going there tonight. I have a…let’s just call her a friend I can stay with," he said with a lecherous wink, letting himself out the door with a grin at Rose's look.

"Yeah, I still hate that guy," Dean muttered without any real heat in his voice.

He locked the door then looked at Rose who was picking at her sweatshirt. "You Want a Revolution. I Want a Revelation." it read. Well hey, we got some of those tonight, Dean thought coming over to her.

He crouched down in front of her, taking her hands in his. "OK?" he asked, and Rose nodded slowly. "Want to take a shower, get ready for bed?"

"In a minute." Rose looked thoughtful. "So, we're thinking what, that someone put a spell on Sean months ago to get to me?"

Dean hesitated then slowly nodded. "That's what it sounds like."

"That makes him the second person I know to have a spell placed on them because of me in the last few months," Rose said softly. "And I hadn't even seen him in years." Rose dropped her head back on the chair and stared at the ceiling. "It's dangerous just knowing me."

"Stop," Dean said. "You didn't have anything to do with this. And Daisy was mentioned in there too you know." He squeezed Rose's hands, drawing her eyes to his. "You going to try and tell me Daisy's dangerous to know?" Rose hesitated then slowly shook her head. "OK then. Come on. Shower."

Rose let him pull her to her feet and shepherd her towards the shower, moving her before she could sink to low into her thoughts. Underneath the hot spray of water Rose looked at Dean, murmured a soft, “OK I’m going to fall apart now,” and dissolved into tears. Dean held her and just let her cry, knowing she needed to. Finally, she took a deep breath, gave a small nod of her head and let Dean help her out and the two went to bed.

Later that night Rose would have a nightmare, the first she'd had in weeks though this one was different. There was no Aine in this one, no knives or people she loved in danger, just Sean trapping her in a room and not letting her go. She woke Dean up, tossing around, letting out small cries of terror. "Let me out...please, let me go..." Her cries cut through to Dean's heart as he woke her up. She clung to him then, half asleep, babbling about the locked room she didn't want to be trapped in till Dean soothed her back to sleep.

* * *

Miles away back at the bunker Cas was striding towards Daisy's room. He’d appeared in the library, giving himself a moment to calm down before he saw Daisy.

“Look man,” Dean had said once they were in the hallway of the hotel. “I know it sucks to hear this shit about the girls, that people want to hurt them, but you need to calm down.” Cas had given him an unbelieving look. How could Dean of all people be telling him to be calm? “If you go back to the bunker this angry you’ll scare Daisy,” Dean said reasonably, and Cas frowned, hearing the sense in that. “And it’s not like we’re gonna let anything happen to them, right?” Cas had nodded in agreement then and after they’d discussed the details he’d come back.

He burst into Daisy’s room now, startling her in the middle of a viewing of an 80's romcom. "Cas, what's wrong?"

Apparently, he hadn’t done as good a job of calming down as he thought.  He didn't respond, instead, taking his shoes off and shrugging out of his coat and then striding towards the bed. He settled down next to Daisy and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her and surprising her.

"Cas?" Daisy asked tentatively. "Are you OK?"

He buried his head against her neck and Daisy could hear him muttering to himself. "She's OK, she's safe. Not in danger."

"I'm fine, Cas," Daisy said, unsure what was going on but sensing his need to reassure himself that she was all right. She brought a hand up to his shoulders, running her hand over them soothingly. "I'm OK." She let her other hand rest on his head, combing her fingers through his hair and slowly she felt him relax, felt some of the tension in his body ease. He pulled back and looked up at her with those eyes that could mesmerize her with just a glance and they were so full of worry that Daisy couldn't help but reach down to kiss him. Her lips were soft and sweet, her hands coming up to cup his face. "I'm fine, Cas," she murmured again, in between kisses. "I'm right here, I'm safe."

Cas held her to him, loving the sensation of her lips on his, letting himself feel that she was indeed all right, was safe. Finally, feeling calmer Cas leaned back against the headboard, taking Daisy with him. Daisy settled herself against his chest, feeling him relax. She gave him a few minutes; a bit shook up herself having never seen Cas scared before. Usually he was pretty unflappable.

"Can I see?" she asked finally when she felt he’d had enough time, her voice soft and Cas nodded, letting her see the nights events through his eyes. Cas watched her face closely as she reacted to the news, seeing the surprise and yes, the fear there and he suddenly understood the anger Dean felt towards threats towards Rose. He'd felt incredible rage tonight when a threat to Daisy was mentioned. He had wanted to find this Sean and hurt him, even though he was most likely under a spell, even though it wasn't really his fault. Emotions had taken over and Cas had to stop himself from hunting him down.

"Rose hates to be trapped," Daisy said finally. "She always has. That must have been awful." Daisy let herself snuggle into Cas' arms, into his body, needing to feel the strength and solidness he provided. "I don't want to be tested on," she said in a small voice and Cas' arms immediately tightened around her.

"That will never happen," Cas said in a voice that was a sure as stone. "I would never let it."

Daisy nodded, saying no more for quite some time, her fingers running over his tie nervously. Finally, she sighed and looked up at Cas.

"Things are bad, aren't they? I mean, there's so many...things that want us."

Cas nodded. "You possess power, and many want that." Cas stroked her curls back. "But you have many people who want to keep you safe." He looked deep into her eyes then. "And I'll always protect you, Daisy."

Daisy gave him a smile and snuggled against him. "I know you will, Cas."

Cas held her until she fell asleep, then tucked her under the covers, turned the TV and lights off and lay down to hold her some more. Holding her made him feel better, reassured him she was here and safe.  Daisy sighed and turned towards him in her sleep, snuggling against his chest.

"Such pretty wings," she murmured in her sleep, leaving Cas staring at her in shock.

* * *

The last few hours on the road for Sam and Lily there wasn't a lot of talking. It had started snowing and Lily who had much more experience driving in snow had taken over again. (This was where having a brother who didn't like him to drive in the best of conditions hurt Sam. No way in hell was Dean letting Sam drive the Impala in snow.) They'd stopped in the town closest to their destination and picked up the keys then started the trek to the cabin through what was now a full-blown snowstorm. The man at the store where they'd picked up the keys had informed them it was rare to get this heavy of a snow so early in the season. "You must have brought it with you," he said with a wide grin. "Yeah, that's a ringing endorsement for us," Lily had muttered once they were back in the car with the heater on high. "We bring the storms."

The road to the cabin was a dirt one, through deep woods with very little light. Lily was focused on the road and Sam did his best to be an extra set of eyes for her. Finally, they spotted a light ahead, the porch light of the cabin they were staying in burning brightly and the pulled up in front of it with a sigh of relief on both their parts.

They gathered their bags and quickly made their way inside, fat snowflakes falling on both of them as they opened the door. There was a candle burning on the table and a fire in the fireplace, giving the cabin a cozy feel which was much appreciated after the cold, tense drive. Lily took their bags into the bedroom area and Sam investigated the kitchen. "How about Macaroni and Cheese?" he asked after perusing their dinner options.

"Sounds good," Lily agreed moving into the living room. The cabin wasn't large. It was used primarily as a honeymoon cabin, the coziness of it lending itself to intimacy.  The view outside was supposed to be spectacular though it was much too dark to see tonight. All Lily could see when she looked out was the front porch and the snow continuing to fall and build up. They really were alone out here, just the two of them, Lily thought, glancing back at Sam moving around the kitchen. Looks like they were really going to have to have that talk they'd been putting off. Lily stared into the fire and hoped it went better than she feared.

"Have a seat," Sam said, pulling her from her thoughts. She glanced back to find him sitting on the couch and she moved to join him. He turned her expertly with his hands, so her back was to him and he began rubbing her shoulders, his thumbs digging into tight knots. "You're all tense from the last part of the drive." Lily couldn't stop the moan that fell from her lips. Sam's hands on her at any time were wonderful but he was an expert at getting rid of the stress in her shoulders and right now that felt like heaven. "Just relax," Sam murmured, pulling her closer to him, moving her hips between his spread legs. "Dinner's in the oven and will be ready in forty-five minutes. Plenty of time for you to wind down from that drive."

"I thought we'd never get here," Lily said, letting her head fall forward as Sam dug his thumbs into the knot of tension at the base of her neck.

"You did great, Lil," Sam said, a note of pride in his voice. "You're a damn good driver."

"Mmmm," Lily agreed noncommittally. Sam's hands moved back to her shoulders, working on the tension there and Lily moaned again. "God, you're good at that." Sam let out a soft chuckle and Lily glanced back at him. "What?"

Sam flashed her a devilish grin, bending his head close to her ear. "It's just I'm not usually rubbing your back when you say that."

Lily laughed herself then, snuggling back against him. "I can't argue that," she agreed. Sam dropped his hands from her back, wrapping them around her instead and stretching out on the couch as she turned on her side, resting back against his chest and staring into the fire.

Sam closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the feel of Lily laying against him. He'd missed this, these quiet moments when it was just them, nothing going on, neither of them feeling the need to talk, just enjoying being with each other. He loved being with Lily like he never had with anyone else. Funny in all his fantasies of her as a teenager he'd never imagined this would be such a highlight - Just being with her in such a comfortable and easy way.

"Did you know I had a crush on you when I was teenager?" he asked suddenly, and Lily looked up at him in surprise. She considered his question.

"You did?" she asked, and Sam could tell from her tone the idea had never occurred to her. He nodded, and she smiled. "Nope, I had no idea."

"God, I was a bumbling mess around you," he said with a grin. "I can't believe you didn't catch on."

"You were a teenage boy, Sam. That kind of equates to a bumbling mess," Lily said with a smile, leaning her head back against his chest and Sam had to agree. "You grew up nicely though," Lily added and Sam laughed.

"I'm glad you approve," he said dryly, and Lily laughed. She dragged her fingers over his thigh, drawing lazy patterns.

"You know what made me realize this was going to be different between us?" Lily asked softly, and Sam shook his head. "From the very first time we hooked up, you always held me after." Sam waited and realizing that was the whole answer he prodded:

"And other guys didn't do that?" Sam had a whole rant building: What was wrong with men? Didn't they know affection was important? But then Lily shot that all down with her response.

"Oh, I never let them," she said. "I was always very much of the mindset "OK, we fucked, great. Get off me now please." Holding and cuddling after just made me feel trapped." Lily shuddered, and Sam tried to mesh the image of that woman with the woman in his arms and couldn't. "But with you, well it just felt natural. I didn't even think about it, didn't realize how very different things were until a few months in. And by then I was used to it." She snuggled against him and Sam dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "I liked you holding me after, liked hugging and kissing you." She shrugged. "I don't know if it's because we'd always been affectionate anyway or if it was something more, but we've pretty much broken every rule I've ever had right from the start."

"That's me. Sam Winchester - rule breaker." Lily giggled at the absurdity of that statement and Sam smiled. "I told you things," he said after a minute. "I'd talk to you and tell you things I didn't tell anyone else. Things I was feeling, shit that was going on and how overwhelmed I felt. That was a big difference for me."

"I liked that you did," Lily said softly and Sam looked down to find her looking up at him, her brown eyes warm, the firelight dancing in their depths. "I like that you do." She reached a hand up and touched his face gently. "I managed to convince myself for a while that I just really loved your body, that you were an amazing lover - which for the record, you are." That got a pleased smile from Sam along with a slight reddening of his cheeks. "But the thing was, as wonderful as this body is," Lily let her hand dance over his chest, then go up to his lips. "As amazing as this smile is, no matter how many mind-blowing orgasms you can give me with your tongue...." Her hand went back to his chest, resting there. "The thing I really love about you is your heart." She smiled at him almost shyly but with a definite note of pride. "You are the kindest, most generous, most loving man I've ever known. And the fact that you want to be with me, that you love me?" Lily shook her head. "It blows my mind."

Sam blinked rapidly several times, trying to get his emotions under control. God, she could just get to him like no one else. Lily may be a perpetual smartass who was flippant more often than she was serious but when she spoke from the heart she didn’t hold back. So, Sam took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes for a minute before responding.

"The image of you that night in Chicago, tight little mini-skirt, shirt that laced up the back in a way that made me insane the whole fucking night, moving on that dance floor in a way that just screamed sex - That's my whole idea of sexy, of hot in my book and any man, hell any person in that club that night would have killed to be with you." He smiled down at Lily in a soft way that made her breath catch. "But they'd have no idea what they were getting into. They wouldn't realize that as beautiful as you are - the way your hips curve, the way your eyes shine, the way your mouth makes a man think of pure sin every time you smile - well that's just the packaging. And as beautiful as that is it's not the best part." Sam ghosted a hand over her head, his fingers touching her hair softly. "They wouldn't know that the real beauty in you comes out at other times - When you're laughing at something and you're so pure and unguarded it makes my heart stop.” Sam traced a finger over her face lightly, his touch seeming to fill Lily with warmth. “When you're fighting to save someone and you're so fierce and full of fire that you make everything around you look dim.” Sam smiled at that, the pride on his face too strong to ignore. “Or when you first wake up and don't want to be awake, so you snuggle closer to me and you're so soft and so warm that you feel exactly like home to me." Sam cupped her cheek in his hand, smiling down at her and Lily felt tears threaten at the beauty of his words. "You are fire and warmth and gentleness and passion, and every happy moment rolled into one." Sam's thumb swept over her cheekbone, his hand so large and so tender with her it made Lily ache. "You make me crazier than any other person ever has and happier than I ever thought I could be. There's no one else like you, Lily and I love you in a way I didn't even think was possible."

Sam leaned his head down as Lily arched hers up and their lips kissed in a way that sent soft, smoldering sparks throughout them both. Lily hadn't ever believed she'd be in love, and this surpassed anything she'd ever imagined love could be. As their lips parted Sam felt a wonderful feeling of certainty wash over him.

The timer went off a moment later and they slowly pulled apart, untangling their bodies from each other and heading to the kitchen to get dinner. They filled their plates, poured drinks and bypassed the table, heading back to the couch to eat together.

"So, no matter what happens tomorrow," Lily said, eyeing her plate and then Sam. He glanced at her, put his plate down and took her hand in his.

"No matter what, we got this."

* * *

“You never told me you could see my wings.”

Daisy blinked sleepily at Cas. Those were definitely not the first words she’d expected to hear from him this morning. It took her a minute to get out a croaky, “What?”

“My wings,” Cas said. “When you were going to sleep you commented on them.”  He paused, looking down at Daisy. “You said they were nice.”

Daisy blinked again. Was Cas blushing?  Did angels blush?

“Well, um they are?” she ventured, unsure what to say here.  She felt like she was in trouble, like she’d done something wrong somehow and she wasn’t sure what. 

Cas had spent a large portion of the night torn between wonder and confusion.  Human’s could not see an angel’s wings or true form.  It just wasn’t possible.  True, Daisy could hear his thoughts which wasn’t supposed to be possible either but somehow this seemed even more unbelievable.  Especially as she had mentioned it in her sleep. And had never mentioned it before.

“I can’t always see them,” she was saying now, sitting up in the bed. Cas sat up himself and turned to look at her as she leaned back against the headboard. “I mean at first it was just when I was in the coma and only when you were really worried about me.  And then when I was awake, well it only seems to be when you’re feeling protective, like I’m in danger.” A small smile flitted across Daisy’s lips. “Then they just show up, all shiny and huge, all protective and so pretty and I just want to-” She broke off when she caught Cas staring at her in surprise and figured she’d said way too much. She scrambled up quickly. “I’m going to go take a shower,” she said and made a dash for the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind her.

Cas sat there for several moments, listening to Daisy move about the bathroom, to the shower start, all the while turning over what she said in her head.  Finally, with a shake of his head, he got to his feet and headed to the kitchen, intent on starting coffee for Daisy.  He knew how; it was one of the few things he could do competently in the kitchen.  He’d learned how to make it for Sam and Dean and though the first time had been a disaster he’d gotten better since.  (He’d had no idea you weren’t supposed to fill the entire coffee filter.  Why make it so large if it wasn’t supposed to be filled?  Luckily Sam was up before Dean and had taken one sip, took one sip and poured the cup out.  Then he’d explained how to make it properly.)  The coffee was made and waiting when Daisy came into the kitchen dressed for the day.

She eyed Cas nervously out of the corner of her eye as she went and poured coffee, adding creamer and sugar to it.  She stirred her mug for a few minutes, then left it, finally leaning against the counter and looking at him.

“I feel like you’re mad at me,” she said quietly.

“I’m not mad,” Cas said. “I’m…I guess I’m just confused.”

“Well what do you think I am?” Daisy asked, and Cas was surprised at the emotion in her voice. “I don’t understand what I can do, or what I can see or hear.  I don’t know what any of it means and it’s not like I can tell people.” Daisy’s hands were on her hips now and Cas could feel the irritation coming off her. “I mean if I suddenly say, “Wow, Lily you should see Cas’ wings. The blue in them is just like the color of his eyes and-”

Cas was on his feet and in front of her so quickly Daisy didn’t even catch the movement. His eyes were burning down into hers urgently and his hands on her waist felt like they were burning into her skin.

“You really can see them,” he murmured, and Daisy frowned.

“Well yeah, why the hell would I make that up? I mean it’s-oh!” She stopped talking suddenly because suddenly, the wings in question were there, surrounding her, surrounding _them_. 

“Humans cannot see angel’s wings, Daisy,” Cas said, his voice deep and gravelly.

“Well, you said I’m not quite human, right?” Daisy said, and Cas started to nod.  But Daisy couldn’t resist temptation any longer. She reached out a hand tentatively to stroke the feathers, the blue and the black blending together beautifully. And she glanced at Cas’ face in surprise when he made a sudden noise.   She watched as Cas closed his eyes and took a breath and she realized as her fingers traced lightly over his wings that he liked it. He her liked her touching them. She smiled in pleasure and let her fingers stroke the width of his wings, marveling at how soft the feathers felt but at the barely contained power she could feel in them.  With the wings towering over her head and surrounding her she felt very, very small..

“They’re beautiful, Cas,” she said softly and leaned against him. Slowly Cas opened his eyes and he was indeed blushing.

“I like that you can see them,” he admitted softly, and Daisy’s smile grew. “It just took me by surprise.”

“It seemed to freak you out at first when I could hear your thoughts,” Daisy said. “So, I figured this might too.” She brushed her knuckles against the feathers closest to his shoulder blades and felt him shiver. “Maybe it’s because you’re my wife,” she suggested and that got a chuckle from Cas.

“Maybe it’s just because you’re Daisy,” he suggested. “And you break every rule I’ve ever known.”

“Maybe,” Daisy said, stretching up on her toes so she could kiss him. And as Cas’ wings tightened around her, and her lips hovered over his she grinned. “But you have to admit, it’s pretty cool.”

* * *

While Sam and Lily were waking up to their first morning alone Dean and Rose were heading home. Rose seemed OK today, Dean thought, glancing at her. He wasn't even sure if she remembered having the nightmare last night, so he didn't bring it up. They stopped for breakfast and she ate well enough and then they were back on the road. It wasn't far and before they knew it they were pulling into the garage.

Rose carried two of her bags, despite Dean's protests to their room (“You’re carrying a pile, Dean. I can at least carry some.”) and a pleasant surprise greeted her when she opened the door.  Sookie was perched atop her cat tree, which the last Rose knew was still back in Hastings.

"I had Cas pop it here," Dean said and Rose graced him with a happy smile and a soft kiss of thanks.

"You're sweet," she murmured, and Dean made a face.

"Let's not let that get out, OK?" he muttered, and Rose laughed, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“Oh yes, we wouldn’t want to ruin your reputation,” she said with a grin and Dean nodded in agreement. "I have so much to put away," she said, looking at her bags and knowing how many more there were.

"No rush," Dean said. "It's not going anywhere. Come on, let's see where Daisy and Cas are."

Rose got up and took his hand with a smile. “In a minute.  First, come with me. I have a surprise for you too.”

Dean followed her with a puzzled expression on his face as she led the way down to her old room.  She opened the door ahead of Dean, pleased to see Charlie had left the case where she’d asked her to – laying on the bed. She entered the room, dropped his hand and stood back, watching Dean’s face as he caught sight of his surprise.

His eyed widened when he spotted it, he glanced at her then back at the item on the bed.

“How did you-”

“Charlie,” Rose said simply, watching as Dean moved closer to the bed, his hand lifting to touch the case. “I had her bring it for me.  I miss you playing.” Dean glanced at her quickly then slowly took a seat and opened the case, his hands quickly pulling the old guitar out and his fingers softly drifting over the strings. Rose smiled as he softly strummed a chord. “I figured since we were moving so many of my things here it was time to move that as well.” She looked at him knowingly. “I knew you wouldn’t want a new one.”

Dean nodded in agreement at that fact. There was sentiment behind this guitar. It may be old, but it was special, not something to be replaced. He softly started playing, a few chords of a familiar song drifting out and Rose smiled. He’d played most often for just her the last few years, because she’d pushed and prodded him enough to get him to actually believe she wanted him to. Maybe now that his guitar was here he’d do it a bit more. Rose watched and listened to him play the whole song before he grinned up at her, placed the guitar back in its case and then came to stand in front of her, case in hand.

“Thanks, Rosie,” he said, his voice soft, smile sweet. He placed one tender kiss on her lips, then led her out, down to their room where he carefully put the guitar in a spot by the chair. 

Rose smiled, happy she’d been able to pull this off and make him happy. “Now, let’s go find Daisy and Cas.”

Daisy and Cas were in the kitchen and Dean couldn't have chosen a more perfect spot if he tried. He stood back, watching Rose's face as she glanced around, noticing the new additions to the room. Her mixer, her cooking utensils, her food processor. Her eyes were wide when she turned to him.

"You did this?" she asked, and he nodded.

"With some help from Charlie and your sisters."

"Charlie and I set it all up yesterday," Daisy said and Rose smiled at her.

"You guys are the best," she said, going to touch everything as if wanting to make sure they were real. Her smile told Dean he'd made the right call. A small part of him had been worried she'd think he was pushing her. He wasn't. He just knew somethings Rose needed to feel settled. And that look on her face was all the payoff he needed.

"We all have our mugs too in the cabinets," Daisy added and Rose opened the doors to see what Daisy said was true. Opening the rest of the cabinets she saw her bowls and all her baking essentials were there as well.

"Thanks, Days," Rose said going to hug her. The she turned to Dean. "You're amazing you know," she said wrapping her arms around him, her voice soft, her eyes warm.

"Yeah, yeah so you keep telling me," Dean said with a bashful grin.

"As soon as I'm cooking again-"

"As soon as you want to," Dean said, cutting her off. "There's no rush, no time table. Remember that."

Rose nodded, nuzzling her face against is neck. "You're too good to me," she murmured, and Dean just smiled, happy that he'd made her happy.

"So, what's the plan today?" Rose asked once she was seated at the table across from her sister. She ignored the way Daisy was grinning at her and Dean, obviously delighted in their display of affection.

"Well, you have to at least get some gun training in," Dean said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "And you have to talk to the Doc this afternoon." Rose made a face and Dean gave her one of his, don't-be-a-brat" looks.

"I don't have Sam to go with me to Starbucks," Rose said sadly and Daisy brightened.

"I could go with you!"

"No!" Dean and Cas both responded in unison getting startled looks from both women. Cas at least looked surprised by his reaction. Dean did not.

"No way do you two need to be out there on your own," Dean said and Daisy glared at him while Rose just rolled her eyes, used to this by now.

"Well, what if Cas comes with us?" Daisy asked, and Cas looked even more surprised. "We wouldn't be on our own then, would we?" Dean nodded in agreement and Daisy turned to Cas. "You want to go to Starbucks with us, don't you Cas?"

The angel looked unsure what he was getting himself into but slowly nodded and it was Dean's turn to roll his eyes.

"Come on, Rosie," Dean said, heading towards the door. "Let's get a gun in your hands. And Cas, buddy, you might want to start unwrapping yourself from Daisy's little finger." They left to Cas' perplexed expression and Daisy's tinkling laugh.

* * *

Daisy had insisted they do their coffee shop trip right.  “No popping in on angel’s wings,” she said. “We’re going to drive.” Which was all well and fine except that none of them had a car and Dean may adore Daisy, but no way in hell was he letting her drive the Impala.  He even said as much when she tried to get him to, just not quite as tactfully. He did however take her down to the garage, followed by Rose and Cas, to help her find a car she could drive.

“So, I can drive any of these?” Daisy asked, walking between the row of cars and looking each one over in turn.

Dean nodded. “Any accept my Baby, yeah.”

“Hmm, funny I thought that was Rose,” Daisy threw back at him with a smirk and Rose laughed.

“Would you just pick a damn car before I change my mind?” Dean growled, and Daisy ignored him. If there was anyone who wasn’t intimidated by Dean’s fake grouchiness it was Daisy. She knew very well just how much she could get away with when it came to him. Finally, she stopped, wavering between two and eventually pointed to a yellow sports car.

“That one.” Dean eyed it skeptically.

“It’s a stick. Can you drive that?”

“I don’t know, Dean,” Daisy retorted with a bucket of sass. “Did you teach me to?”

Dean grinned. “Damn right I did.” And Rose watched in amusement and Cas in confusion as Daisy preened at the obvious pride in Dean’s voice.  When it had come time for Daisy to learn to drive Dean had taken the job with glee. It was unlikely any other teenager in the country had as thorough training as Daisy had when it came to driving.

“Be careful,” Dean cautioned as Cas climbed into the back seat, looking around at the tight space. He much preferred the Impala. Why they couldn’t have had Dean just drop them off...but no, Daisy wanted to drive. She hadn’t in months. Cas understood she wanted to stretch. “Don’t go anywhere aside from the coffee shop.” Dean looked meaningfully at Rose. “Understand?”

“Yes, Dean,” Rose said, giving him a look from underneath her lashes and despite the fact that all Cas and Daisy heard were the words she said Dean heard so much more. He leaned in close, his lips brushing her ear and whispered, “Be careful little girl, or we’ll have to have a talk...”

Rose blushed, her eyes meeting his and Dean bit back a groan at the heat there. He knew that look and just what it meant. She reached up and kissed him, then pulled back, giving him a smile and then Daisy was revving the engine and they were driving out of the garage. Dean grinned to himself, pulling his phone out.

 _Little girls who tease pay for it_ he sent off with a smirk. He had just made it back up to the library when he received a reply that made him both laugh and moan.

 _Oh, I’m counting on it._ _; )_

And Dean suddenly knew exactly how he had to spend the afternoon.

* * *

Cas eyed the drink in front of Daisy something called a Frappuccino. It looked very sticky with chocolate syrup drizzled over the top as well as chocolate chips. Rose's drink seemed to be covered in caramel. Cas thought they looked more like ice cream he'd seen than coffee, but he was no expert.

Cas had never been in a coffee shop. The boys didn't frequent them, and he'd never had cause to venture into one before. It wasn't what he'd pictured. There was furniture he thought looked like it belonged in someone's living room and odd pictures on the walls and people everywhere he looked. Not all of them were drinking coffee. Some were eating food, some were talking and one group at a large table seemed to be practicing for a play.  Cas studied them curiously.  The man who seemed to be the leader of the group wore a pirate hat on his head and an eye patch and spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. No one but Cas seemed to think this was odd, as the group all recited lines, reading from scripts that seemed to have something to do with outer space. Everyone else was ignoring the group.  Cas was curious how the pirate hat fit in. Was it part of a costume or did the man just routinely dress this way?  He wanted to ask Daisy, but she was busy talking to Rose and he didn’t want to interrupt them. The sisters had talked about Danny and what had happened on the way over. (“Danny was scared?” Daisy had asked in wonder. “He was concerned,” Rose said smoothly, sounding much calmer now with Daisy than she’d looked last night. She was trying to not scare her sister, Cas realized.) They seemed more relaxed now that they were here.  He’d ask Daisy about the pirate man later he decided.

The girls were obviously very happy here, Daisy sitting cross legged in her chair, her jeans and sparkly t-shirt fitting right in with the attire of the other patrons. (“This Sick Beat” was written on it with little gold hearts after each word and Cas had come to understand it was a lyric from the blond singer Daisy loved so much. He didn't understand how a beat could be ill, but he'd not gotten around to asking Daisy about that.) She was smiling almost the whole time, talking to Rose enthusiastically and thought Rose had a book in her lap and Daisy had one next to her he didn't think they'd gotten any actual reading done. Still he understood it had been awhile since they had a chance to really talk much in any place other than a hospital room. This was needed he decided, sitting back and watching the two of them.

"-bet they'll see snow," Daisy was saying wistfully when Cas tuned back into their conversation. They must be talking about Sam and Lily.

"It’s pretty early for that," Rose said, pulling a leg up under herself. She was in jeans as well, her t-shirt saying something Cas didn't understand. "0 is not a size," it read, and Cas thought that was obvious. He didn't understand why Rose felt the need to put a fact that was so clearly true on her shirt. "Though I guess it could happen.  But you hate being cold," Rose pointed out. "You gripe all Winter long and swear you're freezing to death."

"I know," Daisy said, sipping at her coffee. "But I love the snow."

"Well, we'll get some here soon enough I'm sure," Rose soothed.

"Yeah, but not like we would at home," Daisy said with a pout.

"Hopefully we can go home for Christmas at least," Rose said and Daisy perked up at the thought.

"Oh, what are you going to get Dean? It's your first official Christmas as a couple."

Rose frowned. That was a good point. Last year they'd just been skirting around it.

"God, I have no idea," she admitted, looking thoughtful.

"Well it better be good," Daisy said. "I mean, it's a big deal." Cas took notice at that. "I mean couple presents are super important." Cas frowned. Couple presents...he'd have to ask Dean about those.

"Well, Dean's not mushy so-"

Daisy cut her off with a snort. "Oh, he so is! He just tries to act like he's not but he's such a mushy guy." Daisy gave her a knowing look. "Especially with you."

Rose blushed but nodded and it was easy to see she liked that fact. She glanced at Cas. "Well it will be your first Christmas as a married couple, so you definitely have us beat."

Daisy giggled and smiled at him and Cas felt a moment of panic. He definitely needed to talk to Dean about this. He didn't want to mess this up. He wondered if Google could tell him anything? He'd learned from Sam and Charlie how to search for things. Kind of. He still tended to put in search terms that were way too broad and brought back search results that confused him.  He gave the girls a nervous smile and picked his phone up, typing in "Christmas presents for your wife." The results were amazing - in the millions and Cas clicked the first link that popped up.

There was a little blurb at the top emphasizing how important the first Christmas gifts were, how they would give your spouse memories for years to come. Cas frowned. This was a lot of pressure. This page recommended a mug that read "Best wife ever." Hmm, that seemed a bit silly to Cas. Why would Daisy need a mug that said that? Then again, she liked sayings. All her t-shirts seemed to have them on them. Perhaps he was wrong about that. Cas started a list on his phone, deciding to ask Dean about the mug too. The next suggestion was a canoe trip.

"Do you like boats?" Cas asked suddenly and both Daisy and Rose turned to look at him in surprise.

"I don't know. Not really?" Daisy said finally, glancing at Rose. "I've only ever been on one. Remember the summer in Galveston when Grandpa took us out on the fishing boat?"

Rose nodded. "Yeah, you got horribly seasick. Not a fun day."

"Right, no boats," Cas murmured to himself going back to the page. The next suggestion was a coupon book you made up of massages and cuddles. Cas frowned. They hadn't even given each other massages and had never needed a coupon to cuddle each other. Were they doing that wrong?  Should there be coupons exchanged?  He wrote that down to ask Dean about as well. Tickets to see her favorite team was next on the list. Cas was fairly sure Daisy didn't like sports aside from cheerleading, so he skipped that one. A sandwich maker was listed but Cas was fairly sure Daisy only liked to eat sandwiches, not make them. The next suggestion confused him. He had no idea what a Honey-Do was. He paused, considered asking the girls but didn't want to give away that he had no idea what to get Daisy, so he instead added it to his list. By the time the girls were ready to go Cas' list was long and extensive. He'd have to get a chance to talk to Dean about this.  He was certain Dean could help him figure it out. 


	106. This is Life Before You Know Who You're Gonna Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Experiments, Experience and Enchantment

"You know, that's not how I envisioned last night going," Rose mumbled and Dean moved his head from under the shower head to take in her mock glare.

Dean had ushered Rose to their room not long after dinner, proceeding to deal with the issue of her not telling him about Lily going to Hastings. He knew her bottom was recovered enough and wanted it dealt with. He’d been more concerned with her being up for it emotionally than physically after the debacle with Danny’s family and had stopped to ask her, to check if she was OK.  She’d assured him she was but had had pointed out that Cas and Daisy were home and she had no desire for them to hear what they were up to.  Dean had given her a cheeky grin and informed her what he'd spent the afternoon doing - putting special sigils on the walls of their bedroom to virtually soundproof it. They could hear what happened in the bunker, but no one could hear what went on in their room. “Damn magic has to come in handy for something good, right?” he’d muttered.  Rose had looked torn on how happy she was with this fact, but impressed none the less.

"Oh no?" Dean asked now, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her back against him. Rose shook her head.

"I was thinking we could have a fun, sexy spanking," Rose said, wiggling her body against his despite her words.

"We could have that now if that's what you're asking for," Dean said, slipping a hand down to cup a bottom cheek and squeeze, getting a squeal from Rose.

"Well now I'm too sore," she said, her body moving against his despite her protests.

"I thought you liked it when I made you sore," Dean said, his lips finding her neck, drawing a pleased sound from Rose, despite her objections. "And I think I went pretty easy on you, all things considered." His hand that was wrapped around her drifted down to her thighs, dragging a finger between them and getting another soft noise from Rose. "I didn't make you stand in the corner, didn't lecture you, didn’t do anything but spank your bottom till it was the color of...hmmm, what are we thinking - an apple? A cherry?" Dean pretended to be thoughtful. "A strawberry maybe?"

"You spanked me for a long, long time," Rose said, gasping as Dean slowly slid a finger inside her.

"Well, you were a very naughty girl," Dean said, nibbling on her neck at the same time he slipped another finger inside her. "And we had to deal with it."

"Yes, but did it have to be so hard?" Rose pouted, and Dean chuckled. He had woken in the night to soft hands running over his body while a pair of warm lips kissed their way across his chest.  “Rosie?” he’d murmured, still coming out of the depths of sleep. Rose had smiled up at him, quickly making her way to his mouth.  “I need you, Dean,” she’d whispered before sealing her lips on his.  She’d settled her hips against his and Dean had moaned into her mouth.  She’d been desperate for his touch and Dean had loved every second of it.  She'd made it quite apparent through words and action how much she'd appreciated Dean’s discipline. Even if now she was whining at him a bit, pouting at him in a playful way that he found he enjoyed. But then he enjoyed every damn thing about Rose – whether she was being a brat or a saint.

"Hard is the only way I know, Baby," he said now with a grin, thrusting against her from behind and Rose let out a groan.

"Oh, I made that just way too easy for you, didn't I?" she said, looking back at him with laughter in her eyes and Dean had to chuckle.

"Just a little," he agreed, slipping his fingers from her and turning her around to face him. She went into his arms easily, her body as soft as her smile. "I know a little girl who despite what she says really likes hard spankings." He kissed her then, his lips soft and coaxing on hers and she positively melted. When he pulled his mouth back he couldn't help but smile at her. She looked so happy. "Don't you little girl?"

Rose smiled coyly at him. "Maybe."

"Uh-uh," he lifted one of her legs, draping it over his hip and holding it there as he slid into her, pushing her against the wall and drawing a pleased gasp from her. "Answer properly, Rose."

"Yes, Sir," she breathed out, her head going back as her back arched in pleasure.

"Tell me," he said, his voice low and rasping as he rocked his body into hers.

"I like...like it when you spank me," she said, her voice breathy in that way it only got when he was inside her. "I like, I love that you can do that...own me, mark me, punish me."

Dean let out a low groan at her words, his blood heating up, his hips moving faster. "You're mine," he reminded her. "Only mine and you'll never be anyone else's."

Rose smiled up at him, a beautiful smile full of happiness and pleasure. "Only yours."

"And every time you sit down for the next few days you'll know that for sure," Dean said, his eyes darkening as his hips snapped. "I put those marks there, Baby. No one else."

Rose pulled his head to hers, their lips meeting, their tongues entwining as their bodies moved together, their desperate sounds filling the steamy bathroom.  Now this, Dean thought, was the way to enjoy a shower.

"Can we go back to bed?" Rose asked later, dropping onto theirs. "I'm tired."

Dean glanced at her as he pulled clothes on, trying to decide if he should be concerned. Na, she'd woken him up in the middle of the night, and it hadn’t been for a quick go around either. She had reason to be tired.

"Sorry, Princess, we have stuff to do today."

"Like what?" Rose asked curiously.

"Well, Charlie's coming over later to look at the shit Sean gave us." Dean had glanced at it yesterday and figured the one document was quite possibly a key and one they probably needed deciphered. Definitely something for Charlie to play with. "And Cas and Daisy want our help with something."

"They do?" Rose asked. Daisy hadn't mentioned anything about that to her.

"Yeah," Dean said. "Cas mentioned it to me last night after you'd already come in here.  He said something about them going somewhere this weekend too." Dean frowned. "Then he said he needed to talk to me about coupons.  Any idea what that’s about?” Completely dressed now Dean turned to Rose who was still laying on the bed in a towel. She shook her head, not having a clue what the angel meant. "What do you think about us taking a little road trip tomorrow? Maybe we can see if you can talk to the Doc early in the day and we can head out in the afternoon."

Rose smiled and nodded. Going out sounded good. "Where are we going?"

"Oh, that's a surprise," Dean said returning her smile. "Now come on, get dressed. We need to eat."

And with a groan Rose got up, pulled some clothes on and headed out to face the day.

* * *

"So, what's up?" Dean asked from his spot by Rose on the couch. They were gathered there with Daisy and Cas who exchanged looks now. Daisy took a breath then spoke.

"So, you know I worked on my powers when I was out." Both Dean and Rose nodded, having been part of some of that. "Well, there's one part I couldn't really work on too much because I needed both me and the other person to be awake."

"Is that what you did at the hospital?" Rose asked, glancing between Cas and her sister. She'd caught onto the fact that Cas had been worried when Daisy did whatever she'd done.

Daisy nodded and explained to her sister briefly what she could do. By the time she was done with her explanation Rose's eyes were wide.

"Oh, you definitely got the good powers," she said enviously, and Daisy smiled.

"Well, good or not I need to practice so I was wondering..." Daisy bit her lip before asking nervously. "Could I practice on you two?"

* * *

"I'm sorry about today."

Rose glanced over to find Daisy looking at her with big, sorrowful eyes. "Hey, it's OK," she said. Initially Daisy's power test had gone smoothly. She'd effortlessly brought Dean into a different place entirely, the living room transforming before his eyes.

"I'm not doing the scary stuff," Daisy had said firmly before they began. "I don't want to put you guys through that and it's harder for me to control." Both Rose and Dean had been relieved to hear it, neither one wanting to be pulled into a nightmare.

“First off, we’ll start with a memory.”

Rose had watched Dean's face as Daisy did what she did, his face happy, his whole body relaxed. She couldn't see anything he was seeing but it was obvious he was seeing something that he liked. Daisy for her part was sitting with her eyes closed, concentrating intensely. A few moments later Daisy opened her eyes and Dean shook himself, his eyes refocusing on his surroundings.

"Daisy, that was..." He seemed to be looking for the word and finally just shook his head, unable to come up with anything that fit. Daisy smiled happily. She turned to her sister then and Rose caught a hint of nerves in her face.

"Ready, Rosie?" she asked, and Rose nodded hesitantly. A second later the living room walls seemed to shimmer, and Rose found herself standing in a time, a place she never thought she’d see again.  She looked up in awe at the brick of her dorm, her freshman year at Princeton. She glanced behind her, seeing her family loaded into a taxi, Lily and Daisy in the back, their good-bye hugs a moment before sweet and full of emotion, her mother there in the backseat with them. And right in front of Rose - She sucked in a breath, looked up and saw, beaming down at her, his eyes full of so much love and pride, a face she'd missed for so long - her dad.

"I’m so proud of you, Rosie," he said, engulfing her in a warm hug that had never failed to make Rose feel better, no matter what the circumstance. "You're going to do great here, baby." Her father pulled back and looked into her face. "Just make sure you have fun. Don't spend all your time studying. I know you’re here to get an education, baby but this is an experience you’ll never get again.  So, make sure you experience it all – the fun as well as the serious, ok?” Rose nodded, soaking in his presence. “And call me. If you need anything, if you just want to talk, whatever. Just call me because I am going to miss your voice so much." He smoothed her hair back and kissed her forehead. "You worked hard for this and you did it. You got here, and we couldn't be prouder of you." He squeezed her once more before pulling away. “You got this, Rosie. I love you."

"I love you, Daddy," Rose murmured watching him walk to the taxi and climb into the front seat, giving her one quick wave before the taxi was driving away. The warmth and excitement of the day flooded through her and Rose was wrapped up in that feeling all over again. This was the start of her figuring out who she was on her own, of going through new doors, trying different paths. It was her beginning.  Then the view seemed to shimmer again and she'd found herself back in the living room, a smile on her face even as tears fell slowly down her cheeks, with Dean holding her hand.

"Daisy, that was...that was amazing." Daisy beamed proudly at her sister's praise.

“I knew you’d want to see him,” she said softly, and Rose nodded, unable to find the words to express how much it meant.  Dean gave her hand a squeeze and their eyes met, his eyes as soft as hers.  Whatever he’d seen had gotten to him to. "Wanna try another?" Daisy offered taking in both Rose and Dean with her gaze. They both nodded. These may be emotional, but it was amazing.  “OK, drop her hand, Dean.”

“What? Why?” Dean asked, startled.

“I want to try recreating a dream this time and you two are too intertwined,” Daisy said. She sighed when they both looked at her curiously knowing they’d want an explanation. She went for the easiest, quickest one which wasn’t untrue. “You’ve been in each other’s dreams. Dream telepathy, remember?” Dean nodded, glancing at Rose. “If you’re touching it makes it that much easier for me to pull you into each other’s dreams.” She waved a hand at them. “So, stow the PDA for now.” She waited till they pulled apart, ignoring Dean’s muttered comment about her sounding like Lily. 

“So, what do I do? Close my eyes?” Dean asked, and Daisy smiled.

“If you like.”

Dean gave her a look then lay back, resting is head against the back of the couch. “Just be careful where you’re rummaging in there,” he muttered, and Daisy just smiled, then closed her eyes and concentrated.

Rose sat sideways on the couch, her feet folded underneath her as she watched Dean’s face. Once again emotions played across it, some so fast Rose couldn’t catch them, but happiness shown through mixed in with what Rose read as triumph. Whatever dream he was seeing was a good one. When Daisy opened her eyes, she had a soft expression on her face and Dean’s cheeks were flushed when he opened his. Daisy looked at Rose for a second, got up and whispered something to Dean and Rose watched as a pleased, somewhat shy look crossed his face as he answered her back in just as quiet a whisper. Oh, she was curious what was said! But before she got a chance to ask Daisy was turning to her.

“Your turn.”

This time the surroundings were different. Their high school gymnasium where all the school dances, even their prom were held. Oh, she knew this dream. It was a fantasy really, that over time with her thinking about it so much that she started dreaming about it more times than she could count throughout her high school years.

Rose glanced down at herself, seeing the lace and fabric falling in the layers of a prom dress on her body. A pair of sparkly shoes adorned her feet and her hair fell in what she could just tell were perfect curls. The music and the murmur of voices surrounded her, and she glanced up to see none other than Dean coming towards her dressed in a tuxedo and smiling at her in a way that made everyone else in the room disappear.

"I've been waiting for you to get here," he said, and Rose smiled.

"You have?"

"Of course," Dean said, with that oh so charming smile he always seemed to have for every other girl. "Who else would I want to dance with?" he asked, extending a hand to her. Rose blushed, took it and followed him out onto the dance floor.

This had never happened. Dean and she had never danced together, had never been this way with each other in high school. They were masters of watching each other when the other wasn't looking. Flirting sure, but never crossing that line that would make either of them take action. Any feelings they had they didn't share with each other.  But in this dream, it was all out in the open. Rose's heart was on her sleeve and Dean was saying all the things she'd wanted to hear so badly. She went into his arms so naturally, as if she was meant to be there and they moved together, perfectly in sync. 

"You look beautiful tonight, Rosie," Dean said and Rose felt herself blush. "But then you always look beautiful to me." And then Dean dipped his head down, right there on the dance floor and kissed her, his lips fitting hers perfectly. And no matter the fact that Rose had been kissed more times than she could count, nothing had prepared her for this kiss. This was the kiss of movies and romance novels. This was the kiss that changed everything. Dean looked so happy when he pulled his lips from hers, so happy with her. "I've been waiting to do that."

"You were waiting for me?" Rose asked, and Dean nodded.

"It's always been you," he said, his eyes bright. "No one else ever mattered."

Rose smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, thinking that this was the best dance ever, the best night ever. She didn’t need any other dreams because this was the best one.

Rose stood there, swaying in Dean's arms, waiting to wake up, because this was as far as the dream ever went. When Dean spoke again Rose felt a moment of confusion. The dream never went any further. She lifted her head, looking at his face. "What did you say?"

"Who's that?" he repeated, gesturing behind her. Rose turned and felt the dream quickly descend into a nightmare.

Striding towards her, knocking bodies out of the way with her mind was Aine. An insane grin was on her face and in her hand, she held a large knife, slashing the few bodies she came close to, that she hadn't knocked away, so that by the time she got to Rose there was a path of blood and screams in her wake.

"Did you bring her here?" Dean asked, and Rose whirled back to face him.

"What? No!" Rose said. "I don't know how she got here."

"Well, she's here for you, Rose," Dean said, the anger heavy in his voice, the blame clear in his eyes. "And now all these people are going to die because of you."

"I didn't want this," Rose said in a panic but Dean was brushing past her, standing in front of her as Aine bore down on them.

"It doesn't matter," he said. "It's your fault. And this is your fault too." And he turned to face Aine just as she drove the knife deep into his chest.

Rose screamed as blood splashed her face and she dove towards Dean as his body fell to the gymnasium floor.

"I said get out!" A hand was on her shoulder and Rose felt herself physically yanked back and suddenly the walls of the gym disappeared and she was back in the living room of the bunker, with Daisy's hand on her shoulder and Dean and Cas looking on horrified. She was on the floor she realized, where she'd fallen when she'd tried to get to Dean in her dream. There were tears on her face again, though this time they weren't ones because of a treasured memory but because of a nightmare.

"I'm sorry, Rosie," Daisy was saying, kneeling beside her and wrapping her arms around her. "Your nightmare bled over, and I couldn't stop it." Daisy shook her head. "It happened so quickly I couldn't get you out fast enough."

Dean had swooped in moments later and pulled Rose back onto the couch, holding her against him while she shook and that had been an end of the experiment.

"I'm just so sorry I couldn't stop it," Daisy was saying now. The two of them were back in Daisy's room, watching a TV show while Dean and Cas were out with Charlie who was looking over what they brought back from Sean. They'd been shooed out by Dean and had gone willingly to Daisy's room. It was after all Thursday night which meant a night of dramatic television. They'd camped out here with snacks and were quite happily enjoying their TV time, a blessed respite after the days drama.

"Hey, if anyone understands not being able to control their powers it's me, Days," Rose said with a smile and Daisy looked relieved. She'd felt awful at how things had turned out. She'd done so well with Dean, but Rose's mind was harder to control. It was comfortable, the feel of it so very much her sister that Daisy felt at home. But now she understood somewhat what Cas had meant about her being noisy. Her mind was in a constant state of flux and even in a happy dream the darkness that had invaded Rose's life recently was hard to shut out. 

"I got to see Dad," Rose said softly and Daisy was happy to see the smile on her sister's face and know she'd given her something she desperately wanted. "I don't care if...I'd go through a million nightmares just to see him again."

"I'm glad I could do that then," Daisy said and they both turned back to the screen as the show started again.

"You dreamed about you and Dean going to the prom together for a long time," Daisy pointed out on the next commercial and watched as Rose's cheeks turned red. "I think that's sweet."

"Yeah, let's not mention that to anyone, OK?" Rose said. "I mean, it sounds kinda, I don't know, pathetic."

Daisy didn't think it did; she thought it was romantic. But she just nodded.

"Why'd you guys wait so long?" she asked curiously. She'd never understood why Rose and Dean hadn't always been together. They'd always seemed like the perfect couple to her, but it had taken them years to actually get together.

"We weren't ready," Rose said simply and Daisy frowned.

"And you, what discussed this or something?" she asked, and Rose laughed.

"No, nothing that logical." She took a sip of her drink then set it aside. "It just, it was never the right time. I don't know how to explain it better. And then suddenly it was. Suddenly everything clicked and was in place and it worked."

Daisy studied her for a minute. "Yeah, I don't get that."

Rose smiled. "OK, well I know you and Cas didn't exactly get together in a normal way, but didn't you have a moment where you...Well, OK how did you know you were ready to move from say making out to sex?"

Rose watched curiously as Daisy's face turned scarlet.

"We, uh, haven't," she finally muttered, and it took Rose just a minute to take in what her sister had said.

"Oh. Oh, OK I just assumed..." Rose smacked her forehead. "Which is dumb because I mean, Lily assumed Dean and I had way before-"

"Wait, you mean you hadn't?"

"Not till we went away for those few days," Rose said and Daisy looked stunned. "It's all about timing, Daisy. And there's nothing wrong with taking your time."

The show came back on and both girls were silent, watching the drama unfold on the TV screen.

"Do you want to?" Rose asked curiously during the next commercial. She watched as Daisy glanced down at her lap and nodded shyly.

"But I don't know how to...I mean, I've never..." Daisy trailed off.

"Had sex," Rose finished for her and Daisy nodded again. She’d been pretty sure that was the case, but Daisy was so close mouthed when it came to anything to do with the opposite sex, much less actual sex she hadn’t been certain. "Right, so let's not mention that to Lily or she'll be on a mission." Daisy cringed at that idea, knowing how pushy her well-meaning sister could be. That was definitely not going to help the situation.

"Oh God, don't let her ever say anything to Cas," Daisy said in a panic. "I'll die."

Rose patted her knee reassuringly as the show came back on. As the romantic trysts played out on screen Rose turned the situation over in her mind.

"OK, so how is Cas?" she asked finally when the show was over and the next one hadn't started yet. Daisy looked at her curiously and Rose got more direct. "What have you guys done exactly?"

"We've kissed. A lot. A whole lot of kissing." Daisy smiled. "He's a really good kisser."

Rose smiled at that. "Well that's a very good thing. Good kissing, in my book at least, is important." Rose paused then asked, "So, no touching or anything else?" Rose asked delicately, and Daisy shook her head, her cheeks aflame.

"When we were in Hastings he actually um, we were on the bed and he rolled over on top of me. It’s the first time he’s done that." Daisy smiled at the memory, then scowled. "And then Lily barged in."

"Get in the habit of locking your door," Rose advised her. "You know what Lily's like so unless you want to get used to her walking in on you..." Daisy nodded with a shudder.

"So, does Cas, is he the one to start the kissing usually?" Rose asked, and Daisy thought about it.

"It's pretty much fifty/fifty," she decided, and Rose nodded.

“You could talk to him about this,” Rose suggested gently, and Daisy promptly looked horrified at the thought. "He can read your mind, right?” Rose suggested then. “So, couldn't you just leave a few hints, think a few stray lusty thoughts?"

"I could," Daisy said looking thoughtful. Why hadn't she thought of that? Cas had liked when she'd sent him that image explaining why spanking could be sexy. She could maybe just think a few things that she'd like...

The next show started and both women were caught up in it. On the commercial Rose looked at Daisy curiously.

"So, tell me about your first kiss." Daisy immediately smiled, a dreamy bright smile and informed Rose she had two first kisses and proceeded to tell her about both.

"Oh, Daisy that's like the perfect kiss," Rose sighed.

"Which one?" Daisy laughed, and Rose smiled at her.

"Both, though I think the second one's my favorite." She reached out and hugged her sister. "He put thought into that, planning. That's always nice."

"So, how'd Dean kiss you the first time?" That got Daisy a smile.

"Who says he kissed me?" Rose shot back, and Daisy gasped.

"No way!" Daisy said, sitting straight up. "You kissed him?"

"Shhh," Rose shushed her. "Watch the show and next commercial you can hear the story."

As soon as the first commercial played its music Daisy was turning to her sister eagerly.

"No one else knows this story, Days," Rose said and Daisy's eyes went wide. "So, if I tell you it's not for blabbing to anyone else. Understand?"

"My lips are sealed," Daisy promised and Rose proceeded to tell her the story of her and Dean's first kiss, leaving out a few details she wanted to keep for herself but adding enough that the event was painted clearly as special as it was. And then it was Daisy's turn to sigh and smile at her sister.

"I like that," she said. "That's perfectly you two." Rose nodded and smiled, her feelings exactly. "Why doesn't Lily know? I thought you told her everything."

"Not everything," Rose said. "Not about me and Dean."

"Why not?" Daisy demanded, and Rose sighed.

"Because something's I like to keep to myself. And because it's private and Lily doesn't really get the whole concept of that. If I tell her something she's more likely to turn around and it use it to tease Dean."

The show came back on and Daisy thought about what Rose had said. She understood that. There was a reason as much as she went to Lily for most things it was never for relationship advice. Except for when she'd found out she was married she thought and Lily had actually been really good at that.

"I get not wanting to share everything," Daisy said. "But I think maybe Lily's changed a bit since she got with Sam."

Rose raised an eyebrow at her younger sister. "I had to hear an hour's worth of her describing to me how Sam tied her up and what all he did to her in explicit detail."

"OK, so I'm not saying she doesn't still overshare," Daisy admitted. "But I think maybe if you explained to her that certain things you share aren't things you want publicly known she might understand." Daisy smiled. "She got to be my advice person when I found out Cas and I were married."

"Oh yeah?" Rose asked looking surprised.

"Well yeah, I mean you were kind of in the middle of your own personal crisis," Daisy said. "It really wasn't the time for me to barge in and demand you help me." Daisy turned back to the TV but then added, "Plus your boyfriend is the one who managed to let the cat out of the bag so..."

An hour later, their shows done Rose said good night to a drowsy Daisy and went off in search of Dean. He was still in the library, looking deep in conversation with both Charlie, Cas and Bobby (who she hadn't even known was here.) so she didn't intrude, instead heading to their room and getting ready for bed. She was just slightly dozing off when the door opened, and a small body stumbled into the room. Rose sat up, startled to see Daisy there.

"Daisy, what-"

"I had a nightmare," she said, standing in the doorway looking much younger suddenly than her nineteen years. And just like that Rose was transported back to their childhood, when Daisy climbing into bed with her after a nightmare was a common occurrence.

Rose scooted over, pulled the blankets back and patted the spot next to her.

"Come on," she said, and Daisy flew across the room, climbing into bed by her sister and snuggling under the covers.

"You're OK," Rose soothed, her hand smoothing Daisy's curls. "Want to tell me about it?"

"Uh-uh," Daisy mumbled. "Just want to go back to sleep but I was scared."

"It's OK then," Rose said, settling down herself. "You're safe." And she quickly fell into a light sleep herself.

Unbeknownst to either of them Daisy's nightmare had caused a panic in the library. Cas had stood up looking alarmed moments after Daisy had settled herself into Rose's bed. He's sensed Daisy's fear but before he could get to her it subsided and it disturbed him. He disappeared without a word, heading for their room and finding it empty.

"Dean, Dean she's gone!" he said in a panic, returning to the library where he'd left a befuddled trio behind.

"Who's gone?" Dean asked in confusion, glancing at Bobby and Charlie who looked just as lost as he was.

"Daisy! She was scared, upset and now she's not in her room." The angel looked beside himself and Dean took a breath, realizing all logic had departed. He understood that panic.

"Why was she scared, Cas?" he asked, getting to his feet.

"I'm not sure," Cas said, looking confused. “It came on suddenly and disappeared just as quickly.”

"Could it have been a nightmare?” Dean asked, heading towards the hallway with Cas behind him and after a second the angel nodded.

"Then I have a pretty good idea where she'll be," Dean said, coming to his door. He opened the door and peaked in and smiled, moving aside to let Cas look in as well. There was his missing wife, curled up beside Rose, sleeping peacefully.

"I don't understand," Cas said as Dean led the way back to the library. "Why is she in there?"

"My guess is she had a nightmare and instinctively went to Rose. Daisy had lots of them as a kid.  She had an active imagination and would always wind up in bed with one of the girls."

Cas stood in the doorway looking thrown off balance as Dean took his seat. "Couldn't you have just looked for her? I mean, you can sense her, right?" Charlie suggested, and Cas slowly nodded.

"I was...I was so worried I didn't even think of that," Cas admitted, dropping back into a chair.

"Welcome to the wonderful world of emotions," Dean said. "Where logic and all rational thought flee." He grinned at Cas then turned back to the papers in front of them. "Now getting back to-"

\---

An hour later Bobby and Charlie left, and Dean and Cas headed toward Dean and Rose's room. Dean opened the door and turned the overhead light on and Daisy stirred, throwing an arm over her eyes.

"Turn the light off," she muttered, and Dean chuckled.

"You're in my room, munchkin," Dean said. "Quit griping."

"You're a jerk," Daisy muttered, burrowing her head under the pillow and Dean just laughed. Rose slowly began to wake up, glancing first at Dean then Cas in confusion.

"What's going on?" she asked, and Dean smiled at her.

"Cas here came to reclaim his wife," he said with a grin. "Who ran away to our bed."

"She had a nightmare," Rose explained and Dean nodded.

"I figured."

Cas meanwhile had moved to the side of the bed Daisy was on and was hesitating, looking down at where all he could see of Daisy were a few stray curls sticking out from under the pillow. Finally, he crouched down by her and reaching out he easily scooped her up in his arms.

Daisy looked startled for a moment then realizing where she was she smiled and snuggled against Cas. Without another word he carried her out of the room and Dean closed the door behind him.

Rose blinked at the now closed door.

"What was all that about?" she asked and Dean grinned as he undressed.

"Cas had a minor meltdown when he couldn't find Daisy."

"But can't he always find her?" Rose asked.

"Yep, but apparently angel's panic just like regular old humans," Dean said with a smirk.

"Hmm," Rose said, moving back to the spot Daisy had been in. "Good to know."

Dean turned the overhead light off and slipped in bed beside Rose, pulling her into his arms. Rose sighed contentedly, and Dean felt her relax.

"Now I can sleep," she murmured, and Dean was surprised.

"You were sleeping when I came in here," he said, and Rose shook her head.

"Dozing, not sleeping." She burrowed her face against his chest. "I only sleep when you're with me."

Dean kissed the top of her head and smiled to himself. He was fairly sure he liked that fact a little too much, but he was OK with it.


	107. Where the Pretty People Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beards, Belts and Smart Women

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback makes authors happy. Make me happy!

"Do you have to shave?"

Sam started slightly at the unexpected question, glancing in the mirror back at Lily's reflection. She had her head sticking out of the shower, watching him with a curious smile on her face. And God, any smile on her face was good. Wednesday and the ensuing talk about the prophecy had been rough, rougher than even Sam had imagined it would go. There had been yelling and tears and a lot of conversation that Sam was glad no one else was around to hear. It had ended up taking pretty much the whole day, with breaks in between that were needed because of the depth of the subject matter. Sam felt they'd hashed through it all, dealt with it as much as humanly possible. It was as settled as it could be really. It wasn’t something that was going to be solved overnight.  They both needed time to adjust.  But at least now they’d talked about it and both knew how the other felt. They'd both fallen into bed that night utterly exhausted and drained.

Then yesterday...Sam felt a smile tug at his lips. Yesterday had been a whole hell of a lot better. They had woken up, stretched, looked at each other and were all over each other. They'd barely left the bed, only straying as far as the bathroom or the kitchen. Every moment they'd been apart, all the times they couldn't kiss, couldn't touch each other had been made up for yesterday and then some. They'd fallen into bed last night exhausted as well but for entirely different reasons.

Shaking himself to bring himself back to the present Sam asked, "What?"

"Do you have to shave?" Lily repeated. Sam ran a hand over his face, the stubble there pretty thick after not shaving for a few days. He hadn't actually shaved since they left Lebanon.

"Well, I'm well on the way to growing a beard here, Lily."

Lily hummed in satisfaction, ducking back into the shower. "I know. I like it."

Sam considered his reflection in the mirror. He'd never grown a beard, had always been clean shaven, save for a few days of stubble. Well why not, he decided, putting his razor down. If he got sick of it there was an easy remedy.

Lily smiled at him when she joined him in the kitchen, coming up and wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing her way slowly up his neck to his face.

"You look like a sexy lumberjack," she said, and Sam laughed, his arms looping around her waist.

"Do you have some mountain man fantasy I don't know about?" he teased.

"Na, but we're up here in the mountains and it's cold and..." Lily dropped her voice, her lips close to Sam's ear now. "It feels really good on my thighs, Sam."

Sam groaned. "I should have known there was some ulterior motive."  He paused then asked, “Just your thighs?”

“Well OK, maybe my breasts too,” Lily admitted and Sam grinned.  He hadn’t missed the way she’d reacted when he’d rubbed his face against the sensitive skin.  Lily smiled, her hands coming up to caress his face. "I like the way it looks too."

"Well, we'll try it out," Sam agreed.

"It goes with the plaid," Lily pointed out and Sam grinned. He'd missed Lily's odd points of view.

Over breakfast they discussed what to do for the day. The snow was finally slowing down though there was no way they were getting the car out with the accumulation of snow from the previous days. Sam was glad they'd had the kitchen well stocked with meals.

"Let's go out and play in the snow," Lily suggested and Sam loved the way her face lit up at the idea. Unlike Daisy who hated the cold Lily loved it. She liked the cold bite of the air, liked being outside more than either of her sisters did.

"We can do that," Sam said. "You brought boots, right?"

"Of course." Lily had packed for cold weather and the chance of snow. She believed in being prepared.

"We could walk through the woods a bit. There's trails," Sam said, remembering the brochure online.

Breakfast done Lily changed into a sweatshirt, pulled on her boots and wrapped up in her warmest coat and gloves and joined Sam who was similarly dressed to head outside. The air was cold and crisp, snow still falling lightly, and a stillness seemed to hang in the air. The first thing they did was to turn and take in the view. The cabin was perched in the mountains and they had a great view of the valley below, the snow covering the other mountains and the lower areas in a blanket of white. Birds soared on level with their cabin and Lily leaned back against Sam as he wrapped his arms around her.

"It's beautiful here," she said softly, and Sam nodded. It really was. Peaceful and still, with only nature as their companion. Sam could happily live somewhere like this.

"Come on," Sam said finally, taking one of Lily's hands. "Let's explore."

And they headed off into the woods, trekking through the snow, enjoying the beauty of their surroundings and most of all each other's company.

* * *

Friday morning found Rose in the bunker on her own, a rare occurrence these days. Dean had to run a file over to Charlie's. She was working on the stuff Sean had given them and needed something else, so Dean had headed over to drop it off. Cas and Daisy had disappeared to wherever it was they were going. Which Rose realized she had forgotten to ask Daisy about. The sex talk had distracted her.  Speaking of which...

She had to assume Cas was responsible for the odd searches on her laptop. She'd left it open in the library yesterday and she couldn't think of anyone else who had been there that would be looking things like this up.

_How does one initiate sex? What do women like? How to have sex the right way?_

Looks like Cas was as curious and unsure how to start things as her sister was. Rose considered that, not sure what to do with this information. She wanted to help but wasn't sure how to do that without being too intrusive.

She has back in the library chair and smoothed her skirt down. She was all dressed for her day out with Dean, not that she was sure where they were going either. But she'd put a dress on this morning, a black and red one, the top plain and the skirt covered in red roses. It was warm as well as pretty and cute black flats completed the outfit. Her therapy appointment had been cancelled this morning as Dr. Alexander couldn't fit her in, so she was free and clear till Dean got back. With Cas and Daisy in mind she started doing a little research.

* * *

Dean had stopped into drop off the stuff Charlie needed and settled down for a cup of coffee at Charlie’s insistence.  They chatted a little, not about anything too important and eventually mentioned Sam and Lily.

“You miss having her here?” he asked, and Charlie considered.

“That depends,” she said finally.  “Over all Lily’s a great roommate.  But a drunk Lily is a bit too much.” 

Dean nodded, all too aware of what Lily was like with alcohol in her system. “She was drinking a lot?”

Charlie rolled her eyes then stood and went to the counter.  “You want another?” she asked.  Dean had brought donuts with him from the local bakery and she just had to have another chocolate covered.  Dean nodded, and she got them both one, sliding the donuts onto plates as she spoke.  “Oh God, yes.  Falling down drunk, Dean.  Not just once either.  It was getting to be a bit of a habit.”  Charlie shook her head.  “I mean, that night she and Rose went out to dinner after they made up she could barely stand.  Rose must have told you how bad she was.” When Charlie turned and saw the look of confusion on Dean’s face it hit her like a sledgehammer that Dean did in fact _not_ know about the night in question, that Rose had definitely _not_ told him.

A look of panic spread across Charlie’s face as a feeling of dread spread throughout her body.  “Oh.  Oh shit, you didn’t know that Lily…damn it.  See, I’m not good at this knowing what I’m not supposed to tell you stuff.”  Charlie waved her hands about, her fear at having messed up evident.  “There needs to be cues or code words or…or something!”

“Charlie, calm down,” Dean said standing and taking the plates, which were dangerously close to slipping from Charlie’s hands and placing them on the table.  Then he placed a calming hand on her arm, leading her back to the table where they both sat.  “Why would I care if Lily was drunk…” And then the pieces fell into place. “Rose drove them home,” he said softly and glanced at Charlie for confirmation.  Charlie looked miserable but under Dean’s penetrating gaze she nodded.  

“She brought Lily home and then I drove Rose to the bunker,” she filled in.  “I didn’t realize she hadn’t told you.”  She paused.  “Why wouldn’t she tell you?”

Dean clenched his fists and ground his teeth together.  “Because she knew I’d have been against the idea.”  Charlie looked at him curiously and Dean explained.  “She’s got no license remember?  And damn it, she was exhausted when she got home that night.”  That thought had Dean closing his eyes and counting to twenty, clenching his jaw tight in anger.  And of course, she hadn’t corrected him when he’d told her to make sure Lily drove carefully he realized when he thought back.  Rose’s very own special way of lying. “Son of a bitch, I’m gonna kill her.”

“Sorry, Dean,” Charlie said lowly and Dean gave her a tight smile.

“Hey, it’s not your fault, kiddo.  You didn’t know.”

“Yeah, but I caused problems-”

Dean snorted.  “The hell you did.  No, you didn’t do anything wrong, Charlie.  That would be my girlfriend who has a habit of conveniently leaving out facts she doesn’t want people to know.”  Charlie winced at the anger in Dean’s voice and he glanced up and saw how truly worried she looked.  He sighed and reached out and squeezed her hand.  “Seriously Charlie, quit worrying.”

“It’s just, you guys are getting along so well, and I don’t want to be the reason-”

“You’re not the reason for anything that happens here, Charlie,” Dean cut in. “This is all on Rose.” Dean’s eyes darkened and he said lowly, “And I’ll deal with her.”  And thinking back to what she’d overhead at Chastity’s Charlie had a pretty good idea of what he meant.  And wished she didn’t. Charlie bit her lip, still feeling guilty and watched as Dean took a breath and seemed to calm himself a little.  He flashed her a smile then.  “So, don’t worry, kiddo.  Things are fine.”

Charlie finally nodded, thinking that she needed to stop knowing all this stuff about people.  It was way too complicated and stressful.

* * *

Rose glanced up with a distracted smile when she heard the bunker door open and Dean's heavy boots clunking their way down the stairs.

"Hi Sweetie," she said, her eyes on the screen in front of her. "Things go OK with Charlie?" It took her a minute to realize she hadn't gotten an answer and when she glanced up Dean was right in front of her, his jaw clenched. "Dean, what-"

His hands were on her elbow, cutting off her sentence, pulling her out of her chair and moving her around to the back of it. "Bend over," he ground out and Rose's eyes widened in surprise. Later on, she'd question why she didn't argue, why she didn't even think about it. But for now, she went on instinct and did exactly as he said, as his hand was pushing on her back. The back of the chair dug into her stomach, the wood pushing her so her back arched, pushing her hips up and her bottom out for Dean as he pushed her skirt up and out of the way.

"So, anything you want to tell me, Rose? Anything you can think of from the last few weeks that you just forgot to mention?" Dean's voice was tight, way too controlled and Rose's mind was racing. She had no idea what he could be referring to. Then again, she wasn't in the best position for thinking.

"Not that I can think of...Dean, what's this about?" Rose asked glancing back at him and pushing up with her hands, starting to stand.  Before she could move more than an inch one large hand was on her back, pushing her down, keeping her in place.

“Stay,” he growled. “Stay right there. Don’t even think about moving.”  Their eyes met, and Rose felt a shiver go through her.  His jaw was clenched tight and his eyes narrowed, sure signs Dean was really mad. “I put you there because that’s where I wanted you, Rose.  It wasn’t a suggestion.” Rose turned her head, fixing her eyes on the chair under her hands. “Understand?” She gave a small nod of her head and a second later a hand cracked down hard on her bottom, pulling a surprised yelp from her lips. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear your answer.”

“Yes, Sir,” Rose answered quickly, overcome with a combination of nervousness and lust.  She glanced back at him again and he raised an eyebrow as he caught her eye. She watched in alarm as he very purposely started rolling his sleeves up. Her stomach clenched, and she had to fight to hold back another shiver.

"So, no idea?" Rose shook her head. "Think back to that night you and Lily went out and had Mexican food." Rose did, thinking that night had caused way more trouble already than any one night had a right to. Finishing with his sleeves Dean planted his hands on his hips, looking at her. "No? No idea really?"

Rose shook her head, unable to think what it was that could have happened that night that....oh. She turned her eyes back to the chair in front of her and Dean grinned without any humor as he saw the dawning comprehension on her face. "Got it now?" She nodded. "So, tell me."

“Lily was drunk,” she said slowly, the words coming out slowly, like she could put this off. "She was in no shape to drive."

“And so, what did you do?” Dean asked, and she could hear the controlled anger in his voice.

"I uh, I drove us home," Rose admitted.

"And why didn't you tell anyone?" Dean questioned. "Cas could have come to get you or brought me there to drive you home."

"I didn't want to make a fuss." Rose realized immediately that was the wrong answer. Dean hated that line of thinking.

"Hmmm," Dean said noncommittally, not even bothering to say what he thought about that argument. Rose knew. "I remember telling you to make sure your sister drove safe and you never corrected me." Rose shuffled her feet, unable to deny that fact. "If I recall you were especially tired that night too."

"I don't remember," Rose said quietly.

"Aw, well I do," Dean said. "You were tired. And you purposely didn't tell me you were driving." Rose shuffled her feet again, feeling guilt wash over her at that fact, one she couldn’t deny. She froze when she heard an unmistakable clink and glanced back in horror to see Dean unbuckling his belt. Rose's eyes widened as she watched him pull it from the loops and double it in his hand. He was going to use that on her?

“I’m going to paint you a picture, Rose. See if I can get you to understand,” Dean said, and Rose gulped, unable to tear her eyes away from the leather in his hand. “You’re driving home, and you make a stop.  And there is a demon, a witch, hell a fucking human who wants to hurt you.” Dean walked casually back and forth behind her as he spoke, bringing the belt down lightly on his palm as he did, making Rose cringe with every smack of the leather. “Now your sister who can usually defend you is falling down drunk, so she’s no help.  And so, you’re all on your own.”  Dean paused and looked at her curiously. “Did you even have a gun?”

“Um, no,” Rose said. “I mean I guess Lily did in the car maybe?”

“Right, so nowhere you could grab on a moment’s notice because you weren’t sure,” Dean surmised, and Rose nodded, having to admit he was right. “People, demons whatever, they want to hurt you, Rose.” Dean sounded aggravated now, stopping with the belt in one hand, the other resting on his hip as he looked at her. “I’m doing everything I can to keep you safe and you’re not helping matters. In fact, you’re making it damn near impossible!”

"Not on purpose," Rose gulped and Dean gave her a look that made it clear that argument wasn’t helping her case and she quickly turned her eyes forward again.  She had never thought about the fact that she could have been in danger that night. And she needed to start thinking about it, she knew.  The last few days had proved that.

"You put yourself in danger, Rose,” Dean said lowly and Rose felt another wave of guilt wash over her. Seeing Rose not offer up an argument Dean figured he’d made his point. “Keep your hands on the chair,” he said, and Rose heard him moving behind her. "And keep your body just like I put you, keep your butt just where it is for me."

"Yes, Sir," Rose murmured. Then the first smack of the belt landed, and she let out a cry of surprise as the leather seared across her skin. Another lick quickly followed, and Rose’s eyes widened.  It took her a moment to realize that despite the burn of the belt it was affecting her differently than the brush. It hurt – really hurt – no doubt, but there was something sensual about it, about the way the leather licked at her skin, touched her body. She swore it felt warm from being wrapped around Dean and that heat was being transferred to her with every lick that landed on her. She shut her eyes tightly, not sure what Dean would say if he knew how this was affecting her. This was supposed to be punishment and it did indeed hurt but somehow it was in a good way, in a way that felt way more intimate than a piece of wood smacking down on her skin. So, she bit her lip and tried to stay silent, tried to stay in position just like Dean had told her, to keep her body still, her hands on the chair and her bottom high, on target for every kiss of leather that he lay across it.

Dean had been hesitant about using his belt on Rose. It wasn't for mild spankings, wasn't something you gave light swats with. But he'd been well and truly angry when Charlie had spilled the news that Rose had driven her and Lily home. And while his anger had cooled on the way home so that he was well in control by the time he reached Rose he had no inclination of going easy on her. He'd seen the expression she wore when he took his belt off and knew she got that it was not going to be a gentle spanking. And he had to say he was impressed with how she was taking it. She'd stayed perfectly in position so far, her hips only swaying slightly after a hard lick and she'd immediately put herself right back into position when she moved at all. He was used to Rose fighting a lot more than this, at least at first. Perhaps he needed to up the ante. So, he reached a hand out and gripping the fabric in his hand he pulled her panties down her legs, leaving her bare from the waist down. Her bottom was red already, with lines where the edge of the belt had hit, and he brushed a hand over it now, drawing a gasp from Rose.

"You gonna tell me things from now on, Sweetheart?" he questioned. "Make sure you're safe?"

"Yes, Sir," Rose gasped out and Dean paused. Something in her tone was...he shook his head and got back to work. The leather smacked down hard across her cheeks and she gave a soft gasp again, her hips swaying softly but no other reaction came. He followed that up with several harder licks and still got no stronger a reaction, save for a few soft cries. Dean knew Rose's body, knew it well and he was suddenly fairly sure what was going on here.

"Rose," he said, moving closer to her. "You wouldn't by any chance like this, would you? You wouldn’t be enjoying your punishment, right?"

He ghosted a hand over her bottom then slipped his fingers between her thighs, between her folds and found her as wet as if he'd been teasing her instead of whipping her. "Fuck," he muttered to himself softly, his body reacting to her arousal like it always did; he was instantly hard. Rose let out a soft groan and Dean plunged two fingers into her and she thrust back against him. His eyes widened as he realized just how close she was, and he curled his fingers, finding the right spot and she instantly began to shake, calling out loudly as her orgasm rushed over her. Dean pulled his fingers back when she was done, and Rose stayed there, panting and letting her heartbeat slow, hearing Dean moving behind her. The next thing she knew he was lifting her, moving her and she was bent over the library table. She glanced back to see he'd stripped out of his clothes from the waist down and was grinning at her, running a hand over his hardened cock.

"You weren't supposed to like that, Baby," he said, coming up behind her.

"I know," Rose murmured, wiggling her hips at him in a blatant invitation. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't be," Dean assured her, spreading her legs and thrusting into her. "That was hot as hell."

Dean took her - And there was no other way to put it - She was bent over a table and he was behind her, his hands wrapped tightly around her wrists, keeping her in place. He definitely took her - Hard and fast. He slammed into her and Rose found herself moaning at the feel of him, his hips slamming into her tender, reddened skin, his cock driving powerfully into her. He drove her into the table with each thrust and that combined with the feel of him was enough that she came again, even before he did, his name falling from her lips in a soft cry that Dean swore pulled him over. As her body pulsed around him he let go and shouted her name, his hands moving to hold her hips and his hips slamming into her desperately.

"Jesus, that was..." Dean let out once they'd both caught their breaths.

"Intense?" Rose suggested.

"Yeah...that." Dean waved a hand expansively and slowly stood up, lifting himself off and out of Rose's body.

Rose stood up and Dean smiled at how disheveled she looked. Her dress was crooked, her hair was mussed and there was sweat across her brow.

"I need a shower," Rose said, glancing down at herself.

"Me too," Dean agreed and they gathered their clothes up and headed that way.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I drove us home," Rose said once they were under the hot spray. Dean sighed. "I get it. I understand why you were upset. And I'm trying to do better about telling you stuff. I swear it. Just that was before we talked, not that I'm saying that makes it OK but I'm trying."

Dean sighed again, his hands running over her back. "I know. Just no more lies, OK? No more not telling me stuff I need to know."

"I promise," Rose said and Dean searched her eyes and nodded. She was sincere, he could tell.

“And you have to think about stuff now, about situations being dangerous, Baby,” Dean said, hating that it was the case.  But it was, and he needed her to get that.

“I know, Dean,” Rose said solemnly.  “I really do.”

“And I swear to God, Rose if you use that fucking line about not wanting to cause a fuss or be a bother one more time…” Dean warned, and Rose nodded, biting her lip.  “Be a bother, hell be a fucking nightmare for all I care.” Dean’s hands were gentle on her skin as he looked at her sincerely. “Just quit worrying about being an inconvenience. Understand?” Rose nodded with a small smile.

"So, you like the belt," Dean said, once they were clean and out of the shower and stretched out on their bed.

Rose blushed and hid her head against his shoulder. "I like _your_ belt," she said finally and Dean grinned.

"I could tell." She smacked at his chest playfully and Dean grabbed her fingers, lacing them through his. "Damn, you were hot, all laid out over that chair, ass waving in the air, so wet I barely had to touch you..." Rose giggled with embarrassment but smiled up at him. "Didn't it hurt?" he asked curiously. "I mean your butt is certainly red enough."  He ran a hand down to ghost over her bottom. “You’ll be marked up tomorrow for sure.”

Rose nodded. "It hurt but it felt good too. I don't know, it's hard to explain. It just, it felt different." Rose thought about it a moment and Dean let her, able to tell her mind was turning this over. "It's _your_ belt," she said finally. "You wear it every day and you coming home and bending me over like that, using it on me..." She shivered. "It just felt very...intimate, possessive." Rose shut her eyes and Dean could see she was struggling to put this into words. Finally, she took a breath and released a sentence all in one breath. "It felt like I was a naughty housewife whose husband had come home from the office to punish her."

Dean was slightly surprised by Rose's confession though the more he thought about it the more he wasn't. Rose liked being his, liked belonging to him what better fantasy to play that out than a traditional housewife?

"I mean obviously, that's a fantasy and it's not like every husband has the right to come home and spank his wife," Rose was babbling on now, her fantasy obviously not aligning with her normal world view. So, Dean did the best thing he to calm her mind. He rolled over and kissed her, trapping her body under his, kissing her full and deep and felt her body relax as she melted into the kiss.

"Except yours would, wouldn't they Rosie?" Dean asked once he'd pulled back from her and taken in her flushed face. She nodded, her eyes wide. "Your husband would have every right to come home and punish his naughty wife." Dean nipped at her lower lip and then grinned at her. "And you'd love every minute of it."

Rose smiled. "I would," she admitted softly, her eyes soft, making Dean’s heart clench. “Because I’d belong to him.”

Time seemed to stop as their eyes held each other’s.  They both knew very well who Rose belonged to.  Dean took a deep breath finally and watched Rose do the same.  That conversation had certainly taken an unexpected turn.  Finally, Dean smiled, and Rose returned it.

"Well I highly approve of this fantasy," Dean said firmly. "And your reaction. And I'm never going to look at my belt the same way again. I'll be wearing it during the day and then suddenly I'll think, "Damn, I use this to whip Rose's ass and fuck, does she get off on it." Rose giggled as she blushed a deep red, and Dean smiled at her, loving that sound. "But no more punishment spankings with it."

“Why not?” Rose pouted, looking disappointed. "What if I try not to enjoy it? I mean I'll still be sore after," she wheedled, and Dean laughed, rolling back over and pulling her with him.

"Nice try, Princes. But nope, no way." Rose snuggled against his side happily.

"I take it we're not going on a road trip today?" Rose asked, and Dean checked his watch. They could technically still make it...

"We could," he said. "Or we could just be lazy today and go tomorrow."

"I vote for lazy," Rose said immediately and Dean grinned.

"Good answer.” Dean entwined a finger in her hair. “Though I think you’re making _me_ way too lazy, Rosie.”

“There’s nothing wrong with lazy,” Rose countered. “You do way too much hard work. You deserve some down time.”

Dean couldn’t argue with that. “I'll tell you what, if you like we could even head to Starbucks later."

Rose pulled back with a look of surprise. "You mean actually go in?" Dean nodded. "Are you feeling OK?"

"OK smart ass, cut it out or I'll take my offer back," Dean muttered and Rose smiled at him.

"That sounds like a perfect day to me," she murmured, snuggling back against him.

It was silent for a moment as they lay there contentedly, close to drifting off into a nap then Dean spoke.

“I have to be the only guy who whips his girlfriends’ ass, and not only does she get off on it, she still has a smart mouth after.”

Rose giggled as she moved closer to him.

“Lucky guy.”

And Dean grinned.

“Don’t I know it.”

* * *

“OK, so what’s the protocol here?” Dean asked as they pulled up at the coffee shop.

“We go in, order our drinks and find a good place to sit,” Rose said. “I prefer the leather chairs-”

“Which isn’t surprising considering your recently discovered leather fetish,” Dean interrupted and watched in pleasure as Rose blushed.

“That’s not why, Dean,” Rose argued. “They’re just the most comfortable chairs in there-”

“Especially on a freshly spanked ass,” Dean interjected, and Rose groaned.

“You’re going to be impossible today, aren’t you?” she asked, and Dean grinned innocently.

“Who me? I don’t know what you mean.” Rose simply rolled her eyes as they got out of the car and headed inside.

Rose ordered her normal drink and Dean got a plain coffee and they were able to snag the aforementioned leather chairs.

“OK, now what?” Dean asked, once he’d settled back and taken a sip of his coffee.

“Well Sam and I read. My sisters and I tend to talk.” Rose took a sip of her drink then set it on the table. “What would you like to do, Dean?”

He grinned at her sinfully. “Nothing we can legally do in a coffee shop.” And he winked.

“I’m suddenly remembering very vividly what you were like on class fieldtrips,” Rose said, and Dean laughed.

“I was an absolute scholarly delight,” Dean said, and it was Rose’s turn to laugh.

“I swear our third-grade teacher retired because of what you did at the history museum.” Dean frowned, looking offended.

“It wasn’t my fault somebody left that coat out,” he muttered, and Rose gave him a knowing look. “It was out,” Dean insisted. “OK, maybe not by the display like I said, but it was in a hallway.”

“Where you weren’t supposed to be,” Rose pointed out. “That you picked the lock to get into. And it was an irreplaceable buckskin coat from Custer wore in the 1800’s that you then-”

“Proceeded to get puked on by Tommy Mueller,” Dean said dryly. “Trust me, I didn’t forget.” Tommy Mueller had somehow got to the museum cafeteria before anyone else and drank an entire blue raspberry slushy. When Dean came sauntering out and leaned an elbow on his shoulder, trying to show off the cool coat, Tommy had turned and deposited the entire contents of his stomach all over Dean. And all over the museums coat.  The museum staff had been livid, and they’d been asked to leave the museum immediately. Their teacher, Mrs. Cannon, who admittedly was nearing retirement decided to leave the next month. “Trust me the coat smelled pretty bad to begin with. And Custer was a class A douche anyway.” Rose just gave him a look that said very clearly that that was not the point.

“Anyway,” Dean said, trying to change the subject. “That was a long time ago. I’ll be as boring and good as Sam is when he’s here. I promise.”

Rose looked at him for a moment then smiled, never able to stay irritated with Dean. “Do you want to read?” she asked. “Or we could…well there was something I wanted to ask you.” Dean nodded, and Rose fidgeted with her cup for a moment before looking up at him. “So, Thanksgiving…I know we can’t go back to Hastings. But could we, can we have Thanksgiving at the bunker?”

Dean thought that over, not sure why it was such a big deal. “Sure, I don’t see why not.”

Rose smiled, then took another breath.

“Um, so could I invite Chastity and Emma?” Dean was surprised by this request. “It’s just it will be the first Thanksgiving with Ryan gone and I’d really like her to get to know everyone.” Rose frowned. “I’m not sure how she and Lily are going to do but I think everyone else will love her and it’s important to me.”

“Sure,” Dean said, easily. “Not a problem.”

“Really?” Rose said. She knew not a lot of people were invited into the bunker and understood why.

“Sure, I mean she’s your family, right? And she knows about all of us, hell she’s been possessed by a demon. She’s practically part of the club.”

“And you’ll be nice?” Rose asked anxiously.

“I wasn’t nice last time?” Dean asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Not especially, no,” Rose said. “You threatened to beat up Martin.”

“And is Martin coming?” Rose shook her head. “Then we shouldn’t have a problem.” Dean looked at her steadily. “He wouldn’t let me get to you. That’s a justifiable reason to get punched.”

Rose gave him a disbelieving look. “It’s not really, Dean.”

“It is in my book,” Dean said resolutely.  “As long as you don’t plan on running away again I’ll be as charming as can be.” Dean took a sip of coffee and stretched his legs out. “I have nothing against Chastity, Rose. I was mad at you, not her.”

Rose nodded her head and smiled at Dean happily. “Now can we read?”

Dean took a book from Rose and sat back, scanning the other customers. The place was about half full, a few people who seemed to be studying, two women talking and another woman in the corner who seemed to be selling something to a young couple. Dean watched her a moment then nudged Rose.

“Hey, what’s she doing?” Rose glanced up and looked at who Dean was looking at.

“Oh, that’s the saleslady. She annoys Sam. She sells some kind of health product.” Rose shrugged. “She’s here a lot.”

Dean watched the frosted haired woman as she shilled her bottles of pills to the couple. He could see why she would bother his brother. She had a penetrating voice that cut through the music playing over the speakers and carried throughout the store. And Sam hated anyone being taken advantage of which he would clearly feel she was doing.  Dean gave her one last look then focused in on Rose. He opened his book, but he spent more time watching the woman he was with than the book in front of him. She was happy here and Dean was suddenly extremely glad they had one of these stupid shops in town. Anything that made Rose happy was a good thing in his book.

* * *

“You know what we need?”

Sam didn’t even lift his head. He was tired. They’d walked for miles, enjoying the scenery and then trudging back. It hadn’t felt long at the time but once they’d made it back to the cabin all the miles they’d walked in the snow caught up with him and he’d collapsed onto the couch, Lily laying down on top of him. Now he just shook his head in answer in Lily’s question.

“A dog. Think how much fun a dog would have playing in the snow.” Lily motioned to the rug in front of the fireplace. “And he could curl up there, chew a bone and just look adorable.”

Sam snorted. “Yeah, good luck running that one by Dean.” Sam had wanted a dog for as long as he could remember. “Besides it doesn’t really work with being a hunter. We’re gone too much.”

“Rose has Sookie,” Lily pointed out, her tone lazy, her body worn out from the cold air and heavy snow today. And Sam was so warm and comfortable underneath her she never wanted to move.

“Cat’s don’t need as much time,” Sam said. “A dog needs people with them more.”

“Hmm, I guess,” Lily said non-commitally. “So, what’s for dinner tonight?”

“A casserole of some sort, which will no doubt be delicious,” Sam said, and Lily nodded. All the food so far that the local lady had left for them was wonderful. “How about a nap first though?” Sam suggested, getting comfortable.

“You’re a brilliant man, Sam Winchester,” Lily said, snuggling against him.

“I try,” Sam murmured as both their eyes drifted shut and their bodies relaxed together.

* * *

Dean and Rose were curled up in bed that night and Dean was just about to drift off when Rose spoke.

“So, I just want to make sure I have this clear.” Dean opened his eyes to find Rose laying with her arms folded on his chest looking intently at him.  “If I hadn’t misled you, if there weren’t people after me would I have still been in trouble?”

Dean tried to clear his head, wipe the sleep that had just been creeping in, so he could answer. “Well yeah,” he said after a minute. “You were exhausted. You shouldn’t have been driving.”

Rose nodded seriously. “Right, because driving when you’re really tired is dangerous.”

“Mmm hmm,” Dean said. “If you have any other option, unless it’s a matter of life and death you shouldn’t drive when you’re that worn out.”

Rose gave him an absolutely brilliant smile and Dean felt like he’d been led into a trap.  He just wasn’t sure how or why yet.

“Thanks for clearing that up for me, Dean.” And she gave him a kiss on the lips and lay her head back down.

Silence reigned for a few minutes as Dean tried to figure out what the hell had just happened.  Finally, Dean just had to ask.

“OK what was that about?  Why all the wanting to be clear shit?”

Rose lifted her head and grinned up at him and Dean caught her eyes shining in the dim light from the bathroom.

“Well, I just wanted to be clear so the next time you’re tempted to drive when you’re exhausted I’ll know you won’t.” Rose gave him a sugar sweet smile and Dean felt the trap tighten as she continued. “And thankfully you always have Sam to drive for you too.”

“Now Rosie, -” he started but Rose cut him off.

“I mean a life or death situation is one thing but I’m sure you’ve pushed yourself when it wasn’t before, right?” Dean hesitantly nodded. “And I’m just so glad you won’t be doing that anymore. Since this works both ways for us.” Rose gave him a wide eyed innocent look. “I mean, you wouldn’t want to be a hypocrite, right Dean?”

Dean lay there stunned as Rose settled back down once again. He turned that over in his mind, looking for a loophole and couldn’t find one.  She’d already given him the life or death issue which he was sure would come into play more than once, but there was a hell of a lot of times he drove when he was exhausted, when it wasn’t urgent.  And he sucked at letting Sam drive.  Rose knew that.  Damn if she hadn’t turned this situation around on him.

“Son of a bitch.”


	108. We're Gonna Make It Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cupcakes, Draw me like your French girls and Dr. Ruth is in the house

"Maybe we should wait till Sam and Lily get back," Dean suggested. The experiment with Daisy's powers hadn't gone any better with Rose today than it had the other day.  It went fine with Dean and started out OK with Rose, the images of her peacefully reading in a flower filled garden peaceful and easy. But it had gone wrong quicker than Daisy could imagine though she was proud she'd pulled Rose out quickly this time at least.

"What I really need is someone I don't mind upsetting to practice on," Daisy mused from her spot near her sister. Her guilt was evident on her face and Rose reached out and squeezed her tight.

"Stop blaming yourself," she chastised. "You'll get the hang of this."

An hour later Cas and Daisy were ready to leave, and Daisy went in search of her sister to say goodbye. She found her in the kitchen with Dean and got to see a little more than she'd bargained for.

Dean and Rose were both obviously dressed to go out but seemed to have gotten distracted from that. Dean had Rose pushed up against the counter from behind, his mouth was kissing the back of her neck and his hands roaming over her body greedily. As Daisy watched Dean cupped Rose's breasts in his hands and ground his hips against hers from behind. He said something to her softly, Daisy only catching a few words - "right here? You'd like that" - but it drew a noise from her sister that seemed to be approval.

"So, this is what it's going to be like living with you two?" Daisy asked and grinned when they both jumped. "Walking in on stuff like this?"

Rose blushed, and Dean pulled back from her, turning his back on Daisy and suddenly becoming very busy filling his travel cup with coffee.

"I mean don't get me wrong, it's entertaining but I was led to believe it was Sam and Lily I had to worry about."

"Shush, Daisy," Rose said giving her sister an annoyed glance. "Are you guys leaving?"

"Mmm hmm," Daisy said.

"Where are you going?" Rose asked curiously, and Daisy shrugged.

"No idea." She smiled. "I won't know till we get there."

"Well, have fun," Rose said, coming to hug her sister. "And think some interesting thoughts," she said with a smile.

Daisy blushed furiously, hugged her sister then disappeared down the hall with a goodbye thrown Dean's way.

"Do I want to know what that was about?" Dean asked, having caught the exchange between the sisters.

Rose considered then shook her head. "Probably not."

Dean nodded, taking her word for it then came over and brushed her hair back.

"Are you OK after this morning?" He'd seen how shaken Rose had been by what happened with Daisy's powers.

Rose smiled at him and nodded. "I am. It's just...not a lot of fun seeing your nightmares come to life."

"I don't think you’re a good candidate for Daisy's power experiments," Dean said worriedly and Rose nodded.

"I'm pretty sure my sister has cut me from the program." If there was anyone more upset than Rose, it was Daisy herself. She'd apologized profusely several times already. Dean nodded his head in approval. He wasn’t up for watching another round of Rose and the torturous dreams.

"Let's hit the road, Princess," Dean said and they headed to the Impala.

* * *

"So, can I ask you a question that's going to seem a little weird?" Rose asked once they'd been on the road a little while.

Dean glanced at her curiously. "I don't see why not."

"Cas has had sex with a human, right?"

Dean turned to gape at her and Rose motioned frantically to the road. He jerked his eyes back to it and was silent so long Rose thought he wasn't going to answer. Finally, he sighed and said, "In a manner of speaking, yes. There was a woman, a reaper who he had sex with so not sure if that really counts."

Rose frowned. "She was in a human body, right?"

Dean nodded. "OK now why-"

Rose shook her head cutting him off. "If I answer that it's going to lead to a whole subject you won't want to discuss," she warned, and Dean frowned.

He thought that over deciding it must have something to do with Cas and Daisy's relationship. And if that was the case Rose was right - He didn't want to talk about that.

"Am I safe in assuming that she came onto him?" Rose asked, and Dean made a face.

"We didn't exactly share details, Rosie." Dean considered for a moment then said, "But yeah, knowing Cas I can't imagine he instigated anything. There was a botched experience with Cas and a hooker..." Dean grinned as he shook his head, remembering that night. "It didn't go so well."

"Great," Rose muttered, thinking this may take more effort than she'd originally thought. "There needs to be a relationship guide for angels." Dean was sending her a curious look at her talking to herself and Rose shook herself and smiled at him. "So, where are we going?"

Dean studied her for a second, trying to decide if he should press her to tell him what was going on. But every instinct he had was saying to stay out of it. So, he did.

"Well we're driving a few hours for lunch and then we're picking up something that we're gonna take home and use."

Rose looked instantly curious. "That sounds intriguing."

Dean just smiled not giving her any more info and Rose settled against him, her mind working out a plan as Dean hummed along to the radio.

* * *

Rose glanced around the diner they were seated in. It looked fine, nice and clean but nothing special. She didn't see why they'd driven so far for it.

"I came here when I was wising up to the fact that you needed my help," Dean said in answer to her unasked question once they’d placed their orders. He glanced around, his eyes lighting on a couple near the back of the diner. Rose glanced back at them, the couple taking turns smiling at each other and then the small baby in the carrier. They looked happy, as in love with each other as they were the new life with them. They were the kind of couple that made others smile in happiness. “They were here then,” Dean said, stealing an onion ring from Rose’s plate. “Smiling at each other, totally wrapped up in each other.” Dean smiled softly, his hand reaching out, his fingers entwining with hers. “Made me miss you ten times more and made me determined to work things out with you.”

Rose returned his smile. “So, I owe them some thanks,” she said, her voice tender. “Though not as much as I owe you.” She brought his fingers to her lips, kissing his knuckles softly.

“You don’t owe me anything, Rosie,” Dean said, and Rose gave him a shake of her head.

The couple was still there when they finished up and Dean came back from the restroom to find Rose having a hushed conversation with their waitress. She was smiling happily as she and Dean headed out to the car. “What did you do?” Dean asked, and Rose grinned.

“Payed for their meal,” Rose said. “It’s not much but it’s something.” Dean leaned over the front seat, kissing Rose.

“That’s my girl,” he said proudly, and Rose beamed at him.

“So, where to next?” Rose asked.

“Wait and see,” Dean said and a few moments later they were pulling up in front of a small business. “Wait here,” Dean said. “I’ll be right back.”

Rose peered up at the building as Dean went inside.  The window declared it “Love & Flour – The counties best bakery!” Dean reappeared a few moments later with a pink pastry box in hand that he carefully placed on the floor in the backseat. Rose once again glanced at him curiously, but he just smiled mysteriously at her and got them back on the highway, headed home. Rose fell asleep on the way there, the time she generally fell asleep coming and woke up a few minutes away from the bunker.

Dean smiled at her after he parked the Impala in the garage, got out, grabbed the box from the bakery and came around to her side and held out his hand to her. He led her through the bunker, his steps sure. In no time at all they were entering their bedroom and Dean was steering her towards the bed.

“Have a seat, get comfortable,” he instructed.

“How comfortable are we talking?” Rose asked as Dean shrugged out of not only his coat but his flannel shirt too, leaving him in his t-shirt.

“Well, bare skin would be preferable,” Dean said, pulling his t-shirt off too and Rose’s eyes widened. “But if you want to start in just a t-shirt that’ll work.”

Rose nodded getting to her feet and heading towards their bathroom. She came out a few minutes later in long gray t-shirt and nothing else, to find Dean lounging on their bed in just his jeans. He smiled at her lazily.

“Come here, pretty girl,” he said, and Rose went to him, taking his outstretched hand and joining him on the bed. He pulled her to him, kissing her lips, tugging her body against his. Rose relaxed against him, her body soft and pliant. When their lips finally parted Dean smiled at her.

“So, your little pornographic image of red velvet cake got me thinking,” Dean said, turning to pick up the bakery box and put it on the bed between them. “You said there was no great pleasure, nothing intense, right?” Rose nodded, her interest piqued. “But I’ve seen you experience some pretty great, intense pleasure just recently.” Dean untied the string on the box and opened it, revealing half a dozen red velvet cupcakes, the frosting thick on top. She watched as Dean stuck a finger in the frosting of one, got his finger covered with it and then stuck it in his mouth. He leaned into Rose then, his lips hovering over hers and Rose met his willingly, the flavor transferring from his mouth to hers.  And she was surprised at the taste, at the intensity of it. It tasted better than anything had tasted in months. Dean’s tongue slipped into her mouth, bringing even more of the flavor with it and Rose groaned. Dean grinned as he pulled back finally, hearing the reaction from Rose. He hoped it meant his plan was working.

He picked up a cupcake and tugged Rose’s shirt up.  He grinned up at her devilishly and moved the baked good towards one of her breasts, liberally coating her nipple in frosting then leaning down and licking the skin with the flat of his tongue. Rose’s back arched instantly, the feel of Dean’s mouth on her sending heat throughout her body. He sucked her nipple into his mouth, licking and lapping the frosting from her skin as Rose writhed in pleasure.

“See how good it feels, Baby?” he asked, his eyes on her face, watching the pleasure wash over her.  He covered a finger in the frosting, putting it to her lips. “How good it tastes?” She glanced at it and sucked his finger into her mouth hungrily, getting a moan from Dean as her tongue licked and her mouth sucked.

Rose pulled her lips from Dean’s finger and picked up a cupcake from the box, looking at the body in front of her eagerly. She smeared a large portion of frosting on Dean’s chest and leaned forward, attaching her lips to his skin, nibbling and suckling till his skin was clean and Dean had decided this was the ultimate torture. She’d taken to this idea better than he’d hoped. Now to push it a step further…

Dean pulled a cupcake out of the box, breaking off a piece of cake and taking a bite then sharing a piece with Rose. She ate it, licking her lips and letting the flavor wash over her tongue. While she was eating it, Dean turned his attention to her other breast, the same treatment with the frosting going to this one, pulling more groans from Rose and making the cake in her mouth taste doubly good as Dean’s mouth sucked the frosting from her sensitive skin.

Dean reached up and pulled yet another cupcake out of the box and put it in Rose’s hand. “Now your job, Sweetheart is to eat every single bite of this.” Dean leaned forward, letting his tongue trace Rose’s lips as she gasped and tried to pull him closer, but he pulled back. “I want you to taste it, take all the flavor in and enjoy it.”

Rose glanced at the cupcake, surprised to find she wanted to eat it. It looked good, tempting in a way no food had in quite a while. “And what are you going to be doing?” Rose asked curiously, and Dean gave her a devilish grin as he moved down her body and settled between her thighs.

“Oh, I’m going to be eating something much, much sweeter.” Dean started with teasing little licks to the inside of her thighs, nibbling the skin there softly and Rose immediately started to squirm, her attention on his movements as opposed to the cupcake in her hand. Dean smiled as he watched her immediately spread her legs for him, her whole body an invitation. "God, I love the way you do that." Rose blinked at him and Dean expounded. "I touch you and these gorgeous legs of yours just open for me. It's fucking sexy, Baby." Dean reached out a hand, dipping a finger between her folds and Rose made a hungry noise making Dean grin. "But there's rules to this, Rosie."

"Rules?" Rose asked, her brow furrowing.

"Mmm hmm," Dean murmured. "You need to be eating that cupcake, Sweetheart."

Rose glanced at the cake in her hand, seeming to have forgotten it was there entirely. "Oh, right."

"If you stop eating, I do too," Dean said with a wicked grin and Rose reached out and took a bite, the frosting coating her tongue as the bite slid easily down her throat. "Good?" Dean asked, and Rose nodded.

"It's really good." And Dean felt that glow of satisfaction when he knew he'd gotten something right.

Dean leaned down, getting comfortable, reaching out with just the tip of his tongue to dip inside her and Rose shivered. She took a nibble of the cupcake and let out a low moan as the taste invading her taste buds and the sensations of Dean tongue on her collided and mixed, giving her the most intense sensation she could ever remember.

"God, that's good," she moaned, and Dean smiled, not sure which she was talking about. He nuzzled his nose between her folds and licked a trail upwards, and let out a deep moan himself as the taste of her invaded his mouth.

"Sweeter than any cupcake I've ever tasted," he muttered, and Rose flushed with pleasure. She had to admit Dean's enjoyment of this was one of the biggest turn-ons she'd ever known. He loved tasting her, loved pleasing her in general true, but it was obvious from the sounds he made and the general enthusiasm that he went about it that he loved going down on her. God, he was a treasure. Rose let out a strangled cry as he licked his tongue flat over her clit then moved back down, thrusting his tongue just inside her. "Keep eating, Sweetheart," he reminded her.

"Right, cupcake," Rose muttered and took a big bite this time. The deep chocolate flavor flooded her mouth as Dean began licking in earnest, his tongue hitting all the spots that made Rose crazy.

"You're doing good, Baby," Dean encouraged her, spreading her even wider for him. "Doing so good."

Rose kept eating the cupcake, which she had to admit tasted amazing, while Dean proceeded to make her crazy with his mouth.  He would thrust his tongue inside her, then slowly lick his way up to her clit, lick it softly, then move away, and then repeat the whole process over again. It was honestly making Rose crazy.

"Dean," she cried finally. "Please! I can’t…I need..."

"Done with that cupcake yet, Rosie?" Dean asked, glancing up at her flushed face. Rose looked at the small bite of cupcake left, shoved it in her mouth and swallowed then nodded enthusiastically. Dean laughed at her eagerness, then lowered his head again and finally gave Rose exactly what she needed. His tongue set the perfect rhythm, flicking over her clit in just the right way till Rose was ready to explode and then finally he sucked it between his lips and Rose let out a shout, louder than Dean swore he'd ever heard her. Dean kept the contact up as she rode her orgasm out then slowly eased his mouth from her as he watched her relax. Her body was limp and boneless looking when he made his way up to her on the bed and he slowly eased the bakery box with its few remaining whole cakes back onto the table and took Rose into his arms.

"Now that was food porn," Rose finally said when she could speak again, and Dean chuckled, his face full of pride.

"Did you enjoy that?" he asked, and Rose nodded immediately.

"The cupcake was pretty good too," she said after a minute and Dean laughed.

"When I left the diner that day, I saw a sign advertising the best red velvet cake in the state," Dean told her. "It stuck in my head and when you went on your little spiel about that cake I thought of a plan." He smoothed her hair back. "You can enjoy food again, Baby. You got a clean slate, remember?"

Rose smiled at him peacefully. "I remember." Hey eyes were closing, and Dean figured she'd be asleep in a minute. "Just give me a sec and..."

He kissed her forehead a she closed her eyes. "Take your time, Sweetheart."

While Rose took a little catnap, Dean lay there with her in his arms thinking his plan had gone pretty well if he did say so himself. Of course, only time would tell if this kick started Rose back into enjoying food. But since the first words out of her mouth when she woke up were to ask if she could have another cupcake he was taking it as a good sign.

* * *

"You can draw things other than me you know."

Sam grinned at Lily. She was stretched out on the couch on her stomach in just a pair of black underwear, the fabric low on her hips. Sam had requested this particular position and attire and Lily had gone along willingly. He'd taken up position on the hearth in front of the low burning fire with his sketch pad and pencils and proceeded to focus on the curse of Lily's lower back.

"True. But why would I want to?" he asked with a grin and Lily smiled at him.

"Well, I mean there's trees and mountains to draw. Maybe some birds?"

"I've drawn the mountains and the trees and more than a few birds," Sam told her, his pencil flitting further up the page to get the line of Lily's shoulders. "You're my favorite subject."

"You sure this isn't just an excuse to get me half naked?" Lily asked with a raised eyebrow and Sam laughed.

"Are you trying to tell me I need an excuse?" Sam asked, and Lily considered the question for a second then shook her head. "Didn't think so," Sam muttered.

Lily rested her head on her folded arms, watching Sam as he concentrated. "I like watching you when you draw," she said quietly, and Sam glanced at her face.

"You do?"

"Mmm hmm," Lily murmured, stretching her arms before returning them to their folded position. "You're so completely focused on it. It makes you happy."

Sam smiled. "You make me happy," he countered, and Lily smiled.

"Because I'm half naked?"

"Well it's certainly not a drawback," Sam admitted with a grin. "But na, you just make me happy in general."

"I like that," Lily murmured and closed her eyes.

It was so quiet here that she could hear the crackling of the fire as clear as if she was sitting just in front of it. She liked it, like the solitude. She knew that would surprise people and she had to admit she'd been a little apprehensive at first. But honestly the time with Sam with nothing else intruding was amazing. They hadn't left the cabin aside from walks in the woods since they got here. They hadn't seen another person since they'd gotten the keys to the place. Apparently usually there was TV here, but the storm had knocked the cable out. There was a small library of DVDs, but they hadn't gotten around to watching any. They'd read a little, actually spent one afternoon putting together a jigsaw puzzle and taken bubble baths every night. But their biggest source of entertainment had been each other. And while a large portion of that had involved sex an equal portion of it had also involved them talking. Once they had dealt with all their issues they had enjoyed the chance to just talk, to catch up on everything and even to discuss random things. And sometimes they'd just been quiet, snuggling together on the couch or the bed, enjoying the peacefulness of their environment and the pleasure of each other's presence. She knew most of this didn't fit what most people thought of her, but Sam brought out a more peaceful side to her. And Lily found she really enjoyed it.

And she'd gotten Sam to play, to be silly, to have snowball fights outside and laugh and be a lot more lighthearted than most people ever saw him. We balance each other out, she thought, watching the man who truly owned her heart sketch her. How had she ever been able to make herself believe she could walk away?

"Hey Sam?" he glanced at her face, hearing the serious tone in her voice. "Thanks for not giving up on us."

Sam smiled. "I love you, Lily. How could I give up?"

"You're a stubborn man, Sam Winchester," Lily said with a grin and Sam returned it.

"And you're damn happy I am," he retorted, and Lily nodded.

"You better believe it."

* * *

Monday afternoon found Rose and Dean meeting with Dr. Alexander. The day had started off well early on, with Bobby letting Dean know they'd found a witch who was going to meet with Sean later today and could hopefully get the spell off him. Then Sam had called Dean, he and Lily finally making it into town where they could get a signal. He was just checking in and Dean let him know everything was fine and the two should stay and enjoy the break. It had been an unspoken agreement that they weren't going to tell Sam and Lily anything that could upset their time together. Everything would wait till they got back. And now today was the day they were lowering the potion dose.

Rose was as excited as Dean was anxious. And trying not to show it. Dr. Alexander smiled at the both of them and explained how they were going to do this, the amount they were lowering it to, the signs they should watch for. "And I'll be able to be reached 24/7 if you need any help," he assured them. Rose practically floated out of the room she was so happy.

Dean tried to reign in his anxiety. Rose was doing good. She was eating even better since the cupcake experiment, was doing great with all her training. It was time to try this.

Twenty-four hours later and things had gone well so far. Rose's powers seemed to be under control, she'd had no headaches and things looked OK. The doctor had warned it would take a while for her body to adjust to the lower dose so she might well not be feeling the change yet, but Rose felt good.

The first sign that the potion was lessening in her system came at bedtime Tuesday night. For the first time in who knows how long Rose wasn't exhausted. She and Dean went to bed like normal and she lay there, listening to his breathing evening out as he fell asleep while her mind was still going. She lay there for close to an hour before slipping out of bed without disturbing Dean and slipping out into the bunker. She headed to the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea, noting it was close to one in the morning. The bunker was silent, Daisy and Cas obviously asleep too. Rose headed to the library, opening her laptop and settling in.

Cas had been laying with Daisy in his arms when he heard noise in the bunker. He knew everyone should be asleep and Sam, the usual person to wander around the bunker at night wasn't here so he felt he should investigate. He moved quietly from the bed, watching as Daisy snuggled down under the blankets and slipped out into the hallway. There was a light on in the kitchen he saw when he made his way out, but no one was currently in there. He moved on and found the library lights on and Rose sat at one of the tables, her laptop in front of her. She was wearing pink pajamas with little black cats all over them and humming along softly to music coming from her laptop. Cas still wasn't always sure what to think of Rose, it being so odd for him to not to hear someone's thoughts. But she and Dean seemed happy and Cas had found her less confusing since their talk in the hospital.

"Don't you sleep?" Rose asked suddenly, and Cas startled, unaware that Rose knew he was there. He looked up to find her watching him and Cas had a flash of insight that this must be what it felt like for others when he appeared suddenly.

"No, I... angels don't require sleep," Cas said and Rose nodded.

"I was wondering. I mean all those times at the hospital I'd never seen you sleep so I kind of figured." Rose looked him over and Cas squirmed, something about the way she was looking at him unsettling him. Finally, she smiled. "Come have a seat, Cas. I was hoping to get a chance to talk to you."

Cas frowned as he sat across from table from Rose. Why would she want to talk to him?

"You were?" he questioned, and Rose nodded. Cas watched as she picked up her mug and took a sip, studying him over the top of it.

"Mmm hmm," she said and if she were anyone else Cas would know what she was thinking, would be able to pluck her thoughts from her mind as easily as if they were pieces of fruit dangling from low hanging branches.

"Why?" Cas asked, and Rose smiled, clearly amused at his question. She set her mug down, pulling her legs up so she was sitting cross legged in the chair.

"Well, because you're married to my little sister and I want nothing more than for her to be happy."

"Is she not happy?" Cas asked in alarm, his body going rigid. "Have I done something? I say things sometimes that Dean says aren't normal human things. But I'm working on it, trying to not-” Cas stopped when Rose held up a hand.

"My sister is very happy with you," she assured him, and Cas let out a sigh, surprised to feel how relieved that made him. "And Daisy really doesn't care about normal, so I wouldn't worry too much about that." Cas watched as Rose fidgeted with the hem of her pajama pants and realized she was nervous. He wasn’t sure if that made him feel more or less unsettled. He watched as she took a deep breath then fixed him with a look. "Are you aware my sister is a virgin?"

Cas nodded his head slowly, not sure why Rose was asking him this.

"And you haven't...I mean you have but-"

"I have had sexual intercourse," Cas said proudly. "With a being in a human vessel."

"Right," Rose said slowly. "Who I'm going to guess was definitely not a virgin."

Cas considered that. "No, she was very forceful, very sure of what she was doing." Cas looked thoughtful. "Daisy is not. Though she likes it very much when we kiss."

"Yes, she said that," Rose said and watched as Cas' face lit up. He obviously wanted to make Daisy happy more than anything and Rose found that irresistible. "So, you do want to have sex with my sister, correct?"

Cas nodded his head immediately. "Yes, very much so." Rose watched in surprise as the angel blushed. She didn't even know angels _could_ blush. "But I want to do it correctly." Yes, that much was evident from his internet searches.

"Would you like a little help?" Rose asked gently, and Cas looked at her curiously. "Some advice, just a few pointers? It would stay between you and me." Cas looked relived at her last statement and nodded again.

And that's how Rose Sullivan became a sex therapist for an angel who just so happened to be married to her youngest sister.

* * *

Rose went back to bed once she and Cas were done talking and slipped into bed beside Dean, curling herself around him and going to sleep with a smile on her face. Cas stayed up a little later looking over a website Rose had recommended. "There's a lot of information out there, Cas," she had said with a smile and Cas had to admit she had made him feel less intimidated by this whole process. "Some can be a little overwhelming but this one's pretty good." Rose had given him some pointers as well which he had dutifully noted and planned to put into effect right away.

"You guys touch a lot already, right? So, just take that to the next level. Touching is important, is good and you want to be so comfortable touching each other that it's like second nature to you." Right, touching Cas could do. He liked touching Daisy, loved the feel of her skin under his hands and loved to watch how happy it made her when he touched her. He could definitely do that.

The next morning once Daisy was up, and dressed Cas got to work. He pulled her down on his lap before she could reach the bedroom door, earning a surprised look from the blond that quickly grew to a pleased one. Cas pulled her head down to his, his lips brushing across hers as one hand ran up and down her back and he settled the other one on her thigh. He felt Daisy's happiness flowing into him and smiled. He made a point throughout the day of touching her more, settling his hands on her waist, brushing his hand across her back whenever he passed her, holding her hand and stroking her hair whenever he got the chance. And he didn’t miss how happy Daisy looked, how she seemed to practically glow from the attention. Step one was going well.

 

 


	109. Sparks Fly from Her Finger Tips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What course were we on again?

"So, when can I see the rest of the prophecies?" Rose asked, and Dean frowned with his back to her.

Shit. He knew she was going to ask that at some point, but he was hoping for more time. He finished pouring his cup of coffee and turned to face her. Rose was sitting at the table, wearing jeans and a t-shirt with a cartoon image of Princess Leia with a caption underneath that said, "Fight like a princess." He'd smiled when he'd seen it this morning. He wasn't smiling now.

"Rosie, we just adjusted your potion,” Dean said placatingly. “Let's wait a little bit, OK?"

It was Rose's turn to frown now. "Dean, I've waited so long already. I mean, I've tried to be patient and we both know that's no small thing for me." Dean smiled in acknowledgement at that. Rose was not naturally patient by any stretch of the imagination. "But it's been awhile now and it's...I want to know,” she said firmly.

Dean sighed. "Yeah, but Rosie it's not urgent-"

"Maybe not to you-" Rose broke in. "Because you know it all already. But this stuff is about me and I know next to nothing."

"I know," Dean soothed. "I get that." He ran a hand over his face, trying to think of an answer that would make them both happy. He looked up to find Rose sitting with her arms crossed and a stubborn look on her face. Yeah, anyone who thought submissive meant pushover hadn't met his girlfriend he thought with a smile.

"Wait till the end the week," he suggested. "That way you'll have had a chance to adjust to the new dose a little bit. OK?"

"You promise that come Friday I can see the prophecies?" Rose asked, and Dean nodded. "OK. I'll wait till Friday then,” she gave in.  And Dean breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

That evening after dinner as Rose and Dean were sitting in the living room with Daisy and Cas watching a movie on TV the first headache Rose had in a long time came along. She winced as she felt the pain shoot through her skull, glancing at Dean to make sure he hadn’t noticed. Luckily, he and Daisy were in the middle of debating some merit of the movie they were watching and didn’t notice. Rose closed her eyes for a moment, hoping the pain would lessen but it increased if anything and she inwardly cursed. She eased to her feet, hoping to get to the kitchen and get some asprin without anyone noticing but even in the midst of a cinematic debate with Daisy, Dean noticed.

“Where are you going, Sweetheart?” he asked, making everyone in the room look at her.

Rose gave him what she hoped was a convincing smile and held up her glass. “Getting something else to drink,” she said. Which was the truth. She was going to get some more soda. Dean gave her a nod and turned back to Daisy, his words following her as she left the room.

“If you don’t think it counts as a Christmas movie-”

Rose made her way to the kitchen, poured herself a glass of coke and then downed two asprin, praying they would kick in quickly. “Please work,” she prayed silently. The room swam slightly in front of her and Rose quickly took a seat, not sure if she could make it back to the living room. She sat there a moment, praying the asprin would work and she could get back to the living room on her own. Finally, when she felt somewhat steadier she got to her feet and made her way shakily down the hallway. She eased herself onto the sofa by Dean, only then realizing that she’d left her soda behind.

Dean glanced over at her and instantly clued into the fact that something wasn’t right.

“Are you OK?” he asked, his arm going around her.

“Mmm,” Rose tried for a non-committal answer. Which of course didn’t work.

“Rose, what’s wrong?” Dean’s voice was so loud in her ear it sounded like he was using a megaphone. She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder.

“I have a headache,” she said, admitting defeat. She felt him tense up instantly. “People get headaches all the time. Migraines, stress headaches. It happens.”

“You need to lie down,” Dean said and immediately got to his feet.

“No, Dean, I’ll be fine,” Rose protested. “We can watch the rest of the movie…” She trailed off as Dean ignored her protests and picked her up. “Dean!”

“Say goodnight,” he said, as if she’d said nothing and Rose sighed.

“Good Night, guys,” she said giving her sister and Cas a much put-upon look. “I’m being kidnapped.”

“Good Night, Rosie,” Daisy said, her own expression concerned. “Feel better.”

“I’m fine,” Rose said as Dean carried her down the hallway.

“You’re not fine,” he argued. “You have a headache.” Realizing none of her arguments were going to work Rose stopped trying. Dean carried her to their room and deposited her carefully on their bed. “Is it one like before? When your powers got out of control?” Rose hesitated, and Dean immediately picked up on that. “Don’t you even think about lying to me, Rose.”

“I’m not,” Rose said. “I’m just, I’m not sure. Maybe?” She shook her head carefully. “Maybe I’m just tired. I didn’t go right to sleep last night and-”

“You didn’t?” This was news to Dean. She’d been beside him when he’d drifted off.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Rose explained. “I went out into the library for a while.”

“Maybe it’s that then,” Dean said hopefully. “Let’s get you in bed.”

“Dean, I’m…OK, fine,” Rose said, irritated at the coddling, though honestly more annoyed with the headache if she was honest. She started to get up, but Dean shook his head at her, going and pulling a t-shirt out of one of his drawers and bringing it to her. He then crossed to his bedside table and got her potion out, bringing it to her.  Luckily it kicked in quickly and eased the throbbing pain behind Rose's eyes.

“Maybe we should put you back on the same dose again” Dean fretted once they were in bed with the lights out.

“It’s one headache, Dean,” Rose argued. “Let’s see how I feel tomorrow before we panic, OK?”

Dean agreed but Rose could feel his apprehension, even in the dark room. And if she was honest she was feeling it too.

* * *

"Is there any way you could come to my house?"

When Rose woke the next morning she felt fine, good even. The headache from the night before was gone and she felt a trace of tiredness from it but nothing too extreme. She smiled brightly at Dean in the shower and kissed him to erase the worry from his eyes. She ate breakfast, got dressed and took the lower dose of the potion, feeling OK the entire time. Things got a little strange when she walked out into the hall and all the bedroom doors opened and then slammed shut but she chalked it up to her powers adjusting. She'd been on the higher dose of potion for a while now. It was going to take a bit for her body to get used to this lower dose. Dr. Alexander had even said as much. That's what she told herself and what she told Dean when she caught the worried expression on his face.

"I'm fine," she assured him and got a nervous smile in return.

Power training went OK at first, though to be completely honest it took a bit more concentration to control the objects than it usually did. But not too much, she reassured herself. No, she had this.

“I promise I’m fine,” she said again when Dean studied her closely, looking for any sign of pain.

Lunchtime came and went and out of habit Rose got ready to lay down for a nap. Then it occurred to her she wasn't really sure she needed one. With the lower dose of potion, she wasn't really that tired. Dean saw the hesitation on her face and steered her towards the bedroom anyway.

“I’m fine though, Dean” Rose protested.

"Just for now," he said. "You're still adjusting and could use the rest."

Rose frowned at him but went along anyway. "Would arguing do any good?" she asked as she kicked her shoes off and stretched out on the bed.

"Sure," Dean said cheerfully as he shut the light off and lay down beside her. "It would get your butt smacked before you took your nap."

"You're awful," Rose said with a smile that Dean returned.

"That's me," he agreed then watched as despite her protests that she wasn't sleepy, Rose drifted off in a matter of minutes. He lay there next to her, running his fingers through her hair and trying not to worry. Despite Rose's protests he didn't think she was fine, didn’t think the lowering of her dosage was going well. She'd had that awful headache last night - Which she tried to say was no big deal, but it was evident from her face how much pain she was in. Then there'd been the incident of the doors slamming this morning and he swore she'd struggled during her training session. But of course, unless her cornered her and asked outright she wouldn't admit it.  Dean sighed. He knew she wanted off the potion badly. He even understood it. Having to take it and deal with the side effects daily made her feel like there was something wrong with her. But he just didn't think this was going to work.

"Rose, Baby you need to wake up." Strong hands were shaking her gently and Rose woke with a start.

"What? What's wrong?" She took one look around and got her answer. "Oh no."

"Oh yeah," Dean said grimly.

* * *

"Right so this isn't working," Dean was agitated, pacing in front of the laptop. Dr. Alexander stared out at them both in concern.

"We woke up to a... a mini tornado in our bedroom," Rose explained, biting her lip. She’d taken the additional potion when Dean woke her just to make everything in the room stop spinning. Hearing the guilt in her voice now Dean was at her side instantly.

"Hey, it's not your fault. I told you that." He stroked her hair soothingly and Will was once again amazed at the difference in Dean when dealing with Rose. There was so much gentleness and tenderness there. "We just need you to get back on your regular dose and things will be OK."

"But I can't live on that forever," Rose said, the dismay evident in her voice.

"I agree," Will said, breaking in, drawing both their eyes to him. "I'd like to suggest something."

* * *

Cas and Daisy dropped them off in front of a large, blue house, somewhere in Utah. Apparently, the young couple had decided to explore the area themselves and would pick them up whenever they were ready.

"We're going to find a ski lodge," Daisy had whispered to Rose and despite the fact that today officially sucked Rose couldn't help but smile at the excitement in Daisy's eyes. She was glad things were going well.

As soon as they disappeared Dean stretched out a hand to Rose and they walked up to the front door together.

A pretty older woman answered the door, her smile kind and welcoming.

"You must be Rose and Dean," she said, welcoming them into the house. "We've been expecting you." The living room they walked into was warm and inviting, full of family photos and soft, comfortable looking furniture. The back wall was a floor to ceiling window with a picturesque view of a huge snow-covered mountain, a stable in the near distance and a corral of horses. "I'm Peggy," their host continued. "And please have a seat, make yourself at home." She offered them both drinks which they politely declined and a moment later Will himself entered the room. He was taller in person than he'd appeared over the computer, just shy of six feet Dean guessed and dressed as neatly as always in a blue button-down shirt and grey pants. He greeted them both warmly, shaking Dean's hand and holding Rose's hand between both of his for a moment. He stared at Rose's face for several moments, an odd smile crossing his face finally. He pulled his hands back finally and motioned to the couches.

"Please, let's have a seat here first before we get down to business." Will took a breath as Rose and Dean took a seat on a couch across from him and Peggy headed through a doorway with a smile. "So before, we get into anything there is one thing I need to be upfront about." Dean tensed immediately, and Rose gripped his hand. "It's not been an issue before because of the way our sessions were set up. But face to face it becomes a factor." Will smiled at Rose before saying, "Like you, Rose I'm not just gifted with one power. I'm also an empath."

"Say what?" Dean asked, and Will smiled at him.

"An empath. I can sense emotions in people I'm near and influence them if I so choose." Will raised a hand at the immediate way Dean bristled. "I do not use my powers this way except in extreme circumstances. If for some reason a person is getting unusually upset I could send a wave of calm over them and calm the situation." Will looked at Rose and she guessed what was coming. "Except in your case that doesn't seem to be possible." Rose grimaced, and Will nodded. "I can't sense your emotions any more than I could if I were simply using my teachings. Your emotions seem to be guarded for lack of a better word."

"Yeah, that seems to be a trend," Dean said and filled Will in on the other things people couldn't do with Rose - Cas couldn't find her, couldn't read her thoughts, ect.

"Well either way you have my word that I won't use my powers in any way to influence you," Will said, looking at Dean and the man slowly nodded his head. "I'd like to start off with doing a little testing of your powers, Rose." Rose nodded, and Will glanced at Dean. "Dean, you can come with us if you like or stay-"

"Yeah, I'll come along." Will did his best to hide his smile and nodded, standing and leading the two through the house till they reached a large room. It was mostly empty with a few pieces of gymnastics equipment.

"My daughter was a nationally ranked gymnast," Will explained, when he saw the curious expressions on both their faces. "So, now let's see what you can do here, Rose."

Will ran Rose through some exercises, seeing her amount of control and precision while Dean took a seat in a chair and kept an eye on them. Sure, he liked Will. But they'd never met them in person before and Dean was nothing if not cautious when it came to Rose.

* * *

Next Will said he'd like to talk to each of them separately. He led them to a small, comfortable waiting room with several couches and a TV.

"Rose, why don't you have a seat and I’ll talk to Dean first?” Will suggested. “If you need anything my wife is able to be reached by just picking up that phone.” Will motioned to a phone sat on a table then gestured to Dean to follow him out of the room. With one hesitant glance sent Rose’s way that clearly asked if she was OK with this, that she responded to with a reassuring nod the two men disappeared, leaving Rose alone.

Rose sat there for a moment, thumbed through a magazine on one of the tables and moved restlessly around the room before reaching for the phone.  For once Rose didn’t feel like being alone with her thoughts.

A warm female voice answered on the second ring. “Would you like some company?” Rose started slightly but quickly answered in the affirmative. “Well if you go out the door and turn right and head up the stairs you’ll be in my kitchen.” Rose followed the directions and quickly found herself in a large kitchen with Peggy.

“Why don’t you have a seat?” Peggy suggested, and Rose took a chair at the kitchen table, a warm mug of tea in front of her almost instantly. “There’s sugar on the table.”

Rose sat there, watching Peggy move confidently around the kitchen, sipping her tea and admiring the view out the window.

“So, do you always do this? Deal with your husband’s clients I mean?” Rose asked curiously.

“Not usually, no,” Peggy said with a smile thrown Rose’s way. She’d heard so much about this young woman sat at her table from her husband she felt like she knew her. “The phone’s there for emergencies but it’s rarely used. You two are different though.” Rose looked at her curiously and Peggy smiled. “Most patient don’t come in through our front door. There’s a separate entrance and I am almost certain you are the first ones to be delivered by angel.” Rose smiled at that.

“Yes, our lives aren’t exactly normal.”

“Oh, not normal I’m used to,” Peggy assured her. “We deal with hunters all the time, none of which who are ordinary. But your lives…” Peggy shook her head. “You’re fairly extraordinary.” Rose frowned, and Peggy caught that. “And you want to be anything but.” Rose looked up at her, surprised she understood that.  Most people when they heard about her powers were in awe and seemed to think it must be amazing to have them. Rose nodded. “Will did too. He didn’t want any special gifts or powers and he was quite angry initially.” Peggy stared out the window, dish in hand and Rose could see her getting lost in a memory. “It took him quite some time to come back to himself.”

“That must have been hard,” Rose said, and Peggy shook herself, focusing on what Rose was saying. “To watch someone you love go through all that.”

Peggy sat the dish down she was holding, poured herself a cup of coffee and came to take a seat across from Rose. “It was,” she admitted. “When you love someone, you want to make things easier for them, fix their problems. And I couldn’t do that. I could be there for Will, be a support but I couldn’t make things any different.” Peggy sipped at her coffee. “And at the same time, he was doing his best to handle something he’d never expected.” Peggy studied the woman in front of her before sharing more, sensing she would understand. “We had our lives planned, our futures were on track, on course, and then suddenly they were anything but. Things changed from the moment Will was taken and they have never been the same.”

“Did you ever…I mean that’s a lot to deal with,” Rose said hesitantly, and Peggy heard the unasked question.

“It was on both our parts,” Peggy admitted. “But we both took our commitment to each other seriously. I knew from the moment

“Some couples know from the start that they are meant to be together.  That wasn’t us.” She caught Rose’s surprised look and smiled. “Oh, I liked Will from the moment I met him, but I don’t think it really occurred to me just how much I really loved him till all the chaos hit.” Peggy took another sip of coffee then leaned back in her chair. “A friend, not knowing all the details of course, just knowing things weren’t going well and we’d only been married a short time, suggested I leave Will, walk away, start my life over.” A look crossed Peggy’s face that Rose had seen recently on one of her sister’s faces. “The very idea shook me, and I told this friend in no uncertain terms that my life and Will’s life were linked and would be shared till the day we died.” Rose watched as Peggy unconsciously touched her wedding rings. “So, no I never thought of walking away.  I couldn’t fix any of Will’s problems, but I could love him and I could be the rock he needed.” Peggy smiled at Rose then, her eyes kind and knowing. “Some couples don’t need vows, some do. Some make them unconsciously from the moment they meet. However it happens it’s a good thing to have someone to lean on.”

Rose and Peggy talked about lighter subjects after that, Rose telling her about her sisters and Peggy sharing about her daughter, Ellie. Will and Dean found both women smiling and laughing over their drinks at the table and Dean smiled as well, glad to see Rose sharing with someone and not looking as anxious.

“Well look at you two, gossiping away,” Will said, shooting the younger man a grin. “I’m sure they’ve shared all kinds of secrets about us by now, Dean.”

“You just better hope I’ve told Rose none of your bad traits,” Peggy said with a smile and Will smiled down at her.

“Impossible. We all know I have no bad traits,” he said with a straight face and Peggy laughed. “Before my ego can take any more hits, Rose would you be so kind as so come with me?” Rose followed Will out, squeezing Dean’s hand as she passed.

“Have a seat, Dean,” Peggy said with a smile, getting to her feet and moving towards the stove.

Dean let himself relax into the same chair Rose had just vacated. He rested his head on his hands, thinking that today had turned out to be a lot more than he’d expected. This week wasn’t supposed to be any big deal. Sam and Lily were on their weekend long sex-fix-it thing and Daisy and Cas were flitting around God knows where. It should have been a relaxing week with him and Rose having plenty of time to themselves. Except they’d messed with the potion.  Damn it, why had they messed with it?

A plate was put down in front of him and a warm scent wafted its way into Dean’s nose. He opened his eyes to find a delicious looking cherry crumble with ice cream on top in front of him. He glanced up to find Peggy smiling at him kindly.

“I was told you have a sweet tooth,” Peggy said, and Dean nodded, taking a bite and groaning in pleasure. Peggy’s smile grew, and she moved back to the stove, plating a serving for herself as well then sitting across from the hunter. “It’s protected here,” she said easily and watched as Dean stopped, his fork in midair and eyes wide. “I caught you glancing around, looking out the window, on alert. Thanks to my husband I’ve known more than my fair share of hunters, so I know me telling you it’s safe here won’t be enough, but I can promise the house and land is properly warded and protected.”

Peggy watched as Dean seemed to weigh her words carefully. They must have passed whatever test they’d been set up against because he slowly nodded and focused on the plate in front of him again. She smiled at the enthusiasm with which Dean ate. Will hadn’t been exaggerating when he said Dean liked food. She let herself study him as he did so. She wasn’t lying when she said she’d known a lot of hunters. They came through here regularly, though only the occasional one was invited into the kitchen. They came in all flavors and varieties, some she liked, others she could gladly never see again. She’d been curious when Will had described Dean and how different he was around Rose. She’d heard of the Winchesters of course, anyone with any connection to hunting had, but what Will said didn’t mesh at all with what she’d heard. Fierce and deadly were the words she would have used if she was describing the Winchesters on reputation alone. They were people you wanted to have your back in a fight, never ones to cross or want to be on the opposite side from. Caring, gentle, protective – these were not adjectives she’d ever heard to describe them and while Peggy had no idea what Sam was like those were the words she would have instinctively used to describe how Dean was when he was with Rose. Just the few moments she’d seen the two together she could see what Will had been talking about.

Dean finished the plate in front of him so quickly it made Peggy blink in surprise then quickly fill his plate up again, which got her a happy, little boy-like smile that she found infinitely charming. He ate this plate slower, taking time to ask her a question.

“So, you didn’t grow up with hunters?” He’d caught onto the fact that she’d said she knew hunters because of Will. He was sharp, Peggy thought, picked up facts and clues as he went.

She nodded, swallowing a bite of crumble before answering. “I knew nothing about hunting, about the whole other world that was out there until a friend and I were attacked.” Peggy stared out the window for a moment, all those memories from so long ago coming back to her now. “We were in our early twenties, young and out partying and met two men who seemed charming and smooth. They invited us to a party and well, long story short they were vampires.” Peggy glanced at Dean to find him watching her intently. “The one attacked my friend, killing her in front of me and the other had just bitten me when Will’s father came along and killed him and the other vamp. I passed out and woke up to find the most intense eyes I’d ever seen watching me.”

“Will?” Dean guessed, knowing the doc had a way of looking at people that saw through a lot.

“Will,” Peggy agreed with a smile. “He was kind and patient, explaining what had happened. And that was the beginning of my education in the supernatural world. I had no idea just where it would take me.”

Dean opened his mouth to answer and stopped as his phone buzzed. He pulled it out and quickly read the text there and answered.

“Rose’s little sister, checking on her,” he explained, and Peggy smiled.

“She has a close family?” Peggy asked, thinking about the way Rose had spoken about her sisters. Dean hesitated then nodded.

“Close sisters. And us, me and my brother I mean.”

“That’s good,” Peggy said. “Tight bonds help.” And that was good he considered himself family.  That meant he wasn’t leaving Rose’s side anytime soon and matched up with what Peggy had seen.

The phone on the wall buzzed and Peggy rose to answer then turned to Dean with a smile. “Will wants you to come down now.” Dean rose to put the plate in the sink and Peggy took it from him with a pleased smile. “Don’t worry about that.”

She watched Dean go back downstairs, thinking how familiar those two were.

"Like looking in a mirror," she murmured softly.

* * *

Dean knocked, and Will called out for him to come in. He let himself back into Will’s office, finding Rose immediately on the couch. Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt that bore the words “Mr. Misunderstood” today, with a less than happy look on her face she looked like a reluctant teenager. She was sitting crossing legged and Dean knew it to be a sign of how comfortable she was around Will. She let down a bit of her public face around him. Dean smiled at her and took a seat next to her, taking one of her hands in his.

Will looked at the two in front of him and tried to think of the best way to break this to them.

“So, having seen Rose’s powers in action and the control she has over them I’m impressed. Rose, your control and accuracy are impressive. I had nothing close to that months after my powers manifested. You’ve definitely mastered them.”

“Right, so why are they so out of control when we lowered the potion?” Dean queried.

Will sighed. “I’m afraid the problem isn’t her telekinesis. From everything I can tell that’s actually under her control.”

“Care to tell that to the furniture spinning around our room?” Dean cracked, and Rose gave him frown. Be nice, her look clearly said, and Will fought his grin, figuring this was a look Rose gave Dean fairly often.

“The problem, as far as I can tell, is actually her other power,” Will said. “You’ve only used it a handful of times you said, Rose?” She nodded. “So, it’s not something you are in control of and I think because it’s not controlled it’s actually affecting your telekinesis.”

“It can do that?” Dean asked, and Will nodded.

“From what I can tell, yes. That power is out of control but as there aren’t normally demons in your immediate vicinity it has nowhere to go, so it triggers the telekinesis making it appear out of control.”

“You sure about this?” Dean asked, and Will shook his head.

“I’ve never known anyone with the power to control demons, Dean. I don’t know anyone who has. But there is no way Rose would have the precision she does if her telekinesis was out of her control. It’s impossible. It took me months to even come close to that.” Will frowned. “What we need is for Rose to have a chance to practice with her other power.”

“It makes her nose bleed,” Dean pointed out, this clearly being a reason to not practice it in his book.

“Because it’s out of control,” Will said. “And until she has a chance to use it, to gain control of it I’d venture a guess that will continue to happen.” Will looked at Rose sympathetically. “I’m sorry, Rose but I think for now you need to be on the stronger dose of the potion your mother made.” Rose nodded her head but said nothing, her expression crestfallen

“Well shit,” Dean said.

“I’m sorry,” Will said sincerely. “I was hoping there was an easier answer.”

Rose gave Will a small smile. “Easy answers don’t seem to be in abundance when it comes to me.” Will gave her a sympathetic look.

“If you knew anyone who had power over demons or anything close to that it might help,” Will suggested. “Someone you trusted to help.” Dean nodded, and Will had a feeling from the look in his eyes he had an idea. Whatever it was he hoped it helped.  At this point a gamble would be the best option they had.


	110. And You Just Might Find Who You're Supposed To Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Food, Kissing and More Food

Daisy eyed the view from the lodge in wonder. There was a blanket of snow as far as the eye could see. Cas must have heard her mentioning her love of snow to Rose, Daisy thought and remembered it.  He did that, made note of things she liked, what she said and remembered them.  It was a perfect view - the hills rolling and looking as if they'd been painted a perfect sparkling white.

"Oh, it's beautiful," she said, and she felt Cas' pride and happiness from behind her.

"You said you loved snow and were jealous Sam and Lily would get to see some," he commented, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

This was something new he'd been doing - touching her more, at every chance he got it seemed and Daisy definitely approved.  She wasn't sure what had prompted the change, but she was happy about it. If Cas touched her she felt more comfortable touching him, something she liked to do.

Cas' lips found their way to Daisy's neck and she felt a small shiver run through her.

"I thought we could order room service for lunch and you could eat in front of the fireplace," Cas murmured and Daisy smiled. An image flashed through her mind of she and Cas in front of the fireplace, lips joined, bodies entwined, and she felt her pulse quicken. Remembering Rose's suggestion Daisy let the image filter through to Cas. She knew he'd gotten it when he stilled suddenly, and a noise caught somewhere between a moan and a growl fell from his lips.

"We could do that too," he said in her ear and was pleased by the warm sensation he felt wash over Daisy.

“You uh, you know what room service is?” Daisy asked, her voice catching.

“Dean talked about it once. He said it was one of the best parts of nice hotels.” Cas grasped her hand and pulled her over to the couch and placed a menu in her hands.

Daisy scanned the menu and placed her order. She hung the phone up and looked up to find Cas standing at the window in the exact spot she’d been, staring out at the snow. Daisy slipped her shoes off and stood up, smoothing her skirt down. She loved her dress. It was black with small white polka dots and long sleeves. It was perfect for this weather and the black tights she wore underneath meant she wasn’t cold despite the short length of the skirt. She walked up behind Cas, wrapping her arms around his waist, mirroring their previous stance.

“You ordered what you wanted?” Cas asked.

“Mmm hmm.”

“Let me guess – a cheeseburger?” Cas asked with a smile and Daisy laughed.

“Yes, and fries and a big slice of chocolate cake,” Daisy said as Cas turned to face her and take her in his arms.

“All your favorites,” Cas commented, and Daisy nodded. “How long till it’s delivered?”

“They said twenty minutes,” Daisy said, and Cas nodded, leading her back to the couch. He sat down and tugged her down next to him.

“Good, let’s make good use of our time,” Cas murmured, pulling Daisy towards him and brushing his lips over hers.

Daisy sighed happily, leaning into Cas and his kiss. He tugged her legs up, so they were resting across his lap and Daisy felt her heart give a little leap as he left a hand resting on her knee, running his fingers over it as the kiss deepened. Daisy wrapped her arms around Cas’ neck, pushing her body towards his as his tongue teased at her lips, tempting her to open them for him. As his tongue entwined with hers Daisy felt Cas’ other hand stroking softly over her back, coming to rest on her waist.

By the time her food was delivered Daisy felt flushed and distracted and wondered how she was going to concentrate enough to eat. But the food looked delicious and she dug in, deciding now would be a good time to discuss something with Cas.

“So, how did we meet?”

Cas looked at her curiously, his head cocked to the side and she could both see and feel his confusion.

"I appeared at the bunker and you were there," he said, with a furrowed brow, obviously not sure why Daisy didn't remember this.

"No, I know that." Daisy dipped a French fry in mayo and ate it then said. "But we need some story for my friends. Some cute meeting, some explanation of how we got married so quick. And why."

"Oh." She could tell he still didn't understand, so she tried to explain.

"My friends don't know where I am, Cas. They don't know about the bunker, don't know why I've been away." She took a bite of the cheeseburger which was so, so good. Not as good as Dean's but still tasty and super cheesy. She took a sip of Coke then continued. "They think I left because of a family emergency. I can't tell them the truth because it won't make sense, because there's parts of it I can't share."

Cas watched Daisy as she ate another French fry.

"You hate that."

She glanced up at him and nodded. "I do. I don't like lying to them."

"But you have before," Cas said slowly and watched as Daisy reached up and nervously twirled her hair.

"Oh, sure, I mean everyone lies sometimes, right?" Daisy gave him a smile, that even Cas who could be blissfully ignorant of other's body language could tell was nervous.

"Daisy, what have you told your friends?" Cas asked suspiciously and watched as Daisy squirmed uncomfortably. Then she picked up her cheeseburger, took a big bite and mumbled an unintelligible answer. Cas waited till she swallowed and then said, "Answer again, please." Daisy went to pick up the burger and Cas stopped her, keeping the burger in place with his mind. "Without food in your mouth this time."

Daisy gave him a pout. "That's mean." Cas was unyielding on this, sensing there was something here that could potentially lead to trouble. Finally, Daisy sighed and admitted, "They know there's danger out in the world." Cas furrowed his brow in confusion and Daisy expanded on her answer. "Vampires, ghosts, ghouls." Daisy pulled a memory up and sent it to Cas and he watched as a younger Daisy, barely in her teens, sat Bridget and Casey down and explained some things to them. She told them why they had to be careful, why they had to double check, to not put themselves in danger. He could sense even in the memory her anxiety, how very worried for her friends she was and that even though she knew she was breaking a rule that she was willing to take the risk.

"I'd just lost my Dad a few years before," Daisy said quietly now. "I couldn't _not_ tell them to be careful. They needed to be aware." And Cas could tell from the look in her eyes that she wasn't sorry either. "There had been a big spike in vampires going after high school girls after Twilight came out," she explained. "I mean, who knew vamps read, right? But we all loved that series. Though according to Lily vampires are nothing like that. Talk about your disappointments." Cas barely hid his smile at that. "I just didn't want to take the chance that some Edward Cullen wannabe was going to come along and attack one of them."

"What all do they know?" Cas asked, understanding but needing to know details.

"Just that there's creepy creatures out there and that there's people who fight them," Daisy said and Cas got a clear picture from Daisy's mind.

"You told them about your father," he said gently, and Daisy looked up at him and nodded.

"I was proud of him," she said softly. "And it's not like I ever got to tell anyone about him." She shook her head, trying to clear away the emotion. "I just wanted to make sure they knew to be careful."

"You told them nothing about your powers?" Cas pressed. "Nothing about your sisters?"

"Nope, not a word," Daisy said and Cas could sense the truth there.

"Does anyone know you told them?" Cas asked, and Daisy bit her lip.

"The boys do," she said, and Cas was surprised. "I explained why and well, Dean was really mad at first but then Sam said he understood and he got Dean to see why.” Daisy shrugged. “So, he was OK with it in the end."

"But not your sisters."

Daisy shook her head. "Oh no they would have killed me."

Cas thought this all over, once again confused by all the twists and turns in these complicated relationships. He wasn’t sure he’d ever truly understand them.

"I was thinking," Daisy said after Cas had been silent for several moments and she’d taken another bite of her cheeseburger – now that Cas wasn’t holding it hostage. "That I could tell them we met through Sam and Dean. That you're friends with them."

Cas nodded. There was truth there so that would work.

"And maybe, maybe we met at Starbucks."

Cas frowned. "Why would we meet there?"

"Well it sounds cute. I'm sitting there drinking a coffee and you come in and notice me. And you say something flirty to me and we laugh and talk and then - Whoa, it turns out we both know the same people!" Daisy finished with a flourish. "Totally meant to be."

Cas nodded then looked quizzical. "What would I have said that was flirty?"

"Um, well you said you liked my hair when you met me for real," Daisy said. "So, maybe something like that."

Cas pondered that a moment then said, "Your hair looks like spun gold." He smiled when Daisy blushed. "Your eyes are like the purest emeralds I have ever seen, and they cut to my soul, making me want to forget everything else." Daisy's eyes got big at this and he watched as she swallowed. "And when you smile..." Cas reached out and touched her lips and Daisy made a soft sound. "It's like the sun has come out and is shining only on me."

"Wow, yeah that...that will work," Daisy said and Cas smiled at the way the pulse in her neck was throbbing, at the way her breathing had picked up.

“As to why we married so quickly,” Cas continued. “Well, once I saw you how could I ever stand to be without you?” Daisy’s blush deepened, and her eyes sparkled with happiness when they met Cas’.  He didn’t think she’d ever looked more beautiful to him.

“I like that,” she said, her voice softer, lower than normal.

"Put your food down," Cas said suddenly and Daisy startled in surprise.

"What?"

"Put your plate down, Daisy," Cas said and she watched in wonderment as he shrugged out of his coat. He nodded to the plate and Daisy quickly set it up on the couch. "I plan to kiss you and that will be in the way."

Before Daisy had time to contemplate what he meant Cas was on her, the two of them toppling back onto the rug in front of the fireplace. His arms were around her as his lips descended on hers and Daisy felt as if her stomach was somewhere else, maybe left back by the couch where reality was. Because here, wherever _here_ was, Cas was kissing her with such passion that she thought she may never breath again. His lips were on hers and his teeth were slowly nipping at her bottom lip, making her gasp and he took advantage of that fact, his tongue sweeping in and meeting her own. It teased and danced with hers and Daisy realized she was pushing her body against Cas' in a very forceful way. He didn't seem to mind though, his hands molding to her back, to her waist and holding her firmly against him. Then he was rolling, turning so that Daisy found herself underneath him and she stared up at him as their lips parted. His blue eyes were dark, staring down at her in a way she hadn't seen before. His body over hers was heavy but not uncomfortable. He felt good on top of her, large and firm and she suddenly felt so small but not less than him, just right. She smiled up at him happily but with a note of shyness and Cas caught that immediately.

"We're going to take our time," he said soberly, and Daisy looked at him in confusion, not sure what he meant. "We married quickly because we needed to. But everything else, we can do slowly." He touched her face, his fingers warm and gentle. "We can figure everything we like together, learning each other as we go. There's no rush."

"I thought guys were always in a rush," Daisy said and Cas smiled at her.

"Well, I'm not a guy, am I?"

"You feel like one," Daisy said with a blush and Cas let out a laugh.

"I like the noises you make when I kiss you," Cas said and Daisy's blush deepened. "When I do certain things, you make noises I especially like." He trailed a finger down her throat and smiled as she made one of the noises he meant. "So, I'd like to find out everything I could possibly do to get you to make those noises." Daisy looked up at him shyly and Cas leaned down and kissed her softly. "You deserve nothing short of adoration, Daisy and that's what I plan on giving you."

They kissed for several more minutes till Cas again pulled his mouth back. "Promise me if I ever do anything you don't like you'll tell me." Daisy nodded, and Cas sighed happily. He wanted nothing more than to make Daisy happy and for them to enjoy each other. The website Rose had given him mentioned that women sometimes weren't as vocal with their needs and desires and that thought was horrifying to Cas. "And if there's anything you want and I'm not giving you then tell me, please. I'd do anything for you, Daisy." Daisy nodded but Cas could see the hesitation there. He knew this would take time and he was fine with that. He could be amazingly patient. And if he was honest he wasn't sure exactly what he wanted, just that he wanted it with Daisy. The website had mentioned a great many things that Cas had no firsthand knowledge of. (Though that was in the more advanced section. He'd broken the rules and skipped ahead. Cas always had been more of a rulebreaker than people realized.) He was looking forward to seeing just what they both ended up liking.

"I like when you kiss me," Daisy said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Well as luck would have it, that's today's mission - Kissing and lots of it."

"No touching?" Daisy asked hesitantly and then blushed an even brighter red.

"Maybe a little," Cas said with a grin. "But one step at a time..."

* * *

"Before we go," Rose said and Dean glanced at her, hearing something in her tone. "Can I ask a question?"

"Of course," Will said, leaning back in his chair.

"How do you know my mom?"

Dean wasn't sure who was more surprised - him or the doctor.

"Rosie, what are you talking about?" he asked but Rose just nodded towards Will where he sat in surprise but not denial.

* * *

Erin hadn’t planned to ask Will Alexander to be her daughter’s therapist. She hadn’t in face even known if he was still even working. After what he’d been through a lot of people would have walked away without a backward glance. So, when Bobby had brought up his name and said not only was he still working but he was one of the best around, someone that some of the toughest hunters around trusted, it had come as somewhat of a shock to her. It shouldn’t have really. Will had always been a lot tougher than he looked and someone who kept secrets he was trusted with. He’d heard enough of Erin’s over the years.

“You OK with me talking to him?” Bobby had asked, and his eyes had been asking more than just if she was OK with him making a call. He was asking her if she wanted him to run interference, check the waters, see if this was a man who could handle this.

Erin had hesitated then nodded. “If he’s up for it then he could be a good fit,” she said, and Bobby had looked at her curiously. “You know how he got started doing this right?” Bobby shook his head. He knew obviously a therapist who knew about the supernatural world was rare, but he didn’t know any of his back story, just that people he trusted spoke highly of him. So, Erin told him Will’s story, of how his powers manifested and under what conditions.

“Hell of a way to find out,” Bobby commented and Erin nodded.

“Will had always been different. But that happening…it shook everything up. He kind of dropped out, shut down and I haven’t really heard from him in years.”

Bobby gave her a strange look. “Erin, he was at Brendan’s funeral.”

She looked surprised. “He was? God, I was so out of it that day…I barely remember anything.” She thought a moment then said, “But that sounds like Will.  He’s loyal.”

So, Bobby had called and once he’d been sure that Will was right for this Erin had gotten involved, letting Will know that the people he’d be working with were her family. He’d been surprised, but not hesitant to help.

As Erin sat in front her hotel room waiting for Will’s call she thought how weird life was. Back in high school she could have never imagined this situation arising. Will Alexander playing the hero for her and her girls.  But here she was, waiting to hear how Will’s first meeting with Rose had gone.

“So, as I suspected she’s suffering from ptsd,” Will’s voice said over the line. “Completely expected in her situation.”

“Normally I would suggest medication but with her powers being controlled by that potion you created I’m not sure how the two would react and that’s a gamble I’m not willing to take.” Will had always been cautious and it was one thing that made Erin think he’d be a good fit for Rose. When it came to her children cautious was good. “Honestly Erin, with what she’s been through she’s doing better than I thought she would be.” Erin gave a sigh of relief to hear what she suspected confirmed. She was a mother, but he was a doctor and to hear his opinion helped.

“She’s tougher than she looks,” Erin said. “And she has a good support system.”

Will laughed. “I’ll say. I was asked not once but twice if I was up for the job.”

“Lily and Dean?” Will confirmed her guess and Erin smiled. Sam would trust her and Bobby’s choice, but Dean and Lily would have to make sure for themselves. That’s who they were. “They’re hunters, Will. Did you expect any less?”

“Not at all,” Will said. “Especially not from children you raised. And Lily, damn Erin she’s like talking to you at that age.”

“Oh Will,” Erin protested. “I was never so-”

“Blunt? Hostile? Ready to kick ass and ask questions later?” Despite her protestations Erin laughed. “She doesn’t look like you, well she does have your eyes, but she sounds like you so much.”

“Well maybe a little but she curses more,” Erin relented.

“Maybe now she does,” Will teased. “But I remember what you were like when we were teenagers.”

“And back on the topic of my girls,” Erin said, obviously not wanting to go down that road. “Can you help Rose? With her powers I mean?”

“I think so,” Will said. “It’ll take some effort and won’t happen overnight but the fact she was able to control her telekinesis before is a good sign. From what you said it sounds like they’ve just been kicked into overdrive and her body and mind need time to catch up. I would imagine it’s draining her energy levels at an amazing rate too.”

“Don’t mention you know me,” Erin said, surprising Will. “Trust me, things will go smoother if you don’t.” Will wondered at that but didn’t push, hearing the tenseness and strain in Erin’s voice.  She had a lot of irons in the fire.  “Thank you for this,” Erin said, and Will heard the real, genuine gratitude in her voice.

“Anytime, Erin,” Will said sincerely. “She’s your daughter. I’ll do anything I can to help.”

* * *

Now Will continued to look at Rose in surprise.

"How did you-"

"A few things," Rose explained. "You called her Erin which seemed pretty familiar to me, but I brushed that off. Some people are less formal though that didn't really seem to fit you. Then there's the fact that I know my mother well enough to know that she wouldn't trust just anyone with the knowledge of my sisters and my powers." Rose looked thoughtful. "When I told you that she knew about my powers and kept it to herself you looked not just shocked but surprisingly angry, as if something had been kept from you too. I was fairly certain after that. But today was the clincher." Will racked his brain for what he could have done to give himself away today and finally shook his head. Rose nodded to a bookshelf behind him and Dean glanced at it, not seeing anything suspicious. "That's a high school yearbook from my mother's school." Will nodded in defeat and Rose looked at him curiously. "So, did you know her then?"

Will sighed and nodded. "Guilty as charged. You followed the clues very well.  You’re definitely your father’s daughter. I grew up with your mom, both of your moms actually." Dean sucked in a breath next to Rose and she squeezed his hand. "I wasn't keeping it back for any reason, Rose, except your mother wished it so. It just didn't seem worth mentioning and when it was clear that there was distance between you and your mother it seemed it would only cause discomfort."

Rose nodded thoughtfully.

"In high school your mothers were two of my closest friends." Will smiled nostalgically. "Both were pretty and popular, and I was neither, but they pulled me into their circle anyway, making my high school years much better than they would have been." Will looked at Dean and admitted, "I, in fact had a huge crush on your mom, not that she ever saw me as more than a friend and then once your dad was in the picture no other male need exist for her." Will looked at Rose and she could tell he was trying to gauge her reaction. "I hope this doesn't cause a problem. I swear I was entirely truthful in every aspect of your treatment, Rose." Rose studied him for a moment then smiled and nodded.

“I kept thinking you looked familiar too.”

“I was at your father’s funeral,” Will said, with a sympathetic look. Rose nodded, figuring anyone could have been there that day and she wouldn’t remember. "So, you suspected all that time and didn't say anything?" Will asked, and Rose shrugged.

"I'm kind of used to secrets by now," she said, and Will smiled.

"Yes, I suppose you would be."

"I think Dean would love to hear about his mom though," Rose said and smiled at the all too eager smile on Dean's face. Then she sat back and listened to the doctor fill Dean in on just what kind of amazing girl his mom had been.

* * *

Daisy was just finishing up her chocolate cake when Dean texted her that they were ready. "Good timing," she commented and got up to slip her shoes on and tug her coat on.

"Today was wonderful," she said, standing beside Cas and smiling up at him.

"It was," he agreed. He couldn't help but smile at the happiness radiating off of her. He'd enjoyed today as well, the warm feel of Daisy's body under his, the way she responded when he kissed her and even the way her hands had pulled at his shoulders.  It all had thrilled him. He got the impulse now that people had to rush, to get to the finale quickly. But he sensed Daisy's nervousness beneath her excitement and wanted to make sure this was all as pleasurable for her as it was for him. He felt sure that had been the case so far. And taking it slowly meant he was learning more and more about her, about her body and what she liked, and he enjoyed that too.

He smiled at her as they left the room and checked out, then walking out into the snow a safe distance from anyone so they could leave.

As far as he was concerned Daisy was pure happiness. And he was just happy to be around her to soak that all up.

* * *

Peggy was sorry to see them go, sending them home with cherry crumble and a loaf of banana bread. She obviously missed having people to feed. Rose quiet and Dean was worried how she was taking the news. She hadn't said much. Sometimes he wished she were more prone to emotional outbursts only if so he could know what she was thinking. But that wasn't Rose, at least not initially.

When they got home, Rose headed for their room immediately without a word to anyone.

"Things didn't go well?" Daisy asked Dean and he shook his head and explained what the doctor had said. "Oh, that sucks," she said sympathetically.

"You have a plan?" Cas asked looking at Dean knowingly and Dean slowly nodded.

"Maybe," he hedged, and Cas nodded.

"That could be risky," he said, and Daisy looked at him curiously.

"Yeah, but it's the only thing I can think of," Dean said.

He headed towards the kitchen planning to pour himself some coffee and make Rose some tea and give her a few minutes alone. Once he had the kettle on he pulled his phone out and hit a number he had on speed dial. It went directly to voice mail.

"When you get this call me," he said shortly and hung up. Tea done he headed towards their room.

* * *

"You know, one of these days one of us should really learn to cook," Sam said, looking at the woman next to him on the couch. Steaming bowls of thick stew were in front of each of them along with fresh crusty bread slathered in butter. The woman in town who made meals was an excellent cook.

Lily laughed. "Yeah, I'm not volunteering, and you can make grilled cheese," she countered. "That counts." Sam snorted in disagreement with that fact. "Everyone has talents and cooking just doesn't happen to be one of ours." They ate in silence for a few minutes then Lily added, "Besides we have Dean and Rose. They can cook."

"Rose hasn't been doing that," Sam argued.

"No, but she's doing better so that'll come," Lily said. "She is doing better isn't she?"

Sam nodded with a smile. "Yeah, she is."

"I wasn't sure she would, you know. Despite what you said," Lily said apologetically. "I just couldn't see, well she was so different. And how do you come back from that?"

"People are stronger than we give them credit for sometimes," Sam said and Lily nodded thoughtfully.

"So, hot tub time after dinner?" Lily asked with a grin and Sam nodded enthusiastically. It was snowing once again, some of the coldest weather they'd seen this early in these parts for years if the townspeople could be believed. An evening on the enclosed porch in a hot tub with Lily while the snow came down steadily outside sounded like Sam's idea of heaven.

* * *

Dean sat one mug down and opened the door then picked it back up before heading inside. He sat both mugs down on his bedside table and went to Rose where she was sat on the chair, her knees drawn up with her head resting on them. He didn't say a word, just picked her up, took her place and sat her on his lap. She immediately curled into him.

"I'm sorry, Baby," he said softly. "I know it wasn't the news we wanted to hear."

"I just wanted it to be easy," Rose said, her voice low. "I wanted something to go the way it was supposed to."

"I know," Dean said, his voice sounding as frustrated as Rose felt. "And I wish it had. But I want you to trust me when I say we will get you off this potion. It may take longer than we wanted but we'll do it."

"How?" Rose asked sounding more disbelieving than she wanted to. But she felt pretty hopeless right now.

"I know someone who may be able to help," Dean said and Rose pulled back to look at him.

"You know someone else who can control demons?" she asked, and Dean hesitated then slowly nodded.

"Kind of, not like you but someone who definitely has power over them."

Rose's look turned worried. "This doesn't sound like a very nice someone, Dean." She paused, thought about it then said, "Though maybe I don't sound nice either."

"Doesn't matter what you sound like," Dean said squeezing her waist. "It matters what you are. And you're the nicest, sweetest, kindest person I know." Rose just smiled, knowing it did no good to argue with him on this point.

"And this person, are they nice?" she queried, and Dean hesitated.

"Not so much, no," he admitted. Rose frowned.

"Well I don't know if you should be dealing with them then, Dean," she said. "I don't want you putting yourself in harm’s way for me."

"I'm not," Dean assured her. "I've worked with this person before and we have a working relationship of sorts."

Rose mulled that over, searching Dean's face for any trace of worry. Seeing none she nodded finally. "OK, if you're sure."

"I'm sure. And anyway," Dean said. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, Rosie."

"I don't want you to ever get hurt because of me," Rose argued and Dean just smiled at her.

"Nothing at all," he said, and Rose shook her head at him.

"I'll argue that every step of the way," she said, and Dean's smile didn't dim.

"Mmm hmm, and we know who will win that argument," he said. "Now, what do you want to do tonight?" he asked. "Movies, go out to dinner..." he trailed a hand down to her hip pulling her closer to him. "Something a bit more physical?" he asked with a charming grin.

Rose thought a moment then slowly said, "I think, I think maybe I want to bake." Watching Peggy in the kitchen today had made her itch to have her hands in flour, to knead bread, to roll out pastry. She hadn't had that urge in so long it had taken her by surprise. But before all this madness had hit baking had been her go to way to relieve stress. It calmed her and soothed her, and she could do with both those tonight. "It may not be very good," she warned Dean, seeing the surprised but excited look on his face. "It's been ages since I've made anything."

"Rosie," Dean said, setting her on her feet and getting to his own. "I have every faith in the world that whatever you make tonight will be amazing."

* * *

Dean watched Rose walk into the kitchen slowly.  Her steps were unsure, her movements cautious. She was trying to get her bearings he could tell.

"What are you thinking of making, Sweetheart?" he asked taking a seat at the bar.

"Maybe some bread?" Rose said hesitantly. "Or maybe something with apples. We have pie filling, right?"

"Hey, do I live here?" Dean said. "Of course, we have pie filling." Dean walked over to the shelf full of staples and perused the choices. "Apple, cherry, blueberry and huh, for some reason lemon."

"Sam likes lemon," Rose said absently, opening a cupboard door, trying to figure out where everything was. She'd had a pretty good idea of where things were before but since her time away and all the additions they had brought from home things had changed a bit. "You like lemon pie," she added.

"Yeah, but it's not my favorite."

"Well I just need apple anyway." Rose pulled out the measuring cups she needed, glancing at her phone. She pulled up the recipe she wanted and got busy getting out what she needed. Dean brought the requested pie filling over to the counter, dropped a kiss on Rose's cheek, filled his coffee cup up and went back to his seat. When he put her phone on the island he glanced at the recipe.

"Glazed apple cinnamon oatmeal bread," he read aloud. "Sounds good." He looked through the necessary ingredients and asked, "Wait, do we have Greek yogurt?"

"Mmm hmm," Rose said. "Sam likes it for breakfast."

"He would," Dean muttered. He paused then asked, "Is there anything about our food preferences you don't know?"

Rose considered that a moment as she preheated the oven then pulled her mixer out. Dean immediately got up and lifted it onto the island for her. "I don't know Charlie's likes and dislikes. Bur as for the rest of you, not that I'm aware of," Rose said finally. "I spent years cooking and baking to suit them."

Dean smiled at her from his spot on the other side of the island, a complete mirror of their positions weeks earlier when he'd been making chili and Rose had been talking to him.

"You always have been good at that, knowing what other people like," Dean said and Rose shrugged.

"I like making what people like, making people happy, especially the most important ones in my life."

Dean watched as Rose carefully measured out flour, followed by a few other ingredients. Her movements were careful, and Dean could tell she was second guessing every move. So, he got her talking.

"What was your Dad's favorite thing you made?" he asked, and Rose glanced up at him in surprise.

She thought a moment as she mixed oatmeal in with the dry spices then switched that bowl out for another.

"He liked gingerbread at Christmas," she said finally. "His mom would make it for him growing up and she taught me the recipe. He'd always make a huge fuss when I made it and go on and on about how good it tasted." Dean watched as a happy smile settled on Rose's face.

"I've had that gingerbread," Dean said. "It's amazing."

Rose flushed with pleasure, her movements a bit surer as she mixed the wet ingredients together.

"What about the rest of the year?" Dean queried, sipping at his coffee.

"He liked oatmeal cookies, as long as they didn't have raisins." Dean watched as Rose went and searched for loaf pans. It took her a moment, but she found some and he watched her spray them with cooking spray and set them on the counter. "And for dinner he liked lasagna, the same as Daisy."

"But the kind with meat, right?"

"Yes, the kind with meat," Rose agreed. She gave the mixture one more stir then added the last few ingredients then mixed the wet and dry together. Then she carefully poured it into the pans and popped them into the oven.

"How long has that got to cook?" Dean asked as Rose set the timer.

"Thirty minutes," Rose said. "Give or take. I don't know this oven well yet."

"Thirty minutes..." Dean said thoughtfully, giving Rose a smile. A smile that promised way more than apple bread. "Come here, pretty girl," he said crooking a finger at her.

"Dean, I need to clean up," Rose hedged.

"And we will absolutely do that," Dean promised. "I'll even help."

"Dean..." Rose said, backing up as he got to his feet. "What are you..." She let out a surprised sound as he moved quickly, pinning her to the wall by the stove with his body.

"I was thinking," he said, his voice low and his eyes darkening. "That you did so fucking well today." His fingers stroked down her neck and Rose couldn't help but close her eyes, her neck arching back. "You talked to me, told me how you felt, didn't shut down."

"I... I’m trying," Rose managed to get out as Dean's mouth followed the path his hand had taken.

"And you're doing a damn fine job," Dean said, his lips against her skin, the vibration of his voice sending tremors through her. "Being such a good girl for me," he murmured. Rose let out a surprised sound when Dean reached out and grabbed her hands in his, pulling them up and pinning them above her head with one of his hands grasping her wrists. Rose made a pleased noise at that, closing her eyes and Dean grinned. He brushed his lips over hers smiling when she sighed happily. He'd never get over the way she responded to him. Not just as if he turned her on. Dean was good at sex. He liked women. He was used to women liking the way he touched them. But Rose was different. She acted like his touch fulfilled something in her, as if it brought her happiness just to be kissed by him, like his touch more than anything else made her feel whole.

Dean moved his mouth to her ear. "Keep those hands right where I put them, Princess. Understand?"

"Yes Sir," Rose murmured and Dean smirked at how easily she fell into that now without any hesitation. Something told him she needed that tonight, to give in, to shut her mind off.  And this he could give her. He pulled her t-shirt up, running his mouth over her breasts and sucking a nipple into his mouth through the fabric of her bra. Rose let out a sound as her back arched and Dean smiled. He moved to the other breast, letting his teeth worry the nipple of this one and Rose let out a louder sound, her body pushing against his desperately. He kissed his way down her stomach, tugging her jeans open and sliding a hand inside, stroking her through her underwear. She opened her eyes and glanced down at him as he sank to his knees, whimpering as his finger slipped inside her. He grinned up at her as he teased, his finger just shallowly inside her and she whined.

"Want more, Baby?" he asked, and she immediately nodded her head. "More of this?" he asked, pulling her jeans and panties down so they were pooling at her ankles. He slipped two fingers inside her, stroking her and feeling a sense of pride at just how wet she was. "Or more of this?" he asked, leaning forward and licking at her with his tongue.

"More of that, the second..." Rose gasped out. "Your tongue, please."

"Then these have got to go," Dean muttered pulling her jeans all the way off. "I want you wide open to me," he said, lifting one of her legs up and hooking it over his shoulder. His mouth immediately dove in, licking and sucking and downright feasting on her. Rose moaned, her body on fire as Dean did what he did so well.

For his part Dean reveled in watching Rose come apart, in tasting her and watching the pleasure take over. In no time at all her body was shaking and then releasing everything as she came hard.

And the entire time her hands never moved, Dean noticed. Not once.  If that wasn't submission Dean didn't know what was.

He pulled Rose's clothes back on for her and got to his feet, smiling at the blissed-out expression on her face. He couldn't help but kiss her and Rose happily wrapped her arms around his neck. She was pressing up against him and had just pulled her mouth from his with a smile that spoke of all kinds of plans to pay him back with Daisy and Cas appeared in the doorway.

Dean and Rose’s eyes met, and it was clear they were both realizing they’d completely forgotten Cas and Daisy were here.  That was close! They’d gotten too used to being alone and taking that for granted.

"What's that yummy smell?" Daisy asked. "Are you baking?" Her eyes were wide with wonder as if this was the most amazing circumstance imaginable.

Rose gave Dean an apologetic glance then extracted herself from his arms.

"I am," she said. "But it won't be done for a little while longer."

"What is it?" Daisy asked taking Dean's abandoned seat at the island.

"Apple bread," Rose said and Daisy literally squealed with delight.

"I love apple bread!" she declared, and Dean smiled at her. He had the feeling he wasn't the only one who was happy Rose was baking again.

"I'll tell you what," Rose said and Dean caught the scheming gleam in her eye. "Why don't you two go and pick up some pizza for dinner? By the time you get back the bread will be ready."

"You got it," Daisy said, hopping down and nodding towards Cas. "I'll call it in, get the usual and be back in about 45 minutes."

"Perfect," Rose said as the couple disappeared in the direction of the garage. Dean turned to Rose with a grin.

"Well aren't you sneaky?" he said, and Rose smiled.

“She never gave you the keys back to the car she borrowed, did she?” Dean frowned, realizing this was true. “I don’t think you’re getting them back,” Rose said with a smile. “But hey, it comes in handy, right?” Dean nodded, figuring a car was a small price to pay for alone time with Rose.

"Give me give minutes, I'll pull the bread out and then we'll go off to the bedroom." She leaned in and kissed him. "And I plan on making you feel just as good as you made me feel."

And Dean smiled because those words and that smile were proof he had made her feel better, even when they’d been hit with yet another disappointment. He’d helped, even if it wasn’t a fix, more like a band aid.  But band aids were needed too, Dean reminded himself as he watched Rose pull the bread out of the oven and walk back to him with a smile on her face. And hopefully, he thought as she took his hand and led him down the hall, soon he’d hear back from the call he’d made and be able to give her even more.


	111. I'll Be Doin' Fine and Then Some

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sprinkles, Truths and A Long Overdue Present

Dean woke before Rose the next morning. She was sound asleep, curled up against his side. Dean lay there for a few moments enjoying the warmth of her body then carefully slipped out of bed and headed towards the kitchen. He was in desperate need of coffee.

Dean started the coffee maker, thinking to himself they really needed to get a newer one that they could program to be ready in the morning. He took a seat at the kitchen table while he waited for the coffee to brew and thought how weird it was to not see Sam in the morning. He was so used to him always being here. He couldn't remember the last time they'd been apart this long.

Coffee made he poured a cup and headed back to their room, slipping back into bed beside Rose. He checked his phone and saw he had a text from Charlie.  Looked like she'd figured out something on the stuff Sean had given them. She'd talked to Bobby and wanted to head to the bunker as soon as he was ready. Dean glanced at Rose who was still asleep, not even aware he'd left the room. He came up with a quick plan and he sent Cas a quick text and got a reply almost immediately. He texted Charlie back, told her a time a few hours away he'd be ready by and set his phone down.

He watched Rose sleep knowing she probably needed the extra rest after yesterday. He hated that all this was so rough for her.  She wanted off that potion so badly.  Speaking of which he still didn't have a return call from the message he left yesterday.  He'd give it a few more hours then try again.

Dean let Rose sleep for an hour more then gently woke her up.  She blinked at him sleepily and burrowed under the covers.

"It's cold," she complained. "And I'm sleepy."

"Come get in the shower," Dean coaxed. "That'll warm you up."

"Yeah, but I have to walk there," Rose said. "And the floor is cold."

"Wait just a minute," Dean said and got out of bed. Rose watched him curiously as he headed to the bathroom and a minute later she heard the water turn on in the shower. He came back and pulled back the covers and lifted her up, surprising her.

"No cold floor," he said with a smile and Rose laughed.

"You're spoiling me, Dean," she said, and he grinned proudly.

"Good, then I'm doing my job." He sat her down on the counter, helped her out of her clothes and deposited her in the shower under the warm spray then joined her a moment later.

He waited till they were out, and she was combing her hair out before telling her what he was thinking for the day.

"So, I know yesterday was rough," he said catching her eye in the mirror. "Why don't you take it easy today? You and Daisy can do some movie watching, spend some time relaxing."

"And what would you be doing during all this?" Rose asked suspiciously. Not that she didn't appreciate the idea, but she had a feeling Dean had a reason for this plan.

"Bobby and Charlie are coming over," Dean admitted. "They've worked something out I think with what Sean gave us."

Rose nodded but said nothing else and Dean watched as she went and pulled clothes out.

"I'll do this," she conceded. "But tomorrow I'm holding you to your promise. I want to hear all the prophecies."

Dean frowned. He was so hoping she'd let go of that. "Rosie," he started but one look at her face told him that wasn't going to happen.  She was determined.

“Wait just a few more days, Rosie,” he begged, and it was Rose’s turn to frown. “Just till things are settled down with your potion again, OK? Please?”

Rose searched his face, seeing the real concern in his eyes and realized how badly yesterday had been for him. She needed to remember she realized how all this affected him too. She could wait a few more days. But after that she was done waiting.

“A few more days,” she acquiesced, and Dean smiled. “As long as you promise to not put it off any longer.”

“I promise,” Dean said, relieved to have a few days grace even if he knew there was no way to get out of telling her.  Not once Rose made her mind up.

* * *

"Toast and bacon with tea," Dean said delivering the plate to Rose now comfortably ensconced in Daisy's room. "And toast and scrambled eggs with sickeningly sweet coffee." Daisy gave him a happy smile.

"Anything else you two need?" Dean asked, and both shook their head.

"Thanks, Dean," they both said, and he smiled.

"We'll have lunch late," he said. "I'll come and check on you two later." He'd pulled Cas out for any help he could be, so it was just the two girls in the room.

Daisy and Rose ate their breakfast in silence, neither very talkative when they first woke up. There was a re-run of Gilmore Girls on TV and they were both content to watch that and eat their breakfast. When finished Rose put her empty plate on the bedside table and stretched, snuggling under the warm blanket. When she'd heard Dean's plans for the day she'd dressed accordingly - purple sweatpants and a large, oversized t-shirt with rows of cupcakes across it.

"We could always just binge Gilmore Girls today," today she said, and Daisy nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

"So, you figured out what exactly?" Dean asked, taking a seat at one of the library tables.

Charlie glanced at Bobby and at his nod she went ahead. "We think we have some idea of when this all could go down. At least a window of sorts."

"OK, I mean not very precise but better than what we had," Dean allowed, sipping at his coffee.

"Yeah, well prophecy writers aren't much for precision," Charlie said, with a grimace.

Charlie told Dean what they had, and he nodded. It was a window, a pretty big one actually but it at least told they were good through the end of the year.

"There's a bit more beyond that but I'm still working on deciphering it," Charlie said. "Not dates, I don’t think. Maybe more prophecy I guess."

"Great," Dean groaned. "Just what we need. Because we don’t have enough."

"So, we were thinking if we could research the possible dates that fall in this window it might give us a clearer idea of when we're talking about," Bobby said and then they all got down to it, pulling out the books, Charlie working on her laptop and all was quiet for a time. Then Bobby cleared his throat and looked up at Dean.

"Erin and I are going to go back to Nebraska for a few days tomorrow."

"What for?" Dean asked with a frown.

"Got a case up there that needs looking into," Bobby said. "Figured it would do Erin good to get out, get some breathing room."

Dean considered that and nodded, going back to his book.

Bobby sighed, glad he'd got that done. Dean and the rest of the kids didn't need to know details.

* * *

"All right, we're hitting a brick wall here," Bobby said in frustration. No witches in the area wanted to touch a spell like the one that was placed on Sean. It was dark, nasty magic and not something a lot wanted to deal with. "We may have to call Heather."

"No," Erin said quietly. And Bobby watched and could practically see her drawing her strength, stepping out. "No, I don't want to bother her again if we don't have to."

"Erin, we're running out of options here," Bobby said. Erin looked up at him then and for the first time in a long time she looked strong, looked ready and like the girl he'd known so long ago.

"Then consider me an option."

"You're serious?" Bobby asked, and Erin nodded slowly. She'd always been better at spells and witchcraft in general than she let on to most people. She'd gone much further than dabbling once a long time ago. There was a reason she was so readily accepted in the covens.  It wasn’t something she usually admitted though and it caught Bobby off guard.

"I know this boy, Bobby. I knew his family." Erin took a breath. "I've spent so long doing nothing and a lot of people have had to pay the price. If I can help I want to."

"Can you do this?" Bobby asked, needing to be sure. "Are you strong enough?"

"I looked at the spell we'd need, and I am," Erin said assuredly.

"OK then, we can go day after tomorrow," Bobby said. "I need to help the kids with that stuff they brought back but we can leave just after."

"Let's not tell them," Erin said and Bobby hesitated. "They'll just worry."

"Well we need to tell them we're going somewhere," he said.

"So, tell them we're going to work a job," Erin suggested. "That you are and I'm tagging along." Bobby still wasn't sure, so Erin pressed on. "If we tell them where we're going they'll want to come, to help and I don't want to take a chance of putting them in any danger."

That did it for Bobby. He agreed, and the plans were made.

* * *

"I'm sorry yesterday didn't go so great," Daisy said a little while later. She and Rose were well and truly on a Gilmore binge, enjoying the quirkiness and drama of Stars Hollow.

Rose glanced at her and shrugged. "Nothing's easy is it?" She shook her head then wanting to get on a happier topic she asked, "So, how was your day with Cas?" She grinned when Daisy blushed and smiled. "That good, huh?"

Daisy nodded. "We went to a ski resort and rented a room with a huge fireplace. And I had a cheeseburger and chocolate cake. And then we kissed for like forever."

"So, what was better the cake or the kissing?" Rose teased.

"Oh, the kissing for sure," Daisy immediately replied.

Rose smiled at her little sister happily then reached out and smoothed her hair.

"He makes you happy?" she asked, and Daisy nodded.

"He does. He's sweet and interesting and he likes me for me." Daisy smiled somewhat shyly. "I'm not like you or Lily. You two have always been comfortable with guys, been so good at dating and flirting and all that. I'm just awkward."

"There's nothing wrong with how you are," Rose soothed and Daisy gave her a look. They'd had this conversation many times before.

"Cas likes me in all my weirdness." Daisy toyed with her wedding ring and said, "He's different too, not like other angels so we fit."

"I'm glad, baby," Rose said. "You deserve someone who realizes just how amazing you are."

"You mean like Dean does with you," Daisy said and watched as her sister immediately smiled. "You two are good?"

"We are," Rose said, her voice sure. She had a lot she wasn't sure of right now. Dean wasn't one of them.

The two watched the rest of the episode in companionable silence then when a commercial came on Daisy took a breath.

"If mom wanted to talk to you would you listen?"

Rose looked at Daisy in surprise. She was far from the mediator in their family. Lily tried when it came to Rose and her mother, but no one had really succeeded in that role since their Dad had passed.

"Why?" Rose asked cautiously.

"Well, 'cause you need to," Daisy said simply, as if this should be immediately clear. Rose made a non-committal sound and Daisy pressed on. "She wants to talk to you, Rosie. But she's afraid you won’t hear her out, that you'll just shut her down before she has a chance to explain."

"Yeah, and that would be just horrible," Rose muttered. "I mean she definitely doesn't deserve that."

"People mess up. They make mistakes. If they're truly sorry hearing them out doesn't do any harm," Daisy said and Rose shot her a glare.

"She lied to me, Daisy. Lied to all of us for years and years. In fact, if I hadn't caught her she'd be lying still." Rose shook her head. "She's not sorry she did it. She's just sorry she got found out."

Daisy frowned. Why did her family members have to be so stubborn?

"I don't agree," she said slowly, and Rose glanced at her curiously. "Mom can lie as good as you can. I don't think it's a coincidence she got caught."

"You mean she wanted to?" Rose asked incredulously.

"Probably not consciously, but sub-consciously yeah, I think she did." Daisy had spent a lot of time thinking about this, about all the intricacies of her mother's and Rose's relationship. There were parts she didn't understand but there were also areas she felt she saw clearer than both women involved.

The show came back on and both girls were silent, watching the drama unfold on the TV. At the next break Rose turned to Daisy.

"I'm not ready to talk to her," she said. "I'm not saying I never will be. I will. But I need time."

"Fair enough," Daisy said.

"And since when are you the relationship negotiator?" Rose queried, and Daisy shrugged.

"I just hate it when everyone's fighting," she said. "We all need each other."

And the way Daisy said it, so plainly and simply made it clear that to her this was an indisputable fact.

"We'll work it out at some point," Rose said. "Just, it's not a quick fix, you know? I don't trust her."

"I get that," Daisy admitted. "I just, I don't want you to hate her."

"I don't hate her," Rose reassured her sister and that seemed to at least make Daisy feel better. She relaxed, her face looking relieved.

"Do you think we can get Dean to make cheeseburgers for dinner tonight?" she asked, and Rose laughed. Somethings never changed. Daisy had done this since she was a little girl - She'd get on a kick with one food and want it all the time. Then it would change, and she’d be obsessed with a different food. The hot dog phase had lasted much longer than it should have.

"The apple bread you made was so good," Daisy said.

"It needed something..." Rose said and Daisy rolled her eyes.

"You always do that. You'll make something so good and you'll nitpick it to death." Daisy nudged Rose's shoulder. "Just be happy it was yummy."

"I just think maybe a little more cinnamon would have been nice," Rose said and Daisy shook her head, then stopped with a devious look in her eye.

"Well, you could always make it again tonight," she said with a grin. "You know, just for the sake of seeing if more cinnamon makes it better. Not just so I can have a yummy snack to munch on. Nope, not at all."

Rose took one look at her sister's mischievous face and laughed.

"We'll see," she said, and Daisy's eyes took on an excited shine.

"Oh, or you could make chocolate cupcakes. With frosting and pretty decorations."

"I don't think we have all the stuff for that, Days," Rose said.

"Well, then maybe we could go to the store," Daisy said. "We could get Cas to go with us, so Dean won't freak out."

Rose thought about that then slowly nodded. "Let's finish this episode," she said gesturing to the TV and then we can go look in the kitchen to see what we need and talk to the guys."

Daisy smiled happily and focused back on the TV. One of her favorite shows was on TV, Cas’ kisses were wonderful and becoming a much more frequent part of her life, and she was going to get homemade chocolate cupcakes. Life was good.

* * *

"Are you sure you're OK to go out?"

Rose glanced back at Dean where he was hovering in the doorway. She'd come to get changed into jeans and a warmer shirt since they were going out. They'd made a grocery list of not just what they needed to make chocolate cupcakes but also some other goodies and even some supplies for meals. Rose hadn't ventured back into cooking yet, but she'd like to think she'd get there pretty quickly. The list had turned out much bigger than they'd planned.

"I'm fine, Dean," Rose said, tugging on a green sweater. She brushed her hair out as Dean looked over the list they made. As she sat down on the bed to tie her sneakers he sighed.

"You probably won't find all this stuff here," he said. "You'll be better of driving to Mankato and going to the Thriftway there."

Rose nodded and stood up. She grabbed her purse and before she could move any further Dean was grabbing her wrist and pulling her down on his lap.

"Be careful," he said.

"I am," Rose said with a smile. "But Dean, we're just going to the grocery store."

"I know," Dean said, wrapping his arms around her and holding her to him. "Still, just...you can't be too careful." He tucked her hair back behind her ears. "And yesterday wasn't exactly a cake walk."

"I know," Rose said. "But this is good." She gestured to the list beside Dean on the bed. "This gives me something to focus on."

"Just don't overdo it, OK?" Dean gave her such a beseeching look that despite her slight irritation at Dean's over protectiveness she couldn't help but lean down and kiss him.

"I promise, I won't." Rose smiled impishly at Dean. "I promise I won't even drive."

Dean's eyes widened slightly in surprise and before Rose could even laugh or say she was teasing she found herself in a very different position, one she was becoming all too familiar with - over his knee.

"Oh really, little girl? You want to joke about that?" Dean said, bringing his hand down on the seat of her jeans.

"No, I was just teasing!" Rose said, wiggling and trying to get away.

"Oh, that's funny, Rosie," Dean said, smacking her upturned bottom again. "So funny. See how funny I find it?"

"OK, OK! I'm sorry," Rose gasped out but she couldn't help but smile. Despite his words Rose could hear the smile in Dean's voice and glancing back now she caught that smile on his face. He rubbed a hand over her bottom, his hand warm and possessive. He caught Rose looking back at him and the smile on her face as well.

"You really shouldn't have such a delectable bottom, Rosie," he murmured and smacked the body part in question several more times before lifting Rose to her feet. He stood as well and held her in his arms. "It's hard to keep from spanking you every day."

"I'd never sit," Rose pointed out, snuggling against him.

"Small price to pay," Dean said. Then with one more kiss, with one more swat to her bottom, and one more command of, "Be good," he sent her on her way.

* * *

Several hours later Daisy and Rose appeared at the top of the stairs, their arms loaded with bags, laughing and looking like they'd had a great day. They smiled at everyone and said hello, Rose placed a kiss on Dean's lips and they headed towards the kitchen.

Bobby watched them go, thinking that to see them you'd never know what the two of them had been through. Bobby glanced back at Dean and from the happy look on his face the older hunter knew he was aware of that fact.

"You did good with her, son," he said gruffly, and Dean smiled proudly before starting to protest he hadn’t done much of anything. But before he could he stopped as Cas slowly made his way to the bottom of the stairs.

"Cas?" Dean questioned. "Are you OK?"

The angel, who's arms were as full of bags as both girls combined just nodded, bypassed them all to head to the kitchen and drop off his heavy load. Then he came back and all but collapsed into a chair.

His tie was loosened, his jacket rumpled and hair sticking up as if he'd continually ran his fingers through it.  Dean had seen him after some pretty brutal fights. He didn't think he'd ever seen him look this exhausted.

All three at the table exchanged looks but it was Bobby who spoke up.

"Cas, what the hell happened?"

Cas lifted his head and looked at all three of them. When he spoke, his voice was weary.

"I have waded through the pits of hell. I've fought through armies made up of beasts most humans can't imagine. I've seen things that would cause anyone to have nightmares. And yet never..." Cas shocked his head.

"Did something happen?" Dean asked in concern, unsure how to understand Cas' mood compared to the girls.

"Shopping happened, Dean," Cas said. "Grocery shopping that took longer than some people's lifetimes."

"They were enthusiastic?" Charlie guessed, and Cas shot her a withering look.

"They had to debate the merits of every purchase," Cas said. "In excruciating detail.  I have heard more about different kinds of chocolate today than...than I even knew existed. I now know there are chocolate chips that have marshmallows in them which just boggles the mind why such a thing would exist." Cas shook his head. "And I have looked at countless..." He wiggled his fingers in the air as if miming dropping a topping on something. "What do you call the little things you put on cakes? They're small?"

"Sprinkles?" Charlie guessed, and Cas snapped his fingers making everyone at the table jump.

"Sprinkles! Yes. There are so many different kinds." He looked at Dean beseechingly. "Why are there so many different kinds?"

"Afraid I can't answer that, Cas," Dean said sympathetically. "It's one of life's great mysteries."

"And your girlfriend," Cas said pointing an accusing finger at Dean. "She's far too friendly. She kept talking to people.  At one point she stopped to give a strange woman in the produce section a recipe. And then she started discussing the best boxed muffin mixes with someone else." Cas paused then mimicked Rose perfectly. "Though really a boxed mix isn't anywhere as good as homemade, though it'll do in a pinch."

Charlie noticed Dean and Bobby trying to hide their grins. "And Daisy, did she-"

"She should never be let loose on the candy aisle," Cas said flatly. "There is so much chocolate and sugar in those bags..." Cas shuddered.

"I'm sorry, Cas," Dean said with a straight face.  "I promise next time I'll take them to the grocery store."

Cas nodded and slowly got to his feet and wandered off. The second he was out of earshot both Dean and Bobby burst into laughter.

"You knew!" Charlie said accusatorially.  "You knew how bad they'd be."

"No," Dean said when he could finally talk. "No, I mean I knew they'd probably take a while..." He caved when Charlie's expression didn't waver. "OK OK, I knew.  Those two in a grocery store, after they haven’t been out in how long?” Dean shook his head. “Recipe for insanity."

"You should have warned Cas," Charlie scolded.

"I didn't know they'd be quite that bad," Dean said. "And besides, he married Daisy.  He needs to learn some of this stuff." He looked at Bobby. "My God the sprinkles!" And the two of them were off laughing again while Charlie just shook her head and chuckled softly to herself.

* * *

It took Rose and Daisy quite a while to get everything put away. They'd definitely bought more than they planned on, Rose thought, looking at the surplus of food. But it had been good to be out, to get food and be with people. She'd enjoyed it and she knew Daisy had too.

Finally, when all the food was put up they turned to dinner. Rose still wasn't ready to cook. The idea made her indescribably nervous. She wasn't sure why she could bake but cooking seemed another obstacle to get over. But that's just how it was. But they'd gotten everything they needed for sandwiches and that she could do.

"Do you mind going to ask everyone what they want on their sandwiches?" she asked and Daisy shook her head.

"Ham, turkey or roast beef, right?"

Rose nodded. "And there's a choice of cheese too..."

Fully armed with all the info she needed Daisy headed to the library.

"She's making sandwiches?" Dean asked and was off to the kitchen before Daisy could answer.

Bobby shook his head at Dean's retreating back. "That boy can't stand to hardly breath when he's away from her."

Charlie and Bobby told Daisy what they wanted, and Daisy headed back to the kitchen to of course find Dean with his arms wrapped around Rose. Rose was smiling and laughing as Dean did his best to distract her by kissing her neck while holding her from behind.

"You can't go two minutes without grabbing my sister, can you?" Daisy said, and Dean looked up and gave her a grin. That's when Daisy realized her mistake.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Would you rather I grab you?" And Dean made a move to grab her, but Daisy was off like a shot with Dean right behind.

Rose just shook her head and smiled at their craziness. They always were silly together. Daisy seemed to possess the ability to turn Dean into a total goof. Rose heard a shriek and then loud laughter a moment later that told her that Dean had caught up with Daisy. And sure enough a moment later he passed by with her thrown over his shoulder, tickling her as he went. Despite everything that had happened in the last few days that sight made Rose happier than she could describe. It was normal, the people she loved most acting like themselves and it warmed Rose’s heart in a way that nothing else could.

* * *

"It's good to have you home, Days," Rose said as she put the sandwiches together.

"It's good to be home," Daisy said. "That hospital was so boring." Rose just smiled and kept up her sandwich making. "I'm glad you're better too," she said after a minute and Rose glanced up at her. "I mean I know it's not like "Poof! You're better." Daisy used her hands to make magic actions, causing Rose to grin. “But you're more like you now."

Rose nodded. "Yes, there's definitely no quick fix but it's...I'm going the right way now at least." Rose stood back and counted, making sure she'd gotten everything right. "OK we're done here.  Let's take these in."

Dean watched curiously as Rose whispered something in Bobby's ear when she gave him his sandwich. Whatever it was made Bobby smile and hug her briefly.

Rose delivered Dean's sandwich next, gave him a kiss to go along with it and a smile. "Me and Daisy are going back to continue our time in Stars Hollow," she said. "Then we're making cupcakes." That got a bright smile from Dean, who liked cupcakes too.

* * *

"You made a sandwich for Bobby to take back to Mom, didn't you?" Daisy asked once they were settled and working on getting back to the episode they'd finished on. Rose nodded without looking at her. And Daisy wisely said nothing. But she knew what it meant, that Rose was trying with their Mom and that meant a lot.

Maybe she was better at this relationship negotiating stuff than she expected, she thought with a smile. 

* * *

"I swear you and Daisy almost killed Cas today," Dean chuckled.

Rose glanced out at him from the bathroom. He was ready for bed, dressed in pajama pants and an old AC/DC t-shirt, lounging on their bed.

"Why?" Rose queried. "We just went grocery shopping."

"I don't think he's used to what that entails with you two," Dean said, sounding amused. "The cupcakes were really good by the way."

Rose and Daisy's cupcakes (Which were baked and frosted by Rose and primarily decorated by Daisy.) had turned out well. They were rich and chocolaty, with creamy icing and even Rose couldn't find anything to criticize about them. Dean had eaten four of them.

She smiled happily now, pleased that he'd liked them, that she'd gotten back into baking and hadn’t lost her touch.

"How would you like a present?" she asked, peeking around the doorway and Dean immediately perked up.

"Would this be one of the presents I've been waiting forever for?" he asked, and Rose laughed softly.

"Not forever."

"It feels like forever," Dean said with a playful pout.

"Close your eyes and wait till I tell you to open them," Rose instructed and Dean immediately did as she said.

Rose slipped out of the bathroom nervously, dressed in the red satin slip and matching panties she'd bought in New Orleans. It was the least revealing of the lingerie she'd bought, the one she felt most comfortable in. She needed to start somewhere, and this seemed like the easiest one. She stood against the door, trying to pose herself to look as sexy as possible - which when one tries to do feels silly and fake. So, she ended up just standing there, taking a breath and telling Dean to open his eyes.

His reaction was worth it; His eyes widened, he swallowed hard and he just stared for several minutes, his eyes going up and down her body.

Rose was nervous, so she started talking.

"I didn't know what to get you. I mean, I know presents don't exactly make up for me running away and even though I got you the books and the movie that didn't seem like enough. So, Chastity suggested lingerie and that meant I had to actually go to a lingerie shop, which for the record is pretty stressful. But I think I did OK, but I was just...Dean, what are you doing?"

During Rose's ramble Dean had gotten to his feet and came towards her. He reached out a hand and Rose instinctively slipped hers into his and he pulled her to him, resting his hands on her waist and smiling down at her.

"You look beautiful," he said lowly and Rose flushed with pleasure. "You don't need to be nervous, Rosie. You always look beautiful to me."

And that was the most perfect thing Dean could have said. That made Rose's heart clench and butterflies spread throughout her stomach but in a good way.

"Stop being perfect," she said softly, and Dean's smile turned into a cocky smirk.

"I can't help it," he said with a shrug. "Just comes naturally."

"Well how about we see what else comes naturally," Rose said, pushing against him. "Take these clothes off and I'll let you see just how soft this little number is..." She drew a hand up her waist and over her breast and Dean swallowed hard as the breath left his lungs.  He couldn't get his clothes off fast enough. And as he moved back to the bed and Rose straddled his lap Dean had the thought that this just might be the best present he'd ever got.

* * *

"Were we really that bad?"

Cas glanced up at Daisy as she came out of the bathroom dressed for bed. Cas took in the blue pajama pants and blue t-shirt, all adorned with the cat with a bow in her hair that Daisy was so fond of. She looked especially cute in those he though idly. Daisy giggled, and he realized he wasn't guarding his thoughts at all. He shook his head then glanced up at her in confusion at her question.

"Me and Rose," she clarified, coming to sit beside him on the bed. "Were we that bad at the store today?"

Cas sighed. "You were very...active." Daisy grinned, realizing that was as close to tact as Cas was likely to come.

"Rose irritated you when she talked to people." It wasn’t a question. Daisy had been privy to Cas’ frustration at her sister as she talked to people at the store.

"It's not safe," Cas said with a frown. "She's not nearly as guarded as she should be."

"That's not who she is," Daisy said simply and Cas' frown grew. "She likes talking to people and they like talking to her. It makes her happy."

"I don't see how sharing a formula to create a meal brings anyone happiness," Cas said and Daisy laughed.

"Different people, Cas, like different things." Daisy shrugged. "Rose has liked talking to people forever. It was the one thing she would get in trouble for at school."  Daisy giggled. “Rose never got in trouble at school except for that. Her one teacher told my mom that if Rose could just learn to not be so friendly she’d be the perfect student.”  Cas felt much sympathy for Rose’s teacher, understanding exactly what she meant.

"You like chocolate," Cas said, remembering the way Daisy's eyes had lit up at the candy aisle.

"Oh, I love chocolate," Daisy corrected him. "It's the best tasting thing in the world."

Cas considered that, trying to remember what his vessel had liked to eat. He looked up to find Daisy watching him with an intriguing look in her eye. He'd taken his jacket and shoes off before stretching out on the bed and Daisy's eyes were looking him over now.

"Daisy?"

"I was just thinking," Daisy said slowly and Cas could sense her nerves, but also her excitement. "That I may know one thing that tastes better than chocolate."

"Oh?" Cas started when Daisy leaned toward him.

"But I'd, well I'd have to do some testing to be sure."

The image came to him clearly of what Daisy wanted, only her nerves holding her back. So, he reached out and grasped her by the waist, settling her on his lap, straddling his hips and watched as a pleased blush went up Daisy's cheeks.

Daisy leaned herself slowly towards him and Cas bit back a moan at the feel of her pressed so tightly against him. Her lips brushed against his as her hands rested on his shoulders and she leaned in closer, deepening the kiss. When she leaned in it pushed her hips even closer to his and Cas couldn't hold back the noise of desire that brought out in him. His hands that had been on her waist moved to her hips, pulling her even tighter against him and now it was Daisy who let out a moan.

Daisy couldn't stop herself from giving an experimental wiggle of her hips and felt a surge of heat go through her at the feel of Cas underneath her. He surged his hips up against her and she felt how hard he was and let out a needy sound.

God, he felt good. In all Daisy's past experience making out with boys (which granted was very limited) nothing had ever felt this good. It had always felt sloppy and rushed, like the whole goal was to get her clothes off. This felt different, like they were both enjoying the feel of each other. She wasn't sure how experienced Cas was and maybe she should ask him that sometime, but he seemed to be as willing to just enjoy where this all went. Daisy liked that. It made it a lot more enjoyable.

Cas' hands on her hips tightened and she felt his heart beating faster, pounding against her chest. Their tongues entwined, and Daisy let her fingers drift up to run through Cas' hair.

They made out like that for what felt like barely a moment, with Cas' hands running up and down her back, holding her hips then drifting up to her hair to hold her head in place. When they finally drew their lips apart Daisy was surprised to see an hour had passed. Wow, time really does fly, she thought, and Cas' lips turned up in a smile.

Daisy snuggled down under the blankets and Cas wrapped himself around her like was becoming his habit. Daisy loved the feel of him sleeping beside her. Well OK, not sleeping, since angels didn't sleep. But resting maybe. The feel of his body was comforting, was familiar and she drifted off to sleep feeling safe and content.

* * *

After the drama with Rose’s potion the week had passed quickly with things settling down a bit.  Back on her original dose Rose’s powers settled down and while she wasn’t happy at least things weren’t flying around.  She and Daisy seemed to be enjoying their time together, with equal parts spent watching TV and in the kitchen with Rose’s newly rediscovered love of baking.  Bobby and Erin and headed off to Nebraska and the messages he’d sent Dean had made it sound like things were going smoothly.  Lily and Sam had extended their stay away by a few days but would be heading home this weekend.  And now it was time for something Dean was dreading.

"You sure you want to do this?" Dean queried, looking at the woman sitting next to him. Cas and Daisy had left right after breakfast this morning, off for parts unknown. They tended to do this most days and today it worked out well since Dean really didn't want an audience for this conversation.

"Want isn't really the word," Rose said. The two of them had settled into the living room, taking up spots next to each other on the couch. "But I need to."

"You don't," Dean argued. "Really."

"I do," Rose said firmly. "I know you can't ever be prepared for everything, but I'd at least like to have some idea of what all has been said."

Dean sighed. He'd known he wouldn't be able to talk her out of this, but he had to try. "OK well let's start with the easy stuff first," he muttered pulling the prophecy up on his phone. "Daisy's part."

"OK so that explains some of Daisy's being in a coma, doesn't it?" Rose asked when Dean had finished with the small bits about Daisy. "I mean for some reason she had to learn a lot of her powers on another plane." She looked thoughtful. "And I'm guessing Cas is the messenger, the celestial being. And she made her choice. Despite the fact that my mom arranged the marriage Daisy made the choice to stay married. So, that all makes sense. What's next?"

Dean turned to Lily's section next, carefully omitting the last bit that had caused so much upheaval. He didn't feel comfortable sharing that without Lily knowing. It was obviously sensitive, and he figured it was up to her to share.

Rose was silent for a minute when Dean finished.

"I would guess that what Lily covers is her heart." Rose looked thoughtful. "And I think all this she and Sam have gone through has maybe taught her somethings."

"That would be a first," Dean muttered and Rose smacked at him.

"Be nice," she said. She turned back to the prophecy then, thinking over what else Dean had said.

"So, I guess the fact that Lily and I were having some problems for a bit there, that kind of showed how important our bond was." She frowned. "I don't like that part about me being swayed to either the light or the dark."

"Trust me, Rosie, there's a lot here not to like," Dean said. He took a breath. "OK so your part is next and then there's some general stuff about all of you girls."

"OK, let me hear it," Rose said, trying to brace herself. She figured Dean holding out for so long to tell her this meant it must be pretty bad. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't nervous.

Seeing the tension on her face Dean stopped. He set his phone down on the table and pulled Rose into his arms.

"Hey, no matter what this all says it changes nothing, OK? You're you, and you're sweet and kind and good." Dean rubbed his hand over her back soothingly. "No matter what some dead monk wrote eons ago we got this, all right?"

Rose took a breath, letting herself soak up some of Dean's strength for a moment then slowly pulled back and nodded, with a grateful smile sent his way.

So, Dean took a breath and read Rose all the things about her he didn't want to read. He shared all the words he hated, all the information that made his jaw clench and his stomach drop. And then he waited.

When he was done Rose was silent for quite a while. Dean just sat with her, stroking her hand and letting her absorb it all. He knew he'd felt blindsided by some of this stuff and it wasn't even about him. Except it was because it was about Rose and that meant it was about him too.

Finally, Rose spoke, her voice sounding shaky.

"So, the trust being broken, I guess that could be my mom. Or Danny. Or both maybe. Or God, even Mark."

"Who?" Dean queried.

"The hunter who was possessed at our house when all this first started," Rose explained. She paused. "I don't get the part about one life not outweighing the many."

"Bobby seemed to think you'll have to choose between someone you love being hurt for the sake of the greater good," Dean said hesitantly. "There's another part, here let me read the rest and we'll be done with this shit." And Dean filled her in on all the rest, the part about her choice setting the future into motion, the bit about the sister of vision wanting the blood of one of them and the strange bit about the dancing stars."

"A meteor shower?" Rose guessed, and Dean nodded. Rose said nothing after that and Dean gave her a little time before nudging her.

"Rosie? Talk to me. How are you?"

Rose shook her head. "I don't know. I mean..." she waved her hand towards Dean's phone. "There's a lot in there about me going dark or getting lost, going down the wrong path. That's slightly terrifying."

"Hey, what you do is up to you," Dean said. "A prophecy can foretell a lot, but you still have free will."

"Do I?" Rose asked, her voice sounding anxious and scared. "Because I didn't choose any of this and yet it all happened."

"You may not be able to choose your powers, but you can choose how and why you use them," Dean argued. “You decide what you do with them.”

"My powers are controlling demons, Dean," Rose pointed out. "That's pretty dark which obviously from all of that,” She motioned to Dean’s phone, where he’d read all the prophecies from. “That is a problem since I could just so easily fall into darkness."

"They’re words, Rose. That's all," Dean tried to soothe her but Rose wasn't up for hearing it. She stood, pulling back and seeing the panic on her face Dean let her.

"I need time to think about all this," Rose said. "I'm going to the kitchen." She paused as she got to the door and said, "It may be loud."

Dean watched her go, trying to decide if he could have done anything differently, made it any easier to hear. He didn't see how. The whole thing just sucked. There really wasn't anyway to soften it. Still, at least she was going to the kitchen to take her frustration and anxiety out. A few weeks ago, she wouldn't have had that.

Dean gave Rose the space she needed. The music blaring out of the kitchen was indeed loud (And not to Dean's tastes at all.) but the smells coming out were divine. Rose baked all day long, with Dean only stopping in at lunchtime to grab a quick lunch. She gave him a tight smile, he reminded her to eat and then he made himself scarce again. He knew what it was like to need time and space to work things out.

* * *

Rose mixed and chopped and poured and whisked. Her mind alternating between what she was doing, and the words Dean had read. She'd known it was going to be bad, had thought she was prepared but how did you prepare for something like that? Lines from the prophecies kept playing through her head, her mind flitting from one to the next, quickly as she tried to adjust to it all, take it all in. The one about her life never being the same again really hurt. While she knew it was the truth seeing it in black and white was hard. Part of this new life she loved but there were parts of her old life she missed. Plus, the being hunted part was creepy. She had to imagine the part about the forces of light wanting her had to do with angels. Cas had said they would see her as a threat, but also a possible weapon.

What she hated, what really had shaken her up were two things - The part about making a choice and the fact that all the prophecies seemed to see it as a tossup which way she went. She was a hunter’s daughter; didn't they know that? Rose felt anger course through her as she roughly chopped up chocolate for fudge. For heaven’s sake, she was in love with a hunter. There was no way she was going dark side. Who wrote these things anyway?  What did some long dead priest know about her?  And if there was a choice between someone she loved, and others well there really was no choice. She couldn't let someone she loved be hurt, not if she had the power to stop it. God, this was all so twisted and screwed up, Rose thought, finally stopping to survey the mess around her. The table was full of food - a cake, pies, cookies, fudge, fruit bread. There was enough there for them to eat for days. The rest of the kitchen looked like a bomb had hit, flour and dirty bowls and spoons everywhere she looked.

Suddenly Rose was tired. She switched the music off, picked up a cookie, ate it and sank down to the floor. And that's how Dean found her a few minutes later. The music stopping was a good sign to him, so he ventured down that way.

At first Dean didn't see her and he had a momentary panic. Then a soft noise reached his ears and he moved around the table to find Rose seated on the floor with big tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Aw, now hey, we can't have this," he said, moving swiftly to her side. He sat down by her and pulled her onto his lap. "Remember the rules? I get to hold you when you cry."

Rose sniffled. "Aren't you the one who told me when we were twelve that rules were made to be broken."

"That sounds like me," Dean confirmed, hugging her to him. "But that obviously doesn't apply to my rules." That got a small smile and Dean was pleased that Rose was letting him comfort her now. Tears were better than her shutting down.

"You've been busy," he said, looking up at the bounty of baked goods on the table. "What kind of pie is that?"

"Blueberry," Rose said and Dean nodded. "And there's peanut butter fudge and peppermint fudge and a cake." She glanced up at Dean with sad eyes. "I went a little overboard." She paused then added, "And I ate a lot of cookies."

Dean couldn't help but chuckle at that and kiss her forehead. "You'll never find me complaining about too many desserts," he said. "And cookie eating has been known to solve a lot of problems."

"Not this one," Rose said. "Though they did taste good."

"Wanna talk about it?" Dean asked, and Rose burrowed her head against his chest for several minutes. Finally, she pulled her head back and looked at her hands, which were twisting nervously in his shirt.

"When I hear those things, about how powerful I am and how I can shape the future and change things...Dean, that's not me. I'm just a girl. I didn't ask for these powers. I don't want these powers. I know I have them and I know I can't get rid of them. But it just seems that maybe someone who actually wanted to be a major force in the future would be better suited to them."

"Or maybe not," Dean said and Rose looked at him curiously. "In my experience people who want power are quite often the very people who you don't want to have it. They don't tend to be the kind of person who will ask themselves about the consequences of their actions or how they'll affect other people. They just want the power for what it can do for them." Dean smoothed her hair back, his hands gentle on her. "You're careful, Sweetheart. You always have been. You look before you leap way more than I do. And you care about people an awful lot, more than anyone else I’ve ever known. Yes, I know that one prophecy seemed to think you being so generous could be a bad thing, but I think maybe they didn't take into account how smart you are too. Maybe they couldn't see that in all their crystal ball gazing."

"I'm pretty sure priests and nuns don't have crystal balls," Rose said, a small smile tugging at her lips and Dean smiled back, proud he'd gotten that reaction. Rose sobered quickly though and continued on. "When I used to think that Daisy's power was going to be mine for good I was OK with that. I could help hunters, point them in the right direction, warn them of any dangers." She looked up at Dean again. "I always figured one day when this all came out maybe I could help you and Sam. That power seemed useful and like something I could handle. But these...I can't even control them and somehow, I'm supposed to make choices that decide people's future? That seems like a recipe for disaster."

"It took you awhile to get the moving stuff with your mind down," Dean pointed out. "So, the other's gonna take time too."

Rose didn't answer, biting her thumb for a minute then saying softly, "And what if I suddenly become evil? What if I go down that dark evil path they seemed to think was a possibility?"

"Never gonna happen," Dean said certainly. And he sounded so sure, so positive that he was right Rose looked at him hopefully.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because there are a few things I know for sure in this world. Wanna hear them?" Rose nodded emphatically. "One. My Baby is the most beautiful car that has ever existed, no ifs, ands or buts about it." Rose smiled at that. "Two. Sam will almost always order something at a restaurant that will boggle my mind and make me wonder how we can be related and have such different taste buds." Rose actually giggled at that. "Three. Pie is the finest food that has ever been created, hands down, no substitutes. Four. You are the best cook and baker I have ever known and no one else's food can even come close to yours." Rose smiled with pride at that one. Dean hooked a finger under her chin and tipped her head back, wanting her to be looking right at him for this one. "And Five. There is no one anywhere who has as good, as generous and as kind a heart as yours. It just doesn't exist." Rose opened her mouth to protest and Dean put a finger over her lips. "No, listen. I watched you when we were kids continually find anyone eating lunch alone and invite them to eat lunch with you. I've seen you reach out to anyone, strangers as well as people you know, who could possibly be hurting. You've helped me more times than I could ever possibly count when no one else even had a clue where to start." He cupped her face in his hands and looked at her in a way that despite her fears and doubts made Rose want to believe him. "You are good Rose, and you have more love and compassion in you than anyone else I've ever known. You're never going to be evil because it's just not in you."

Rose bit her lip, her eyes searching his for any hint of doubt. There was none. Dean had good instincts and she trusted him. So, for now, despite her fears she chose to hang onto that.

"I hope you're right," she said softly, and Dean smirked at her.

"Of course, I'm right. When have I ever not been right?"

Rose gave him a knowing look. "You might be better off not asking that of someone who's known you since you were four."

"OK, scratch that," Dean allowed. Then his voice lowered, and his eyes took on a sincere shine that made Rose catch her breath. "But I've never once been wrong about you."

Rose had no comeback for that so instead she tucked her head under Dean's chin and snuggled against his chest and Dean just held her.

"Why are we sitting on the kitchen floor?" she asked after a few minutes had passed.

"Because that's where you were," Dean said. "And to steal your line I'll always come for you."

Rose smiled and stood up and Dean stood up behind her.

"Has anyone told you recently just how amazing you are?" Rose asked softly wrapping her arms around him and Dean shook his head.

"Nope, not in the last twenty-four hours," he said. "I think I'm starting to forget."

"You're the most amazing, wonderful person I know," Rose said, her cheek resting against his chest. "And you make me feel like I can hold onto at least a little slice of sanity when I swear I'm going crazy."

"Yep," Dean said. "That's me. The sanity bringer."

Rose and Dean wound up spending the night in their room, eating way too many cookies and pie and watching an odd British sitcom Rose swore he'd like. Dean wasn't so sure he always got what was going on, but it was amusing, and it made Rose laugh. And considering how today could have gone that was a win in his book.

* * *

"You didn't tell Rose about the prophecy?"

Lily glanced at Sam who was sitting across from her in the huge bathtub. Who knew Sam Winchester liked taking bubble baths? He'd taken one with her every night since they'd been here (Save for the first night when they were way too exhausted to do anything.) and most nights he'd been the one to remind her. Thank God the tub was big because with his long legs and Lily's not-even-close-to-short ones they just fit.

She shook her head now, surprised at the topic. Most baths led to them making out at least a little, discussing their plans (if any) for the next day and not much else. Sam bringing this up now meant this must have been on his mind.

"I thought you told Rose everything," Sam said and Lily frowned.

"Not everything," she said slowly.

"Why not tell her about that?" Sam asked curiously, and Lily considered the question. It was a good one. Initially all she'd wanted was to talk to Rose about it. Then time passed and when Rose came back things were such a mess and then they'd made up and it just seemed easier to ignore it.

"I didn't want to talk about it," she said finally. "To anyone. And Rose would think it's wonderful and I would have to explain to her why it's not and that just seemed way too hard."

Sam nodded, understanding that.

"You know what I've learned about prophecies?" Lily asked, and Sam shook his head. "Nobody gets what they want. Some dead people write down some words and decide your future and that's it. It doesn't matter if it's what you want or not. It's just set, and you have to deal with it." Lily sank further down into the bubbles, their raspberry scent drifting up to fill her nose. "And that just fucking sucks."

* * *

The next few days passed quickly, much more quickly than either Sam or Lily would have liked. They both loved their family but having this time to just be with each other had been priceless and they weren't looking forward to it ending. The last full day they were spending at the cabin they again took a long hike. The snow was still deep, and the forest was quiet though with the snowfall having stopped for the time being there were signs of life. They saw birds and squirrels and even came across a few deer. They were in no hurry on their hike and took their time, enjoying the scenery and each other’s company. Sam snapped a picture of Lily on his phone, her dark hair curling around the edges of her red hat, her cheeks flushed due to the cold air and her smile wide and sincere. He'd drawn picture after picture of her while they were here, halfway filling the sketch book they'd bought. He just couldn't get enough of her.

As Sam was staring at the photo a pair of hands snuck underneath his coat and he looked behind him to find Lily grinning at him, her arms wrapped around his waist.

"We should go back now, Sam," she said, and Sam raised an eyebrow.

"And why is that Missy?" Somehow on this trip Sam's joking habit of calling her Miss had turned into Missy and was used more often than not. She was sure that would be pointed out once they got home.

"Because it's been hours since you've kissed me."

Sam turned around and placed a quick kiss on her lips.

"And since you've touched me."

"Now, that's not true," Sam said. "We held hands most of the walk."

"OK, well it's definitely been hours since you sank your cock deep inside of me," Lily said and Sam couldn't argue that fact. So, they turned around and headed back, laughing and teasing each other the whole way.

When they made it back to the cabin they tore each other’s clothes off, leaving a trail from the door to the bed, pouncing on each other like two people who hadn't touched each other in weeks. It was crazy, Sam thought, laying with Lily beside him after. There was just something about the two of them together that made the other desperate for each other. Sam had never experienced anything like it with anyone else. Something told him he never would.

They got up early the next morning and once they'd eaten breakfast and packed the car they took one last look around the cabin before heading out to take one last look at the breathtaking view.

"Let's come back here," Lily said softly and Sam nodded, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"We will," he promised. "It's a good place."

"It is," Lily murmured. "And let's never break up again either."

Sam smiled, happy to hear her say that. "We'll just tough it out from now on, huh? Even when we fight?"

"Even when we fight." Because they would. They both knew that. They were too stubborn, too strong willed and both had tempers. Fights were going to happen; It was inevitable. But now it felt like they had a stronger base, a firmer foundation. This time away had done them more good than either could have imagined. They were leaving feeling like they really knew who they were as a couple and they had that to work with. They’d weathered the storm and come out stronger for it.

So, with one more glance at the view they linked hands and walked to the car together, more bonded than when they came and most definitely united.


	112. People Throw Rocks at Things That Shine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magic & Mayhem

"Hey guys, we're home!" Lily burst through the bunker door with Sam following in her wake at a much more subdued rate.  She'd loved their time away and hadn't been anxious to return. Until they'd gotten on the road and near home. She'd resisted texting either of her sisters as she'd wanted to keep the trip for just her and Sam - Even he hadn't communicated with anyone else aside from the two times he'd talked to Dean.  Once to let them know they were there and OK and the other to let them know they were extending their time away by a few days.  But once they'd gotten near home Lily realized how much she'd missed her sisters. She wanted to see them, to smile and share her happiness at how things had worked out, to see how they both were. They must have missed her too. 

So, it was a bit of a letdown when her dramatic entry got no response. She reached the bottom of the stairs and dropped her bag at her feet.  "Huh." She glanced back at Sam who was following her down the stairs. "I guess nobody's here."

"They could be in the bedrooms," Sam suggested.  He leaned down to speak lowly in that way that gave Lily shivers. "We're not the only ones who enjoy time there you know." He gave Lily an amused grin when she glanced back at him. 

"Good idea," Lily said and picked her bag up and was hurrying down the hallway.  Sam followed behind slowly, an amused smile on his face. He knew Lily had enjoyed their time away, but it had become clear the closer they got to home that she was anxious to see her sisters. Sam had been amazed she held off texting them the whole time.  Granted at the cabin cell phone coverage was non-existent but in their two trips to town and even on the trip home she'd held off.  He had to admit he was surprised Rose and Daisy hadn't been waiting for them.

Sam had just made it to their bedroom door when Lily reappeared, a dejected look on her face.

"They're not here," she said, the disappointment clear in her voice.

"Huh," Sam said pausing for a second then opening their door and entering. He swung his bag up on the bed and took Lily's from hers. "Maybe they all had to go out somewhere."

"All of them?" Lily asked, her disbelief clear. "Do you think something happened?"

"No," Sam answered quickly. "Dean would have told me."

"What if it happened so quick he didn't have a chance?" Lily demanded, and Sam pulled her into his arms, hearing the upset note in her voice.

"I'm sure everything is fine," he soothed. He was just pulling his phone out to text Dean when a familiar face popped up in their bedroom door.

"Oh good," Charlie said, looking relieved. "You're home. We have a problem."

* * *

Lily had wanted Cas to take them to the situation as soon as Charlie told her a brief synopsis of what was going on. Unfortunately, Cas was at the scene of the chaos right now with Daisy and was not willing to leave her side.  Which meant Lily had to wait.  And Sam did as well, something neither of them were very good at.  To pass the time Charlie tried to fill in as many gaps in the story as she could.

"You know about what went down when Dean and Rose went to meet Danny's family, right?" The blank faces staring back at her told her no. Charlie sighed. She had a lot of information to give, much more than she’d been led to believe. "OK, how about we grab some food and then set up shop in the library?  I'll explain what I know there."

Sam and Lily nodded and followed Charlie into the kitchen where they both stopped short. There were baked goods covering every surface and they both just stared in surprise.

"Is uh, Rose baking again?" Sam finally got out and Charlie glanced back and nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, she started a week ago I guess...just after they got back from Utah-"

"Utah?" Lily broke in. "They were in Utah?"

Charlie sighed again. She swore she was going to kill Dean. "Yep, again part of the story. So, grab something - You have your choice.  There's cookies, cake, brownies and of course, pie." Figuring it would take the two a minute to choose Charlie took a slice of cherry pound cake and a cup of coffee and headed towards the library.

Lily headed for the coffee, pouring herself a cup and adding sugar while Sam surveyed the choice of baked goods. He settled on a slice of pie (Smiling when he saw Rose had made lemon.) then glanced up at Lily. "So, she's baking again. That's good."

Lily nodded. "But she's upset. She only bakes this much when she's really upset."

Sam nodded, going to get his own coffee. He knew full well that baking was Rose's emotional outlet. At least she seemed to have that back now. Though who knew what it was that had upset her so much.

"Come on," Sam nudged Lily. "Get something to eat then let's go hear what Charlie has to say.

"I should have been here," Lily said and Sam sighed, knowing that was coming. He sat his coffee and pie down and wrapped Lily in his arms.

"No, you should have been exactly where you were." He looked into Lily's troubled brown eyes. "We needed to fix us, right?" Lily nodded hesitantly, unable to argue with that fact. "You get to make us a priority, Lil. In fact, I'm demanding you do." He couldn't hide the twinkle in his eye when Lily's eyes narrowed.

"Don't get bossy with me, Sam Winchester," she said, and Sam smiled, dropping a quick kiss on her lips.

"Then don't turn into a martyr on me, Lily Sullivan," he shot back. He paused then asked in a softer tone, "Am I important?" Lily smiled softly and nodded. "Are we important?" Again, a nod. "Right, then you were where you were supposed to be. We're here now, we'll do what we can but no guilt over taking time for us. Got it?  OK?"  Another nod and Sam smiled. "Now get something to eat, Missy and let's see what Charlie has to say."

A few minutes later Sam and Lily settled down around the table with Charlie. Before Lily even took a bite of the brownie she'd chosen she was asking Charlie to explain.

"So, a lot happened while you were gone," Charlie started.

* * *

_~A few days prior ~_

"Well if this don't beat all," Bobby murmured to himself.  Instead of heading straight to the Docherty's house like he expected Erin had given him directions to a house in Omaha. "I need to check in with the closest large coven," she had explained. "See if they have any information. And there's a good chance I'll need some extra supplies. Lebanon isn't exactly bustling with magic shops."

So, Bobby found himself sitting in a sitting room at a large house he was pretty sure was full of more magic energy than most people would be near in their lifetime. A sweet looking woman had answered the door to their knock and greeted Erin warmly. She'd smiled at Bobby when introduced and then led him to a comfortable spot to sit and wait while Erin dealt with business.

"How's Daisy?" he heard the woman asking Erin as they walked away, and Bobby reminded himself that Daisy knew most of the witches around too. Once Erin had got back on her feet she’d taken Daisy with her when visiting different covens. Daisy was more adept with magic than either her sisters. It was easy to forget that sometimes, with Daisy being stuck as the eternal baby in all their minds. Bobby was more comfortable with witches than Dean but even he wasn't going to be relaxed enough to hang out in a room full of them. Not that he'd be invited. These covens were closed, not open to strangers so it said a lot about Erin and what she could do that she was greeted with open arms. Erin was pretty closed mouth when it came to her skills with magic. Bobby knew it was a lot more than she let on, a lot more than the kids had any clue about, except maybe Daisy. Bobby known Erin as long as he could remember and there were still times she could still be like a brick wall. Sharing didn't come naturally to her and despite the fact that Bobby knew she trusted him, probably more than anyone else alive, it still didn't mean she was open.

They needed to talk about the kids, he mused, using the time to think. Bobby knew Erin had spoken to Lily and Daisy. But he was fairly certain she and Rose hadn't spoken a word since all the truth about Erin's lies had come out. When Bobby had dropped off the sandwich Rose made Erin had smiled, a soft one that meant it had touched her. But he didn't think anything else had come of it. He was going to have to talk it over with her, see where her head was at. Erin could shut down and cause a lot of pain without meaning to. He didn't want there to be irreparable damage done to her and Rose's relationship. The two loved each other but damn if that made it any easier for the two of them to talk.

"Erin will be up in a few minutes," a soft voice said, startling Bobby from his thoughts. He looked up to find a dark-haired teenager standing in the doorway, eyeing him curiously. "I'm supposed to offer you a coffee if you like?" Bobby nodded in acceptance and the girl disappeared and reappeared a moment later, a coffee cup in hand. She handed the cup to him, purposely brushing her fingers over his skin as she did. Bobby didn't even blink.

"You a gazer?" he asked calmly, before sipping at the coffee.

The dark-haired girl blinked, then smiled. "I am." She perched lightly on a chair across from him. "You've known others?"

Bobby nodded. "Just one. A long time ago." He sat his cup down and looked at her levelly.

"So, did I pass?"

Her smile grew, and she nodded. This man was unruffled by her powers. She liked that. It so rarely happened. Others who had looked much more imposing than him had ran from the house when they realized what she was, what she'd done to them. "You understand why we felt the need?"

Bobby nodded then looked at her speculatively. "Makes me wonder just how important Erin is to y'all."

The girl cocked her head to the side, looking at Bobby in a way that he felt was taking his measure. "Erin is dear to us," she said finally. "As are her daughters. We wish no ill to come to them."

"You see how hard that is to achieve," Bobby said and the girl nodded. "I reckon you can tell I feel the same."

"You are a good man, Bobby Singer, with a good, strong soul," the girl declared solemnly. "You offer nothing but protection and care to the Sullivan woman and we recognize and respect that."

Bobby studied the girl in front of him, knowing she was much more than she seemed. Her chosen skin was smart. People always underestimated teenage females.

"And you've offered that to them," Bobby said. It wasn't a question. Seeing a being like this here, who so obviously knew the Sullivan's that much was clear. Oh, he was going to ask Erin about this, Bobby thought with irritation.

"We have," the girl said with a nod. "We have offered it freely for many years. Until we no longer were able."

Bobby frowned. "Why? What changed?"

"The strongest one, when her powers came upon her, something came between ourselves and her." She frowned, looking troubled. "A strong force blocked her from our sight."

Voices drifted up the hallway behind the girl and she gave Bobby a smile before standing. Erin appeared a moment later with the same woman who had answered the door to them. Seeing the dark-haired girl, Erin glanced between her and Bobby and a guilty expression washed over her face. Erin opened her mouth to say something to Bobby but before she could the other woman was speaking.

"You have the address?" Erin nodded and turned to give her a strong embrace. Erin turned to the dark-haired teen then.

"Be well, Erin," she said softly, and Erin hugged her.

"Thank you, Maeve. For everything."

* * *

"So, do I get the whole story?" Bobby asked once they were in the truck and heading towards the shop the coven had sent them to. “The real story?”

Hearing the prickliness in Bobby’s voice, Erin gave him a look out of the side of her eye. "About?"

"Oh, don't bother, Erin," Bobby said shortly. "I know a damn soul gazer when I see one, especially when she has to read me."

"I told her she didn't need to do that," Erin murmured and Bobby laughed.

"Yeah, well from the look of things you're pretty damn wrapped up in that coven. So much so they worried about protecting you. So, the story?  Anytime you want to tell me..."

Erin sighed, and Bobby saw her take a breath. "After Brendan died, once I was sane enough to function," Bobby winced, remembering all to well the state of Erin after Brendan's sudden death. "I realized with him gone I needed more. We needed some extra protection. The girls were getting older. Their powers were going to get stronger, come out in Daisy's case and I worried about how I would protect them."

"Erin, you had me, you had the boys," Bobby started but Erin cut him off.

"I'm not discounting that, Bobby. But you all had other things to do as well. You had jobs to handle, other people to save and these were my girls. Ultimately the responsibility fell on me." Erin bit her lip before continuing. "I knew a few of the members and they had offered me a spot years earlier. I had turned them down then. I was just a hunter's wife, a mother. Now I needed to be something else."

"So, you joined and they what, put something on the girls?"

Erin nodded. "Protection spells. They strengthened the wards around the house, kept an extra eye on them. It helped, made me feel safer and gave me something else to focus on. Mostly I did research for the coven, joined in when they needed another witch." Erin was fidgeting with the piece of paper in her hands, her fingers twisting nervously. "When Rose and Daisy had their powers manifest it messed up all the energies around the house. And they suddenly couldn't protect Rose. It wouldn't work for some reason." Bobby set aside how concerning that was in itself. "The other girls are harder to protect too, I guess because of their connection. But they've done what they can." Erin eyed Bobby nervously. "They're a good coven, Bobby. Strong and loyal."

"Must be damn strong to have a soul gazer working with them," Bobby said and Erin just nodded. He pulled up in front of the store and parked. "You could have told me," he said, giving Erin a look that told her he was irritated by that fact, maybe even hurt.

"I know," Erin admitted. "It just, when it began I was a mess, still trying to get my feet under me and admitting I needed more help made me feel weak."

"You've never been weak, Erin," Bobby said and Erin snorted.

"I was after, when I lost Brendan," Erin said. "I know I was a failure then, an awful mother and I can't ever fix that. My teenage daughter did a better job that I did. The best I could do was try and keep them safe."

"Your daughter hadn't lost her husband," Bobby pointed out.

"No, but she'd lost her father," Erin retorted. "I screwed up. I know that. So, all I could do was try to keep them from harm."

Bobby sighed, knowing this conversation would end the same every time. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, suddenly tired.

It was quiet in the truck for a moment then Erin surprised him by slipping her hand into his. His eyes flew open in surprise. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you later. I should have. I just wasn’t really sure how to work it into a conversation."

Bobby smiled at her and Erin took it as the forgiveness it was. She leaned up and kissed him and then they were climbing out, going into the shop and Bobby was helping Erin with the list she had.

They spent the night in Omaha, planning to drive to Lincoln the next day with one more stop at the shop to pick up some supplies that the shopkeeper had to request from another store.

"You gonna call?" Bobby asked, watching Erin flit nervously about the room. "Give them a heads up we're coming?"

Erin shook her head. "No, it will be easier if we just show up. Things haven't always been the most peaceful between our families." Bobby raised an eyebrow at that, figuring it had to do with some of the upheaval during Rose and Danny's relationship. He said nothing though.

Erin finally ran out of nervous energy and settled down next to Bobby, tucking herself into the crook of his arm and he let himself enjoy the closeness for a moment, before saying what needed to be said.

"You need to talk to Rose."

Erin sighed but was silent, her eyes glued to the television. Finally, just when Bobby was sure she was going to completely ignore his comment she said lowly, "I know."

"She sent you food," Bobby reminded her. "That had to be a peace offering."

"I don't know what to say to her," Erin admitted, turning to face him. "I screwed up repeatedly, for years of her life. I lied to her. How do I explain that?"

"Be honest," Bobby said. "Explain to her that you thought you were doing the right thing, not because you didn't trust her but because you listened to your parents." Bobby paused, watching Erin bite her lip then said, "Admitting you were stupid would probably go a long way."

Erin's eyed widened. "Bobby!" She shrieked slapping at his chest and Bobby chuckled, trapping her hands easily.

"Well you were, Erin, you know it." Erin nodded slowly, and Bobby released her hands. "Tell her that. Be honest. It will go a lot further than trying to make it sound better and lying more."

Erin sighed, knowing Bobby was right. She dropped her head against his chest and let herself be soothed by his hand rubbing her back.

"Now come on," Bobby said. "Time for bed. You got a spell to cast tomorrow, remember, Witchy."

Erin raised an eyebrow at him at she got up. "Witchy?"

"Figured it was a fitting nickname," Bobby offered with a grin and Erin shot him a look.

"Rethink it," she advised, and Bobby chuckled as she went to get ready for bed. Oh, he'd rethink it all right.  Sabrina might work...

* * *

_~ Earlier today~_

Dean and Rose had just sat down to lunch with Daisy joining them. The two girls were busy discussing Lily and Sam’s return and trying to decide what they should do to celebrate.

“A banner,” Daisy said firmly. “Lily would love a welcome home banner. Oh, and maybe confetti dropping on the two of them when they walk through the door.”  Cas was watching all this in amusement, not sure what the big deal about the two returning after a short time away was.

“No confetti,” Dean said firmly, and Daisy pouted. “It makes a mess and you won’t ever clean it up,” he said, and Daisy looked wounded.

“That’s not true,” she argued. “I clean up all my messes.” Dean laughed but before he could respond Rose was breaking in with a suggestion.

“We could make a welcome home cake,” she said and that got a big grin from Dean. Before he could offer his enthusiastic endorsement of that idea his phone rang.  He glanced at the display, saw it was Bobby and picked up. Rose watched as his face went from smiling to serious and worried in a matter of seconds.

"What's wrong?" she asked and Daisy who had been chattering away to Cas went silent. Dean shook his head at her, listened a few seconds more then said:

"We'll be there," and hung up.

Dean placed his phone back in his pocket and looked at Rose and something in his expression scared her. Whatever was going on wasn't good and Dean was obviously worried about how it was going to affect her.

"There's a situation in Hastings," he said. "We need to go."

"What? What is it?" Rose asked in alarm, getting to her feet.

"Your boss called your mother," he said, and Rose looked surprised.

"Maggie called my mom?" Rose was fairly sure the two had never met, had never exchanged a single word. But Dean was nodding.

"She said she had forgotten to give you your last paycheck and wanted to give it to your mom since she knew she was coming back through Hastings."

"How would she know that?" Daisy asked and watched as Dean and Cas' eyes met.

"If demons are keeping an eye on your family they would have an idea of where you all are or as much as they can anyway," Cas said lowly and Daisy looked at him in surprise. "It stands to reason they would know where your mother is too."

“What does that have to do with Maggie calling…” Rose trailed off as she realized what Cas must mean.  "Wait, you're saying Maggie is possessed?" Rose felt as if her head was swimming. Daisy watched as Dean and Cas looked at each other again. Whatever was going on was worse than that. She picked up a stray thought from Cas, "Not sure if Rose can handle it being her..." and her eyes widened.

"We need to go, Baby," Dean said gently and Rose nodded.

"I'm coming with you," she said firmly, and Cas watched Dean close his eyes for a second. Hearing his thoughts he knew how very much Dean wanted Rose to stay here. He wanted to protect her, to shield her. But this time he couldn't. This time they needed her. So, he opened his eyes and nodded.

"I'm coming too," Daisy said, getting up to stand by her sister, slipping her hand into hers. And Cas knew what Dean felt like suddenly, wanting to protect someone so much while knowing you could only do so much. The men's eyes met in a brief glance of understanding and less than moment later Cas had them all standing in the back parking lot of the flower shop.

* * *

"Why didn't anyone tell us this was going on?" Lily demanded when Charlie had explained what had happened at Danny's.

Charlie shrugged. "I guess they wanted you to enjoy your time away. It wasn't like you could do anything."

"Still, we should have been told," Lily argued.

"Hey, I'm just the messenger," Charlie said. "Gripe at Dean or Rose when they get back."

"So, Utah," Sam said, trying to get them back on track. "Where does that come into it?"

Charlie explained the dosage lowering and how that had gone and the trip to the therapists. Sam and Lily both winced in sympathy. Oh, if only something would go easily for once.

"And then today, Bobby called with your mom. They were leaving Lincoln when they got a call from Rose's boss."

"Wait, what was my mom doing in Lincoln with Bobby anyway?" Lily asked, and Charlie took a sip of coffee.

"Wait a sec," she said and disappeared into the kitchen, bringing back the plate of brownies. "I figured we may need more of these," she explained. Settling back down she began to explain.

"Right, so that part nobody really knew the truth about that till earlier today."

* * *

_~ Even earlier today~_

"Gotta say," Bobby said from behind the wheel of his truck as he turned out of the hotel parking lot. "You were damn impressive."

Erin blushed and tried to brush off his praise.

"It was just a spell removal, Bobby."

"Yeah, that we couldn't get any other witch to touch," Bobby pointed out.

"Heather could have easily done it."

"And you realize what league that puts you in?" Bobby said as he pulled the truck into a gas station to fill up before they got on the highway.

"I wouldn't go that far," Erin said and Bobby shook his head as he turned the engine off.

"Why do you do that?" he asked, and Erin looked at him in confusion. "Downplay what you can do. You're a damn fine witch, Erin. You always brush it off like it's nothing, like it's not something you should be proud of but you're talented, gifted even but you always act like it's nothing."

Erin looked down at her hands, folded neatly in her lap.

"Some messages are hard to unhear," she said softly. "Fighting, hunting were things to be proud of. Witchcraft, magic those were necessary evils, not something to embrace or take pride in."

"Your damn parents and their idiotic beliefs," Bobby cursed and Erin smiled.

"They're not the only ones," Erin said with a small smile. "You hunters have a love hate relationship with magic. If I'm a full-fledged witch suddenly the hunters I know don't trust me or the ones who do are looked on with suspicion." She shrugged. "I didn't want that. It’s safer to say I dabble." Bobby wanted to point out that people who “dabbled” didn’t generally have the protection of powerful covens but resisted.

"Well, what you did for that boy was astounding, Erin," Bobby said, not willing to let her off with no praise. “Not to mention thinking ahead to make these for all the rest of us.” Bobby fingered the charm around his neck. Erin had explained there could be blowback from the spell, something put in place by the spell casters to harm anyone who tried to remove it. To be safe she’d made them all wear the charms she’d made, and no harm had come to them.

He'd watched her walk into the house and have a heartfelt conversation with the boy’s mother. She'd been an odd one with her defenses up sky high. But Erin had spoken to her calmly and compassionately, bringing up their shared past, the fact they both cared for each other’s children and the woman had broken down in front of their eyes. She admitted how worried she was for Sean, how scared and how her husband was in complete denial. Erin had assured her they would fix things and damn if she wasn't right. Moira had led them downstairs once she'd calmed down, right to Sean and Erin had gotten to work while Sean watched her suspiciously. He's been on edge, restless and worried. His mother and brother had done their best to distract him and when it was time they'd had to physically restrain him, tying him to a chair so he wouldn't lash out.  But once they spell had been done, the words said a transformation took place in front of their eyes. Dawning light appeared in the man's eyes and he'd immediately looked around at them all, wanting to know where his wife and son were.

Erin had smiled at his mother and they'd untied him and promised he could see them in just a minute. Then they'd proceeded to ask him questions about what had happened and had learned quite a bit. When they'd left with thanks from all gathered Sean had been heading to his car with his brother, headed for his home and family.

"I'm just glad I could help," Erin said.

"You did good, darlin," Bobby said, kissing her softly and Erin smiled at him.

"You're a little biased," she said teasingly, and Bobby laughed but didn't deny it.

They were just heading onto the highway when Erin's phone rang.

* * *

"Can Castiel save them?" Erin was asking Bobby now, eyeing the bodies lying on the floor in pools of blood anxiously.

"I reckon so," Bobby said and Erin nodded.  She may not know these women herself, but she did know how much they meant to Rose. Especially that one, she thought, looking at the youngest, pacing in a devil's trap, her currently colored blue hair swishing back and force as she paced.

"You might as well let me out," she hollered. "You can't save her. I'll gut this bitch before I let her go."

The two ignored her, their eyes on the back door as it opened, and Dean led Rose in, followed by Cas and Daisy.

When Rose saw Sadie in the devil’s trap, her eyes black, mouth twisted into a sneer she stopped. Dean had told her what Sadie had done, had told her what he knew but to see it was another thing. She felt her heart give a painful squeeze.

As Cas hurried to Maggie and Annie's side Rose stopped in front of Sadie.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured softly, and the demon laughed.

"Oh, don't be," she said. "This meat sack was nothing but a waste of space. In fact, I think this is an upgrade. At least she did something meaningful today," she laughed. "Much better than her normal sniveling and whining."

Dean watched Rose's eyes flash and wondered if the demon was smart enough to realize that pissing Rose off was not the best course of action for her sake.  Her next words proved that to not be true.

"This one," the demon waved a hand toward the body she was currently possessing.  "She's up there with some of the most pathetic, sniveling worms I've seen." She sneered lightly at Rose. "And oh, doesn't she look up to you?" she laughed. "She broke up with that boyfriend of hers because you told her to. Which was pretty dumb on her part. I mean he was the only person who ever paid her any attention. Well aside from you of course and where were you when she needed you?" The demon cocked her head at Rose. "Nowhere to be found." She shook her head pityingly.  "Ol' Jimmy took all her money before they broke up which means poor little Sadie here had been living in her car." She smirked at Rose. "Bet you didn't know that did you? Bet you don't know how old she really is either." She gave Rose a sad face. "It kind of looks like you don't know, much do you?"

Dean had seen enough, heard enough. Every word she said was digging into Rose and that needed to stop.

"OK bitch," he growled stepping up beside Rose. "That's enough."

The demon let out a laugh. "Oh, is it?  Are you the one in charge here Dean Winchester?" She gave them a simpering smile and waved a hand in Rose’s direction. "And here I thought she was the one with all the power."

"What's all this shit about?" Dean asked, ignoring the taunt. "I mean, coming in here and doing all this shit, what's the point?"

"Oh, come on," the demon said, taking a seat on the ground, folding her legs up and getting comfortable. "Coming in here and wreaking all this chaos in her life?" She shrugged. "It's fun. I was hoping to take out Mommy Dearest back there too, but hey," she shrugged again. "You take what you can get." She considered Rose for a moment who was staring at her with shell shocked eyes. "I gotta say...considering you're the new big noise in town you're pretty unimpressive in person.  And her," she waved a hand towards Daisy where she stood by Cas' side. "She looks like a fucking Taylor Swift wannabe."

"So, this was what, a fishing expedition?" Dean pressed. "See what you're up against?"

The demon shrugged again. "Maybe," she hedged then she grinned, and Dean figured she'd want to brag, want to let her plans spill out. A demon cocky enough to come in here on her own was sure to be arrogant enough to want to brag. "Maybe I haven't chosen my side yet."

"Your side?" Cas asked, coming up alongside Dean suddenly. Dean glanced behind him and saw both Maggie and Annie sitting up and looking dazed but none the worse for the wear. Cas would have to wipe their memories Dean thought dimly.

"Oh, come on, Castiel," the demon said in a mocking tone. "Are you the far out of touch that you don't know? We both know that what happens in hell trickles up to heaven and vice versa.  Can't keep a secret there." She studied Cas for a moment. "Then again, I haven't heard your name in quite a while. Makes a girl wonder what you've been up to." She eyed Daisy slowly who was by her mother's side now. "Makes me wonder who you've been up to it with."

"OK back to these sides," Dean interrupted. "What sides?"

The demon laughed. "Oh Dean, silly boy. You really don't know?" She grinned at him happily as if he had asked her the most interesting question ever. "The sisters and their support team or the other demons...which one are you gonna choose?" She looked at Rose curiously. "I figured causing some trouble here would either make Red here either fold or come out swinging. Either way something happens." She shrugged, looking bored. "I get tired of waiting."

"That's why you did all this?" Rose asked, sounding astounded.

"Sure," the demon said switching her gaze to Rose. "Pain is a big motivator and you love this stupid little girl a lot. Hurting something a person loves is fun. You'll learnt that eventually once they get a hold of you." Her eyes took on a feral look. "Now if I had my way I would have loved a chance to rip this one apart." She nodded towards Dean, her eyes raking over him. "Pull him apart in front of you, make him scream as I ripped the flesh from his bones. Now that would have been-"

She never got to finish the sentence though as apparently threatening Dean was a step too far.  Rose’s eyes narrowed, and Dean watched in amazement as the demon was yanked from her body, the black shadow crashing hard into the ground and disappearing. Sadie's body immediately dropped to the ground and Rose flew to her side.

* * *

"They were going to be home this evening but with the way things have gone it won’t be till tomorrow," Charlie finished up, watching Sam and Lily both lean back in their chairs.

"We weren't gone that long," Lily said weakly.

"Things move fast," Charlie said with a shrug, vowing to smack Dean once she saw him for leaving her to tell all this. “There’s frozen pizzas in the freezer if you want dinner.” Charlie got up and pulled her coat back on, ready to head home. “So, your trip was good?”

Sam gave a distracted nod. “Yeah, really good.” He shook himself. “Thanks, Charlie.”

Charlie just nodded. “Dean and Rose both have their phones with them. You want my opinion I’d leave them alone tonight.  It’s been a tough day.”

And with this advice administered Charlie left the bunker, leaving Sam and Lily to sort through all she’d told them.

* * *

For Erin and Bobby, who had never seen this power of Rose's first hand (And Dean who had only seen it once before) it was an astonishing experience. Daisy and Cas seemed less astounded by it. Cas went to check on Sadie. Indicated to Rose she was OK and should regain consciousness shortly. As soon as he moved Dean was by Rose’s side.

"What do we do?" Rose asked, and Dean knew what she meant; Sadie was obviously a target now.

"Let me talk to Bobby," Dean said. "I may have an idea."

As Dean walked away Rose just stayed there, stroking Sadie's hair softly. She hated that she'd brought pain into this girls’ life. She'd had so much of it already.

"Rose," a voice startled her out of her thoughts and Rose looked up to find her mother standing above her. Rose looked at anxiously and was relieved and surprised to see a look of pride in her eyes. Erin crouched down next to her. "How is she?"

"Cas says she's OK," Rose said softly. "She's out but should be awake soon."

Erin nodded then reached out a hand and stroked Rose's hair, surprising her.

"That was impressive, baby," Erin said and Rose looked at her in surprise. She studied her mother's face there and seeing nothing but pride she nodded.

“Thanks, Mom,” she said softly.

Bobby came over to them then, smiling at them both. "Dean's on the phone, working out a plan that we think will work." He looked at Rose. "That was some power there, sweetheart."

Rose smiled. "Thanks, Bobby."

Bobby glanced over at Dean who gave him a thumbs-up and Bobby nodded. "OK you lot can go in Sadie's car."

"Go?" Rose asked in confusion. "Where are we going?"

Bobby took a breath then said, "Sioux Falls."

 

 


End file.
